The average reader simply visits the Amazon bestseller list or checks out digital bookstores from Barnes and Noble or Kobo to find their next read. Sometimes users do not want to pay for audiobooks or ebooks at all and visit Overdrive or Libby on their smartphone or tablet. There are plenty of resources and websites out there that feature discounted content or limited time … [Read more...] about The best websites to find daily deals and free ebooks
Digital Publishing News
Scribd unveils premium tier subscription package for the New York Times
Scribd has just unveiled a new premium subscription tier that includes full access to New York Times. This new package will retail $12.99/month and will give full access to the entire Scribd catalog and also unlimited access to the NYTimes.com, The New York Times Digital Archive, and The New York Times app via its Basic Digital Access plan. The new offering arrives amid a … [Read more...] about Scribd unveils premium tier subscription package for the New York Times
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
Ebook sales fall 4.8% in the first six months of 2018
Digital book sales have decreased 4.8% in the first six months of 2018 according to the American Publishers Association. The format has generated $504 million dollars and will likely crack over a billion when it's all said and done by the end of the year. Audiobooks continue to be the fastest growing segment in publishing and they grew 35% and brought in over $213 million … [Read more...] about Ebook sales fall 4.8% in the first six months of 2018
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?