Shopify was sued last year by a number of educational publishers who accused them of ignoring repeat notices that its users sell pirated digital versions of their textbooks and eBooks. The lawsuit said Shopify’s “blind eye” to piracy allows for copyright and trademark infringement on a “massive scale.” The publishers asked the court for statutory damages of up to $150,000 per … [Read more...] about Shopify settles with publishers for textbook and ebook piracy lawsuit
Bookselling News
Print book sales declined by 4.8% in the first 9 months of 2022
Print books have slightly declined for the first nine months of 2022. Overall sales in the United States have dropped from 570 million copies sold in the January through September in in 2021 to 542.6 million in 2022. Adult fiction has been the the strongest category all year and rose 9.5% in the first nine months of the year. One of the most successful authors of the year was … [Read more...] about Print book sales declined by 4.8% in the first 9 months of 2022
Amazon changes e-book return policy after author protest
In July 2022, we reported that several authors were protesting Amazon’s e-book return policy; Authors protesting Amazon’s e-book return policy. At that time, Amazon was allowing customers to return e-books up to a full week after purchasing. For many readers, a week is a more than enough time to finish a book, and return it after reading. When that happens, authors lose out … [Read more...] about Amazon changes e-book return policy after author protest
Canadian ebook sales were strong in 2021
Canadians continued to be enamored with reading reading digital books. Over half of all publishers (52%) saw increases in ebook revenue compared with 2020 and just over a quarter of all publishers (28%) saw increases in audiobook revenue in the same period. This bodes well for the digital publishing industry and also companies that sell e-readers and ebooks, such as Amazon and … [Read more...] about Canadian ebook sales were strong in 2021
How is Barnes & Noble doing in the Digital Age?
In 1873, Charles M. Barnes opened a small book business from his home in Wheaton, Illinois. His son, William Barnes carried the torch forward and alongside Clifford Noble, they opened the very first Barnes & Noble bookstore on Fifth Avenue in New York City in 1917. The store began to flourish, garnishing it a reputation for excellence. Bookseller Leonard Riggio acquired … [Read more...] about How is Barnes & Noble doing in the Digital Age?
Why are Kindle ebooks so expensive?
Digital books on the Kindle, Nook or Kobo are way more expensive now, than ever before. Major publishers who control the vast majority of the market, control the prices and users end up paying more than the paperback and in some cases, the ebooks are more expensive than the hardcover. Why are ebooks so expensive now? Agency Model Keeps the Prices High Digital books used to be … [Read more...] about Why are Kindle ebooks so expensive?
Britney Spears memoir completed, but delayed by paper shortage
If in twenty years from now you were asked “What were the main topics of discussion around 2020?” you likely wouldn’t be too hard pressed to come up with something to talk about. Although many other topics have dominated the main news cycle, the story of Britney Spears has been prevalent in the celebrity news. There are many areas of interests with Britney Spears: from her … [Read more...] about Britney Spears memoir completed, but delayed by paper shortage
Is the pandemic book boom finally over?
In the first half of 2021, book sales took off 18.9%, compared to the same period in 2020. Despite lockdowns, with book shops being closed, the volume of book sales increased during the pandemic. This trend in higher book sales during the pandemic was seen globally; 200million print books were sold in the UK in 2021, which was the highest amount in over a decade, according to … [Read more...] about Is the pandemic book boom finally over?
ebook sales plummet 12.2% in March 2022
Digital book sales in the Untied States, have been in a state of freefall all year long. This is primarily attributed to the vast majority of people no longer in lockdown and are not buying as many ebooks anymore. The Association of American Publishers have announced that ebook revenues were down 12.2% for March, 2022, as compared to March 2021 for a total of $76.9 million. … [Read more...] about ebook sales plummet 12.2% in March 2022
A Win for Affordability: Students are Spending Less for Course Materials in 2021-2022
College students are active consumers, with resources, interest and access to seek out a wide variety of services and products. The average amount students spent on course materials, including textbooks and digital materials, for post secondary programs declined 22% during the 2021-2022 academic year according to a new report by independent research firm Student Monitor. … [Read more...] about A Win for Affordability: Students are Spending Less for Course Materials in 2021-2022