Once the inevitable if obligatory reminder from IDPF organizers Monday at their annual conference that there would be no talk of anything related to agency pricing or the Department of Justice investigation was dispensed with, Bloomsbury ceo Richard Charkin, Open Road ceo Jane Friedman, and Random House president of sales and digital operations Madeline McIntosh engaged in a spirited discussion of how a publisher sells direct, their attitudes on DRM, and other digital publishing matters. In terms of how important is it for publishers to nurture direct relationships with readers on a going-forward basis, McIntosh said that at Random House, […]
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AerBook Launches Simple In-Browser Platform to Build eBooks and Apps with Visual Content, and Much More From Publishers Launch
At Monday’s Publishers Launch BEA Conference, in the Publishers Launchpad segment highlighting interesting start-ups, Ron Martinez debuted his company’s Aerbook Maker and Aerbook Cloud Publishing product. They promise to enable the creation and publishing of graphical ebooks and native apps, made right in the browser through drag-and-drop, without any code writing. Martinez said up until now “the cost and complexity has literally made whole categories have to sit out the party,” and Aerbook’s product is designed to make it affordable for publishers to adapt children’s, how-to, travel, educational, photography, or any other graphical content for ebooks and apps all at […]
Amazon Is Awarded Patent from 2008 Covering Digital Gifts
Amazon continues to display their prowess in acquiring patents for digital business processes. Back in 2008 the company thought to apply for protection for a method of giving digital presents–including ebooks, along with other digital entertainment products. As GeekWire reports, that patent was officially granted this Tuesday. The site notes that the original patent includes the possibility that a gift-giver could forestall payment until the recipient has actually claimed their digital gift though as a matter of practice, customers currently pay for Kindle gifts on purchase.
Regal to Launch Zola Books Platform at BEA
Among the start-ups debuting in a private industry beta at next week’s BEA is former literary agent Joe Regal’s Zola Books, an ambitious ebook retailer that aims to innovate in multiple ways, aspiring to improve book discovery, share data with authors and publishers, empower book “curators” of all kinds to recommend titles (and get compensated), move forward the state of the art of how an HTML5 reader can work across multiple devices, and make “social reading” more natural and less obtrusive. A separate component, launching when Zola Books formally opens for business (which will not occur until after the DOJ […]
Google Makes Zagat’s Free In New Local Service; Northshire Launches Syndicated Author Radio Interviews
Eight months after acquiring Zagat’s for approximately $151 million, Google has announced how they will leverage the company’s content on the internet. Full (and free) Zagat reviews are a major element in the newly-launched Google+ Local service, a “way to discover and share local information” designed to “improve the way you find great local information.” Anyone who signs up for the Google+ Local service can now get free, open access to the Zagat database, which was previously a paid subscription product. The NYT says that the company will continue to issue their 40 printed guidebooks. Director of product management at […]
The New New eReaders Are Browser-Based In HTML5
OverDrive is just the latest company to announce plans to offers an HTML5, browser-based reading platform. Called OverDrive Read, it is built with the help of the recently-acquired Australian company Booki.sh. The company will demo the new platform at BEA and ALA. “Unlike eBook apps or devices, OverDrive Read enables readers using standard web browsers to enjoy eBooks online and offline without first installing any software or activating their device.” Start-up Inkling made a similar announcement earlier in the week. Previously available only through an iPad app, their Inkling for Web is an HTML5 web reading app works for all […]