Buying that special someone a book for their birthday or Christmas is on the decline in the United Kingdom. The Nielsen Book Survey has just decreed that the share of books bought as gifts fell from 24% to 22% - equating to a decrease of nine million books.Jo Henry, director of the research, said that the decline in giving books as gifts would be of particular concern to … [Read more...] about Buying Books as Gifts Decline in the UK
Digital Publishing News
Do We Need Consumer Protection for eBooks?
There is no true path of ownership when you purchase eBooks, digital comics or manga from online retailers. Instead, you are merely granted a license and if the store closes you will lose everything. In the last few years we have seen BooksonBoard, Diesel eBooks, FictionWise, JManga, Scholastic Storia, and the Sony Reader Store all shutter their doors. Do we need consumer … [Read more...] about Do We Need Consumer Protection for eBooks?
Apple Buys BookLamp, Creators of Book Genome Project
In a move that industry watchers are already calling a direct competition to Amazon's purchase of book discovery platform Goodreads, TechCrunch has reported through an anonymous tip that Apple has bought Boise, Idaho-based BookLamp, creators of the Book Genome Project discovery site. The site, which pairs readers with books based on the "DNA" of books, meaning an in-depth … [Read more...] about Apple Buys BookLamp, Creators of Book Genome Project
eBook Review: Find Virgil by Frank Freudberg
Verdict: 5 StarsThis book was fun for the very reason that books are meant to be read: it provided an escape into a world of "wouldn't it be great if I could, but I never will."In Freudberg's title, main character Martin Muntor made it a goal early in life to excel, not in the psychotic driven way of a man who cannot fathom failure, but more in the way of a man who had … [Read more...] about eBook Review: Find Virgil by Frank Freudberg
Scholastic to Close Storia eBook Application
Scholastic, the award-winning powerhouse in children's publishing, made a announcement today that their ebook reading app Storia would be closing, making way for a bigger focus on its Storia School Edition subscription reading program. In a cryptically worded graphic on their website, a lot of unanswered questions were alluded to, particularly that the ebooks parents have … [Read more...] about Scholastic to Close Storia eBook Application
Uncovering the Inner Workings of the Author Earnings Report
Ludicrous accusations have come out from various corners of the publishing industry, some of which are rabidly anti-Amazon and anti-self-publishing, claiming that the information in the notorious Author Earnings reports is flawed at best, and intentionally misleading at worst. The reports, which claim to only be interested in helping all authors make sound decisions based on a … [Read more...] about Uncovering the Inner Workings of the Author Earnings Report
Apple Enhances eBook Discovery with BookLamp
Apple is looking to beat Amazon at the eBook discovery game with the acquisition of BookLamp. The Idaho based startup has focused their company primarily on analytics services that is specialized on big data.BookLamp's claim to fame was the Book Genome project, a book discovery engine that analyzed the text of books to break them down by various themes and variables to let … [Read more...] about Apple Enhances eBook Discovery with BookLamp
50 Shades of Grey to Undergo a Renaissance
Fifty Shades of Grey has crossed an important milestone recently, when it recorded its 100 millionth book sale back in February. Random House originally picked up the book and published it in 2011 to massive popularity. 50 Shades made so much money that the publisher gave everyone a Christmas bonus of $5,000 bonus because of the book’s stellar success. Are we going to see a … [Read more...] about 50 Shades of Grey to Undergo a Renaissance
Politicians Go Digital with Bitcoin, Paystand
With a fairly significant US election looming on the horizon, candidates are already working the public for both electoral and financial support. And with the support of the Federal Election Commission, a whole new form of political contributions is heading their way.The state of New Hampshire, long considered one of the key states in the national election process, happens … [Read more...] about Politicians Go Digital with Bitcoin, Paystand
Amazon Offers Ups Its Percentage of Sales to Charity
In the latest twist in the Amazon-Hachette dispute, Amazon has proven once again that it has the best PR team in corporate history. Following an open letter from authors involved in the current issue which stated that their livelihoods were being impacted by Amazon's refusal to concede to Hachette's terms, Amazon offered to give the authors 100% of the price of their sales … [Read more...] about Amazon Offers Ups Its Percentage of Sales to Charity
Oyster Adds Web-Based Mobile Reading to Its Platform
eBook subscriptions services are making headlines right now, especially following the launch of Amazon's Kindle Unlimited program. In some ways, correlations can be made that two other pioneering subscription services--Scribd and Oyster--could have paved the way for KU, despite the various differences in their platforms. While other ebook subscription startups have been around … [Read more...] about Oyster Adds Web-Based Mobile Reading to Its Platform
The Man Booker Prize Longlist Announced
The Man Booker Prize for literature is one of the most prestigious awards in publishing and very often the winners go on to critical success. Any author can be considered, as long as their work is in English and published in the UK. Today, the longlist of the class of 2014 have been unveiled, and gives us an indication on some of the most essential reads of the year.The 13 … [Read more...] about The Man Booker Prize Longlist Announced
Bublish Secures New Round of Investment Funding
Any author, traditionally published or indie, can tell you that one of the hardest parts of the business side of being an author is finding genuine promotion opportunities that give authors a real sense of reader engagement. Apart from the flood of social media requests from authors asking consumers to purchase their books, far too many authors don't have another step in mind … [Read more...] about Bublish Secures New Round of Investment Funding