Last week a Dutch website appeared to have leaked the specs for Sony‘s next generation of Reader, the PRS-T1. (That landing page is long gone, but MobileRead tracked down a screenshot of the device.) Allegedly priced at 165 euros, the PRS-T1 appears to be a 6″ device with WiFi and a dual-touch eInk screen. In other words, the finest model that mid-2010 had to offer. The prospect of new gadgets always brings out a plethora of speculation, warranted or otherwise. Which is why we’ll always take Forrester Research predictions with the requisite grain of salt, especially on a device – […]
eNews
Google Settles with La Martiniere; Will Launch Google eBooks In France
Google has settled its differences with another French publisher, La Martiniere. Perhaps more importantly, they acknowledge that Google eBooks is coming to France. (Now we just need to know when.) The companies will work together to put the publisher’s out-of-print, in-copyright books online, which “effectively ends the legal dispute” between the two. In 2009 a French court ordered Google to pay La Martiniere a small fine for scanning their books without permission. (They sought 15 million euros in damages, and were awarded 300,000 euros.) AFP says Google has now withdrawn their legal appeal–but indicates the company has not settled yet […]
ePublishing Initiatives from Objective Entertainment and Folio
Objective Entertainment is the latest literary agency to launch an e-publishing initiative, forming a separate company, Paperless Publishing, to issue ebook originals. Founded by Objective’s Jarred Weisfeld, Meghan Kilduff has moved over from Objective to serve as publisher and acquisitions manager for the new company. Paperless Publishing is focused on short-form content only, and Weisfeld underscores they do not intend to compete with established major publishers. The new company is looking to acquire short-form works on pop culture, poetry, romance, politics, general nonfiction, and graphic novels. They aim to publish “100 books next year,” and Weisfeld says they “have already […]
Coming Attractions: Cheney, Rice, Jobs, King’s Short, and Fall Books
The NYT has broken the embargo on former vice president Dick Cheney‘s memoir IN MY TIME, which is set for release next Tuesday. Though Cheney tells NBC in the first televised interview, which will air next Monday, that “there are going to be heads exploding all over Washington” over the book, it’s hard to see why from the Times’ read. Cheney is Cheney, as he “expresses little regret about many of the most controversial decisions of the Bush administration” and “is often pugnacious in tone.” He thinks former CIA director George Tenet was a quitter, and even though many would […]
Librarians Hopeful As HBG Considers Resuming Frontlist eBook Sales
Library Journal updates the state of negotiations on new models for selling ebooks to libraries. While some librarians have apparently convinced themselves that Hachette Book Group has a plan to start selling them frontlist ebooks again, Hachette executives make it clear their internal debate is still underway. SVP for Hachette Digital Maja Thomas has been meeting with the relevant parties, but the HBG team has not made any decisions. “It’s an extremely sensitive issue and there is a lot of passion on both sides, and we’ve been working diligently here for months on it,” she says. “I will present [her […]
Another Digital Imprint, This Time In Australia
First Pan Macmillan announced a digital imprint for the UK focused on backlist books, Compass, and now Pan Macmillan Australia has announced their own digital imprint, Momentum, launching in February 2012. Pan Macmillan director Tom Gilliatt will run moment, with publisher Joel Naoum “managing” the list. They will both bring back to market out-of-print titles as well publish “new works from established and emerging authors.” And, as we have been exploring via our Publishers Launch Conferences, the line intends to “embrace the international potential of the digital market by making its ebooks available globally.” The launch list includes four traditional […]