Dec 18

Publishers’ Agency 2 pricing model still sounds controlling…

GoodeReader says publishers have come up with a new pricing method called Agency 2 that is supposed to replace their previous illegal Agency Pricing Model (remember US Department of Justice sued Apple and conspiring publishers over the illegal price-fixing scheme.). In this new deal the publishers do not dictate the price of the eBook they will dictate the amount a retailer can discount a title.

How about pricing them fairly? Have they ever thought of that? They refuse to accept the fact that the old model has changed, and the new requires an adjustment to the bottom line.

Dec 17

Apple doubles iPad Mini display orders.

According to InformationWeek Apple is doubling its order for the new iPad Mini displays, citing stronger than anticipated demand for the popular device. With display orders rising from 6 to 12-million, it is anyone’s guess how adopters are employing the device in a market already dominated by the mini’s larger cousin, the iPad.

The new 7.85-inch display machine has found a niche of its own–I’ll bet it’s reading a lot of eBooks!

Dec 16

European Commission and Apple reach a settlement.

For anyone wondering why there might be some hesitation by the mainstream regarding the wholesale adoption of the eBook, here is the Guardian story about Apple and publishers reaching a settlement with the European Commission regarding illegal price-fixing and collusion.

Apple and bandit gang were recently nailed for the same offense by the U.S. Department of Justice. This dirty dealing undermines consumer confidence in an industry that wants to explode around the globe.

Dec 14

eBook Revolution Stories

GoodeReader says Amazon has launched Google Android and iOS versions of their reading apps in China to open that market to eBook sales .

The New York Times reports that eBook pricing debates continue in Europe.

ComicBookResources posted on Marvel making its Graphic Novel titles available in digital form for Amazon Kindle.

PublishersWeekly says online platform Ganxy will add eBook Collections to its suite of services.

Dec 13

Sony launches eBook store in Germany

DigitalBookWorld says that Sony is lurching to life and launching an eBook store in Germany.

This is a dangerously slow move in a world where Amazon has shifted into high gear, opening a store in Brazil last week, and one in Canada only days ago.

Dec 12

Tablets and eReaders vie for adoption.

iolSciTech continues the eReader discussion for those who are not sure what they’re giving this holiday season.

And in a related story Liliputing tells us that shipments of dedicated eReaders are falling out of the lead as multi-tasking Tablets make up for lost ground. Anyone who has tried to read an eBook on an iPad in the sun will agree, serious readers who go Tablet will be back for E Ink. Oh, they’ll be back…

Dec 11

eReaders and eBook agreements

The Independent offers us some options on which eReader might be right for you.

BookSeller details the new US eBook retail agreements for Simon and Shuster and Hachette.

Dec 10

Integrated Platforms assist newspapers over the digital divide.

It seems that after much foot dragging, newspapers are finally making a serious effort to complete the transition from print to digital format.

GoodeReader offers up this post on some recent developments where ambitious companies have facilitated this by integrating the best technologies available.

Dec 09

Will eBook subscription service replace title purchases?

PublishersWeekly reports on Amazon’s new Kindle FreeTime Unlimited eBook subscription service.

Read the story and let me know if you think they can convince the publishers (or the authors) to sign up for a percentage of a monthly subscription fee over keeping their hands on their more lucrative eBook sales royalty structure. Sounds like a no-brainer to me.

Dec 07

Digital Publishing Headlines

Once you get past their lame assertion that the author/publisher relationship is changing the DigitalBookWorldConference offers some examples.

With 11-million monthly readers we should all be paying more to digital publisher Wattpad, says GoodeReader.

The Christian Science Monitor says eReaders and eBook platforms track reader behaviors and activities.

According to DigitalBookWorld Hatchette has a new deal with Amazon. (To replace their former illegal “price-fixing” plan…)