It's a strange day for book retailing and publishing, as readers and authors alike react to the news that Amazon, apparently, can be frightened into compliance. In a story that carries just as many questions as answers, book retail giant and worldwide phenomenon Amazon has agreed to back off on its iron-fisted terms of service, at least in European markets, under threats from … [Read more...] about Amazon Backs Down to Avoid EU Punishment
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Smashwords Pays Out Royalties and It’s NOT the End of the World
A number of authors opened their email inboxes yesterday to a pleasant surprise: the payment of old royalties from ebook publishing and retail site Smashwords. These royalties, typically within the one dollar to nine dollar range, had not been paid (in some cases, for years) because they didn't meet the minimum threshold for payment; it's important to note that a lot of other … [Read more...] about Smashwords Pays Out Royalties and It’s NOT the End of the World
Does Publishing Have a Future without Amazon?
With the end of a pretty rough year behind us and the first few weeks of 2017 under our belts, it's a good time to take a deep breathe and take stock of the state of publishing. There's perhaps no more comprehensive analysis of the current trends than the annual Smashwords Book Industry Predictions, written each year by founder and CEO Mark Coker. Before looking at Coker's … [Read more...] about Does Publishing Have a Future without Amazon?
There are now 5 Million Amazon Kindle eBooks
Amazon is celebrating their ten year anniversary of the Kindle in November, but the Seattle company has already hit a major milestone. The total number of e-books available on the Amazon Kindle have hit the 5 million mark. It depends on what country you access Amazon though. In the United States, Amazon will display 4,947,718 e-books and at the current growth rate there will be … [Read more...] about There are now 5 Million Amazon Kindle eBooks
Overdrive Reports e-Book Loans are up 21% and Audiobooks 34%
Overdrive is the leading company responsible for powering the audiobook and e-book collection of your local library. They have reported that in 2016 readers borrowed 196 million digital books, an increase of 21% over 2015. Of the 678 million visits to library and school websites, readers borrowed more eBooks (+16%) and audiobooks (+34%) from their local and school libraries … [Read more...] about Overdrive Reports e-Book Loans are up 21% and Audiobooks 34%
Who’s Surviving in the Publishing Evolution? Indie Bookstores
With all the talk of digital revolutions and self-publishing turning mainstream, there's been a quiet player in the game who's seen an evolution of its own, but appears to be going strong. It's a strange paradox that everyone bemoaned the death of mom-and-pop bookstores under the competition from Barnes and Noble, Borders, Books-A-Million, and even Walmart, and yet that same … [Read more...] about Who’s Surviving in the Publishing Evolution? Indie Bookstores
Take the Goodreads 2017 Reading Challenge
Are you looking to up your reading game in the coming year? Is this the year you've vowed (again) to re-read all of those Hemingway books you only skimmed to get through high school? Are you trying to avoid becoming part of the literacy statistic in the country? Then you're in luck. There's nothing like an internet challenge that carries no prizes whatsoever to motivate you … [Read more...] about Take the Goodreads 2017 Reading Challenge
All Romance eBooks Closes Its Doors
As if 2016 hasn't taken enough from us--and as of only moments before the writing of this article, beloved actress Debbie Reynolds has joined her daughter Carrie Fisher in passing away--yet another book industry website has announced the closing of its doors heading into the new year. AllRomanceeBooks, a site loved by both authors and readers, made the following statement on … [Read more...] about All Romance eBooks Closes Its Doors
Is Accurate Book Discovery Really Possible?
One of the major plagues for authors and publishers--from the lone self-published writer to the Big Five--is book discovery. Short of taking out expensive ads and sending literally thousands of copies to advanced readers, there's no surefire guarantee that a book will land in front of paying customers, and that's something even the big guys can't do for every title they … [Read more...] about Is Accurate Book Discovery Really Possible?
The End of IndieReader
The publishing revolution has been a long and winding road, but through it all, there have been some powerhouse companies--both large and small--that have worked to bring books of every kind into the spotlight. One company, IndieReader, launched in 2009 with a very specific goal: the fan the flames of an indie book movement that had the same credibility and following of the … [Read more...] about The End of IndieReader
Research – How much would you pay for a new eBook?
There is a fair amount of conjecture about e-book pricing. Major publishers have their own ideas about how much an e-book should cost, although their sales have plummeted 26% in the past two years. Indie authors have a million blog posts telling them how much they should price their debut titles. The question people are not asking, is how much is the average customer willing to … [Read more...] about Research – How much would you pay for a new eBook?