College textbook maker Pearson eyes NFTs to claim a cut of second-hand sales

NFT advocates often tout the technology's ability to grant the creator a cut of second-hand sales as one of its major attributes. Artists can earn from one of their digital creations years after first selling it. Others are looking at NFTs to earn a buck from the secondary market too, including the publishers of college textbooks.Pearson, which said in 2019 it would focus on digital textbook sales, wants a piece of the action. “In the analogue world, a Pearson textbook was resold up to seven times, and we would only participate in the first sale,” CEO Andy Bird told Bloomberg this week. “The move to digital helps diminish the secondary market, and technology like blockchain and NFTs allows us to participate in every sale of that particular item as it goes through its life."There's an obvious reason why students resell textbooks. They're expensive! Students often have to spend hundreds of dollars on required materials each semester — or even hundreds of dollars on a single textbook. Selling on a textbook when it's no longer needed just makes sense.Turning textbooks into NFTs and banking on the blockchain to track ownership of them (from “owner A to owner B to owner C,” as Bird put it) seems unnecessary, though. Digital rights management already exists and doesn't need to go anywhere near cryptocurrency. Pearson has a $15 per month subscription service for its textbooks as well.Bird could simply be bloviating about a zeitgeisty technology to try and keep Pearson's investors... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2022-08-03 20:10:20 UTC ]
News tagged with: #second-hand sales #nft advocates #major attributes #secondary market #analogue world #makes sense #pearson

Other Publishing stories related to: 'College textbook maker Pearson eyes NFTs to claim a cut of second-hand sales'


Publishing Sales Soared in April

Led by huge gains in the educational categories, sales of publishers reporting results to the AAP jumped 43.7% in April over April 2020. Last April was one of the sales low points during the pandemic. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-06-28 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #huge gains


W&N delays Cohen's The History Makers by nine months

Weidenfeld & Nicolson has pushed back the publication of Richard Cohen’s The History Makers for nine months, days before its UK publication, following concerns by its US publisher it did not include enough Black perspectives.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-20 15:28:22 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #uk publication #history makers #weidenfeld nicolson #pushed back #richard cohen #black perspectives


Fiction Leads Another Week of Sales Gains

Unit sales of print books rose 4.8% last week over the week ended June 12, 2020, as adult fiction sales rose 23%. 'The President's Daughter' by James Patterson and Bill Clinton was the week's top seller. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-06-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sales gains #james patterson #bill clinton #top seller


April Bookstore Sales Skyrocketed

Rebounding from the worst month of the 2020 sales collapse, April bookstore sales soared 204% over last year, jumping to $514 million, from $169 million in April 2020. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-06-15 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #worst month #bookstore sales


HC's Murray Sees Higher Sales, More Consolidation Ahead

In a recent presentation, HarperCollins CEO Brian Murray said he sees no signs of consumer book spending slowing down in 2021—nor does he see the trend toward greater consolidation of the industry cooling. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-06-15 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #harpercollins


Elin Hilderbrand asks for Anne Frank reference to be cut from novel after complaints

Romance writer was criticised for episode in new novel when one of her child characters compares hiding in an attic to the life of the Holocaust diaristBestselling romance author Elin Hilderbrand has asked her publisher to remove a reference to Anne Frank from her latest novel after criticism,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-06-08 11:53:10 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #romance writer #anne frank #car accident #romance author


Foul-mouthed Laurence Fox tweet boosts sales for Little Box of Books

A children’s book subscription company says its sales have surged after actor and political activist Laurence Fox berated it online. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-06-08 08:15:22 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #children’s book


Get to Know These 9 Manhwa and Manga Set in College

Classes, relationships, newfound independence, and more: these manga and manhwa set in college explore several facets of campus life, including A Sign of Affection by Suu Morishita. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-06-04 10:36:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #manga set #newfound independence #manga


Print Unit Sales End May with 11.6% Increase

Unit sales of print books rose 11.6% in the week ended May 29, 2021, over the comparable week in 2020, at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-06-04 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #6% increase #week ended


Growth of Online Sales Cushioned Pandemic Blow at Indigo

Online sales jumped 127% at Indigo Books & Music in fiscal year 2021 over FY 2020, partially offsetting a 34% decline in sales through its physical stores. Still, sales dropped 5.5% in the year, and the bookseller's losses deepened. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-06-04 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #physical stores


Sales of Adult Fiction Books Stay on Fire

Unit sales of adult books rose 25.8% last week over May 30, 2020, and for the first five months of 2021, adult book sales jumped 32.4% over the comparable period a year ago at outlets that report to BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-06-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #adult book


APA Says Audiobook Sales Rose 12% in 2020

The Audio Publishers Association’s annual review of the audiobook market found another year of double-digit sales increases as well as a profound shift in listening habits. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-06-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #annual review #audiobook


Bloomsbury and Granta claim three each on Orwell Prize shortlists

Bloomsbury and Granta have three titles each shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing, and Political Fiction. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-05-28 23:46:28 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #orwell prize #political writing #political fiction #bloomsbury


Print Book Sales Rose 2.3% Last Week

Despite the release of 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' by Suzanne Collins at this time last year, unit sales of print books managed to rise 2.3% last week over the week ended May 23, 2020. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-28 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #week ended #suzanne collins


Print Unit Sales Rose 2.3% in Mid-May

Unit sales of print books rose 2.3% in the week ended May 22, 2021, over the comparable week in 2020, at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-28 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #week ended


Publishing Sales Rose 22% in Q1

With sales in all categories posting double-digit increases, sales for the 1,358 publishers that report results to the AAP’s StatShot program rose 22.3% over the comparable period in 2020 for the first quarter of 2021. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #report results


Eso Won and Crockett Named PW’s Bookstore and Sales Rep of the Year

Publishers Weekly has named the L.A.-based indie bookstore Eso Won Books its Bookstore of the Year, and Simon & Schuster sales rep Toi Crockett has been named PW Sales Rep of the Year. The announcement was made at the inaugural U.S. Book Show. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sales rep #book show #publishers weekly #bookstore


S&S UK partners with Jhalak Prize to boost longlist sales

Simon & Schuster UK has collaborated with the Jhalak Prize in its Books to Readers programme, which aims to boost sales and visibility for longlisted writers. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-05-25 00:26:21 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #jhalak prize #boost sales


Print Unit Sales Rose 8.8% in Mid-May

Unit sales of print books rose 8.8% in the week ended May 15, 2021, over the comparable week in 2020 at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-05-21 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #week ended