Ever since the recent popularity of digital reading and e-reader devices took hold of the tech-minded consumers, critics and alarmists have been keeping a watchful eye on the industry. After the initial furor died down and the various factions settled into a comfortable working relationship with digital, insightful companies began to emerge who showed a clear ability to evolve … [Read more...] about Macmillan Adapts to Digital Future
E-Book News
TED Launches Multimedia e-Reading Platform
The widely recognized organization behind “viral web inspiration” TED, developer of TED Talks, is now taking on reading in the digital age with its TED Books platform. The multimedia source, working in conjunction with short-form digital publisher Atavist, will be compatible first for iPad at its July 10th launch, with plans for Android compatibility to follow.While TED has … [Read more...] about TED Launches Multimedia e-Reading Platform
eBook Review: Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead
Verdict: 2-StarsThis book only scored that second star because Shipstead is very adept at forcing you to watch the car wreck of other people’s lives. The players in this story all carry their own baggage with them throughout the novel, but unfortunately for them, their past mistakes are all born out of selfishness and stupidity. These might be the wrong economic times for a … [Read more...] about eBook Review: Seating Arrangements by Maggie Shipstead
Kobo Writing Life to Be Launched Soon
Kobo Writing Life is the company's new self-publishing platform that allows authors to employ a myriad of tools. One of the most exciting aspects of this problem is the live metrics that give you a sense of where your books are selling and how many, all in real time. You can also set prices differently in all of the countries you are targeting in your campaign. The program has … [Read more...] about Kobo Writing Life to Be Launched Soon
Abandoned Walmart in Texas Transforms into a Giant Library
McAllen Texas found itself in the all too common situation of having an abandoned Walmart on its hands. Instead of leaving the location as a target for vandals or opening up another big box store, the city took matters into its own hands. They submitted the location to the International Interior Design Association's 2012 Library Interior Design Competition and managed to win! … [Read more...] about Abandoned Walmart in Texas Transforms into a Giant Library
Amazon to Open Dutch eBook Store This Fall
Amazon plans on opening a new Dutch ebook store this fall to further the company's quest of European expansion. The book content will be coming from either the United Kingdom or German distribution centers.The Seattle based online juggernaut has been milling around the idea to break open its .NL domain name for the last year. The logistics of the market penetration has … [Read more...] about Amazon to Open Dutch eBook Store This Fall
How Geography Affects Books in the Digital Age
Neelie Kroes for The Guardian UK posted a poignant and interesting opinion piece last week that asks some of the questions that rest in the back of most digital readers’ minds. Basically, readers want to know why we are still treating ebooks in much the same way as their computerized counterparts, and what are we to do about it?“In the United States, where ebooks are 31% of … [Read more...] about How Geography Affects Books in the Digital Age
Citia Changes the Way Digital Books Are Read
One of the continuing criticisms of ebooks is that they haven’t really changed that much from their print counterparts. By digitizing, we haven’t really improved upon the concept of words on a page. Citia’s new iPad app is hoping to change how the words are actually used.By adapting non-fiction titles for optimized viewing and information chunking, the app organizes … [Read more...] about Citia Changes the Way Digital Books Are Read
Is Big Brother Watching You Read?
Be careful not to linger too long on the sexy parts of books like Fifty Shades of Grey. GoodeReader reported last week on a Wall Street Journal article that demonstrated how ebook retailers like Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo, among others, can now access more intrusive statistical information on how consumers read. This data, ranging from the obvious things like titles … [Read more...] about Is Big Brother Watching You Read?
UK Official Calling for Task Force on eBook Lending
The Labour Party in the United Kingdom is calling for an independent task force to evaluate the notion of lending ebooks. The entire library system is finding that many big name publishers are steadfastly against the notion of customers getting digital content for free because they feel it devalues the books.Dan Jarvis MP, Labor's Shadow Culture Minister, said publicly: … [Read more...] about UK Official Calling for Task Force on eBook Lending
France and Luxembourg in Hot Water over eBook VAT
The European Commission has officially launched an infringement procedure against France and Luxembourg over the willful lowering of ebook VAT rates. The EU has given the two countries one month to respond to allegations that they are "creating serious distortions of competition." The case basically stems from authors and small publishing houses saying the current methodology … [Read more...] about France and Luxembourg in Hot Water over eBook VAT
Used eBooks May Be a Reality Soon
North America and Europe are rife with used bookstores that provide a significant amount of people deeply discounted books. In the digital realm, publishers have been against the very notion of used ebooks. They have taken extreme measures in encrypting their digital products so only the original purchaser can ever use them. If you try to give your ebook to a friend, they won't … [Read more...] about Used eBooks May Be a Reality Soon
Indie vs Traditional Author Survey
Michael J. Sullivan, author of The Riyria Revelations, is in the data gathering stage of updating a previously published Taleist survey that sought to measure how authors fared in self-publishing. Authors of any variety—including traditionally published, self- or digitally-only published, hybrid, and aspiring authors—are invited to take part in this survey.The previous … [Read more...] about Indie vs Traditional Author Survey