Amazon started selling bestselling author Mitch Albom’s “Commencement Speech To His Nephew’s Graduating Class: May 30, 2008, Nice France” today as an exclusive Kindle file, priced at 99 cents. (It’s fewer than 4,000 words.) The AP notes, “proceeds are being donated to a Detroit-based charity for the homeless — but it does offer a test for the digital device that has created a great debate about the future of books and great speculation over how much the Kindle is part of that future.” Amazon pitches it: “Albom created a memorable testament to what we know and what we need to […]
ABA to Partner with Applewood on POD
I love the tidbit via Vermont Public Radio that, despite publishing world dreams that a POD book machine within a bookstore will make available countless titles efficiently to individual customers, what those customers really want is to make their own books. There is, potentially, huge opportunity there for physical bookstores, since the dozens of web sites that offer such services don’t have their own retail outlets. The bookstore is a natural place to go for help in publishing your own book (and if you buy the right package, they’ll put it on sale for you, too.) I’ve noted in speeches […]
"Love Letters" Tie-In: What Took So Long?
You’ll recall the the Sex & the City movie ignited interest in the nonexistent book featured in the movie, “Love Letters of Great Men.” Now former Picador deputy publisher Ursula Doyle has compiled and annotated a book under that proven title, including “all of the letters referenced in the film,” for quick release on August 15 from Pan Macmillan in the UK. (The DVD of the film is due a month later.) The house says in a short announcement “there will be a huge viral marketing campaign online, including Facebook activity, and we are aiming for simultaneous e-book publication.” They […]
Author Newmark's Viral Start for UNHOLY MISCHIEF
Forbes profiles how Elle Newmark tried a new approach after four less-than-successful book efforts and at least raised her profile (and advance) considerably for THE BOOK OF UNHOLY MISCHIEF. She self-published this time through iUniverse and “decided to throw a virtual book launch party and sent out 500,000 e-mail invites to agents, editors and reviewers. It worked: Her book became a best-seller on Amazon the day of the virtual book party. Newmark’s Internet marketing savvy wound up getting her a William Morris agent and a contract with Simon & Schuster within two weeks of the virtual book party.”Forbes
Cellist of Sarajevo Follows Bookseller of Kabul
Vedran Smailovic, the actual musician whose story is featured briefly in Steven Galloway’s novel THE CELLIST OF SARAJEVO, is objecting: “”They put my picture, my face, on the front, on the cover with no permission. They don’t ask me — they use my name advertising their product. I don’t care about fiction, I care about reality.” Galloway, who sent Smailovic an autographed copy, interviewed over 25 people for the book and says to the CBC: “[I don’t know] for what I would be compensating. I mean, he performed a public act and I mentioned it?” One potential problem area according […]
Harper Studio Has Signed 17 Books
They just haven’t announced any of them yet. Portfolio’s blog says 16 are non-fiction, and the other one is what Bob Miller calls a “fable.” That’s more by happenstance than by design, said Miller: Successfully launching a novel by an unknown author takes a bigger marketing push. (HarperStudio will try to save money by focusing its marketing efforts on web outreach, although Miller said its titles will get more sustained support than is now usual). That said, he said, they are hoping to do more fiction down the road.Portfolio