Peter James's Host, published on two disks, was an early example – but exactly where the medium started life is surprisingly tricky to identifyWhat was the first ebook? Debate rages … When Peter James published his thriller Host on two floppy disks, in 1993, it was billed as the "world's first electronic novel", and attacked as a harbinger of the apocalypse which would destroy literature as we knew it. Now it has been accepted into the Science Museum's collection as one of the earliest examples of the form, as the spotlight of academia begins to shine on the history of digital publishing."I got absolutely pilloried," says James. "I was on Today accused of killing the novel, I was a front-page headline on papers in Italy – 99% of the press was negative … one journalist even took his computer on a wheelbarrow to the beach, along with a generator, to read Host in his deckchair."The digital version of the novel (it was also published physically) went on to sell 12,000 copies, according to James, and two years later, he was speaking on a panel on the future of the novel at the University of Southern California, together with Apple founder Steve Jobs. "I said ebooks would catch on when they became more convenient to read than the printed novel," said James. "It was astonishing the amount of outrage it caused."And Host – about a scientist who downloads his brain into a computer and has his body frozen – has now become a historical artefact, accepted into the Science Museum's... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2014-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors Guild President Scott Turow charges in an open letter about ebook pricing: “Our government may be on the verge of killing real competition in order to save the appearance of competition.” Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Chatto & Windus has acquired a collection of short stories by Nigerian author A Igoni Barrett... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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European Union antitrust chief Joaquin Almunia says that the Competition Commission is open to a settlement with publishers in the increasingly high-profile ebook price fixing case, but only if the companies address key regulatory issues. Almunia says regulators are coordinating with the Justice... Continue reading at Betanews
[ Betanews | 2012-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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While Apple and book publishers may find themselves on the precipice of an antitrust lawsuit from the Justice Department, filings in a concurrent civil class-action lawsuit obtained by BetaNews indicate that Apple has already admitted to two of the most damaging allegations in the case that the... Continue reading at Betanews
[ Betanews | 2012-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Justice Department has told Apple and five major publishers that it's planning to sue them for fixing ebook prices. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Five US publishers are being threatened with legal action over the way they set prices for electronic books according to reports. Continue reading at BBC World
[ BBC World | 2012-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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On March 21, 10 of Judy Blume's books for young readers will become available as ebooks. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The U.S. Justice Department has warned Apple Inc. and five top book publishers that lawsuits over alleged ebook price fixing might be in the offing, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Scholastic's Storia reading app includes many children's titles previously unavailable in ebook format Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It's a case of having one's cake and eating it, too. Or, in this instance, digitizing the works of others and reselling them online for a 40 percent cut. According to Le Temps, a controversial new law recently passed by the French government will see out-of-print books from the 20th century... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2012-03-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Orange and Booker-shortlisted author Emma Donoghue ihas been shortlisted for the Sunday Times EFG... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-03-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Oddly, Random House deciding to triple the price of its ebooks for libraries is being considered a compromise. While others, like Penguin, are pulling their electronic tomes from the virtual shelves of our lending institutions, Random House is at least willing to still play ball -- even if it's... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2012-03-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It remains to be seen if it's a full-on change of policy, but it looks like Amazon is at least shifting it stance when it comes to where some of the ebooks put out by its Amazon Publishing division are sold. As you may recall, Barnes & Noble and other booksellers recently pulled print... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2012-03-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Web magazine will publish an expanded look at books on the first Saturday of each month, as stand-alone book review sections in newspapers have dwindled. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2012-03-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ebooks aren't just electronic versions of printed books. They present a different reading experience and, in certain cases, demand their own reviews. Continue reading at The Atlantic
[ The Atlantic | 2012-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Over 180 Japanese publishers have joined forces to launch an initiative that promises to create 1... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Booksellers Association is in “advanced” talks with two companies over an ebook... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pottermore has partnered with ebook company Overdrive to bring electronic versions of the 'Harry Potter' series to libraries and schools in five languages. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pottermore has entered into an exclusive worldwide ebook and digital audiobook distribution... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-02-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin has reported sales of £1.04bn in 2011, growing 1% on an underlying basis, though... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-02-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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