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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Eric Ligman, Microsoft Senior Sales Excellence Manager, has released a whole new batch of free ebooks, covering topics such as Windows 8 and 8.1, Windows 7, Office 2013 and Office 365, Azure, Lync 2013, and SQL Server. There are ebooks and resource guides for all things Microsoft. For the past... Continue reading at Betanews
[ Betanews | 2014-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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J K Rowling has written a new piece about a thirty-something Harry Potter and his friends at the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In his new book, 'Lincoln's Bishop,' former New York Times religion correspondent Gustav Niebuhr tells the compelling tale of Henry Benjamin Whipple, who spoke out loudly against injustice toward Native Americans during the 19th century. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Monitor contributor Danny Heitman enjoys reading a children's book series about a wealthy elephant named Uncle to his son. What's surprising about that? His son is a teenager. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-07-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In spite of news stories citing a rift between Tyndale House Publishers and controversial pastor Mark Driscoll, the publisher stated on Tuesday that the relationship is still intact. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Anna Soler-Pont reports that as publishers have endured the recession, literary translations take backseat, while piracy still hampers ebook adoption in Spain. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Writing for the Financial Times, Julian Baggini examined some of the latest research, which he argues, is forcing us to 'rethink how we respond to the written word.' Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Citing the Amazon-Hachette dispute, Cory Doctorow addressed the Writing in the Digital Age conference with an impassioned called to fight ebook DRM. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-06-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple has avoided an $800 million bill from a clutch of US states and other complainants by reaching an out of court settlement in a controversial price-fixing case. The settlement, the terms of which are yet to be revealed, still has to be ratified by the court and both sides involved in the... Continue reading at Betanews
[ Betanews | 2014-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Oyster, the ebook subscription service, has launched a new version of its app that is available for Android devices as well as Amazon Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble Nook tablets. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2014-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The settlement brings an end to one of the biggest and longest-lasting legal cases of the ebook era. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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When we asked you to share anecdotes and photos of your favourite independent bookshops, the stories poured in. From romance surrounded by Shakespeare to an encounter with a falconry-loving policeman, here is a selection of your bookshop memoriesSee all the contributions and add your own on... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple has reached an out-of-court settlement in the ebooks price-fixing lawsuit with U.S. states and a consumer group ahead of a trial for damages scheduled for July 14, according to records in a New York federal court.The iPhone maker will, however, continue its appeal of a verdict in July last... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2014-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The tech giant has agreed to settle a US legal action in which it was being sued over conspiring with publishers to fix ebook prices. Continue reading at BBC World
[ BBC World | 2014-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple has settled a portion of its ebook price-fixing case involving several state governments which were seeking up to $840 million on behalf of consumers. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2014-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon and Schuster Children’s Books has acquired the UK and Commonwealth rights to a YA... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon is responsible for 78% for Hachette ebook sales in the UK, and 60% in the United States — which makes the company especially vulnerable. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Now that Facebook will include users’ Web behavior to fine-tune targeting, it’s only a matter of time before it expands its ad network to outside publishers, according to marketing experts. Facebook has said that it will gather Web surfing data on users to help advertisers understand... Continue reading at AdWeek
[ AdWeek | 2014-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sci-fi and fantasy fiction is entering a golden age of short fiction thanks to social media, crowdfunding and a loyal community of ardent fansA man wakes up from a car crash to find that he is an "electric ant": an android programmed to believe it is human. At home he uses micro-tools to open... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Aisha Al-Kaabi discusses the history and mission of her publishing house IQRAni, which is at the forefront of a publishing boom in the UAE. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-06-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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