Written by Jeff Bullas Social media is starting to take off its short pants. ItÔÇÖs becoming all grown up. In fact, Facebook is now over 11 years old and heading towards platform puberty and is still the standout leader of the pack. Google with its Google+ platform (with a development cost of over half a […]
Kobo Next Puts the Spotlight on Indie Authors
By Michael Kozlowsk Kobo Writing Life is a self-publishing platform and it was first unveiled in 2012. It was originally launched to compete with Kindle Direct Publishing and provide a viable avenue to sell books internationally. Kobo has faced many challenges in the marketplace and they are always looking for new things to try out […]
Amazon UK slowly phasing out free delivery
By Peter Chubb Is Amazon UK slowly phasing out free delivery? This is a question that we have started to ask because Amazon has begun to send emails out, as they are all set to double the minimum spend limit in order for customers to make use of free delivery. This will soon mean you […]
Which Authors Do Subscription Services Benefit?
By: Dana Beth Weinberg Oyster recently added an ebookstore loaded with Big Five titles, a move that could in turn bolster the subscription model, potentially attracting new readers and making the brand more competitive with Amazon. Scribd is steadily bulking up on audiobooks. Two major publishers added ebooks to new the multimedia subscription platform Playster […]
Bring back the serialized novel!
By Hillary Kelly Hillary Kelly is a contributing editor at Washingtonian and a books and culture writer in Washington, D.C. In 1847, an English cleaning woman was extremely excited to learn that the boy lodging in her employerÔÇÖs house was ÔÇ£the son of the man that put together DombeyÔÇØ ÔÇö that is, the son of […]
Can Publishers Compete As Content Marketers?
Brian O’Leary Publishers that see the value of conversion architectures and content marketing may still wonder, ÔÇ£Can we really compete in this space?ÔÇØ IÔÇÖm strongly arguing yes, as publishers already have the skills required to compete effectively as content marketers. In fact, publishers can deliver on the promise of conversion architectures and content marketing because: […]
Crowdfunding as a Source of Book Marketing Power
ÔÇÿBeyond money, crowdfunding offers valuable feedback to authors as they learn the fundamentals of speaking directly to readers, argues Deborah Emin.ÔÇÖ No industry seems to be experiencing as many upheavals of vision as the publishing business. Due to this need for constant re-assessment of our business practices in such tumultuous times, many small publishers have […]
Debunking the discovery problem
By Joe Wikert Ever since ebooks gained traction the publishing industry has obsessed with what’s typically referred to as “the discovery problem.” The common wisdom is that discovery of the content will lead to fame and fortune. I believe digital content’s main challenge is more about efficiency, less about discovery, and my inspiration for this […]
How can authors partner with bookstores? Ask A Bookseller!
by David Enyeart Recently at the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) conference in Minneapolis, Melville House publisher Dennis Johnson organized and moderated a panel about the many partnership opportunities for authors and independent bookstores. ItÔÇÖs a panel he does every year at the AWP ÔÇö ÔÇ£Most writers donÔÇÖt know as much as they […]
E-books overtake paper in China
Digital media have overtaken books as the most read media in China, according to a national survey released on Monday. About 58.1 percent of Chinese adults read digitally in 2014, up 8 percent, while 58 percent read books, only 0.2 percent up, said an annual survey on reading habits polling about 35,500 adults in 29 […]