Apr 02
PadGadget says that we’ll soon see a settlement in the USÂ Department of Justice investigation into price-fixing by Apple and publishers: Simon & Schuster, Penguin, Hachette Group, MacMillan, and HarperCollins.
This should make the pricing of eBooks dependent on actual market forces, and ‘should’ bring them down to favor a more competitive environment.
Goodbye agency pricing model.
Hello satisfied consumer!
Mar 30
Dawn.com talks about the HUGE concessions Amazon, B&N and others made to sell Harry Potter books.
According to Gizmodo the Amazon Kindle Touch 3G is now pre-ordering to customers in 175 countries.
The Bookseller.com says that the UK and US are joined by Australia and India in eBook adoption rates citing a poll where 24% of respondents had purchased an eBook in the last six months. Do the math!
TechWeekEurope report that the Amazon Kindle Touch is heading to the UK, though there is no word on the Kindle Fire’s arrival.
The Guardian.co.uk has a poll for people who have already purchased the paperback or hard cover versions of the popular Harry Potter series. Will they buy the eBooks?
Mar 29
The Christian Science Monitor explores J.K. Rowling’s release of her Harry Potter Series as eBooks without Digital Rights Management (so the titles can be read anywhere on any eReading device) and wonders if the magician with the lightning scar on his forehead is about to change digital publishing forever.
Mar 28
The eBook Revolution is BUZZING with news of the Harry Potter series releasing as eBooks. MediaBistro reports on the story.
J.K. Rowling finally got over her hesitance about digital publishing and via her own web site Pottermore has partnered with all of the major players in the eBook industry to release the series (DRM-FREE) for a low $7.99 per title price (well under the price of the average bestselling eBook).
It is possible that Rowling’s pricing structure might settle a few arguments among publishers regarding eBook pricing. Harry Potter’s reasonable price should discourage eBook Piracy and file-sharing, and help to swell the ranks of Harry Potter fans connected to Pottermore.
Mar 27
AL.com continues the discussion on the price of eBooks, citing a ‘creep’ skyward on bestsellers and other popular authors. I think we’ll see some pricing changes come after the US Justice Department completes its anti-trust (price-fixing) lawsuit against Apple and five large New York publishers (Hachette Book Group, Simon & Schuster,MacMillan, Penguin, and Harper Collins).
If you remember, previous to Apple and co-conspirator’s push for the adoption of the expensive Agency Model, Amazon had discovered that consumers were willing to pay $9.99 per title.
Interestingly, since the adoption of the Agency Model (where publishers set their own high prices on eBooks) there has been an explosion in eBook Piracy and file-sharing.
Mar 26
eBookNewser reports on an excellent digital content crossover where rock band Shinedown released a companion “making of” eBook to go along with their new album Amaryllis.
SmartPlanet says that library adoption of eBooks and digital content is exploding.
EContent explains why they think eBooks fail as research tools.
ThisIsMoney suggests that Apple and co-conspirator publishers could face fines in the millions as a result of a Justice Department Probe into price fixing.
Mar 25
BesteReaderReviews offers some help to those of us who are not sure what kind of device best suits our reading and entertainment needs.
Will it be a dedicated eReader or a tablet?
Mar 23
GottaBeMobile reports on Aldiko, the Best Indie eReader for Android.
Bloomberg says that the Apple Antitrust lawsuit would help the Amazon book monopoly.
The Sacramento Bee posted that self-publishing pioneer Lulu.com is coming out of its coma to launch a new eCommerce platform.
GoodeReader has a post on the Bilbary eBook Library entering Beta Test mode.
Mar 22
Time posted on Google positioning itself to jump into the tablet market and a rumored collaboration with Asus to create a 7-inch ‘Nexus’ Android tablet that will hit the shelves priced to sell at $150.
With Apple dominating the expensive end of the spectrum, and Amazon Kindle Fire and B&N Nook tablet performing well in the middle ground Google has to act decisively to pry its way into the tablet market.
