Returning Indigo ceo Heather Reisman has given a number of interviews in recent weeks, pledging to return the chain to its core values and aiming to lift book sales to comprise 65 to 70 percent of the company’s revenue. “We will have a yearlong journey” in turning around the chain and “we will do this with our customers; books will move to the center.” That will reverse her own long-term initiative to remake Indigo as “a full lifestyle retailer.” The last time books comprised 65 percent of sales was the fiscal year ending in March 2015. She admits, “I was […]
KDP Begins “Virtual Voice” Narration Beta
Amazon’s KDP has invited some authors to test creating audiobooks through “virtual voice.” Those titles “will be clearly labeled” for customers. They note, “We plan to grow the beta over time and will share updates in the coming months as we have additional information.” In this case Amazon is following the field rather than leading. Apple Books started providing digital narration at the beginning of the year, and Google Play Books did so in April 2022. Ingram began using the technology in late 2021, and Storytel launched their initiative this summer.
Britney Spears’ Memoir Sells 400k Hardcovers, 1.1 Million Units
Circana Bookscan tracked sales of 418,000 hardcovers in the US for Britney Spears’ memoir THE WOMAN IN ME in its first week of release. Separately, Nielsen Bookscan recorded sales of almost 91,000 hardcovers in the UK. Gallery says they sold 1.1 million units in the US across all formats, with particularly strong audiobook sales. The publisher calls the narration read by Michelle Williams their fastest-selling audiobook. More broadly, they report, “The book has been published in 26 languages/territories and is a No. 1 bestseller with an estimated 2.4 million copies in print globally.” With a week of popular releases — […]
Book Stats: Almost Half of Americans Haven’t Tried eBooks
You.gov recently published the results of an online poll of 29,000 Americans about their book ownership. Over 90 percent of respondents own at least some printed books. Yet 45 percent of survey participants do not own any ebooks, suggesting they have never even tried the format. But the results suggest that will continue to change over time as well. Among people 18 to 44, the portion of people who don’t own ebooks drops to 33 percent. The share is highest among those 65 and over, at 60 percent.
Amazon Sues Scammers Offering Fake Publishing Services
Amazon recently filed suit in the Northern District of California against a number of people and companies “that falsely claim affiliation with Amazon services, including Amazon Publishing and Kindle Direct Publishing.” The company asserts in the complaint: “Defendants run an international scam operation that deceives authors into paying for fraudulent and materially substandard services under the guise that they are affiliated with Amazon by using logos that are confusingly similar or nearly identical to Amazon’s distinctive trademarks. While Amazon has already taken swift action to shut down many of Defendants’ websites, Defendants—at least ten individuals and eight entities—continue to register […]