Platform Wars Come to the Book Business
Technological platform wars have taken control of the book business, and publishers are now collateral damage in the fight.
Why the iPad Marks the End of Price Controls for eBooks—and Why Publishers Have Lost
Publishers may have won the pricing war, but the real struggle is now on for users’ attention. Because the iPad is not a dedicated e-book reader there are, unfortunately, many things that users can do with the device other than read books. Unlike the Kindle, where publishers have the device all to themselves iPad users will be able to surf the Web, play games, watch movies, view their photo collections, listen to music, watch TV, send e-mail, work on a presentation, or access over one hundred thousand applications that do any number of distracting things.
Why the iPad Marks the End of Price Controls for eBooks—and Why Publishers Have Won
The iPad moves electronic reading to a multi-function device, marking the end of proprietary interfaces controlling commerce for e-reading.
How Not to Negotiate for Digital Rights
Jonathan Galassi misses the boat when he tries to argue with authors on moral grounds. Appeal to their pocketbooks.
Professional and Scholarly Publishing Leads the Market for Ebooks by a Wide Margin
Professional and scholarly titles dominate the ebook market, and are destined to grow further. So why is the media looking the other way?
Simon & Schuster to Sell E-books on Scribd
Last week, Simon & Schuster announced it would be selling digital copies of its books on Scribd. This is interesting news because it signals that major trade publishers are (finally) beginning to look for additional venues to sell digital copies of their books, and because it transforms Scribd from a host of miscellaneous documents into a potentially significant e-bookseller.