It was probably inevitable, but on Tuesday, it became official: the Encyclopaedia Britannica is finally going out of print. The news was confirmed yesterday by Jorge Cauz, president of Chicago-based Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc., who told the New York Times that his company has decided to completely abandon print operations, in favor of its online platform. The announcement marks the end of a remarkable 244-year run for Britannica and its leather-bound tomes, which at one point stood as a hallmark of middle class living rooms and libraries. In fact, it's been barely two decades since the company reached its high water mark, when it sold some 120,000 sets back in 1990. Once the internet came into full bloom, however, Britannica's sales soon plummeted. In 2010, the publisher sold just 8,000 sets, leaving an additional 4,000 unsold copies to gather dust in a warehouse.Tuesday's announcement may mark the end of an era, but Cauz seems to have come to terms with Britannica's decision, calling it a "rite of passage." He's also eager to devote more time to his company's website, which will look to chip away at Wikipedia's market hegemony. Cauz, however, believes the two platforms can (and must) co-exist, because they fill two different roles. "We cannot deal with every single cartoon character, we cannot deal with every love life of every celebrity," he explained. "But we need to have an alternative where facts really matter. Britannica won't be able to be as large, but it will... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2012-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Only 23 magazines launched in the first quarter of 2013, compared with 44 in the same period a year ago, but the number of titles that shut down between Jan. 1 and the end of March also dropped, according to figures released Monday by online database MediaFinder.com.The new titles include Condé... Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2013-04-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google has killed off the print editions of Frommer's guide books. And this makes sense, as Google never wanted to be a publisher and only bought Frommer's for the metadata. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Were we really expecting a different outcome? Several months after Google bought Frommer's to bolster its location efforts, Skift hears that the iconic travel guide maker has completely stopped publication of print editions as its focus swings to the online realm. Authors say that many of their... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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For the fifth year in a row, UK book revenue is down, as consumers switch from print to digital formats and from physical shops to online retailers, even for print purchases. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Printed book sales in the UK slipped back last week, despite a number of new novels by some of... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Less than 5% of all published books are available in an accessible format. Several organizations, notably Bookshare, are working to change that woeful statistic. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sales of printed books rocketed to a 2013 high last week as shoppers hit bookshops in the hunt... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Yann Martel and Alice Munro are working with Canopy, an environmental charity, to highlight forest-saving Second Harvest paper made from straw rather than trees. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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While most newspaper publishers are shifting their design attention to websites and digital applications, The News Tribune in Tacoma, Wash., is doing the opposite. The daily publication launched its new design last November. Executive editor ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Magazine publishers have more directly embraced tablets over more than a year as it became clearer that they were boosting the bottom line. We may be witnessing a watershed moment today, however. Hearst has started publishing issues for 22 of its magazines in the iOS Newsstand days before their... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The investors who own The Hollywood Reporter, AdWeek and Billboard have hired ex-Yahoo Chief Executive Ross Levinsohn to oversee the trade titles as head of the newly formed Guggenheim Digital Media.He is the third CEO for the magazines, which are part of Prometheus Global Media. The New... Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2013-01-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Unit sales of print books fell in every region of the country in 2012, with the largest declines coming along the coasts. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-01-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A Nielsen BookScan survey reveals that in 2012 unit sales of paper books dropped more than 9 percent, more or less the same amount that they declined in 2011 and 2010. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The printed book market fell by almost £74m in 2012, down 4.6% year on year, but the rate of decline was slowed by Fifty Shades Of Grey. Continue reading at BBC World
[ BBC World | 2013-01-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Unit sales of print books fell just over 9% in 2012 at outlets tracked by Nielsen BookScan, roughly the same percentage decline posted between 2010 and 2011. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-01-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The value of the printed book market slumped by almost £74m year on year in 2012 but,... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sales of printed books soared to a three-year high in the UK last week as shoppers flooded the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-12-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Newsweek, the 80-year-old US current affairs magazine, features a Twitter-style hashtag on the cover of its last ever print edition. Continue reading at BBC World
[ BBC World | 2012-12-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book-buyers have picked up bigger bargains than ever before in 2012, with retailers... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-12-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It comes as no surprise that Nielsen BookScan's top-selling print book lists for 2012 are dominated by Fifty Shades and the Hunger Games. See what else is on the lists. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2012-12-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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