Microsoft founder Bill Gates has just posted his reading list for the summer. Every year he posts six novels that he wants to read or has read. This year he has a series of books that had made him laugh or were thought provoking.Hyperbole and a Half, by Allie Brosh. The book, based on Brosh’s wildly popular website, consists of brief vignettes and comic drawings about her … [Read more...] about Bill Gates Posts his Summer 2015 Reading List
E-Book News
Google Play Books is a Cesspool of Piracy
Google Play Books is quickly becoming a den of iniquity and a veritable cesspool of piracy. It is ridiculously easy for someone to start a publishing company and upload thousands of pirated books and piggyback on the success of established authors. Google won't do anything about the pirated copies and has even told authors inquiring about their illegitimate books that they have … [Read more...] about Google Play Books is a Cesspool of Piracy
The Atlantic and Buzzfeed Now Publish Directly on Facebook
Facebook has grown to be a middle man of news We post, share, read, and discuss stories in our News Feeds every day. When someone you know posts an item from the New York Times or Buzzfeed the destination link is the publishers original site. Sometimes they aren't mobile friendly or the content lurks behind a paywall. This all changes today.Facebook has announced that … [Read more...] about The Atlantic and Buzzfeed Now Publish Directly on Facebook
Is Digital Making Us Dumber?
Since the most recent advent of digital reading and ebook proliferation, the techno format has been blamed for a drop in reading comprehension scores among grade school students, developmental concerns over children's screen time, and even the overturning of a time-honored pricing and value structure within the publishing industry. With the abundance of content, ebooks have … [Read more...] about Is Digital Making Us Dumber?
Google Encouraging Authors and Publishers to Use Adwords
Google is planning on launching a new mobile feature for smartphones that will allow publishers and authors to instantly sell e-books at the click of a button.The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Google is allegedly planning to launch a buy button that will accompany search results, but only on sponsored links that others have paid to put in front of Google's natural … [Read more...] about Google Encouraging Authors and Publishers to Use Adwords
Digital Publishing Brings Censorship Woes to Iran
To industry insiders and readers alike, there are a few mainstay events that serve as household names. Events like BookExpo America, the London Book Fair, and the Frankfurt Book Fair are widely known, but it's easy to overlook the various other international events and book fairs where book publication rights are sold, debut authors exhibited, and other business conducted that … [Read more...] about Digital Publishing Brings Censorship Woes to Iran
Free Kobo E-books Now Available on Southwest Airplanes
Kobo has teamed up with Southwest Airlines to offer free e-books to travelers who want to read digitally. Simply connect up your e-reader, smartphone or tablet to the entertainment portal via WIFI and you can read as many titles as you want. When you land, and aren't done reading, there is information available on how to buy a specific title.Most of the current catalog is … [Read more...] about Free Kobo E-books Now Available on Southwest Airplanes
How Old is your e-Reader?
When a new e-reader is released people normally don't upgrade to the latest and greatest every year. Certainly e-paper technology does not improve at the breakneck speed that smartphones and tablets do. e-Readers are one of those things that receive very small, incremental updates and often do not give users a compelling enough reason to upgrade. So the question is, how old is … [Read more...] about How Old is your e-Reader?
Canadian Publishers Embrace e-Books
The Canadian publishing industry has been embracing digital in a big way. In a few short years almost everyone is putting out e-books the same day the print version is available.Booknet Canada released new information and the report states that the percentage of publishers producing e-books in 2014 increased slightly to 93% (vs 89% in 2013). Of those producing ebooks, close … [Read more...] about Canadian Publishers Embrace e-Books
Companies Join Forces to Provide Free eBook Reading in Airport
Most travelers don't count the airport as the best part of their trip, but thanks to a joint effort by BookShout, HarperCollins, and American Express Canada, the wait time might be a little more pleasant. While most airports offer limited free wifi for travelers--usually only offering access to the airport's own website, a local news site or two, and anything else the actual … [Read more...] about Companies Join Forces to Provide Free eBook Reading in Airport
iBooks Receives New Features on iOS 8.4
Apple is the only major online bookseller that actually sells content on the iPhone and iPad. Amazon, B&N and Kobo all make readers visit their websites and sync the content, which is a barrier for mainstream adoption. This summer a new version of iOS will be released and it will add a bunch of new content to iBooks.The publishing industry has been embracing audiobooks … [Read more...] about iBooks Receives New Features on iOS 8.4
e-Book Revenue Increased by 11% in the UK
The e-book market in the United States has been fairly stable in the last two years, but in the United Kingdom it is a different story. The UK Publishers Association is reporting that print revenues dropped 5% to £2.7 billion and e-book revenues rose by 11% to £563 million. This means that e-books now account for 35% of the overall book market, which is staggering.How many … [Read more...] about e-Book Revenue Increased by 11% in the UK
People are Losing their Trust in e-books
The primary benefit of a print book is the clear path of ownership. Once you procure it from your favorite online or brick and motor store, its yours. There is no problem with loaning it out to a friend or rereading it for the hundredth time. e-books on the other hand is a convoluted nightmare.When you purchase an e-book from a retailer like Apple or Amazon, you don't own … [Read more...] about People are Losing their Trust in e-books