The American Library Association has launched a petition in which Macmillan is urged to reconsider the company’s planned eight-week windowing of all but one copy of new-release ebooks to libraries. “ALA’s goal is to send a clear message to Macmillan’s CEO John Sargent: e-book access should be neither denied nor delayed,” said ALA Executive Director…
eNews
Inkitt Raises $16 Million in New Funding
Berlin-based Inkitt announced a $16 million Series A funding round, led by Kleiner Perkins but including participation from HV Holtzbrinck Ventures. (The company previously raised $5 million.) The new capital will help fund their expansion, which includes plans to add 10 languages in addition to English. With more funding comes ever-greater hype: Founder and ceo…
Salinger eBooks Are Released; New Works Will Take Another 5 to 7 Years
Little, Brown announced that they will release ebook editions of J.D. Salinger’s four books for the first time on August 13. His son Matt Salinger notes in the release, ‘There were few things my father loved more than the full tactile experience of reading a printed book, but he may have loved his readers more—and…
Macmillan Splits the Library eBook Baby: A Small Concession, and Broader Windowing
Macmillan is the latest big publisher to announce an adjustment of their library ebook terms, this time in a letter from ceo John Sargent to authors and agents. Their policy has a twist to balance protecting sales with “ensur[ing] that the mission of libraries is supported”: Exactly one copy of every ebook will be available…
Pearson Will Phase Out Regular Print Textbooks to Push Students to Digital Versions
As the textbook market continues to shrink, industry leader Pearson is playing their final card in trying to get budget-savvy college students to fall in line, and as usual pretending it is corporate innovation. They are transitioning away from the printed textbook entirely, hoping to strangle the secondary market for used (and imported) textbooks once…
People, Etc.
Jennifer Weis will join the Ross Yoon Agency as senior literary agent based in New York, representing book club and women’s fiction, thrillers, memoir, narrative and platform-driven nonfiction, psychology and health. She was previously executive editor at St. Martin’s. At Princeton University Press, Fred Appel is promoted to publisher, religion and anthropology; Ben Tate to…