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 ]
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Publishers need to work more closely with academic libraries in developing countries, a report by... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-08-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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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 ]
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Russia supplies 90% of the books in the Ukraine, but the government wants to change this by investing over $60 million to support the indigenous book business. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-08-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Dawson Books has been named as a key print and ebook supplier for hundreds of universities. The... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-08-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple says the DOJ's proposed remedies in its ebook price-fixing case are unwarranted, overreaching and at times unconstitutional. Continue reading at AllThingsD
[ AllThingsD | 2013-08-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A group of Belgian researchers that concluded shoppers are more likely to buy items at a bookstore (especially cookbooks and romance novels) if the scent of chocolate is in the air. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-08-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Department of Justice and 33 state attorneys general on Friday called for an array of sanctions that they claim will "reset competition to the conditions that existed before the conspiracy." Continue reading at AllThingsD
[ AllThingsD | 2013-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The author's children were so mesmerized by Kafka's strange, macabre tales that he wrote My First Kafka: Runaways, Rodents and Giant Bugs, an illustrated, kid-friendly adaptation of three classic Kafka stories. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2013-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In a decisive move in the legal battle surrounding Apple's fishy ebook pricing practices, the US Department of Justice has issued a proposed remedy aimed at leveling the playing field. The terms of the proposal, which requires approval by the court, call for an end to Apple's deals with major... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A report from the University of Illinois shows that copyright laws have squashed the market for books from the middle of the 20th century. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Over the past six years, Georgia-based Gottwals Books has gone from a single used bookstore in the town of Warner Robins to four 3,000 sq. ft. stores, each with 40,000–50,000 books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hit by inflation and lower government purchases, Brazil's book market shrank by 2.64% last year, the worst decline in real value since 2002. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Justice Department and 33 state attorneys general want to force Apple to sign contracts with publishers that don't prevent Apple or other ebook stores from competing on price. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Century's Julia Twaites has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, to He... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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An 11% increase in its manufacturing segment offset a 3% decline in its publishing group leading to an overall 9% revenue increase at Courier Corp. for the third quarter ended June 29 with sales hitting $64.1 million. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-08-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The longlist for the 2013 Polari First Book Prize has been revealed, with two self-published... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Challenged by shrinking sales and online piracy, Poland’s publishing industry aims to mitigate losses with more stringent price regulation, reports Jaroslaw Adamowski. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Could limiting the period for fixed book prices give a needed boost to backlist sales by allowing retailers to discount after the initial buying frenzy is over? Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The newspaper industry was hit with more bad news mid-week, as the Cleveland Plain Dealer made deep cuts to its newsroom, and several newspaper publishers reported more revenue declines. The Plain Dealer, owned by Advance Publications, delivered ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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South Korea's Paju Bookcity is unique in the world: home to some 200 publishing companies and 10,000 publishing professionals, mere miles from the North Korea border. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-07-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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