When you browse Apple Books for your next audiobook, you might come across a few titles with a note that says they were "Narrated by Apple Books." That's because the tech giant has released a catalogue of titles that make use of its new AI-powered digital narration service. The company said the service uses the advanced speech synthesis technology it developed "to produce high-quality audiobooks from an ebook file." According to The Guardian, Apple approached independent publishers who may be interested in teaming up for the project's launch in recent months. Authors were reportedly told that the company behind the technology would shoulder the costs of turning their books into audiobooks and that they would be earning royalties. Apple, as secretive as ever, apparently remained unnamed at that point of the process and required partners to sign non-disclosure agreements. In its announcement, Apple touched on how commissioning voice actors and producing audiobooks could cost writers and publishers thousands of dollars. For independent authors, especially those just starting out, it's not always possible to spare that much money. But thing is, the audiobook market has grown tremendously in recent years — it earned $1.6 billion in sales in 2021, and experts reportedly believe the market could be worth over $35 billion by 2030. Authors wouldn't only be missing out on potential income by not creating audiobook versions of their titles, but also the opportunity to build their... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2023-01-05 13:10:59 UTC ]
The Pew survey found that e-reading increased as well but that more adults read a print book in 2013 than in the previous year. 'Print remains the foundation of Americans’ reading habits,' the report stated. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Former Wired editor Kevin Kelly says that he self-published his new book A Catalog of Possibilities in print because of the enduring power of a large, print book. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-10-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Now when you buy a print book from Amazon, you might be able to get a cheap ebook version of the same title. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-09-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Eli Horowitz does not think of himself as someone who “fetishizes the book.” But he’s also seen what books become, in digital form, and has not always been impressed. A former managing editor and publisher at McSweeney’s, Horowitz describes much of what he has seen in the digital revolution in... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-09-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Tue, 13/09/2011 - 08:20 HarperCollins Children's Books has bought a new collection of previously unpublished work and out of print folk tales by The Weirdstone of Brisingamen author Alan Garner for publication this autumn. Editorial director Nick Lake... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Social reading app Flipboard has struck a deal with Condé Nast to display full-page ads in several of the publishers titles. Starting today, readers of the New Yorker on Flipboards iPad app will begin seeing branded content from American Express throughout the virtual magazine. In October, a... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2011-07-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Anja Sieg Publication Date: Tue, 07/06/2011 - 12:10 Bertelsmann's Direct Group is to open to the public all of the retail stores operated by its ailing German book club operation Der Club. Previously the group allowed only members into the chain, a strategy which impacted a... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Wed, 27/04/2011 - 09:39 Amazon.com has reported a steep drop in profit despite boosting sales by over a third. Amazon.co.uk also revealed that one print book and four ebooks were among its top 10 bestselling items in the quarter, with the Kindle... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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