Streaming of books threatens to sell readers down the river

Scholastic is the latest publisher to phase out downloading, meaning ebooks already purchased might become unreadableScholastic, the publisher of such children's book juggernauts as The Hunger Games and the Harry Potter series, announced recently that its Storia ebook shop would shortly be "transitioning" to a streaming model. What this means for its readers is that books they have already purchased might become unreadable. According to Scholastic's website: "The switch to streaming means that ebooks you've previously purchased may soon no longer be accessible." In one of those brilliant physical/digital metaphors that seem to sum up all of the confusion of virtual cultural objects, the site also says: "You may be able to continue using your ebooks by making sure to open them on a bookshelf at least once by 15 October."Unlike some previous depressing episodes in ebook licensing that also hit UK readers, such as Barnes & Noble's shutting-down of its ebook store Fictionwise in 2012, or Samsung's abrupt closure this year of Readers Hub, when many lost not only their books but also their notes and highlights, Scholastic is offering a year to claim refunds on lost books. Given the continued prevalence of digital rights management (DRM) software, intended to prevent digital piracy, this story is likely to continue for a while. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]

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This Website Makes It Easier to Buy Anti-Racist Books From Black-owned Bookstores

In the weeks since the May 25 killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, books about anti-racism have consistently topped bestseller lists. Many of these books have been purchased from the likes of Amazon and Barnes & Noble. To try and funnel some of these sales to Black-owned bookstores... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2020-06-19 21:16:38 UTC ]
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B&N Slowly Reopening Stores to Customers

By the end of the week, Barnes & Noble will have 51 bookstores open for in-store shopping. In addition, 500 stores are now offering curbside pickup. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Elliott Advisors Buys Wordery, U.K. Online Retailer

Elliott Advisors, owner of Waterstones and Barnes & Noble, has bought Wordery, the online bookselling division of U.K. wholesaler Bertrams. Aurelius, which owns Bertrams, said it was "reviewing its strategic options" for the wholesaler. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-04 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble Scales Back

Barnes & Noble has now temporarily closed more than 500 stores and furloughed "a large number" of employees across all departments at its company headquarters. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-04-02 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble closes 65% of stores

Barnes & Noble has temporarily shut approximately 65% of its stores following the coronavirus outbreak in the US. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-03-26 09:54:48 UTC ]
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B&N's Daunt: 'Books Are Essential'

While total sales have fallen slightly since the outbreak of the new coronavirus at Barnes & Noble, company CEO James Daunt is confident the bookstore chain can continue to be a profitable venture with one provision—that it is allowed to keep its stores open. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-03-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
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B&N, BAM Remain Open

Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million are currently continuing to operate all of their stores, although both noted they are closely monitoring new developments related to Covid-19. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-03-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
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What if the main character of your favorite classic book were black? A publisher makes it so

Penguin Random House teams with TBWA and Barnes & Noble to launch #DiversityEditions for Black History Month. During the Pequod‘s last voyage in Herman Melville’s classic Moby Dick, Captain Ahab is 58 years old. Physically, he has a prosthetic leg made of whale bone, and a pale white mark or... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2020-02-05 09:00:42 UTC ]
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‘Hunger Games’ fans are rage-tweeting about the President Snow prequel

Suzanne Collins’s upcoming fourth book in her bestselling series is not exactly what fans were hoping for. The minds behind The Hunger Games are catching fire from fans of the books upset that President Snow is going to be the subject of a prequel entitled The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2020-01-22 12:20:56 UTC ]
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Quinton Leaves B&N for Scholastic

Sasha Quinton, who moved to Barnes & Noble in March as v-p and general merchandise manager, will take over as president of Scholastic's book fair business on January 1. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-12-20 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Daunt on the double in The Bookseller's most influential list

Waterstones and Barnes & Noble c.e.o. James Daunt has become the first trade figure to be named person of the year for the second time in The Bookseller's annual listing of the most powerful and influential people in the British book trade. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-13 05:14:10 UTC ]
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'The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse' Named B&N Book of the Year

Barnes & Noble booksellers around the country have voted to name Charlie Mackesy’s illustrated fable 'The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse' Barnes & Noble’s 2019 Book of the Year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-12-06 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Did you know about this deleted subplot in You’ve Got Mail about a creepy author?

Thanksgiving is this week, which can only mean one thing: we’ve entered high You’ve Got Mail season. I’ve seen the movie at least a dozen times, so when today I endeavored to find an exact quote—for a blog post about Barnes & Noble, the IRL Fox Books-turned-lone-reed—I was not expecting my... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2019-11-25 17:58:34 UTC ]
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James Daunt at FutureBook Live: Barnes & Noble’s ‘Crucifyingly Boring’ Stores

Seeing Barnes & Noble stores' character 'crushed' by the corporate 'opulence' of American business, James Daunt says the chain must 'rip out the boring.' The post James Daunt at FutureBook Live: Barnes & Noble’s ‘Crucifyingly Boring’ Stores appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-11-25 05:05:12 UTC ]
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Daunt tells booksellers 'don't be boring' to survive Amazon era

Bookshops need to avoid being “boring” and apply a “bookseller's mind” to data if they want to survive in an era dominated by Amazon, Waterstones m.d. and Barnes & Noble c.e.o. James Daunt has said. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-24 17:39:21 UTC ]
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B&N Launches Book of the Year Award

As one of the first initiatives under the leadership of new CEO James Daunt, Barnes & Noble has announced the shortlist for a new Book of the Year award. The nominees and winner are chosen by B&N booksellers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-11-12 05:00:00 UTC ]
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US trade urges Daunt to be independent in spirit to revive ailing Barnes & Noble

After Elliott Advisors’ takeover of Barnes & Noble in August, the firm sought the man who turned Waterstones around to right its US acquisition. But what exactly is in James Daunt’s in-tray in New York? Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-08 05:47:49 UTC ]
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Marshall's YA thriller optioned for film and TV

The team who launched the "Twilight" and "The Hunger Games" franchises have acquired the film and TV rights to Rules for Vanishing (Walker) by Kate Alice Marshall. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-06 02:34:37 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble Will Seek to Dismiss Ex-CEO’s Defamation Claim

If successful, the move for summary judgment would narrow the scope of any future trial, B&N attorneys say, and more importantly knock out a claim for which former CEO Demos Parneros is said to be seeking roughly $70 million in damages. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-10-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Influential Religion Book Buyer Jane Love Dies

Jane Love, who worked as a religion buyer for Barnes & Noble from 2007-2018, passed away at age 63 on September 2. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-09-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
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