One prominent topic at Digital Book World Tuesday was the relationship between startups and publishers, and how both sides can best work together. (As a case in point, Ingram Ventures announced an investment in social ebook retail startup Librify — after first meeting them at DBW a year ago.) In the morning, Mike Shatzkin presented the results of the DBW Startup Survey, with respondents from 43 startups and 25 book publishers from 8 companies. 74 percent of startups “considered themselves disruptive” to publishers — which is an inherent conflict — and said that the toughest challenges they face with our industry […]
Marketing
Digital “White Boxes,” and More
NetGalley has paired with the American Booksellers Association for a program that will offer member booksellers exclusive access to certain digital galleys. As the release explains, “the Digital White Box program complements and expands on the long-standing Red and White Box programs, which provide physical galleys and book promotional information to qualifying ABA member stores.” The first selection of titles in the new program will be offered to booksellers starting in February. Separately, IndieReader.com will display a collection of self-published books with their reviews and ratings through the digital catalog service Edelweiss (for a fee of $399). Co-owner of The […]
eNews: Penguin Does Allow Direct Kindle Borrowing on OverDrive; Sony Won’t Sell New Reader in US; And More
Just two days after Penguin resumed selling digital library copies to OverDrive, the company has relinquished its requirement that library users who borrow Kindle editions from OverDrive must sideload them via USB. As OverDrive announced in a blog post, Penguin titles will be available for wireless download via OverDrive’s “Get for Kindle” button, which redirects to Amazon’s website. A spokesperson for Penguin declined to comment on what persuaded them to change their policy. Sony‘s latest e-reader, the PRS-T3, will not be sold in the US, effectively signaling the company’s exit from the market here after years of apparent decline and disinterest. […]
Ready for Discovery
We are all set for a great full-day conference tomorrow on Modern Book Marketing: Tools, Techniques and Services. As always happens with our New York shows, we’re getting a lot of late enrollments — so if you have been meaning to join us, make sure to claim your place now. More than just a collection of ideas and panels. Digital marketing strategist Peter McCarthy, along with Publishers Launch Conferences partner Mike Shatzkin and the team at Digital Book World, will present a structured curriculum of tested techniques, tools and best practices to guide successful digital book marketing and discovery. The full program also […]
Mixed News for National Book Festival
Another successful weekend National Book Festival in Washington, DC began with a report that the event is in for a big change. There were indications that festival will have to leave the Mall and will be held instead at the less-appealing Washington Convention Center in 2014. Project manager of the Library of Congress National Book Festival Jennifer Gavin told the Washington Post, “We have become aware that the Park Service has plans to make changes on the Mall. What they are proposing would probably change the festival as it is currently presented.” Gavin said, “We are still exploring our options.” […]
TODAY Show Launches New Book Club With Shannon’s THE BONE SEASON
Samantha Shannon’s just-published fantasy debut THE BONE SEASON, already the beneficiary of a great deal of advance buzz, will receive an extra boost as a result of being the inaugural pick of The Today Show’s new Book Club. Shannon’s publisher Bloomsbury told the NYT that retailer orders “roughly doubled” when they were told of the selection. The Today Show tried another version of its Book Club about a decade ago before letting it fade away quietly, but current plans appear to be more ambitious. Selections by the show will be made every four to five weeks, with books “emblazoned with […]