Spam versus Targeting — Which Approach Will Define the Age of Abundance?
As spam defines one end of abundance, targeting enters to deflect the damage. Can they co-exist? Or will one become the defining trait of the age?
iOS: The Evolution of an Agile Business
Looking back, it’s clear Apple’s development of iOS and its device strategy has taken them down paths they didn’t expect — a true sign of agility.
The Vexed Problem of Libraries, Publishers, and E-books
The recent brouhaha about HarperCollins’ policy of restricting ebook circulation in libraries misses the larger point that libraries and publishers can work toward satisfying their respective interests.
The Expensive e-Book: The Illogical Reasons Why Paper Books Can Sell for Less
When you explore the revenue model of e-books vs. print books, some pricing practices make sense. But when you factor in the expenses, the logic begins to break down.
E-books and Their Containers: A Bestiary of the Evolving Book
Books take the shape of their containers, and the containers in turn shape the kinds of books we create. The new ebook containers have different affordances, which must be studied to develop a successful ebook program.
Why the Simple “Me” Beats the Royal “We”
Users are gaining a “me at the center” expectation, but publishers have a “we at the center” world view. Can the wrenching changes be made? David Worlock worries maybe not.
The Editorial Fallacy
In a disruptive publishing environment, publishers cannot rely on a purely editorial strategy, as many of the issues now facing them are not editorial in nature.
E-book Sales Beat Hardcover Sales at Amazon: Tipping Point or Fluke?
Amazon’s Kindle and e-book sales take off, and the overall trend is for a huge shake-up in the retail book space.
Measuring Reading Speed on E-Readers Teaches Us That Speed Isn’t Usability
A Nielsen usability study confuses speed with usability, raising many questions in so doing.
The POD Booby Trap and the Lure of Open Access Books
Using POD (print on demand) as a means to support open access is not a viable business model.
Apple’s iPhone 4 and iOS4: What Do They Mean for Publishers?
Apple announces a new model iPhone and an updated operating system for all iPhones/iPads/iPod Touch devices. What impact will these new technologies have on publishers?
Mobile Devices and Privacy — Why It’s So Easy to Swap Personal Information to Satisfy an Itch
Mobile computing is the norm, but it also creates easy trading ground for our privacy. Is this just the new normal?
Clouds, Gestures, and Incumbents — Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad
Major trends are at work in information exchange technologies and interface design, but publishers remain hampered by incumbent traits.
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.
Who Controls Publisher Prices? Amazon Fires the First Shot, Then Forges a Bitter Truce
This weekend Amazon pulled all of MacMillan’s books, both electronic and paper, from their store due to a dispute over eBook pricing policies. Is this the first battle in the war for control of the publishing industry?