At its annual meeting held in NYC this morning, the Book Industry Study Group celebrated a year of growing membership, record revenues (up 23 percent at almost $840,000) and high-profile engagement in issues including environmentally responsible practices and the identification of electronic books and related products in the supply chain. Executive director Michael Healy and co-chair (and head of Sourcebooks) Dominique Raccah both noted in their morning presentations a major planned change in the organization’s annual compilation of statistics on the US book business, Book Industry Trends. The organization has set out to create a new methodology to “provide clear, […]
Sony Reader Goes to France–But It Isn't Simple, and Another Reader Is On the Way
The Sony Reader will launch in France next month, in an exclusive partnership with retail chain Fnac, along with publisher Hachette Livre (two Hachette books are included in the 300-euro price). A press conference is scheduled for next Tuesday to announce the launch. In the meantime, France’s Virgin Megastore is speaking out, claiming to be concerned that “exclusive arrangements hamper the development of supply for legal downloading.” The Bookseller says that subsidiary VirginMega is “working on a digital book project that would be open to all publishers.”Bookseller Separately, Business Week looks at a trial program in the country through France […]
Ambitious New Alexander McCall Smith Serial
The Telegraph will serialize a new Alexander McCall Smith novel, Corduroy Mansions, beginning on Monday and running in installments (a new one every weekday) over the next 20 weeks. The idea came from the Telegraph’s comment and community editor Iain Martin, who serialized a novel by the author when he worked at the Scotsman. Martin says, “He wanted to see if he could take it one step further –I think we have gone several steps.” The Telegraph has built a large website around the serial, which will elicit reader comments, questions and suggestions that McCall Smith will address online, and […]
Indigo Sets Out Recycled Paper Requirements
Canada’s dominant book retailer Indigo has informed publishers of new recyled paper guidelines that “will require publishers to use an average of 20% post-consumer recycled paper for uncoated books and 10% for coated books, starting this fall. Those levels will then climb to 50% (for coated and uncoated books) after five years. Indigo has also set benchmarks for magazine vendors, and has vowed to reduce its own internal paper usage by 25%,” Quill & Quire reports. A consulting company Indigo worked with indicates that “publishers will not be punished for failing to meet the new benchmarks” but those who do […]
Indie Community
A group of New York City-booksellers has officially announced the formation of the Independent Booksellers of New York City. “Member stores must primarily sell books, have a storefront that is open to the public, and be located within one of the five boroughs.” They will promote NYC stores to the public and serve as a professional support group and advocate to publishers and lawmakers on behalf of bookseller concerns.http://ibnyc.org/ Separately, the ABA has launched a web site to organize an online community around independent community-based retailers of all kinds of merchandise, including books, around the country.IndieBoundCommunity.org
Oprah Book Club #62
Penguin’s had a long ride with Eckhart Tolle; now Oprah is finally ready to select another title for her Book Club, to be announced on September 19. The lucky publisher is HarperCollins, and for now, contrary to recent custom, both Amazon and BN.com are showing the new selection as a $25.95 hardcover. One other potentially meaningless clue: the collaborative filtering on Amazon tells me that customers who bought items like this also bought….almost all thrillers (Kathy Reichs; Jeffery Deaver; Tess Gerritsen; Nelson Demille; Robert Crais; James Patterson, etc…–plus an add assortment of Little Golden Books.)Amazon page