Category Archives: commentary
Writers, readers, publishers, and the desire to know everything at once
I like infoporn. I love to pore over traffic charts for websites, or look at survey numbers from opinion polls, or sit back and marvel at a really good graph, which is infoporn’s centerfold. One area where the data-crunching promise … Continue reading
Posted in authors, business, commentary, DIY, publishing, self publishing
Tagged analytics, booksellers, business data, charts, crunching, data, digital publishing, disruptive, DIY, fanbases, fans, future, indie publishing, inforporn, publishing, readers, sales data, sales ranks, self publishing, social networking, social networks, transparency, trends
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Publishers should add value before raising ebook prices
When it comes to ebook pricing, I’ve changed my position on the matter almost weekly; sometimes I side with publishers, sometimes with retailers, sometimes with consumers. But I think this week I may have finally realized something that forces me … Continue reading
Posted in business, commentary, publishing
Tagged Amazon, business models, cader, consumerist, ebooks, editorials, kindle, lies, opinion, pr, prices, pricing, publishing, spin, talking points
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Publishers should add value before raising ebook prices
When it comes to ebook pricing, I’ve changed my position on the matter almost weekly; sometimes I side with publishers, sometimes with retailers, sometimes with consumers. But I think this week I may have finally realized something that forces me … Continue reading
Posted in business, commentary, publishing
Tagged Amazon, business models, cader, consumerist, ebooks, editorials, kindle, lies, opinion, pr, prices, pricing, publishing, spin, talking points
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The good and bad news from the pricing war between Amazon and publishers
If Macmillan and other publishers get their way with Amazon and negotiate an agency model approach that lets them practice variable pricing, it’s not all bad news. Here are two perks for customers and authors. Continue reading
Posted in business, commentary, publishing
Tagged agency model, Amazon, delays, ebooks, hachette, hardcovers, kindle, macmillan, negotiations, price ceilings, prices, pricing, royalties, royalty rates, silver lining, windowing
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Notes from yesterday's Google Book Search settlement workshop
Here were the main themes discussed at yesterday’s Google Book Search settlement workshop hosted by the National Writers Union (NWU). Continue reading
Posted in authors, business, commentary, publishing
Tagged aiken, authors guild, book search, class-action, copyright, digital, ebooks, fair use, google, lawsuits, lynn chu, online, panel discussions, publishers, settlement, union, websites, workshops, writers
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Can you use Twitter to sell books?
Everyone who writes or publishes wants to know how to use Twitter as a promotional tool to drive sales, and to that end the British book reading website Lovereading–sort of the ugly UK cousin to Goodreads, only with a smaller … Continue reading
Posted in books, commentary, online, publishing, self publishing
Tagged books, booksellers, buzz, demographics, marketing, publicity, publishing, studies, surveys, twitter, users
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Creating anthologies on demand
What if you could visit Amazon or Barnes & Noble and create your own anthology about any topic you want? Why can’t you already? Continue reading
Posted in commentary, ebooks, ideas
Tagged customized, digital, ebooks, hypothetical, ideas, pod, predictions, print on demand, printing, texts, user experience narratives
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Amazon to split free ebooks into separate list on Kindle Store
Last week, Amazon announced that it will soon pull all the $0 Kindle ebooks from its regular bestselling list, and group them all together in a separate free ebooks list. A big publisher said this was a great move that … Continue reading →