The publishing industry has a problem. The old guard haven't innovated. And neither their business models nor their products embrace the digital books revolution. Take the ongoing and complicated spat between Apple and the Justice Department over the agency pricing model and alleged collusion which ended up with consumers being forced to spend more than they needed to. The battle may expand internationally, in fact. Apple tried to expand its 30% revenue share model, which has done very well in the billion-dollar app economy, into books. It also pushed publishers to agree to a very different way of selling their products: Instead of buying books traditionally, at a pre-agreed wholesale price and then pricing them as Apple saw fit in the iBookstore, it would let the publishers set their own price and extract its usual fixed share of the income ... as long as the publishers wouldn't sell ebooks elsewhere.It was a bold move, and one that could and did shake up the industry a bit. Amazon, the publishers contend, had established a monopoly on ebooks, and was selling their wares at overly discounted prices. With Apple's model they could choose to price ebooks lower than physical books cost (appeasing consumers who expect to pay less for a non-physical product), and yet extract more money due to the cost-savings of e-publishing.The DOJ disagreed, and says Apple's deal meant consumers ended up spending much more than they needed to, hence its action against Apple and a laundry... Continue reading at 'Fast Company'
[ Fast Company | 2012-04-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with:
#rich media
#tablet screens
#kit eaton
#fast company
The idea of interactive books is being taken to a new level with the new Hunger Games Summer Camp and a vibrator that wirelessly syncs to erotic audiobooks. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-08-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#interactive books
#erotic audiobooks
The Haruki Murakami book that has sold 1 million copies a week in Japan is coming to America. It has been selling spectacularly -- particularly for a work of complex literary fiction.The Haruki Murakami book that has sold 1 million copies a week in Japan is coming to America. It has been selling... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-08-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#haruki murakami
At Publishing Perspectives, Porter Anderson looks at Bowker's new market research, at grassroots survey efforts, and at questions around ebooks' potential. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-08-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#porter anderson
#market research
A DOJ lawyer shot down the objections of publishers over suggested measures for Apple, while the judge involved in the ebook price fixing case offered a modified version of the DOJ proposal. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-08-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#e-book trial
#guilty verdict
Students heading to college can expect to spend about $662 a year on textbooks and other course materials, according to The National Association of College Stores. Continue reading at Baltimore Sun
[ Baltimore Sun | 2013-08-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#college stores
#national association
The US Department of Justice isn't buying publishers' arguments that proposed injunctions against Apple for alleged ebook price fixing are excessive and contradictory. DOJ attorney Lawrence Buterman claims in a response letter that the penalties against Apple are necessarily harsher, since it... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#agency pricing
#giving amazon
The Edinburgh Book Festival, which is celebrating 30 years, is the "largest and best respected literary festival in the world", according to its director. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2013-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
Following the ebook price-fixing trial, the Department of Justice wants to impose measures on Apple, but publishers say they'll be the ones hurt by the rules. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-08-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#proposed measures
Benchmarks are the best way to gauge a notebook’s prowess with applications such as office suites, photo and video editors, video players, games, and the like. Aesthetics are another important consideration, because you'll likely be staring at the thing for the next several years. By those... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2013-08-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#fair share
The Reading Agency has partnered with publisher Barrington Stoke to create initiatives that will... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-08-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#reading agency
Children's and YA already account for 22% of the Argentine book market and innovation and increased professionalization is helping the segment to grow. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-08-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
Five major publishers are challenging restrictions imposed on Apple after it was found guilty of ebook price-fixing. Continue reading at BBC World
[ BBC World | 2013-08-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#major publishers
#found guilty
#ebook price-fixing
Publishers who have settled an electronic book pricing dispute with the federal government say they object to penalties the government wants to impose on Apple Inc.A judge ruled in an antitrust case last month that Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple had joined a conspiracy to drive up the price of... Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2013-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#federal government
#antitrust case
#agency agreements
#judge ruled
#federal court
#justice department
Five book publishers have objected to restrictions that would be placed on Apple's business after it was found guilty last month of conspiring to fix prices for ebooks.A New York federal judge ruled in July that Apple conspired with the publishers to fix prices for ebooks, snuffing out... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2013-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#publishers objected
#apple conspired
#book publishers
#accused publishers
#found guilty
#fix prices
The cost of ebooks has strained relations between libraries and publishers, forcing both to look for solutions. One answer is coming from distributors of self-published ebooks. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#self-published ebooks
The commencement address George Saunders delivered this past spring at Syracuse University, which has gone viral across the Internet, will be published next year as a book by Random House.From the department of it had to happen: The commencement address George Saunders delivered this past spring... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#george saunders
#syracuse university
#random house
Publishers have united to object to new Department of Justice constraints against Apple,... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#publishers object
Who could resist Exploring Space With a Camera? Or Rockets and People, the autobiography of rocket designer Boris Chertok? Continue reading at The Atlantic
[ The Atlantic | 2013-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |
As Apple returns to court on Friday to fight with government lawyers over proposed restrictions on its ebook business, the company is getting a little belated help from its alleged co-conspirators. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#publishers object
#ebook business
#alleged co-conspirators
Jeff Bezos has already transformed one traditional print business -- books -- into a digital one. The experience provides a blueprint for how the billionaire technology executive is now poised to overhaul newspapers following his $250 million acquisi ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-08-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#jeff bezos
#overhaul newspapers