Aug 13

Great times ahead for Authors… Not so great for publishers.

eBook Rumors has been saying for some time that in the face of the eBook Revolution the biggest challenge for the traditional publishers will be remaining relevant. At the Guardian.co.uk author Ray Connolly writes an engaging update on the state of the publishing nation entitled: “Who needs publishers?”

Connolly’s premise could not be more true now that writers can publish their own works and make them available to a large and rather eager audience through various online and hand-held platforms.

Add in the fact that we’re talking about a large disenfranchised population of writers (shut out of the old paradigm) now able to reach a massive audience that has been slowly starved of variety, accessibility and talent, and one can see that the traditional publishing cadre might have a difficult time staying inside the loop.

Historically, reading has been an intimate communication between the writer and reader facilitated and later controlled by publishers. Publishers now have to convince the new normal that ‘three’ is not a crowd.

Aug 12

Que ProReader Fades into the Night

ITProPortal posted on the sad news about UK-based Plastic Logic confirming its plan to abandon the Que ProReader, a beautiful device that was headed for the office and boardroom. Read Plastic Logic’s press release here.

It’s a sad day for those of us lusting after its sleek lines. After months of delays the rumor mill was churning about the future of this pricey but ‘oh so sexy’ device.

I think its large format E Ink screen and high price pushed it into unexpected competition with the full-color multi-format iPad.

Hopefully, the innovators who dreamed of the device that used plastic electronics will not abandon their foray into eBook Readers.

Aug 11

Is An Amazon Tablet on the Drawing Board?

The New York Times is carrying a rumor suggesting that one look at the job board at Amazon.com’s Lab 126 suggests that the online eBook retailer is getting ready to add more hardware to its arsenal. With Lab 126 responsible for designing Kindle and with Amazon carrying music and digital movies as well as eBooks, do the job specs hint at an Amazon-style iPad down the road?

Take the link to decide for yourself.

Aug 10

Textbook & eText Rental a Money Saver for Students this Fall

The Christian Science Monitor offers a post and advice on textbook rental for students getting ready for the fall semester. It’s a great move to save money that also seems to be the way of the future if the National Association of College Stores has its way with half of its 3,000 member stores offering book rentals this fall. That in concert with Barnes & Noble’s plan to do the same at its 637 college bookstores is sure to make text rental the norm.

When linked to B&N’s NOOKstudy program that offers digital textbook rentals, student’s will have a wide variety of money saving options in the coming year.

Aug 09

A Writer Looks at the eBook Revolution

Gigaom.com has a post by author Simon Wood on the writer’s view of digital publishing. I’d have to say I’m in complete agreement with Wood and can only see an upside for the content creator and reader.

eBooks are here to stay, but so are their paper progenitors–albeit the paperback might be relegated to a print-on-demand version (it was happening anyway) and the hard cover may evolve into high-quality, collectible works of art.

It should be a win-win scenario for writers and readers.

Aug 08

Kindle Versus iPad

Check out this New York Times article that pits the many uses of the iPad against the read-only world of Kindle.  There are some good points made, but they all depend on the consumer.

You can’t invent a better flesh and blood reader, and since they’re the ones paying the tab the winner of the Kindle versus iPad debate will be up to them.

Aug 07

Dorchester Publishing Goes ALL Digital

The Wall Street Journal reports Dorchester Publishing embracing the eBook Revolution and digital publishing by abandoning traditional print books for digital options.

This after the States’ oldest mass paperback publisher watched  a decline in orders from its key retail accounts produce a 25% drop in last year’s sales.

This is actually good news for writers and readers. eBooks and print-on-demand technology allows publishers to offer their entire back-list of out-of-print books.

We’ve been waiting for this development for some time, yah?

Aug 06

Playing With Fire at Pink Petal Books

playing_with_fireAuthor Christine Pope’s new paranormal romance novella, Playing With Fire, launched August 5 and is available for purchase in multi-format at Pink Petal Books and ChristinePope.com. Christine is bordering on the prolific if you remember the April 2010 release of her novel, Fringe Benefits, also bearing the Pink Petal Books imprint.

Here’s a taste of what you’ll find in her latest offering:

Samael calls the City of Angels home, but he’s far from angelic. His assignment: Bringing the souls of L.A.’s unquiet dead to the underworld. His duties don’t preclude more earthly entanglements, as long he keeps things purely physical.
When he meets Felicia McGovern, he soon realizes his attraction to her goes far beyond her admittedly enchanting flesh. Her unexpected discovery of his true nature separates the lovers, but when her life is in danger, Samael risks everything to keep her safe. He faces certain punishment…or possibly a redemption he never imagined could be his.

Find out more about Christine Pope at her website.

Aug 05

Barnes and Noble For Sale?

The Globe and Mail has a story about Barnes & Noble, the biggest U.S. bricks-and-mortar bookselling chain, preparing to “evaluate strategic alternatives, including a possible sale of the company” because of a perception that its shares “are now significantly undervalued.” The news brought B&N shares up more than 19 percent on Wednesday.

So, are we seeing market manipulation, and attempt to re-value B&N shares, or have they claimed a solid enough stake in the eBook Revolution to get the best price possible for a chain that boasts a bricks-and-mortar platform while it also pays for it? I guess we’ll find out soon. The powers that be at B&N have certainly done a heck of a job raising the bookseller’s profile for the digital age.

Aug 04

Barnes and Noble Ready for School

PCMag posted an article about Barnes & Noble announcing a new Web-based textbook rental service that they’ll be offering at back-to-school time to go with their Nook Study software. College students can download the software that allows them to access class materials formatted for PC or Mac. They’ll be able to sign up for the service at Barnes and Noble Textbooks.

More good thinking from B&N.