In case you were waiting for the hoopla surrounding self-publishing to die down, there's some unfortunate news from Bowker: the number of ISBNs issued for self-published books just reached one million last year. That may not seem like a lot--surely there are more than one million self-published books, right?--but remember, that's only the number of books whose ISBNs were issued … [Read more...] about Is Self-Publishing Still a Flash in the Pan? Yeah, Right.
Digital Publishing News
Wattpad Authors Have An Opportunity To Earn from their Stories
Okay, authors, be ready to watch events unfold without getting your hopes up too high...at least not yet. Author-reader consumption platform Wattpad is beta testing a new feature that can be a game changer if it proves to be both sustainable and expandable, one that stands to open up an entirely new marketplace for readers to buy authors' works. According to a new report by … [Read more...] about Wattpad Authors Have An Opportunity To Earn from their Stories
EU Removes VAT on eBooks
In a decision that has been years in the making, the EU has decided to allow the removal of VAT on ebooks, just as it has done for print books all this time. This single change could spell an increase in sales of digital works and the technology to read them, and in the interaction between readers and digital-only indie authors. For years, ebooks have carried the sting of as … [Read more...] about EU Removes VAT on eBooks
PA Prisons Stop Donations of Print Books for Inmates, switch to ebooks
The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections is drawing criticism for a recent regulation that will ban anyone--including established literacy organizations and charities--from donating print books to incarcerated individuals. Instead, the DOC requires that all inmates read only content already contained in the prison library or on tablets that the inmates must purchase and pay … [Read more...] about PA Prisons Stop Donations of Print Books for Inmates, switch to ebooks
Seven-Figure Advance for Biz Book by Netflix CEO
"Netflix and chill" just took on a new--and clean--meaning thanks to a book deal for its CEO Reed Hastings. Anticipated to be the biggest business book of the year, this deal is sure to put Hastings in a very "chillaxed" state of mind. In the US, Penguin picked up Hasting's unnamed title for a reported seven-figure advance, and UK's Ebury imprint got it for another … [Read more...] about Seven-Figure Advance for Biz Book by Netflix CEO
Keanu Reeves Launches Book Imprint but It’s Not Erotic Lit
Is anyone else still recovering from the tidal wave of actors-turned-singers that ruined a little bit of the '80s for us? Big names like Don Johnson, Bruce Willis, Eddie Murphy, and Patrick Swayze made us all cringe a little by releasing albums, which is somehow not the same thing as a singer like Harry Connick, Jr. or Madonna turning to acting. In reality, entertainers have … [Read more...] about Keanu Reeves Launches Book Imprint but It’s Not Erotic Lit
Research Shows What Books Do to Kids’ Brains
The publishing industry has changed a lot for kids since the early days of Beatrix Potter's beloved animals and the Dick, Jane, and Spot books that plagued every primary school in the US. We've transitioned from calm books about very well behaved children to superheros who fly around in their underwear and protagonists who save the day with rancid flatulence. It might be … [Read more...] about Research Shows What Books Do to Kids’ Brains
Can Ambient Lit Bring Reading Back to Phones?
The evolution of digital publishing and e-reading has been long and winding, and at times it has seemed as if it circled back upon itself. From the need for wifi to the days of fully downloadable content to the return to connectivity in order to save space (and because let's face it, wifi is one rung of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs), the mechanism by which we consume content … [Read more...] about Can Ambient Lit Bring Reading Back to Phones?
Long Live the e-Reader
An article appeared this week, one that sagely but somewhat inflamingly asks the question, "Is The E-Reader Dead?" But rather than yet another infuriating "print is dead!" or "ebooks are dead!" or (a personal favorite) "self-publishing is finally dead!" toned article, this one provides evidence on the reading habits of US consumers, the purchasing history of total volume … [Read more...] about Long Live the e-Reader
Textbook Rentals Tackle Skyrocketing Costs
College costs have risen by as much as 1200% in the past three decades, as tuition, books, housing, and miscellaneous fees have all skyrocketed. Those increases are coupled with shrinking incomes, at least from the standpoint of wages typically not mirroring increased inflation over the years. While a number of sources can offer prospective students a little financial relief … [Read more...] about Textbook Rentals Tackle Skyrocketing Costs