Verdict: 3 StarsShepherd's second title, The Poisoned Island (Washington Square Press), had an incredibly intriguing premise, but it dragged. The action got lost in chapter after chapter of descriptive narrative filled with back story, as opposed to dialogue and sequences. On the plus side, and at the risk of a vast spoiler alert, there is a tremendously intelligent … [Read more...] about eBook Review: The Poisoned Island by Lloyd Shepherd
Digital Publishing News
Has Google Demolished the Newspaper Industry?
There has been quite a number of journalists weighing in on the role Google plays in the newspaper industry. The company has made billions of dollars of advertising revenue at the expense of content creators. The newspaper industry has lost billions of dollars in the last 10 years, which is directly proportionate to the sheer growth Google has garnered . Should Google be doing … [Read more...] about Has Google Demolished the Newspaper Industry?
The Sun Starts to gain a Solid Subscription Base on their Digital Paywall
Newspapers have struggled in recent years with the means to stay up-to-the-minute in a world of instant online information. On top of that, newspapers steadily began to lose subscribers in an era where news was not only available instantaneously and timely, but also for free.A number of newspaper publishers have experimented with putting limitations on their digital … [Read more...] about The Sun Starts to gain a Solid Subscription Base on their Digital Paywall
Why Amazon’s Proprietary eBook Format is Better than ePub
Amazon has been actively developing its own proprietary eBook format for the last six years. Unlike EPUB, Amazon has the ability to introduce new features in their digital format without waiting for a standards body to approve them. Amazon is clearly winning the eBook sales race with USA market penetration of over 75% and is primarily due to them having control over their own … [Read more...] about Why Amazon’s Proprietary eBook Format is Better than ePub
New Digital Site and Conference from Founders of AllThingsD
The founders of the Wall Street Journal owned AllThingsD digital news and tech column have split from the News Corp owned group and launched their own site, Re/Code, which went live on January 2nd. Co-founders and digital industry veterans Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher have also created a new conference, Code, as part of their new venture. The site formerly known as … [Read more...] about New Digital Site and Conference from Founders of AllThingsD
Digital First Media Announcement Finalized
As newspapers around the country are struggling to find their places in the digital publishing market, a mid-December announcement that strengthens one outlet became finalized only days ago. MediaNews Group and 21st Century Media first announced their joint combination on December 17th, and finalized the details of the announcement on the 30th. The new entity will operate as … [Read more...] about Digital First Media Announcement Finalized
Infographic – A Look at the GoodReads Social Community
GoodReaders has had a big year in 2013 and the company released a new infographic that chronicles all of their achievements. … [Read more...] about Infographic – A Look at the GoodReads Social Community
The Battle is Not Over for Google’s Digitization Project
Eight years of legal battles to halt Google's digitization project have not produced the results that some organizations have wanted, and therefore, the litigation will continue.Only a matter of weeks ago, US Circuit Judge Denny Chin ruled that Google's massive digitization project fell within the reasonable bounds of copyright and fair use, throwing out the copyright … [Read more...] about The Battle is Not Over for Google’s Digitization Project
Newest Technology to Hit Books: 3D Printing
How-to books are nothing new. They teach readers to cook, tie knots, change the air filters in their cars, speak foreign languages, and more. But a new wave of books aimed at younger readers is working to teach skills and mindsets more through storytelling, and less through step-by-step instruction.Now, author and designer Carla Diana has taken her passion for technology … [Read more...] about Newest Technology to Hit Books: 3D Printing
New Treaty Could Mandate Publishers to Allow Organisations to Convert Books into Audiobooks for the Blind
There has been a gradual shift among big name ebook publishers to branch out into developing audiobooks, an industry segment that is worth billions already and is expected to climb further. While this can be an exciting new option to comprehend a book, audiobooks can actually come as a boon to the blind, it being a handy option for them to connect to the literary world. Towards … [Read more...] about New Treaty Could Mandate Publishers to Allow Organisations to Convert Books into Audiobooks for the Blind
Smashwords’ Predictions for Publishing in 2014
This time of year brings with it a host of predictions from various entities, all of whom can lay claim to professional insight behind their ideas. In the many centuries' old book industry, the past that used to shape the present has been ripped away by disruption and technological shift, meaning even well thought out predictions may prove to be far off base.Smashwords, an … [Read more...] about Smashwords’ Predictions for Publishing in 2014
More Publishers Begin to Accept Unagented Submissions
Prior to the current digital publishing and self-publishing revolutions, the process for an author to get published was tedious, beginning with the very first gatekeeper: finding an agent. The literary agent, whose role may be shifting but by no means is disappearing, was often the first entity to pass judgment on a book's merit, accepting or rejecting the title … [Read more...] about More Publishers Begin to Accept Unagented Submissions
Reading Improves Brain Function…Who Knew?
Your fifth grade English teacher was right, you should read a book. According to the study "Short- and Long-Term Effects of a Novel on Connectivity in the Brain," by Emory University researchers Gregory S. Berns, Kristina Blaine, Michael J. Prietula, and Brandon E. Pye, reading a novel causes recordable, distinct physiological changes in the reader's brain.In this study, … [Read more...] about Reading Improves Brain Function…Who Knew?
eBook Review: The Redhead Plays Her Hand by Alice Clayton
Verdict: 5 StarsIn the final installment in the series which Clayton started with The Unidentified Redhead and The Redhead Revealed, "older" actress (she really hates to be called that) Grace Sheridan has a hit new series, a heartthrob sexy actor boyfriend, and a new house in LA. Unfortunately, she also has all of the baggage that goes with it, including stalker paparazzi, … [Read more...] about eBook Review: The Redhead Plays Her Hand by Alice Clayton