Ebook revenues in the United States were down 1.5% compared to the first three months of 2023, for $255.6 million. However, there is a silver lining: digital audiobook sales saw a significant growth of 15.3% for the first three months, reaching $243.6 million in revenue. Physical Audio was down 29.1%, coming in at $2.1 million. Consumer Book sales were down 2.8% during the … [Read more...] about US eBook revenues were down 1.5% in Q1 2024
AI Narrators and Audible: Boon or Bane for Storytelling
Last year, Amazon announced that self-published authors in the USA who sell their books on the Kindle Store would be able to use a new tool in beta testing. This AI-generated "virtual voice" tool would allow authors to easily turn their ebooks into audiobooks. Now, months after the beta launch, more than 40,000 books in Audible have reportedly been generated with it, saving … [Read more...] about AI Narrators and Audible: Boon or Bane for Storytelling
Kindle Scribe Inches Closer to an All-Time Low Ahead of July Prime Day
Amazon has a Prime Day event lined up in July but is already offering its flagship Kindle device, the Kindle Scribe at one of its lowest prices so far. Right now, you can snag up the Kindle Scribe for $279, which is post a flat $110 discount on the regular price. This might be a few notches above the cheapest price the Scribe has ever sold for but is still quite affordable for … [Read more...] about Kindle Scribe Inches Closer to an All-Time Low Ahead of July Prime Day
The Inaugural Amazon Book Sale Starts May 15th 2024
The Amazon Book Sale is here, just in time to indulge your inner bookworm with the summer vacation just days away. The sale starts May 15 and runs through May 20. During this period, there are going to be hefty discounts on e-books, print books, audiobooks, or even Kindle devices as well. Amazon said print books are going to be on sale for up to 50 percent off while Kindle … [Read more...] about The Inaugural Amazon Book Sale Starts May 15th 2024
Apple News+ now supports offline reading
Today, Apple rolled out a new update for the iPad and iPhone, with the advent of iOS 17.5. One of the exciting additions is the Offline mode in Apple News+, which grants you access to the Today feed and News+ tab even when you're offline. This means you can now download Top Stories, Apple News Today audio briefings, full magazine issues and narrated articles, and puzzles, and … [Read more...] about Apple News+ now supports offline reading
Google Play Books Now Offers 300+ free eBooks for children
Image credit: Google As a parent, finding the buying the best books for your children can be an expensive undertaking, thanks to the price of books are increasing year by year. Addressing this challenge up to some extent, Google Play Books has announced that it is expanding its kids’ collection by giving away 300+ non-fiction kids' books for free on the platform. The more … [Read more...] about Google Play Books Now Offers 300+ free eBooks for children
reMarkable gains new text formatting changes via the stylus
The latest firmware version 3.11 for the reMarkable paper tablet brings significant enhancements. One of the notable additions is the ability to select, format, and move typed text on reMarkable 2 using the Marker. This update is now available for all reMarkable users. To access it, navigate to the settings menu on your device and update the apps. The new feature turns the … [Read more...] about reMarkable gains new text formatting changes via the stylus
Rumor: New 13.3-inch 300 PPI E Ink Display Arriving Soon
Here is a rumor that has caused quite a furore in the world of e-paper displays - that E Ink has created a 13.3-inch e-paper display having 300 PPI resolution. This first appeared on the Chinese social media site Xiaohongshu wherein a user by the name Yuntai Technology-Lian Kun first broke the story. The user is believed to be an employee at Yuantai Technology. However, there … [Read more...] about Rumor: New 13.3-inch 300 PPI E Ink Display Arriving Soon
Kobo should develop a Send to Kobo system
Amazon is the number one player in the e-reader sector, and one of their most popular programs is Send to Kindle. It allows people to download a program or use their email client to send ebooks from a PC/MAC directly to their e-reader. Amazon only supports a small handful of supported ebook formats. Still, one of their new initiatives was to help people send EPUB books to their … [Read more...] about Kobo should develop a Send to Kobo system
New Lenovo tablet with paper-like display set for May 16 launch
The Lenovo Xiaoxin Pad 2024 Comfort Edition is all set for launch on May 16. While there still are a few days left for the official launch to take place, here are a few details of the upcoming tablet device that have come to the fore courtesy of ITHome. What we have come to know about the tablet is that it will come with an 11-inch LCD panel having 1920 x 1200 pixels … [Read more...] about New Lenovo tablet with paper-like display set for May 16 launch
PEN America cancels major events amid mounting controversy
Amid mounting criticism over its response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, PEN America (PEN) has decided to cancel not only its 2024 Literary Awards ceremony, but also the 20th edition of its esteemed World Voices Festival. These cancellations came in the wake of withdrawals from award considerations and participation in the festival by an unprecedented number of authors. … [Read more...] about PEN America cancels major events amid mounting controversy
What is better? The Kobo BW or Kobo Clara Colour?
Kobo has two new six-inch e-readers in their 2024 product lineup, the Kobo Clara BW and Kobo Clara Colour. The first model is a pure black and white e-reader using E INK Carta 1300, the latest e-paper. It has a great response time, and page-turn speed is faster. At the same time, the Kobo Clara Colour uses E INK Kaleido 3 colour e-paper. What are the main differences? The Kobo … [Read more...] about What is better? The Kobo BW or Kobo Clara Colour?
HarperCollins Sales Shake-Up
Mary Beth Thomas, VP and Director of Independent Retail Sales at HarperCollins, has left the company, as confirmed by Publishers Weekly (PW). It's uncertain whether a successor will be appointed. Additionally, HarperCollins is launching a voluntary buyout program for sales staff, according to an insider. This shakeup follows strategic initiatives led by Ed Spade since he … [Read more...] about HarperCollins Sales Shake-Up