In the ongoing debate about whether or not to list your indie book exclusively with one retailer, there are a few things that authors have to consider. Chief among the concerns usually falls back on sales: where are your books selling? If readers only come to your book via Amazon, for example, and you literally post zero sales on other platforms, it would make sense to then go … [Read more...] about Smashwords Announces New eBook Promotion Tool
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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?
60 Libraries will loan out over 1 million audiobooks and ebooks in 2017
Last week Overdrive disclosed to Good e-Reader that overall circulation has grown 12% year-over-year (through June 30th) to more than 108 million checkouts for all digital media across all OverDrive libraries and schools. eBook circulation has grown 9%, and the popularity of audiobooks keeps accelerating with nearly 23% growth in circulation year over year through the … [Read more...] about 60 Libraries will loan out over 1 million audiobooks and ebooks in 2017
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
Legendary Sportswriter and Novelist Frank Deford Dies, Age 78
Perhaps a lot of the more "literary" readers wouldn't spend much time on the passing of a sportswriter, but that's because the term itself is completely misleading. The job of a sportswriter is to make the reader feel as though he was at the event, too, but without boring those readers who actually were there. No one did that better than iconic and multi-award winning author … [Read more...] about Legendary Sportswriter and Novelist Frank Deford Dies, Age 78
Digital Public Library of America to Pilot eBook Lending in Fall
It's taken nearly four years, but the time has finally come for the Digital Public Library of America--a nonprofit, grassroots organization aimed at better access to ebooks for all readers--to launch its pilot program. Planned for this fall, DPLA will be lending ebooks in what it hopes is a streamlined, non-proprietary and vendorless platform. While ebook lending has grown … [Read more...] about Digital Public Library of America to Pilot eBook Lending in Fall
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
Looking for Love? Read a Book
A new finding from dating site eHarmony has only confirmed what all of us cool kids have known for years: reading is sexy. The data, which was sifted from surveys among its users and their profiles, showed a clear correlation between not only the enjoyment of reading and the likelihood of communicating with other site users, but also the reading lists themselves. First, be … [Read more...] about Looking for Love? Read a Book
North Carolina Unveils Statewide Digital Library for Kids
North Carolina is the first state to unveil a bold plan to outfit libraries with a dedicated digital kids section so they can download audiobooks and e-books. The average location will have around 3,000 e-books, 680 audio books and 35 streaming videos for kids. Children and parents have instant access from home or anywhere using a card from any public library in North … [Read more...] about North Carolina Unveils Statewide Digital Library for Kids
How to add custom fonts to your Kobo e-Reader
Kobo is one of the only e-reader companies that allow you to upload your own fonts. This is useful if you want to load in custom fonts for specific languages, such as Arabic or Amazon specific fonts fonts such as Ember, or Bookerly. In order to install the custom fonts on your Kobo e-Reader you need to do a Google Search for the ones you want to install. I … [Read more...] about How to add custom fonts to your Kobo e-Reader
Amazon May Be Close to a Deal in EU Case
Amazon is no stranger to issues surrounding ebook prices. Stateside, Amazon was a quiet player in the Apple-Big Five lawsuit brought about by the Department of Justice, but in Europe, Amazon is the central figure in the proceedings. At its heart, the issue stems from alleged price fixing that forces the publishers' hands in an already hotly contested topic. But there may be … [Read more...] about Amazon May Be Close to a Deal in EU Case