One of our quiet New Year’s resolutions was to take this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in moderate stride, since experience has shown a lot of what will be presented there is either overhyped, coming later, or not coming at all (as you enjoy your many oversized eInk readers and 3-D television sets). So we’ll try to keep our focus on things that belong on book publishing radar. In brief, Kobo trumpets non-specific “relationships with over a dozen partners” that they estimate will result in Kobo apps “preloaded on 20 million devices this year.” Those partners include tablet-makers (such as the […]
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Amazon’s New Kindle/Holiday Press Release
The etailer released their traditional post-Christmas non-statistics. Reaching for new non-specific superlatives about Kindle sales, they say the new model is “the bestselling product in Amazon’s history, eclipsing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7).” We don’t know final sales for the book by the company, but on October 24, 2007 they reported sales of 2.5 million copies worldwide, calling it their “largest new product release.” In today’s release ceo Jeff Bezos acknowledges the even bigger sales of tablets, insisting in a defensive way that “sustomers report using their LCD tablets for games, movies, and web browsing and their […]
eNews Shorts: Amazon Starts New Periodicals On Android; Sourcebooks Learns from Giveaway Problems; Diesel Adds Customer Bundles; HBG UK Already at 5 Percent
Amazon has updated their Kindle for Android app first with the capability to buy optimized full-color versions of magazines and newspapers on a single-copy and subscription basis. (Like others in the field, they offer a 14-day free trial on all publications.) They launch with over 100 publications.Release Giving away ebooks is harder than you might think–particularly if you are trying a one-day-only promotion, as Sourcebooks did yesterday to celebrate Jane Austen’s birthday. CEO Dominique Raccah refreshingly turns it into a important community teaching moment, candidly sharing the mistakes they made, the things they learned, the help etailers provided, and even […]
Apple Gains Approval for iBookstore In Canada–In Exchange for Multiple “Commitments”
Canada’s Heritage Minister announced approval for Apple to launch a Canadian iBookstore, which “represents new opportunities for Canadian authors and publishers.” To win that consent, Apple has promised to promote Canadian-authored books; to increase “opportunities for Canadian publishers and authors” and access to titles from Aboriginal authors and publishers; and to provide “assistance to Canadian publishers in streamlining processes of e-book creation and enhancement.”Release
Barnes & Noble Launches Monthly Inexpensive “Spotlight” Nook Books
And in this corner, Barnes & Noble has their own new approach to low-priced ebooks they hope to promote and spread. Their “Spotlight” program will offer a new title every month from the “author of a popular or breakout series” sold “at irresistible prices” to help “can discover new authors and dive into an exciting series for a wallet-friendly price.” The program, run by editorial director of digital content Liz Scheier, begins this month with Faye Kellerman’s THE RITUAL BATH, the first book in her Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus’ series, selling for 99 cents. Featured books have their own […]
Amazon’s Goolge-Esque Web eBooks and Affiliate Referral Fees Announced for “The Coming Months”
Amazon’s other announcement of note, previewed in yesterday’s Lunch and presented in full at the Google Chrome OS event yesterday in San Francisco, was indeed a planned expansion of their Kindle for Web platform. The currently-available Kindle for Web beta only shows sample chapters, but Amazon intends to have KFW take advantage of HTML5 to provide browser-based access to full Kindle ebooks–just like Google eBooks. They’ve announced it on the heels of the debut of Google eBooks, but for now are only saying that the new service “will be available in the coming months.” (The piece in Computerworld had one […]