book industry
« Previous Entries Next Entries »Why should I care about e-books? Lessons learned the hard way from the newspaper biz
Thursday, April 23rd, 2009I had the dubious privilege of working in the newspaper industry in the final heady years before its collapse. It has often worried me that the book industry carries a similar hubris about technology as newspapers did in, say, 2001. My job as director of online at the time was to usher in “new media” [...]
Books as contraband?
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009So, what really happens if CPSIA isn’t overturned? Those books you read and loved as a kid? Gone. Osbolete. Illegal, in fact. Books as contraband? Yes.
Nabokov’s Last Novel to be Released in November
Monday, April 20th, 2009Penguin Classics has announced the release date for Vladimir Nabokov’s last manuscript, “The Original of Laura.” Nabokov, author of “Lolita” and “Pale Fire,” is widely regarded as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century.
As deadline looms, opposition to Google’s book scanning mounts
Monday, April 20th, 2009The Internet Archive has thrown in its opposition to the Google book scanning settlement, requesting they be allowed the “same limitation of potential copyright liability as Google.” In fact, we think that if Google is given this broad indemnity against copyright infringement, every individual and institution in the US should be given the same. The [...]
Amazon censoring gay-themed books?
Monday, April 13th, 2009This story is still developing, but according to this PC World arcticle and other various news sources, Amazon dropped certain books from its sales rank lists over Easter weekend due to a “glitch.” Most of these, as discovered by publisher Mark Probst, were gay-themed or LGBT-classified books, igniting a widespread uproar from Amazon customers, as [...]
Notes from the NY ABAA fair and a preview of the new ABAA site
Monday, April 6th, 2009This past weekend, Stephen and I endured months of delays and canceled flights with the singlepurposed intent of attending the ABAA’s New York Antiquarian Book Fair and unveiling a preview of the new upcoming ABAA listing site.
Google book scanning settlement slowly becoming recognized as monopolistic
Saturday, April 4th, 2009It appears that people are slowly waking up to the realization that the Google book scanning settlement is a really, really bad thing. The head of Harvard’s library system is quoted as saying: “Google will be a monopoly.” We’ve blogged here a few times about the fundamental problems with allowing the Google scanning settlement to [...]
CPSIA and childrens’ books – the Winners and the Losers
Thursday, April 2nd, 2009With the recent passage of CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Act), with its serious implications for the sale and distribution of childrens’ books, we thought it might be appropriate to look at who “wins” and who “loses” in the book industry as a result of this bill. The Winners Publishers Because of the amendment which effectively [...]
See you at the NY Antiquarian Book Fair this weekend!
Monday, March 30th, 2009We’ll be attending the New York Antiquarian Book Fair this weekend, and hope to see you there! This is a great opportunity for booksellers, avid collectors, or readers who just simply want to feast their eyes on some beautiful books. Here’s the official info, courtesy of Sarah Donnell from Sanford L. Smith & Associates” “The [...]
Booksellers continue to be weighed down by CPSIA and whether to test for lead
Monday, March 30th, 2009The debate regarding childrens’ books and CPSIA continues to be an albatross around the neck of booksellers everywhere. According to the Wichita Eagle, a Nebraska congressman has introduced a bill (last Monday) that would exempt books from the toxic law. He also has a position statement on books and CPSIA his official website. While he’s [...]
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