Penelope Lively's recent short ebook for Penguin drew criticism for its brevity – but readers should not be put off the genre as a whole"Overpriced", "ridiculous", I feel cheated". Amazon reviewers haven't been wholly positive about a digital short Penelope Lively has written for Penguin Specials. On the evidence of the story itself, it's not Lively's fault. Abroad is about a pair of art students who travel to 1950s Spain in search of picturesque peasants and are disappointed when they don't live up to expectations. It's funny and evocative of a time when rural Europe was still exotic.It also peters out after just 4,000 words, so I sympathise with anyone who felt ripped off by its £1.99 price tag. These days you can buy two whole novels for that. The sad fact is, publishers don't make any money if an ebook costs less than £1.99. Amazon does, because singles are the literary equivalent of a gateway drug.This was brought home to me on finishing Susan Hill's latest effort, Printer's Devil Court (99p), a haunting tale about pre-second world war medical students who experiment with resurrection. More substantial than Lively's, it's a great, old-fashioned ghost story, whose chilling impact was somewhat undermined by turning the final page to find Amazon ordering me to rate, review, tweet, Facebook and buy more books by Susan Hill. Was the ebook I'd enjoyed little more than a trailer?Singles are a clever marketing tool. But it would be a shame if readers short-changed by one... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2013-11-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
Aurum imprint Jacqui Small Publishing is moving into the illustrated ebook market, starting next... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fans angry over a delayed ebook release for the finale in Robert Jordan's 'Wheel of Time' series have given the book one-star ratings on Amazon. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-01-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Trade magazines Publishers Weekly and The Bookseller have put out new lists analyzing the bestselling books of 2012. No surprise, but E.L. James dominated. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-01-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The 2012 Man Asian Literary Prize shortlist includes books from Pakistan, Malaysia, Japan, Turkey and India; Orhan Pamuk competes with four other finalists. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-01-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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While relatively few literary agents work in Italy, the evolving publishing industry is making them more essential. Agent Marco Vigevani describes the scene. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Touching the Void author Joe Simpson has split from long-term publisher Random House following... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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McGraw-Hill is taking on the one-size-fits-all approach to textbooks with its freshly unveiled SmartBook: an ebook that is claimed to adapt to student's learning patterns. Aimed at college students, the SmartBook service peppers users with questions as they read and determines what topics it... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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When Capital One set out to endear itself with entrepreneurs, it enlisted Forbes to create blog posts on its behalf about cybercrime and other scourges of small business. Likewise, UPS entrusted Fast Company to create custom infographics that ran on the business brand’s site. In both cases, it... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2013-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Faber has launched a series of digital-only poetry ebooks being described as "a new way to... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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If you bought a copy of "Fifty Shades of Grey" for your e-reader, you are not alone -- not by a long shot. If you bought a copy of "Fifty Shades of Grey" for your e-reader, you are not alone -- not by a long shot. E.L. James' sexy novel about innocent college student Anastasia Steele and her... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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News out of Japan suggests Apple will launch Japanese-language ebooks in January, with a selection of 80,000 titles from publishers including Kadokawa, Shogakukan, and Kodansha. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Puffin is joining in the Doctor Who 50th anniversary celebrations by publishing a year-long e-... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Surprisingly, Apple leads Brazil's ebook sales, but by 2014 Amazon should dominate, with Kobo, Google, Saraiva and others behind. We explain why. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-01-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nielsen is linking up with consumer insight company Kantar Worldpanel in an association that will... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New York Times critic Dwight Garner stopped at book-centered destinations throughout the Big Apple. 'I was smitten all over again,' Garner wrote after his excursion. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-12-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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At the heart of the debate between publishers and libraries over ebook pricing and lending is a simple question: do libraries increase book sales or cannibalize them? Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2012-12-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Chinese authorities have started investigating Amazon’s methods of selling ebooks in the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-12-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The New York Times has partnered with Byliner and Vook to publish original ebooks between 10,000 and 20,000 words and designed to be read in one sitting. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2012-12-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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European Union regulators ended an antitrust probe into ebook prices after Apple and other publishers offered to abandon the possibility of pricing agreements that would have hindered Amazon selling ebooks more cheaply than their rivals. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-12-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The New York Times is getting into the ebooks business through partnerships with digital publishers Byliner and Vook. The Times will up to 12 original e-singles through Byliner on a variety of topics including culture, sports, business, science, and health. The first Byliner title, "Snow Fall:... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2012-12-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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#curated selection
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