eBook subscription service Scribd is removing an unspecified — but apparently significant — quantity of romance and erotica titles from their catalog. The news was publicized by Smashwords ceo Mark Coker on his company blog, where he estimated that that “80-90 percent of Smashwords romance and erotica titles will be dropped by Scribd, including nearly all of our most popular romance titles.” Coker suggested that “the lower the price and the higher the word count, the better the odds the book will remain. Few books priced $3.99 and above will remain. Scribd is not publicly revealing the formulas for what stays and what goes, […]
Archives for June 2015
Bookselling: Amazon Expands in Mexico; Indigo Expands Store Discounts; and More
Two years after launching its Kindle store in Mexico, Amazon has expanded to offer a broad spectrum of physical goods, including printed books, at http://amazon.com.mx/. Offerings include the three versions of the Kindle e-reader. Indigo will now discount 100 top-selling and bookseller-recommend books by 40 percent, ceo Heather Reisman tells the Globe & Mail, “looking for some way to bring a little bit of added value to the overall experience” while noting that if the retailer “had to sell books at online prices, Indigo could not continue to exist.” (Indigo discounts titles by up to 50 percent online.) Previously, they deep discounted […]
Appeals Court Upholds Verdict Against Apple, with Notable Dissent
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on Apple’s appeal of the verdict finding them guilty of antitrust violations in launching the iBookstore, upholding District Court Judge Denise Cote’s initial finding. Judge Debra Ann Livingston writes the majority opinion in the 2-1 ruling: “We conclude that the district court’s decision that Apple orchestrated a horizontal conspiracy among the Publisher Defendants to raise ebook prices is amply supported and well‐reasoned, and that the agreement unreasonably restrained trade in violation of § 1 of the Sherman Act.” As expected by court observers, Judge Dennis Jacobs files a dissenting opinion. While agreeing with Judge Cote’s findings […]
People, Etc.
David Hawk joins Ten Speed Press on July 6 as senior marketing and publicity manager. Previously he was a marketing and publicity manager at Chronicle Books, specializing in food and drink titles. Yuka Igarashi will join Catapult as web editor-in-chief in August. Previously she was managing editor at Granta. Awards Deborah Johnson has won the Harper Lee Prize in Legal Fiction for her novel THE SECRET OF MAGIC (Berkley). The inaugural PEN/Fusion Emerging Writers Prize, recognizing a “promising young writer of an unpublished work of nonfiction that addresses a global and/or multicultural issue,” is going to Adriana E. Ramírez for “Dead Boys.” Picks […]
Disney Division that Includes Publishing Merges with Interactive Unit
Disney announced that their Consumer Products and Interactive divisions will be combined into Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media (DCPI), run jointly by co-chairs Leslie Ferraro (also president of Disney Consumer Products) and Jimmy Pitaro (also president ofDisney Interactive). The company says the move is “in response to changing consumer preferences in a marketplace increasingly influenced by technology.” COO Tom Staggs says in the announcement, “As technology and digital entertainment continue to evolve, a shared innovation strategy will enable this new segment to create unique and engaging products and experiences that exceed consumers’ expectations.” Disney Publishing Worldwide will report jointly to Ferraro and Pitaro, and is called a […]
Book Sales Fell Slightly at Barnes & Noble, As Nook Shed Employees
Barnes & Noble filed their full annual SEC report, subsequent to their basic earnings release last Thursday, which offers more specific details about the company’s performance. Perhaps most relevant are the breakdowns on sales at the BN Retail unit. As reported last week, overall sales in this division decreased $186.9 million in the just-closed fiscal year, at $4.108 billion. Actual book sales declined by $5.5 million for the year, “primarily due to lower trade and juvenile sales.” Non-book merchandise rose by $21.9 million during the year, “primarily due to the continued growth of the toys & games and gift businesses.” Online sales […]