Three years ago, the Archie Comics folks startled the world by introducing the first openly gay character in Riverdale, Kevin Keller. Kevin made his debut in Veronica #202 and soon got his own mini-series.This week, Kevin's creator, Dan Parent, accepted the Outstanding Comic Book award at the GLAAD Media Awards, saying, "Many people thought it would be a challenge to … [Read more...] about Digital Deals: Kevin Keller and Archie Comics
Archives for May 2013
Top Publishers Donate eBooks to Get London Reading Campaign
Hachette UK, HarperCollins, Penguin, and Random House have donated a selection of top children’s titles to support the Get London Reading literacy campaign. This is a big event with Barnes and Noble and the London Evening Standard aiming to make reading more accessible and affordable across the UK and includes a donation of 1,000 NOOK Simple Touch e-Readers to Beanstalk, a … [Read more...] about Top Publishers Donate eBooks to Get London Reading Campaign
Video: Google Play on the Nook HD
Barnes and Noble announced a few weeks ago that the entire Nook HD Tablet line will get full access to Google Play. We have heard from many readers that they intend to buy one for the first time, or decided to stick with their device because of this new enhancement. Google Play gives international users a viable ecosystem of content to tap into, and for the first time, you can … [Read more...] about Video: Google Play on the Nook HD
Report: Kids Tend to Read Digital More Than Print
The process of reading is undergoing a paradigm shift where kids are starting to read on smartphones and tablets more than physical print. The quintessential bedtime story book is being replaced by dedicated kids apps and Amazon.A recent report by the National Literacy Trust in the United Kingdom surveyed 35,000 kids, whose ages ranged from 8-16. It stated that 39% of … [Read more...] about Report: Kids Tend to Read Digital More Than Print
Barnes and Noble Beefs Up Nook iOS App for Comics Readers
Barnes and Noble announced a major upgrade to its Nook app for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch this week, bringing the full range of digital comics capabilities to the app for the first time. Previously, many comics in the Nook store were available only on Nook devices, not on the associated apps. With the upgrade, iOS users can now access any of the 8,000 comics titles in the … [Read more...] about Barnes and Noble Beefs Up Nook iOS App for Comics Readers
Publisher Threatens Blogger with Lawsuit, Imprisonment for Defamation
It's just a known and accepted fact about the internet that there are trolls everywhere. If you post a video of your six-year-old's dance recital on YouTube, someone out there invariably will down-vote it and make a rude remark in the comments section. There is almost an air of acceptance about the process, a sentiment that users understand that putting content on the internet … [Read more...] about Publisher Threatens Blogger with Lawsuit, Imprisonment for Defamation
Video: Amazon Coin Review
Amazon has just released its new Coins program, which acts as a virtual currency to buy apps or to buy in-app content. Every account registered to a Kindle gets 500 free coins that you can spend on whatever you want. Amazon also sells packs of coins, which you can use to buy things in bulk. Not everyone has updated their apps yet to support coins, but there is a ton of stuff … [Read more...] about Video: Amazon Coin Review
Google Play for Education Launched
The 2013 edition of the Google I/O Conference may not have been about fancy hardware launches or even a new iteration of Android (both of which were hotly anticipated), but that does not mean there weren't any important or interesting announcements made. There is the very interesting new feature that Google launched aimed primarily at the educational sector. Google Play for … [Read more...] about Google Play for Education Launched
Google Play Books Update Allows eBook Uploads in EPUB and PDF
Google Play Books has just released a new update today for iOS and Android that will greatly enhance its relevance. Google now allows users to upload their own ebooks in EPUB or PDF format into Google Drive or via their new Uploading Tool. Once the books are stored in the cloud, you can read your books within the main Google Books app.Google has adopted a new strategy to … [Read more...] about Google Play Books Update Allows eBook Uploads in EPUB and PDF
ProQuest Completes the Acquisition of EBL and Explains What It All Means
Proquest has officially acquired Ebook Library and this new acquisition greatly enhances the the ability for Proquest to expand its digital offerings in Academia. The acquisition supports ProQuest’s overall goal of enhancing the research experience through seamless discovery of content across multiple formats, including books, journals, dissertations, newspapers, and … [Read more...] about ProQuest Completes the Acquisition of EBL and Explains What It All Means
eBooks Account for 20% of All Book Sales in the United States
eBooks are on the rise for the entire trade publishing sector, and they tend to net the entire publishing industry with stable growth. A recent survey conducted by Bookstats has stated that ebooks now account for 20% of all books sold in the US in 2012, and in 2011 they accounted for 15%. This equates to around three billion dollars in revenue for the entire digital industry, … [Read more...] about eBooks Account for 20% of All Book Sales in the United States
BookLikes: Do We Need Another Book Discovery Site?
There is no shortage of websites that aim to connect books with readers, and most of them offer some pretty familiar features. Find books, rate books, review books, talk about... books. Occasionally, though, a site comes along whose goal is to bring something new to the book discovery realm.BookLikes, the Poland-based multi-national site whose eight month beta launch … [Read more...] about BookLikes: Do We Need Another Book Discovery Site?
Apple Fires Back at the Justice Department in iBooks Trial
The USA Justice Department was looking into allegations that Apple colluded with major publishers to establish agency pricing. This created an environment where the publishers dictated the pricing for digital books and created an outcry in Europe and the USA against price fixing. All of the publishers have settled their cases by abandoning the agency model for two years and … [Read more...] about Apple Fires Back at the Justice Department in iBooks Trial
Creator Posts Link to His Own Comic on a Pirate Site
Writer Ian Sharman wants readers to buy his new book Hero: 9 to 5 - Quietus, but he realizes some folks haven't read the first volume, which comprises issues #1-#4.So he's making the first collection available digitally, for free, but he's letting others do the work: On his Tumblr, Sharman posted a link to a downloadable copy on what is obviously a pirate site.He … [Read more...] about Creator Posts Link to His Own Comic on a Pirate Site