When is a book not a book? When it is performed by a starry cast of hundreds. Except it has always been more complicated than thatNews this week of a 17% hike in the UK’s audiobook sales might seem like a niche business story, but it raises an existential question. What exactly is an audiobook today? Is it a book? Is it a play? Or is it becoming something else entirely? What is clear is that a jostle for market dominance is driving it into new dimensions. The streaming platform Spotify followed its move into podcasting two years ago with the launch of an audiobooks business. Though it has yet to start making its own recordings, last autumn it made a deal for 200,000 audiobooks to be available to its premium users.Not to be outdone, Amazon-owned Audible – accustomed to being the market leader – upped its game, hiring the Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes to record multi-voice versions of the Dickens novels Oliver Twist and David Copperfield, and announcing last month that it had reached an agreement for a recording of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series, voiced by more than 100 actors and featuring a “groundbreaking new soundscape”. The new Potter audiobooks, it said, would not usurp but “sit alongside and complement” conventional recordings by Stephen Fry and Jim Dale, which Audible also hosts. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2024-05-10 17:25:03 UTC ]
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The digital publishing boom of the last few years has changed the book business for ever, or has it? As a three-day conference begins to debate 'literary values in a digital age', we'll be reporting, live from 9.40am on Friday June 12, the views of editors, activists, writers, doubters and... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As proven by the conversations at BookExpo America, American publishers, editors and readers may finally be coming around to embracing more foreign literature. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In France, the popularity of French should fuel more translations and rights sales. In Germany, the book industry edges tentatively into the future. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Shares in newly spun-off Time Inc - publisher of magazines including Time, People and Fortune - plunge 4% after being spun off from parent company Time Warner. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2014-06-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Canadian book industry’s increasing reliance on bestselling “blockbuster”... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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To commemorate Audiobook Month, the Audio Publishers Association (APA) is orchestrating a blog tour as a part of its June Is Audiobook Month campaign (JIAM), during which 31 different websites will give away an Audie-winning audiobook each day in June. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Galley Beggar had the courage to take a chance with an unknown author writing in an unconventional wayIf you hadn't previously heard of Galley Beggar of Norwich, that is hardly surprising. It's a small-scale operation set up by a local bookseller. But Galley Beggar has something which big... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Europeans can continue browsing the Web without fear of breaking copyright law, Europe’s top court has determined in a landmark ruling. The legality of this common practice came into question in Europe as a result of a years-long tussle involving U.K. newspaper publishers, a public relations... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2014-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google is launching a programmatic video marketplace that it says will only include premium publishers and select brands. Neal Mohan, vp of display and video advertising, announced the video ad platform today at a DoubleClick customer conference. The marketplace is called Google Partner Select... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2014-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Macmillan Audio has announced that Oprah Winfrey is in the studio narrating the audiobook for "What I Know For Sure." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Following the notice B&N sent to customers that it is shutting down its downloadable audio section, a spokesperson for the retailer told PW the company plans to re-enter the market at some point in the future. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Arevik Ashkharoyan, owner of the First Armenian Literary Agency, discusses trends in international literature and global interest in Armenian authors. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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By Denis Wilson This article is from the Publishing Executive Buyer's Guide which is a publisher's reference on emerging technology in the media industry. You can find other Buyer's Guide Sections here: ... Continue reading at Publishing Executive
[ Publishing Executive | 2014-06-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It was a circuitous and unexpected road that led Amanda Palmer to become an author. Best known as one-half of the punk duo the Dresden Dolls, Palmer had already expanded her creative world to include songwriter, playwright, and blogger. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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For Gourmand's new Beijing Cookbook Fair, launched this year, publishers came from around the world for a taste of China's and the world's $4bn cookbook market. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors, librarians and trade bodies have spoken out in support of the campaign to make school... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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When ebooks first began to make meaningful inroads in publishing in 2009–2010, a number of executives predicted they would become another format within the industry. In 2013 ebooks had become part of the “normal” book market. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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On May 21, the social network launched its "Ask the Author" function, a feature that allows readers to submit questions to their favorite authors. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PW catches up with the editor of "The Harry Quebert Affair," John Siciliano, to discuss high expectations, the difficulty of importing blockbusters and the fact that, occasionally, something French can be fun. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Changes coming to the Chinese education system are aimed at increasing creative activities and broader curricula in lieu of old-school testing and homework. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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