In some ways the transition from paper to digital distribution for book publishers and independent authors is a boon. It’s true that most e-books currently have high profit margins, and are free from many of the drawbacks of print. Peter Osnos, who is the founder of PublicAffairs Books, states that the biggest challenge small publishers face is [...]
The Littlest Library in the World – Coming to your Town?
September 13, 2011 By 1 Comment
Thanks to Joseph-Beth Bookstore in Lexington, KY for finding this story. On September 3rd, “America’s littlest library” – a library based inside a British telephone booth – officially opened in Clinton Corners, NY. It’s 3’x3’x8’ and fits two people at a time, as long they don’t mind getting a little cozy. The Huffington Post interviewed Claudia [...]
Barnes & Noble losing less money
September 12, 2011 By 3 Comments
NEW YORK (AP) — Barnes & Noble Inc. said it narrowed its net loss in its fiscal first quarter as sales of its Nook e-book reader and e-books helped offset lower physical book sales. The company also sounded a positive note about the holidays, saying that traffic will benefit from the fact that its chief [...]
Read While You Wait e-books
September 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The online textbook vendor Chegg has launched a new “read while you wait” feature that gives its customers access to an ebook version of some books while the paper versions ship. “Read while you wait” ebook access costs $1.99 and will be valid for seven days. The short ebook pass is not available as a standalone [...]
Is Book Banning Dead?
September 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Can you still ban a book circa 2011? “In the small town of Republic, Missouri, they’ve banned Kurt Vonnegut’s classic “Slaughterhouse-Five” after a columnist included it in a group of “filthy books demeaning to Republic education.” It was stricken along with the dubious classics “Twenty Boy Summer” (I shouldn’t judge, I haven’t read them, but [...]
With Creativity Bookstore in L.A. is Bucking the Odds
August 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Located on the ground floor of the Spring Arts Tower downtown, the Last Bookstore is a mix of old and new. It has pillars stretching 25 feet up to a painted, vaulted ceiling; underfoot are intermittent mosaics, all part of the former Citizens National Bank, which opened in its grand location in 1915. The light [...]
Don’t Confuse Borders’ Bankruptcy with partner Kobo
July 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment
From a company statement: Kobo does not rely on Borders for content. Kobo owns the publishing agreements and has direct relationships with all major publishers, including Random House, Simon & Schuster (NYSE: CBS), HarperCollins, St. Martin’s Press and many more. Kobo is solely responsible for payment to publishers for eBooks sold through the Kobo platform [...]
Don’t Blame Borders’ Closing on e-books
July 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Borders been ailing for years-and shuttering stores along the way and its strategies for getting healthy usually seemed to make things worse. I mean it wasn’t until 2007 that it decided that it made sense to have its own Web site rather than to outsource online sales to archival Amazon.com. While Borders was busy giving the Web and [...]
Empty Saratoga Springs Bookstore
July 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Heading to Saratoga Springs, NY this summer for a little horse racing? A stop to browse at the local bookstore in the heart of town may not be in the cards, as that location is part of the Borders bankruptcy. “It has nothing to do with Broadway in Saratoga,” said Todd Shimkus, president of the Saratoga [...]
