E-Book Sales Pass Print on Amazon

While the Rapture isn’t scheduled to occur until Saturday, according to members of certain religious fringe groups, it looks like doomsday has come early for publishers of print books. Amazon announced Thursday that sales of ebooks on the site have finally surpassed combined sales of hardcovers and paperbacks. For every 100 print books sold since April 1, the company said, it sold 105 digital ones, and credited the surge in ebook sales to its new ad-supported, lower-priced Kindle. “We had high hopes that this would happen eventually, but we never imagined it would happen this quickly,” said CEO Jeff Bezos. “We’ve been selling print books for 15 years and Kindle books for less than four years.” The vice president for Kindle content, Russ Grandinetti, claimed that the digital trend is actually good for publishers. “Even though some digital sales may be substitutions from print, one of the great impacts . . is people spend more minutes a day reading. They make reading more of a habit, and that’s good for the total book business.” But Mike Shatzkin, CEO of the Idea Logical Company, which advises publishers on digital matters, isn't buying it. “[Amazon is] taking print sales away from others while their own devices are taking print sales away from them. That’s the real import of those numbers. It’s one more nail in the coffin of brick and mortar stores,” he told The New York Times. Still, publishers shouldn’t lose hope just yet, some analysts say. According to Forrester... Continue reading at 'AdWeek'

[ AdWeek | 2011-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #mike shatzkin #mortar stores #forrester research #e-book reading #big deal #forrester analyst

Other Publishing stories related to: 'E-Book Sales Pass Print on Amazon'


What Amazon Must Do to Save Kindle Direct Publishing

As awesome as Kindle Direct Publishing is, it will be crushed by spam if Amazon doesn't take some action to control the amount of junk titles being dumped on it. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #amazon doesn


Six shortlisted as Royal Society kids' book prize returns

Written By: Rachel Bradley Publication Date: Fri, 17/06/2011 - 08:07 A guide to astronomy and a pop-up guide to how the world works are among the shortlisted titles for the first Royal Society Young People's Book Prize in three years. The £10,000 prize was not awarded between 2008 and 2010 due... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #shortlisted titles #book prize #funding difficulties #anonymous donor #winning book


Accent buys book by progeria-sufferer Okines

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Thu, 16/06/2011 - 15:40 Accent Press has bought world rights to a memoir by Hayley Okines, who suffers from a rare genetic condition that means she ages eight times faster than healthy people. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #times faster


For a Regional Magazine, Print is Still the Main Source of Income

When you read the literature of journalism these days you might think that you must hurry to carve out your place in the digital world. That may be so for newspapers, but it is not so for magazines, particularly not for regional magazines. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #regional magazines #regional magazine #digital world


Goldsboro Books set for "record-breaking" year

Publication Date: Thu, 16/06/2011 - 09:10 Goldsboro Books has revealed it is on-track for a record-breaking financial year after moving premises in March. The 12-year-old independent London bookshop, which specialises in first edition signed copies, said May prevailed as its “best ever” month... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #financial year #financial quarter


Price to attempt book signing world record

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Wed, 15/06/2011 - 14:03 Random House author Katie Price is to attempt to break the Guinness World Records title for the largest book signing by a single author. Price's attempt will take place at the O2 Academy, Leeds, at 11 a.m. on 27th July,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #27th july #signing copies #21st july #27th october


Bertelsmann formally disbands its book club division 'Direct Group'

Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Wed, 15/06/2011 - 07:46 Bertelsmann has disbanded its Direct Group division having all-but completed what it described as the scale-back of its book clubs business. Its remaining book club interests, most notably in Germany and Spain, will now be... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #direct group


Seventeen chosen for Booked Up

Written By: Rachel Bradley and Katie Allen Publication Date: Tue, 14/06/2011 - 17:23 Titles from Cressida Cowell, Sita Brahmachari and Jon Mayhew have been selected for Booktrust"s “Booked Up” programme, which sees 17 titles on offer to all year seven pupils in England. Over 650,000 free books... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #cressida cowell #sita brahmachari #secondary school


Steve Jobs the Comic Book Hero: An Exclusive Look

PCWorld managed to snag previews of some of the pages, although they are a work-in-progress as the pages have not yet been colored or had speech bubbles put in. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-06-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #steve jobs


Henderson, Lehane on TV Book Club summer list

Publication Date: Mon, 13/06/2011 - 08:55 Emma Henderson's Orange-shortlisted Grace Williams Says It Loud and the latest novel by American thriller writer Dennis Lehane have been picked for the summer season of "The TV Book Club". Returning on Sunday 26th June on More 4, with repeats on Channel... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #summer season #jo brand


Book Machines Near the Tipping Point?

Retailing for $185,000, the Espresso Book Machine, developed by On Demand Books, costs more than the annual revenue of some independent bookstores. But with a new partnership with the American Booksellers Association to help get frontlist and midlist titles from mainstream houses (something that... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tipping point #book machines #demand books #annual revenue #independent bookstores #backlist titles


Will the 'First Printing' Become a 20th-Century Relic?

For decades, the "first printing" has been a number publishers have slapped on the covers of their advance reading copies, put in bold on the pages of their catalogues, and touted to reporters. The number, though known to be inflated, offered a palatable way for publishers to announce their... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #frontlist titles


Why E-Books Are Bad for You

By restricting purchases unnecessarily, ebooks and e-readers are a bad deal, says free software guru Richard Stallman. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Octopus buys book by "People's Supermarket" star

Publication Date: Fri, 10/06/2011 - 10:36 Octopus has acquired a vegetable cookery title by chef, eco-restauranteur and star of "The People's Supermarket" Arthur Potts Dawson. Publishing director Stephanie Jackson acquired world rights to Eat Your Veg from Sophie Laurimore of Factual... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #factual management #mitchell beazley


Swordfish hands Brooker two-book deal

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 10/06/2011 - 10:45 Orion Books imprint Swordfish has acquired two books by Guardian columnist and TV presenter Charlie Brooker, signing the titles through Jo Unwin at Conville & Walsh. Publisher Rowland White bought world rights in all... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #guardian columnist #jo unwin #conville walsh #human body


Christine Jones new c.e.o of Murdoch Books

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 09/06/2011 - 08:05 Murdoch Books has further restructured its workforce following owner Matt Handbury's move into the role of c.e.o. last week. Christine Jones will become managing director of Murdoch Books UK, which has its UK offices in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sales manager #murdoch books #south-west london #marketing director


Guardian to sponsor Edinburgh Book Festival

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Wed, 08/06/2011 - 14:53 The Edinburgh International Book Festival is to be sponsored by Guardian News & Media, in a newly-penned two-year deal. The sponsorship deal will include coverage in the Guardian, the Observer and its books website of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sponsorship deal #books website #review books #29th august #fay weldon


Smiths News acquires Dawson Books

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Tue, 07/06/2011 - 09:49 Dawson Books has been bought by the parent company of book wholesaler Bertrams for £20m. Smiths News plc, which owns Bertrams, announced today (7th June) that the wholesaler and Dawson Books would be "fully integrated"... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #dawson books #fair trading #deal means #increasing demands #digital products


Unbridled in 25 Cent E-book Promotion with ABA

Unbridled Books is partnering with the American Booksellers Association to promote the organization’s IndieCommerce program. For three days Unbridled is offering 25 of its titles in ebook format for 25 cents exclusively through the approximately 250 independent bookstores that are set up to sell... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ebook format


New everyday philosophy title for Rider Books

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 03/06/2011 - 10:03 Rider Books has acquired a non-fiction book telling readers how to use philosophy to improve their everyday life by journalist and blogger Jules Evans. Rider Books commissioning editor Sue Lascelles bought world rights,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #everyday life #jonathan conway #paperback original