A little more than a year ago, it was standard practice for an indie author to keep his self-published sales figures to himself if he was trying to break into traditional publishing. Agents and publishing houses simply didn’t want to hear about self-published works. Now, with the wider acceptance of self-publishing and digital publishing and the larger numbers of writers who … [Read more...] about Indie Authors Crossing Publishing Models
E-Book News
Overdrive to launch Expanded Audiobook Functionality later this Year
Overdrive is well known as the premier eBook content distribution platform that libraries use to facilitate the lending of digital books, audiobooks, videos and more. Today the company announced it will update its popular audiobook download services to include new options for readers to instantly “See Book—Hear Book.” Scheduled for launch later this year, streaming audiobooks … [Read more...] about Overdrive to launch Expanded Audiobook Functionality later this Year
Kobo Updates iOS App – Support for Video and Audio
Kobo has updated their iOS app today and brings a slew of new multimedia features that cater towards enhanced ebooks.The main facets of the new update bring video and audio support to select Kobo titles. The functionality is now in place for indie authors taking advantage of their new Writing Life program to make books with enhanced media content. There is also a new 'Read … [Read more...] about Kobo Updates iOS App – Support for Video and Audio
eBooks Will Account for 50% of All Books Sold by 2016
There is no disputing the growth and success of the ebook market in recent years. Pricewaterhouse Coopers’ Global Entertainment and Media Outlook recently conducted a deep industry inquest on how the global ebook market will look in the next few years.In 2011, ebook sales accounted for 19 billion dollars in the USA and by 2016 that figure should increase to 21 billion … [Read more...] about eBooks Will Account for 50% of All Books Sold by 2016
Thomas Pynchon: Another Author Concedes to Digital
J.K. Rowling, author of the highly acclaimed and widely successful Harry Potter series, was one of the most newsworthy holdouts when it came to ebooks. At the time, Rowling cited concerns about piracy as an explanation for not allowing her eight-book series to grace the screens of e-readers, but at long last she conceded the issue. It’s a good thing she did; as the rights’ … [Read more...] about Thomas Pynchon: Another Author Concedes to Digital
England’s Draft of the New Curriculum Opens Doors for Textbook Development
While the drafts of the new curriculum proposed for elementary students in England does not specifically mention the incorporation of digital textbooks, the door has opened for the adoption of entirely new materials for the lower school grades. Set to go into effect in 2014, the new updated curricula for math, reading, and science gives textbook publishers the opportunity to … [Read more...] about England’s Draft of the New Curriculum Opens Doors for Textbook Development
Sainsbury Gains 64% Controlling Interest in Anobii for eBook Push
The United Kingdoms third largest supermarket chain, Sainsbury, has just purchased 60% of HMV Group's shareholding in Anobii for a nominal 1 pound. Anobii currently has 600,000 users worldwide and a library of 60,000 ebooks.Anobii is a social networking book site primarily aimed at readers. The service allows individuals to catalogue their books and rate, review, and … [Read more...] about Sainsbury Gains 64% Controlling Interest in Anobii for eBook Push
Kobo Will Begin Selling eBooks in Japan
Canadian based Kobo intends on capitalizing on their new relationship with Rakuten to sell eBooks in Japan. The two companies intend on penetrating the lucrative Japanese market selling digital content and will save a bundle of money on tax loopholes.The sale of ebooks will originate from Canada, which will ensure a low tax bracket in Japan. Because digital books are … [Read more...] about Kobo Will Begin Selling eBooks in Japan
New Dilemma for Struggling Newspapers
Around the country, once vital newspapers are shutting their doors, some after several generations of providing news content to print subscribers. With the birth of digital, it seems that the only newspapers able to keep up are the ones who have embraced a digital edition and encouraged their readers to subscribe to the electronic versions. Along with the success of these … [Read more...] about New Dilemma for Struggling Newspapers
US Government Reported to Buy a Massive Amount of Amazon Kindles
Laura Hazard Owen for paidContent reported today on a deal the US government made with Amazon to purchase $16.5 million worth of e-readers, ebooks, and services over the course of up to five years. The initial information on the contract, which did not include any opportunities for rival e-reader supplies to step up and offer their own devices at a better rate, has been updated … [Read more...] about US Government Reported to Buy a Massive Amount of Amazon Kindles
Google and French Publishers Reach an Agreement on eBooks
Google a few years ago began an initiative to scan millions of books and digitize them. This met with hefty resistance from a number of French Publishers, who said these books were scanned without their consent. This sparked a few hefty lawsuits against the company and La Martiniere ended up winning 300,000 in damages. It seems the publishing community in France has reached an … [Read more...] about Google and French Publishers Reach an Agreement on eBooks
eBook Review: Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel
Verdict: 3 StarsMantel has had quite an illustrious career, with ten previous novels and a published memoir entitled Giving Up the Ghost. For those prior works she has won an impressive string of accolades, including the 2006 Hawthornden Prize, as well as both the 2009 Man Booker Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction, both of which went to the book … [Read more...] about eBook Review: Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel
Txtr Signs Up 4 Major Publishers and Is Setting Up Shop in New York
Berlin based Txtr has just signed up four major publishers, fulfilling its ambition to finally make a play for the lucrative North American ebook market. The company has just secured ebook distribution contracts with Hachette, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Wily, and Penguin.Txtr has quickly become the premier bookstores in Germany and has been securing major contacts with … [Read more...] about Txtr Signs Up 4 Major Publishers and Is Setting Up Shop in New York
McGraw-Hill’s New Education President
Digital publishing has made tremendous headway in the publishing industry and sales figures for ebooks continue to thrive. But one key area—academic and textbook titles—still frustrates those in the ebook trade as the product has not caught up with the rest of the market.McGraw-Hill named a new president to its education division, and the choice has made a few people in the … [Read more...] about McGraw-Hill’s New Education President