First announced in June with 10 partners, Author Solutions has signed another 13 sites to the program that makes their self-publishing platform available to other entities on a revenue-sharing basis. Interestingly, among the latest partners is online bookselling powerhouse Alibris, which creates all kinds of interesting possibilities. Author Solutions calls the program “a turnkey revenue producer for online communities, printers, retailers, and publishers. The platform has all of our publishing expertise ‘baked in.’ It can be skinned with our partners’ branding and we provide all necessary IT and back-end support.”Release
Bookstores
eBook Updates
Amazon announced a ramp-up in titles from Christian book publishers available for the Kindle, saying that Augsburg Fortress, Crossway Books & Bibles, David C. Cook, Gospel Light, Group Publishing, NavPress, Strang Communications, Thomas Nelson, Tyndale, Wm. B. Eerdmans and Zondervan “have committed to making the majority of their catalogs of books available to Kindle owners by the end of 2008.” VP of Kindle Ian Freed confirms last week’s new pseudo-stat: “Of the 135,000 books available on Amazon.com as a physical book and on Kindle, Kindle books already account for over 12 percent of units sold.”Amazon release Separately, UK chain Waterstone’s […]
BN Moves and Expands A Rare Book Department
Barnes & Noble’s small rare- and out-of-print-book department at their recently-closed Chelsea store in NYC will relocate at the chain’s store on Broadway and 66th Street, “where it will soon be moved from the third floor to a more prominent location on the second floor.” The NYT adds: “Barnes & Noble says it does not plan to replicate the effort in other stores, it is also not taking its commitment lightly: it is spending a significant sum on the department, installing custom display cases with locked glass doors.”NYT
Chicago's Afrocentric Books to Close
Desiree Sanders, 41, founder and president of Chicago’s Afrocentric Bookstore, says: “The last year has not been good for us as far as customers. It is with much regret that I complete the process of closing our doors after 18 years of service to the Black community. I know by closing I am leaving a void in the Black community but the economics to stay open just aren’t there anymore.”Chicago Reader In Philadelphia, Molly’s Bookstore is selling off inventory and will close. Owner Molly Russakoff says: “The whole nature of the business changed from a laid-back, sociable job to a […]
Ann Nelson on Bunch of Grapes Fire
The former owner who built the Martha’s Vineyard bookstore (now run by her son) writes in the MV newspaper about her experiences on July 4th: “John said, I’m going to take you into the building, here is your flashlight. And when I walked into the building wearing that heavy fireman’s suit — so heavy and they wear it all day! — I cannot tell you, the flashbacks of 35 years. And I cannot adequately describe the heat. It was like you were at a barbecue and someone had lit the briquettes right under you. It was so hot, the ceiling […]
Fire Damages Bunch of Grapes Bookstore on Martha's Vineyard
A fire on the morning of the 4th “badly damaged” the Bunch of Grapes Bookstore in Vineyard Haven, MA, spreading from the Cafe Moxie next door. The local paper reports, “although the bookstore building stands, much of the contents was damaged by smoke and water.” MV Times