As the big publishers move to relatively similar terms for providing ebooks to public libraries, Simon & Schuster announced a revision of their terms that libraries should see as at least incremental improvement. Effective August 1, S&S will expand their usage term from one year to two years — in alignment with other big publisher terms. Digital audiobooks, which had been sold for perpetual access, will move to the same two year, one-user-per-copy usage model, however. They indicate that most new-release ebooks will be priced from $38.99 to $52.99 for two-year access, and most digital audio titles will cost from […]
Libraries
Briefs: Realignments, Initiatives, and More
Realigning Two UK publishers announced internal realignments. Ebury is adding “self” and “lifestyle/BBC” publishing “hubs” to the smart and entertainment hubs they created earlier this year — and now publicity and marketing are being brought closer together. It seems publicity is now called “campaigns,” with Joanna Bennett promoted to head of campaigns for the Smart hub, Tessa Henderson is head of campaigns for Entertainment; Stephanie Naulls has that position for Lifestyle/BBC; and they are recruiting someone for self. Separately, marketing becomes a Marketing, Insight & Digital centre (not a hub, or even a spoke), and will “share new digital resources […]
People, Etc.
Kirkus Reviews editor in chief for over six years Claiborne Smith is resigning to “focus on writing books” and supporting the San Antonio Book Festival, where he will be literary director. Newsday books editor Tom Beer will take over at Kirkus on June 17, reporting to ceo Meg Kuehn. She says in the announcement, “Tom Beer brings the literary sensibility Kirkus; readers have come to expect from us along with experience and keen instincts for reporting on books in a way that connects with reading enthusiasts.” Sourcebooks has hired Molly Cusick, as editor for Jabberwocky, Young Readers, and Fire; and […]
A Case Study of Sorts: eBooks at the Free Library of Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Inquirer has an interesting look at ebook lending from area library systems, which looks to be on the rise (in contrast to publishers’ dollar sales from ebooks). In 2018, 28 percent of the total circulation of the Free Library of Philadelphia “came from ebooks and other digital content.” The top ebooks were The Woman in the Window (1,482 ebooks circulated) and Fire and Fury (1,448). Under metered access, providing a maximum of 26 checkouts, The Woman in the Window cost the library $1.04 per checkout, chief of the materials management division Jennifer Maguire-Wright notes. “An average circulation for a printed book is […]
Tor Tests Windowing Frontlist Library eBooks, Joins Broader Library Impact Data Study
Tor Books has begun windowing ebook versions of frontlist titles (e.g. the adult science line) for the library market starting with July releases, delaying their availability for library ebook distribution to four months after the retail on-sale date. The company told libraries this is “part of a test program to determine the impact of eLending on retail sales,” and said they would “work closely with our library vendors who service this channel to evaluate the results and develop ongoing terms that will best support Tor’s authors, their agents, and Tor’s channel partners.” The test period was described as “open-ended.” President […]
Picks: Another Barack Obama Reading List; August Library Reads
Barack Obama posted another summer reading list in advance of his trip to Africa. The list of mostly African authors includes: Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe A Grain of Wheat, by Ngugi wa Thiong’o Long Walk to Freedom, by Nelson Mandela Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie The Return, by Hisham Matar The World As It Is, by Ben Rhodes Separately, Vox by Christina Dalcher is the top pick for the August’s Library Reads list. Also on the list are Louise Candlish Our House and Kristan Higgins’s Good Luck with That, both excerpted in our Buzz Books 2018 Spring/Summer sampler and available to download now. The rest […]