Ordinary folks may be stringing a few more fake cobwebs around the lamp post in preparation for Halloween tomorrow night, but die-hard authors--an anticipated 350,000 or so--are busy plotting and scheming against their characters and their plots. It's NaNo time again, or National Novel Writing Month. If there's anyone left, book lover or author alike, who's never heard of … [Read more...] about It’s NaNo Time Again…
Digital Publishing News
Pottermore Goes Physical with Art
The beloved fan site Pottermore announced this week that it's bringing the eye-catching art behind the appeal of the fantastical web experience to physical works of art. More than forty pieces are already available for purchase through the site's shop, including images from Creature Chaos and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. “These products have been carefully … [Read more...] about Pottermore Goes Physical with Art
Colin Kaepernick Signs $1M Book Deal with Random House
Score one for the good guys... Page Six has just announced that former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick has signed a reportedly one million dollar book deal with an imprint of Random House, One World. This announcement comes days after there was speculation surrounding an attempt to shop the book to publishers. Kaepernick has become a household name, and unfortunately, it's … [Read more...] about Colin Kaepernick Signs $1M Book Deal with Random House
Amazon Updates Its Kindle App
It's been roughly ten years since Amazon launched its Kindle app for a variety of platforms, and today the company has announced its biggest update since that time. The newly revamped reading app brings with it a number of key changes that readers have been asking for. “We’ve built the new Kindle app from the ground up for book lovers, giving readers easy access to … [Read more...] about Amazon Updates Its Kindle App
Students Still Don’t Interact with Digital as Effectively as Print
The era of the digital native still hasn't morphed to include education, at least not according to new findings from Patricia A. Alexander and Lauren M. Singer. Their study and review of other sources over the past many years find that students might perceive they do better when they use a digital textbook, but the measurable outcome doesn't support that perception. One of … [Read more...] about Students Still Don’t Interact with Digital as Effectively as Print
New Bowker Study Finds Increasing Growth in SelfPub ISBNs
If there was still doubt in anyone's mind that self-publishing is not only viable but here to stay, a new report from Bowker might cement it once and for all. The rate of ISBN purchase for self-published books has increased by more than 218% since 2011, back when the digital revolution arguably took off. The Bowker report, "Self-Publishing in the United States, 2011-2016 Print … [Read more...] about New Bowker Study Finds Increasing Growth in SelfPub ISBNs
Goodreads Turns Ten
Users and book lovers alike have heard the news about the decade anniversary of book discovery site Goodreads, and have pretty much all responded in the same way: "Goodreads is only ten?!" Yes, the site has been around for only ten years, although die-hard devotees would swear it's been much longer than that. Goodreads has been credited with making book discovery possible … [Read more...] about Goodreads Turns Ten
Profanity in Books: Is It a Good Thing?
“Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very,’” Mark Twain famously said. “Your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.” Well, damn. Yes, back in the day, your editor--often working under strict guidelines from the publisher--would slash a red pen through anything considered outside the acceptable standards for profanity (this … [Read more...] about Profanity in Books: Is It a Good Thing?
Millennials May Be the Salvation of Libraries
While previous studies have shown the majority of Americans cite libraries as a vital public resource in their communities, those same studies cited an alarming fact: Americans simply don't use their libraries. Fortunately, their luck is about to change. New survey results from the Pew Research Center have found that millenials are stepping up in a big way and taking advantage … [Read more...] about Millennials May Be the Salvation of Libraries
New Opportunities in International Indie Book Space
A lot of authors have found new opportunities in the digital publishing and self-publishing revolutions, but it's all too easy to overlook the fact that the US retail book space is not an isolated market. It's not even a market that is limited to Amazon regions. There are thriving digital sites all around the world, and if authors aren't taking full advantage of international … [Read more...] about New Opportunities in International Indie Book Space
Book Sales Remain a Closely Guarded Secret
One of the most frustrating aspects of being an author, publisher, or book retailer is the closely guarded, secretive nature of book sales figures. For some reason, unknown to many even in the industry, retailers and publishers typically do not disclose their sales numbers; at the same time, authors can have their accounts closed and their titles removed from retailers' virtual … [Read more...] about Book Sales Remain a Closely Guarded Secret