It's an old song, but it's still ringing out from the global marketplace: ebook sales are down, print sales are up, and we think the kids are to blame. In all seriousness, the very early days of the digital publishing revolution showed us that ebooks could hold their own in the book publishing arena, or at the very least come in a close enough second to not be scorned as a … [Read more...] about Down with eBooks, Up with Print
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Spreading Empathy through Children’s Lit
Children across the state of North Carolina have reason to celebrate their reading skills, thanks to a new initiative from the state library system and OverDrive. The program, launched by N.C. Public Library Directors Association, provides nearly four thousand ebooks, audiobooks, and read-along titles for young students, with more than 300 of the titles available for … [Read more...] about Spreading Empathy through Children’s Lit
Are Your Favorite Characters Taking Over Your Life?
To rephrase a line from the really fun comedy The Truth about Cats and Dogs, "You can love books, just don't loooooove books." Unfortunately, a new survey has found that for many fiction readers, their favorite characters are stepping out of the pages and into their daily lives. Before you have to wonder if Christian Grey has invaded more than a few bedrooms, never fear, it's … [Read more...] about Are Your Favorite Characters Taking Over Your Life?
Samhain Closes: Is Amazon to Blame?
Well-known romance publisher Samhain Publishing sent out a recent email to its authors, informing them that--like so many other mainstays in the past few months--they will be closing their doors. Like others, they cited the decline in book sales coupled with the ever-present struggle to get noticed in a market that is beyond saturated with other great books. Unlike some … [Read more...] about Samhain Closes: Is Amazon to Blame?
Dystopian Fiction Sales on the Rise Since Inauguration
Everybody loves a good book about the end of the world, and the rise in popularity in recent years in dystopian YA fiction is proof. While some titles are about surviving the aftermath of a comet or a nuclear bomb, some are decidedly pointing the finger at various governments, assigning the blame to the politicians. The popular Hunger Games trilogy, the Divergent series, and … [Read more...] about Dystopian Fiction Sales on the Rise Since Inauguration
Here are Six Factors Kobo Considers When Expanding Into a New Country
Kobo has expanded into international markets with utter and complete abandon over the course of the past six years. The company is now localized in 21 countries across five continents and has an e-book portfolio of over five million titles. Expanding into new territories takes a tremendous amount of time and energy. Publishers, retailers and local employees must all be … [Read more...] about Here are Six Factors Kobo Considers When Expanding Into a New Country
Why Don’t Print Books Come With e-Book Download Codes?
Major publishers are notoriously risk averse and rarely do they experiment with alternative distribution models in a meaningful way. Over the course of the past three years they dipped their toes into the unlimited e-book subscription model, but many of the top CEO's were against this business model. The publishers had draconian terms that made companies such as Entitle and … [Read more...] about Why Don’t Print Books Come With e-Book Download Codes?
Authors and Politics Don’t Mix
We've probably all been there. We come across a great book by a new author, and immediately seek out our new favorite writer on social media. After connecting, the truth comes out: this person is not who we thought they were based on their ability to craft a wonderful story. Their Facebook feed may be filled with shared memes that go against our political and religious views, … [Read more...] about Authors and Politics Don’t Mix
Radish is betting short fiction will appeal to e-book readers
Over the course of the past two years e-book sales continue to plummet, as people are gravitating back to print. One of the segments that is growing at a rapid pace is serialized and short fiction that are easily read on your smartphone. Some of the most notable companies that seem to be making money are Rooster, Harlequin Book Breaks, Bookshots and Crave. A new company is … [Read more...] about Radish is betting short fiction will appeal to e-book readers
New Scholastic Report Sheds Light on Kids’ Reading
Scholastic is arguably the go-to source of information on the children's publishing industry, and it's not just because they've had some out-of-the-park smash hits (ever hear of Harry Potter? The Hunger Games?). Scholastic also runs a thriving education division and as such it makes it the company's business to know what kids want to read, how they interact with books, and what … [Read more...] about New Scholastic Report Sheds Light on Kids’ Reading
New Data Suggests Boys Are Reading More than Ever
A widely held belief that has long reduced parents, teachers, booksellers, and publishers to tears is the sad state of reading priority exhibited largely by boys. It's a common stereotype that boys make up the bulk of the "struggling" or reluctant readers, a belief that relies on compilations of different sources like book sales and "fill in the bubble" standardized test scores … [Read more...] about New Data Suggests Boys Are Reading More than Ever