Barnes & Noble is still clinging to life despite years-long rumors that almost every aspect of the business model is at death's door. With physical stores closing and the Nook constantly rumored to be on the chopping block, it's hard to know what to believe.So the recent announcement that B&N's Press (formerly Nook Press, the self-publishing wing of the company) is now … [Read more...] about BN Press Now Offers Pre-Orders, But Why?
Wattpad Authors Have An Opportunity To Earn from their Stories
Okay, authors, be ready to watch events unfold without getting your hopes up too high...at least not yet. Author-reader consumption platform Wattpad is beta testing a new feature that can be a game changer if it proves to be both sustainable and expandable, one that stands to open up an entirely new marketplace for readers to buy authors' works.According to a new report by … [Read more...] about Wattpad Authors Have An Opportunity To Earn from their Stories
Amazon (Supposedly) to Pay Workers Higher Wages
The "Fight for 15" has been an ongoing battle in the US, with advocates for a fair, living wage working tirelessly for a nearly 100% increase in the current non-server minimum wage (due to the expectation of tips, restaurants only have to pay wait staff a little more than $2 per hour). Some key political voices have also come on board, namely advocates like Senator Bernie … [Read more...] about Amazon (Supposedly) to Pay Workers Higher Wages
EU Removes VAT on eBooks
In a decision that has been years in the making, the EU has decided to allow the removal of VAT on ebooks, just as it has done for print books all this time. This single change could spell an increase in sales of digital works and the technology to read them, and in the interaction between readers and digital-only indie authors.For years, ebooks have carried the sting of as … [Read more...] about EU Removes VAT on eBooks
PA Prisons Stop Donations of Print Books for Inmates, switch to ebooks
The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections is drawing criticism for a recent regulation that will ban anyone--including established literacy organizations and charities--from donating print books to incarcerated individuals. Instead, the DOC requires that all inmates read only content already contained in the prison library or on tablets that the inmates must purchase and pay … [Read more...] about PA Prisons Stop Donations of Print Books for Inmates, switch to ebooks
After Milo Fiasco, S&S Hits It Out of the Park With ‘Fear’
You'd think Simon & Schuster might have thought twice about trying to get political after the fiasco of attempting to publish the vapid, pointless, hate-mongering memoir of the self-professed creator of the alt-right movement, but luckily for the publisher, their latest venture didn't tank like the Milo Yiannopoulos book. Instead, Watergate reporter Bob Woodward's … [Read more...] about After Milo Fiasco, S&S Hits It Out of the Park With ‘Fear’
Amazon Employees Accepting Bribes to Take Down Bad Reviews
Ah, the good old Amazon review saga... no, it's not authors buying mass blocks of five-star reviews. Oh wait, no, it's not authors bullying reviewers for leaving bad reviews, either. Nope, it's not authors buying one-star reviews for a rival author's book. Nuh uh, it's not Amazon removing any and all reviews that seem shady, purchased, left by an acquaintance of the author, or … [Read more...] about Amazon Employees Accepting Bribes to Take Down Bad Reviews
Seven-Figure Advance for Biz Book by Netflix CEO
"Netflix and chill" just took on a new--and clean--meaning thanks to a book deal for its CEO Reed Hastings. Anticipated to be the biggest business book of the year, this deal is sure to put Hastings in a very "chillaxed" state of mind.In the US, Penguin picked up Hasting's unnamed title for a reported seven-figure advance, and UK's Ebury imprint got it for another … [Read more...] about Seven-Figure Advance for Biz Book by Netflix CEO
Is Digital Reading Changing Our Brains?
If you launch a debate between a die-hard ebook fan and a staunch print bibliophile, grab your popcorn and be prepared for a hearty argument. Like almost any other issue, the more ardent the viewpoint, the more logical reasons both sides can find to support their cause. Digital readers often cite the portability, anywhere-access, and instant availability of downloadable titles, … [Read more...] about Is Digital Reading Changing Our Brains?
Kids These Days… Have They Stopped Reading?
For years, critics have bemoaned the decline of reading among both children and adults, but new data actually presents hard numbers on how this behavior has actually declined. According to analysis conducted by Jean M. Twenge, PhD, of the recent Monitoring the Future report, kids these days have all but stopped reading."Wait, we've heard this before," you might think, and … [Read more...] about Kids These Days… Have They Stopped Reading?
Keanu Reeves Launches Book Imprint but It’s Not Erotic Lit
Is anyone else still recovering from the tidal wave of actors-turned-singers that ruined a little bit of the '80s for us? Big names like Don Johnson, Bruce Willis, Eddie Murphy, and Patrick Swayze made us all cringe a little by releasing albums, which is somehow not the same thing as a singer like Harry Connick, Jr. or Madonna turning to acting.In reality, entertainers have … [Read more...] about Keanu Reeves Launches Book Imprint but It’s Not Erotic Lit
Crown Publishing Recalls Cookbook Due to Poisonous Recipes
Never trust a skinny cook, as the old saying goes, and at the risk of body shaming anyone, Instagram "influencer" Johnna Holmgren is--to be honest--not the best source of information on how to live a healthy, robust life. Along with her chalk artist husband, the blogger's fondness for eating poisonous berries and wild mushrooms that induce vomiting and diarrhea, and it's not … [Read more...] about Crown Publishing Recalls Cookbook Due to Poisonous Recipes
#CockyGate Finally Dies the Death It Deserved from Day One
Don't you love when romance has a happy ending? Or at least a sigh-of-relief ending while still shoving the villain out the proverbial window? Romance stakeholders from readers to publishers have been on the edge of their seats over one hapless author's attempt to make a name for herself by trademarking a common romance term. After months of coverage, courtroom drama (in which … [Read more...] about #CockyGate Finally Dies the Death It Deserved from Day One
Author Suzanne Brockmann Sets #RWA18 on Fire with Award Speech
Most people probably wouldn't look to the annual conference of a romance writers' group to find controversy and political outrage, but then again, too many people write off romance authors as not being the business savvy, world-changing voices they are capable of being. This was never more evident than at the annual Romance Writers of America conference, wrapping up today in … [Read more...] about Author Suzanne Brockmann Sets #RWA18 on Fire with Award Speech