While big publishers wring their hands over whether it’s ok to make money from self-publishing, the dedicated self-publishers continue to be on a roll. Bouncing back from cutbacks in late 2008, Lulu.com is reported to have retained Genuity Capital Markets and CIBC World Markets lead underwriters for an initial public offering later this year, apparently on the Toronto stock exchange. Dow Jones says they hope to raise $50 million (Canadian) in capital. When forced to cut staff previously, founder Bob Young blamed “the credit and capital markets [as] frozen solid.”Dow Jones
eNews
Barnes & Noble Holiday Comps Down 5.4%; Earnings Guidance Reduced
The nine-week holiday selling period at Barnes & Noble was another rough one, with same-store sales down 5.4 percent at $1.1 billion (and bear in mind that the comps a year ago were down 7 percent from 2007). Sales at BN.com rose 17 percent however, at $134 million, in large part because of nook revenues recognized in that period. (BN.com had sales of $114 million in the same period a year ago. When the company reported second quarter earnings in late November, BN.com was up 9 percent for the period. So figure that recognized nook revenues are roughly between $10 […]
Today's CES eReader Guide
With ever-more ereaders and other announcements coming out of CES, we’ve attempted to organize the information that we think is most relevant to our audience below. As indicated earlier, we’re particularly interested in who is selling the ebooks for these new devices (some are starting their own stores, RCA has partnered with BN.com); whether the physical retail base for ereaders is expanding (as with 1,000 Sprint stores selling the Skiff); and who else can play (B&T’s Blio says its can easily be deployed by other etailers). MORE eREADERS SamsungNumber of models: 2 (6-inch and 10-inch)Wireless connection?: Wi-fiPromised for: “early 2010”Special […]
Borders UK Online Assets Are Sold
The Capital Organisation, an investment group, has purchased the defunct Borders UK’s online operation and a database of over a million customers for an undisclosed price, the Bookseller reports. Operating under the less tarnished Books etc brand (a part of Borders UK), the buyer “is thought to be planning to merge the website with two other retail sites it already owns – goodmusic.co.uk and sellstudentstuff.com.”
Today's eReader News
DMC is launching a line of six different ereaders–two of which have 3G connectivity, with the rest using wifi–along with a social networking platform around reading called Copia. Their tag line is: “Any eReader can hold your book. But only one holds your entire reading experience. Introducing the copia reader — the first and only reader with social networking built in.” Gizmodo dubs it “like Goodread on steroids.” Company info on the readers Amazon’s SuperKindle will start shipping with international wireless capability starting January 19, now open for pre-orders.Release Meanwhile, CourseSmart, the consortium that sells higher education textbooks online, has […]
eNews: Oh CES Can You See, A New eThing for Me–Apple's Unicorn; Big and Bendy Skiff; and More
Here’s how we explained the big Apple news at dinner table last night. The WSJ has put their journalistic credibility behind confirming that at the unacknowledged Apple presentation on January 25, 26 or 27, they will announce the mythical tablet device but it won’t ship until March. The Journal can definitely not confirm the size of the device, its finish, or its features. It probably will not come with a wireless connection packaged in, and they cite other analysts who think it’s likely to cost as much as a laptop, or about $1,000. Very exciting.WSJ In a real announcement, Sprint […]