When you start a small business, it's hard to know what success--or failure--looks like.In 2011, I started a book business with my best friend called Emily Books. We were qualified to start a business in some ways, not so much in others. We had some expertise in our field: We'd both worked at the intersection of publishing and tech for years, and we wanted to start an online bookstore that sold a small collection of books and allowed readers to subscribe and receive a carefully chosen book per month automatically. Our idea was that this would provide an online version of what we loved about shopping at independent bookstores: the great taste and careful curation of expert booksellers, which no algorithm can replicate. We had no management experience, though, and had never created a PowerPoint presentation or written a business plan. We also, probably more importantly, had no ambition to found the kind of startup that barrels toward acquisition or IPO. We wanted to test waters, grow organically, and pivot on a dime in response to customers' needs like a startup, but we also wanted to stay independent, avoid gimmicks, and build a sustainable business that would stay true to its core values.Read Full Story Continue reading at 'Fast Company'
[ Fast Company | 2014-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Shopkeepers aren't so unlike us online writers. We do experiments: manipulate our content, headlines, and images to see what draws in readers and keeps you coming back. So do retailers: Put the blue shirt up front, now the red; see what sells. The difference is that online experiments produce... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2013-08-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Swedish startup Atingo, a collaboration between Publit and Axiell, offers a platform for real-time negotiation of ebook lending rights between libraries and publishers. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-08-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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More usually equals better—unless you're talking about the Internet. In the social sphere, the dearth of user-generated content (Twitter claims to host more than 340 million tweets per day) can be a hazard for those looking to tweet and post items that help bring buzz to their brand. This is... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2013-08-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The collaboration between plush toy manufacturer Animal Magic and California-based interactive media publisher Fat Red Couch, Inc. (FRC) has many in both industries puzzled and intrigued. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-08-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The children's book centre Seven Stories has been voted best education project in the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-08-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A story said to have been written by Larsson when he was 17 will be part of an anthology titled 'A Darker Shade of Sweden,' which will be released this February. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-08-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Anything but a 'misery memoir,' the remarkable and moving, 'She Left Me the Gun' by Emma Brockes explores the power of resilience and humor. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bloomsbury is promoting its forthcoming title Crown of Midnight by creating a digital story... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-07-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing Perspectives will again publish print editions during the Frankfurt Book Fair. We’re looking for interesting stories that can both inform and delight. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-07-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jamie Camplin at Thames & Hudson has acquired world rights in Legacy: The Story of The Face... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Veronica Roth will release four short stories written from the point of view of 'Divergent' hero Four. The first will be released a month before the last book in the trilogy comes out. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-06-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It's high time the publishing industry takes its fate into its own hands and establishes organizations to foster and fund startups, argues Kristen McLean. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Atlantic Books has signed a non-fiction book detailing the crimes of a nurse dubbed “The... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster has bought UK and Commonwealth rights in the autobiography of actor and... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-05-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The New York Times is one of the initial major publishers to unveil a Google Glass app, which will allow the currently scant number of users of the wearable device to access stories on the go. The app's audio component reads headlines and story summaries aloud and provides breaking news alerts. ... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2013-04-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster has acquired the rights to a memoir by Alexander Hanscombe, the son of... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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"The Office" writer B.J. Novak signed a two-book deal with Knopf. The first title will be a collection of stories based on some of his previous performances. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-04-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Independent publisher And Other Stories has teamed up with Consortium Distribution to launch a... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Despite budget cuts and insufficient bilingual staffing, United States libraries continue to invest money expanding Spanish-language children’s and YA collections. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Weidenfeld & Nicolson's deputy publishing director Arzu Tahsin has bought rights to... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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