Coming soon: a multimedia book chronicling the March Meet

A full-page print ad promoting The Bakersfield Californian's upcoming history of the March Meet.

A small team in The Californian newsroom is working on an iPad-only book chronicling the world-famous March Meet, held annually at Famoso Raceway just north of Bakersfield.

"March Meet: Bakersfield's Love Affair with Speed, Nitro & Good Times" will take fans deep into one of Bakersfield's biggest events. This will be our first iPad-only book and will feature lots of stories, photos and videos on the racing legends and characters who have brought this event to life over the last 54 years. 

We're excited about the prospects an interactive multimedia book will bring to an event that's a sensory overload: the blast of dragsters hitting more than 250 mph, hundreds of classic cars, colorful people from all walks of life and the rich history of an event that draws fans from around the world.

The four-day March Meet runs through Sunday, and we'll begin production first thing Monday. Our goal -- and it's a huge challenge -- is to submit a finished product to the Apple Store by Friday. 

At this point, we're focusing on an iPad version, but there may be versions for other e-readers coming soon. 

For details and to sign up for an alert when the book his available for sale, visit books.bakersfield.com.

Update on Saturday, March 17, 2012 at 8:48 PM by Logan Molen

Here's our second trailer for the "March Meet" e-book. Turn up the speakers!

Updates to BakersfieldCalifornian.com

The homepage of BakersfieldCalifornian.com has a heavy focus on news content.We've made a few prominent changes to our recently launched BakersfieldCalifornian.com news site.

The site, a news-centric spinoff of Bakersfield.com, features improved navigation; added functionality, content and sections; more and larger photos; fun features like our Pick 6 editor's choice; and fewer but more prominent ad positions.  

These are just a few of the changes in store this year as we continue to built out both Bakersfield.com and BakersfieldCalifornian.com with new sections, improved navigation and presentation, and more exclusive content, including fresh approaches to local video and digital publishing. 

Details are in BdotCOM blog. 

Wrapping our iPad app in vibrant color

Late last year I shared some details about The Bakersfield Californian's multimedia campaign for its iPad app. 

And here's a quick update: We've recently added a few new components in the form of advertising wraps on four Golden Empire Transit buses and two Bakersfield Californian delivery vans.

The bus wraps each have a different theme that reinforces the message that The Californian e-edition iPad app is the perfect escape, whether Who wouldn't do a double take at seeing this van? you're at the beach, in the mountains, at Morro Bay or at Dodger Stadium. 

Click to read more ...