Getting on CD-ROM: are you ready for the future?

Working on CD-ROM is not as mysterious as it sounds. With a little knowledge and a lot of enthusiasm, you can help shape your, magazine's message for new distribution outlets and new readers.

Unlike book publishers, who began exploring CD-ROMs as early as the late eighties, most magazine publishers have only lately answered the call of the spinning disc and are in catch-up mode. Your publishers will probably want to explore a magazine on CD-ROM, a quarterly or annual CD supplement, or even a digital advertorial that's "bundled" with the magazine.

In any case, you need to be well informed and ready for the challenge because if editors don't manage the information flow into the digital domain, less knowledgeable people will - which could damage your magazine's reputation. Moreover, learning about, new media could soon become your ticket to greater opportunities within your own company or elsewhere. CD-ROM is a hot commodity and it's too important to pass off because of time commitments or personal fears. (Remember what happened to those art directors who refused to leam desktop publishing.)

With that said, here's a basic primer that will help you speak intelligibly about this newfangled subject matter.

Get physical

The only way to understand CD-ROMs is to play with them, so get a multimedia computer for your home and office. (By the way, every good art director should have a drive in order to access clip art and stock photography, which is now best stored on CD-ROM.) By looking at a range of discs, from games to encyclopedias, you'll learn about different menu designs and search tools. Most titles are published for Windows-compatible computers, but there's enough to get you started on the Mac.

Learn the lingo

CD-ROM means Compact Disc Read Only Memory, and like its optical cousin, the audio CD, it can pick up data using a laser light. The difference is that CD-ROMs can "read" and integrate a range of information, such as video, text, animation, sound, or whatever (hence the term "multimedia") and display it on your computer screen. Some CD-ROM drives, often called set-top players, can play CDs on your TV. One example is 3DO, a popular game format that has so far been incompatible with desktop CD players.

As you can tell, terms are used pretty loosely. "CD" can mean an audio CD or a CD-ROM; "multimedia" is often thrown around with the term "interactive," which refers to how much control the user has over the action. If you think you need help with some of the terminology, buy a beginner's book like Byte Guide to CD-ROM (Osborne McGraw-Hill).

Keep up with the industry

There are hundreds of computer, gaming, and multimedia newsletters and magazines, and new ones are launching all the time. Because this industry is moving so quickly and in so many directions, it's best to skim several publications.

For starters, read Wired. The editing is uneven and you may have to squint to read the type, but its thought-provoking articles will help you tune into Silicon Valley's Zeitgeist. Next, check out some of the more niche-oriented consumer titles such as Interactive Age, Electronic Entertainment, and CD-ROM Today. They'll give you an idea of what new titles and technologies are in the pipeline. Of course, it's a good idea to peruse some of the larger computer magazines, too, but their coverage of multimedia (read "CD-ROM") is not as extensive as the smaller upstarts' coverage. If you want developer or business-related information, try New Media and CD-ROM Professional magazines, respectively.

Don't forget the entertainment industry trades, either. Get subscriptions to Billboard, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and Publishers Weekly, among others. They all track CD-ROM developments from their own unique vantage points, and their coverage is getting better. Red Herring will fill you in on the Valley's venture capitalist trade. And if you've got the cash, newsletters like "Multimedia Business Report" ($479/year), "Multimedia Monitor" ($395/year), or Seybold's "Digital Media" ($395/year) are loaded with insider information.

Get an education

You need to make industry contacts and master the minutia. Every major computer trade show now has a multimedia pavilion where you can hobnob with developers who might be potential partners.

For a real boot camp experience, enroll in a short multimedia course. These are held around the country at many of the large universities. In New York, contact the NYU Center of Digital Multimedia, which runs intensive summer sessions. In Los Angeles, UCLA Extension offers a mix of courses, depending on your level and interests. Other good bets are the following: Columbia University, Stanford University, San Francisco State University, and UC Berkeley Extension.

You might also try networking with budding multimedia enthusiasts on an online forum within CompuServe or America Online. In addition, computer user groups, such as the Boston Computer Society, offer meetings, seminars, and workshops.

Go for it

Nobody has all the answers. If you don't understand something, be upfront and say so. The ignorant are only those who ignore the new media opportunities.

By the way, if you're looking for clear firewalls between editorial and advertising in this realm, you might as well forget it. You'll have to make it up as you go along and trust your editorial instincts.

When you feel that you've mastered the basics, you know you've just begun. Depending on the business support within your company, you might be asked to structure a business relationship with a CD-ROM developer (hint: Be creative) or to set up an inhouse project (hint: Recruit good programming talent).

The important lesson is to familiarize yourself and your coworkers with all of the options. If you do, you'll be able to put those computer phobias behind you and stay a step ahead of the competition.

Todd Harris, former editor in chief of CD-ROM World, is a new media consultant based in New York City.

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