Joyland was a novel by Stephen King and was released back in June of 2013. The author buckled the trend of a simultaneous release in trade and digital formats. Instead, he only published it only in hardcover, citing “I have no plans for a digital version. Maybe at some point, but in the meantime, let people stir their sticks and go to an actual bookstore rather than a digital … [Read more...] about Joyland by Stephen King Finally Goes Digital
E-Book News
Sony Sends First Email to Customers about Kobo
The Sony Reader Store will be closing operations March 20th in the USA and Canada. Kobo will be taking over the existing customer base and support the exporting of purchased books from Sony to the Kobo platform. Last week, Sony sent out an email to anyone who has purchased an eBook from them to prepare them for the coming move."Dear Reader Store customer:As a follow-up … [Read more...] about Sony Sends First Email to Customers about Kobo
Banned Erotica eBooks Given a New Home with EXCITICA
Sometimes Erotica books can be too racy for the sensibilities of major digital bookstores. Amazon, Apple, B&N, Kobo and Smashwords all have their different rules for what is acceptable erotica and what is not. Last October a firestorm erupted with hardcore titles being listed in the kids section, due to the gaming of keywords attached to the book. This resulted in over one … [Read more...] about Banned Erotica eBooks Given a New Home with EXCITICA
Young People will Spend More on eBooks in 2014
The youth of today are spending more on eBooks than ever before, but are resistant to the idea of a dedicated e-Reader. Instead, they are gravitating towards smartphones and tablets for their digital reading.A new report from Voxburner surveyed 1,544 young adults, ranging from 16-24 in the United Kingdom. Apparently only 5% of young people expect to buy an e-Reader in the … [Read more...] about Young People will Spend More on eBooks in 2014
Pottermore Posts New Unpubished Content from JK Rowling
JK Rowling, whose wizarding world of Harry Potter has breathed new life into an entire generation of readers when it first appeared, is still a beloved book series to the original fans and to new readers who continue to discover the books and movies. Rowling's digital site, Pottermore, continues to grow in membership as new features and content adaptations are created.Now, … [Read more...] about Pottermore Posts New Unpubished Content from JK Rowling
OverDrive Catalog Adds Digital Texts from Pearson
One of the main frustrations with the digital textbook market is the lack of penetration in public schools at the elementary and secondary level. While the convenience and affordability of digital texts have been available in higher education institutions for some time, it is the tax funded public schools who are still waiting for the benefits that come from digital … [Read more...] about OverDrive Catalog Adds Digital Texts from Pearson
Barnes & Noble and Microsoft Suspend Windows 8 App
Nook Media may never have spun itself away from Barnes and Noble, if it wasn't for the 300 million Microsoft committed to the enterprise. The main reason Microsoft invested the money was to see Windows 8 have a flagship e-reading app, that it could market internationally. Numerous pitfalls have besieged the Nation's largest bookseller and new SEC filing has Barnes and Noble … [Read more...] about Barnes & Noble and Microsoft Suspend Windows 8 App
Hachette Sees 30% of its Revenue Derive from eBooks
Hachette has released new sales data that has 30% of their US revenue stem from eBooks. They also announced that 2014 was off to a great start in the UK with revenue up 40% from the same period last year.Part of the reason why Hachette has seen a dramatic increase in digital sales is primarily because they are betting on the right books. In the UK the profits were led … [Read more...] about Hachette Sees 30% of its Revenue Derive from eBooks
Amazon Increases Prime Membership Fee To $99
Amazon has increased its Prime membership fee, citing an increase in fuel and transportation costs. However, the new price structure is applicable to those whose term expires after April 17, 2014. Those whose membership expires before that date will still have the chance to renew their membership for $79. Those who need to renew after April 17 will pay the new annual rate of … [Read more...] about Amazon Increases Prime Membership Fee To $99
Ellen Hopkins, eBooks, and the Fight Against Censorship
Young adult author Ellen Hopkins is no stranger to controversy. Her teen books--which deal with very difficult yet realistic subject matter such as drug addiction, suicide, and self-harm--are often found hovering near the top of the lists of books that have been banned in schools or libraries. But an event this week shed new light on an age-old problem: censorship.Hopkins … [Read more...] about Ellen Hopkins, eBooks, and the Fight Against Censorship
Amazon Publishing Grows to Include German Language Titles
Amazon's traditional publishing arm Amazon Publishing announced an exciting new feature today, stating that it will begin publishing German-language books under its label. This move will release titles acquired by the European Amazon Publishing division, releasing the books in all of Amazon's markets.Translation is one of the last great hurdles that many authors--especially … [Read more...] about Amazon Publishing Grows to Include German Language Titles
eBooks India to Help Authors Ride Self Publishing Boom
With e-book consumption hitting high growth in India, a natural fallout has been a sharp rise in authors self-publishing their works. The benefits are all too obvious as the author gets to exert complete control over the entire publishing process, not to mention the often tedious chore of having to court publishers to get their works published otherwise. Authors have a lot to … [Read more...] about eBooks India to Help Authors Ride Self Publishing Boom
China’s eBook Space Comes into its Own
As more ebook retailers continue to work towards abandoning ship in the US, a global marketplace will become even more important than ever for authors and retailers. With successful and high-volume markets for digital reading already established in countries around the world, an even greater focus on digital publishing is still important.One of the most difficult but … [Read more...] about China’s eBook Space Comes into its Own