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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Despite another sterling year for Jamie Oliver, Britain's bestselling authors generated their... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon.com has struck a print licensing agreement with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, which will... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-01-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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U.S. online ad spending is set to eclipse that of print this year by 15.5 percent, according to eMarketer, suggesting that the long-awaited print-to-digital inflection point may now be here for both content creators and marketers. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2012-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The migration of print sales to digital has been most keenly felt by Britain's biggest... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Capitol Weekly will stop producing a print edition as of Thursday. The publication devoted to California government said on its website that it will continue posting stories online. Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-01-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Physical book sales in the final week of the year totalled £22.5m — down 70% week on... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-01-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The cannibalization of print by digital accelerated in 2011, with unit sales in the outlets tracked by Nielsen BookScan falling 8.9% with one week to go in the year. The drop in print sales was double that of 2010, when units fell 4.5%. The decline from 2010 to 2011 sped up in all major... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-12-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers should offer "enhanced hardbacks" with print and digital packaged together,... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-12-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sales of print books fell 18.6% in the first nine months of 2011 in the major trade categories, according to figures reported to the Association of American Publishers. And although ebook sales jumped in the nine monthsahead 137.9% at the 15 reporting housesthe gain was not enough to offset... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-12-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Online-only news sites received moreand more positiveonline buzz than their print-affiliated counterparts in 2011, according to a data-mining tool developed by digital marketing agency Zeta Interactive. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-12-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Consumer Reports is joining the ranks of publishers offering iPad subscriptions bundled at no extra cost to its print subscribers, beginning with its January 2012 issue, set to hit newsstands next week. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-12-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Fri, 04/11/2011 - 10:58 HarperCollins Children's Books has bought world rights to the original Bugsy Malone book, which was later adapted into the much loved musical. Publisher Ann-Janine Murtagh bought rights to the novel and graphic novel directly... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-11-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This week alone, Ziff Davis Enterprise announced it will replace its three remaining print magazines with digital editions in 2012 and Hanley Wood president and CEO Frank Anton indicated that more magazine closures are likely in his organization, yet a new study from Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-10-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In the digital sector, some publishers are still waiting for online advertising to become as profitable as its print counterpart once was. Many complain digital ad offerings are not comparable to the quality in print; others say the infrequency and size of advertising units may be causing the... Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-10-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pilot program will allow direct-to-home printer access for some branded content. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-10-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mobile content and community brands dominated the media category of the 2011 Inc. 5000, which recognizes the 5,000 fastest-growing privately-held companies in the U.S. (The number one company in the media category: GoLive! Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sales of print books in the major trade categories fell 22.9% in the first six months of 2011 at the houses that report figures to the Association of American Publishers. The declines were greatest among the adult segments, with sales down by more than 20% in the hardcover, trade paperback, and... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-09-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Even as readers grow more comfortable with digital books, some continue to question why so many of the most popular new ebooks are priced so high. Continue reading at AllThingsD
[ AllThingsD | 2011-09-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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With Random Houses announcement last week that it is officially dropping its print catalogues in favor of digital, the countrys biggest publisher joins the growing ranks of houses that have done away with the traditional catalogue. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-09-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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With his trademark bowtie and button-down shirt, Christopher Kimball, founder of Americas Test Kitchen, doesnt look like a gambler. Yet he publishes magazines without advertising, charges for recipes while his competitors give them away, and produces dependable cookbooks for the home cook in a... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-09-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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