Category: Link

• Why B&N Should (and shouldn’t) Spin Off the Nook – Digital Trends

  Posted at 10:10 am by Laura, on January 6, 2012

  Why Barnes & Noble Should (and shouldn’t) Spin Off the Nook – Digital Trends – Geoff Duncan

  Part of the reason why e-reader ecosystems like Kobo aren’t seeing tremendous levels of success in the U.S. market is that they aren’t associated with a well-known book retailer. (Kobo did have a relationship with Borders, which didn’t work out so well.) These same factors might hurt Barnes & Noble’s efforts to bring the Nook to international markets.

  Unfortunately for the Nook, there’s no clear-cut way forward here. If the Nook stays with Barnes & Noble, it’ll remain hobbled by the company’s brick-and-mortar performance. If it spins out, it loses the Barnes & Noble brand. And, meanwhile, Apple and Amazon continue firing on all cylinders.

  First, Duncan explains sales revenues, fiscal year predictions, and other money matters to give a backdrop for why B&N is considering separating from the Nook.

  Then it comes down to this: separating the Nook from B&N attracts revenues, while on the other hand if the Nook is separated then it may not find the same success with consumers who are attracted to the B&N brand.

  Posted in Link | 0 Comments | Tagged bookstores, ereaders, news

• B&N Plunges on Possible Nook Spinoff – The Street

  Posted at 10:41 am by Laura, on January 5, 2012

  Barnes & Noble Plunges on Possible Nook Spinoff – The Street – Jeanine Poggi

  Barnes & Noble said it is in discussion with strategic partners, including publishers, retailers and technology companies in international markets that may lead to expansion of the Nook business overseas.

  When the Nook saved Barnes & Noble from the same fate as Borders…

  Also noteworthy: this is competition with Amazon’s Kindle, which is also used in the UK. Rumor has it B&N is partnering with (maybe buying) UK’s Waterstones bookstore. Food for thought.

  Posted in books, Link | 0 Comments | Tagged books, bookstores, ebooks, ereaders, news

• As Celebrities Choose Amazon… – The Independent

  Posted at 7:15 am by Laura, on January 5, 2012

  As celebrities choose Amazon, is this the end for publishers? – The Independent – Guy Adams

  The deal [between Amazon and James Franco], which was reported yesterday but has yet to be formally confirmed by either side, represents an ominous development for the industry, which in recent months has seen similar deals signed by the likes of New Age “guru” Deepak Chopra, self-help writer Timothy Ferriss, and the actor and director Penny Marshall.

  For years, the rise of Amazon, which heavily discounts books, has been eating into the once luxurious profit margins enjoyed by mainstream publishers. There are therefore growing fears that the online giant could soon send their industry the way of the high street bookstore.

  Personally, I scoff at big names like Amazon taking over, creating monopolies. One day they’ll collapse. But maybe I just haven’t had my tea this morning and am not thinking straight enough to feel worried.

  Posted in books, Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged books, ebooks, news, newspaper, publishing

• Apple to Hold Event in NYC – PaidContent

  Posted at 3:50 pm by Laura, on January 4, 2012

  Apple to Hold Event in NYC. Publishing, Advertising in the Mix? – PaidContent – Ingrid Lunden

  Just like every other season, Apple is catching the public eye with some announcements. This time, however, it’s not about a brand new glitzy product.

  The report notes that Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of internet software and services, will be leading the event. Cue oversees the iTunes Store, the App Store, Apple’s iBookstore, iAd and Apple’s iCloud service—and that has led to speculation that this event could be related to something within his remit, specifically around iAd or Apple’s publishing activities.

  […]

  And even more specifically, the Good E-Reader blog claims that, in fact, the event will signal Apple’s move into self-publishing on the iBookstore. The move, to compete with self-publishing offerings from Amazon and Barnes & Noble, will give writers the option to publish work directly on Apple’s platform without having to go through a publisher or other third-party provider like Smashwords to do it.

  Thoughts?

  Posted in Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged ebooks, news, publishing

• What’s Coming in 2012: Book Publishing – PaidContent

  Posted at 11:16 am by Laura, on January 3, 2012

  What’s Coming in 2012: Book Publishing – PaidContent – Laura Hazard Owen

  Three things to note this year, according to Owen:

  1. Amazon and Barnes & Noble make a deal over digital titles and what to sell.
  2. Ebook pricing debate continues, and will shift to quality-focused pricing. Similar to how paperbacks and hardbacks are priced differently.
  3. One of the big-six publishers will try to have an ebook subscription program.
  Posted in Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged bookstores, ebooks, news, publishing

• Indies Battle Amazon – Salon

  Posted at 11:07 am by Laura, on January 3, 2012

  Indies Battle Amazon: By Becoming Publishers – Salon – Steve Almond

  Independent bookstores are stepping up and creating their own small publishing hub to produce more titles. This is a unique competition with Amazon and the apparent threat of ebooks.

  The leap into publishing by indies can be seen as the literary equivalent of the locavore movement. It not only emphasizes local writers, and local subjects, but also asks residents to support a local business with their dollars.

  Teter is under no illusion about the forces arrayed against independent bookstores, not the least of which is the rise of electronic books. But she, along with her compatriots, is cautiously optimistic that small-scale publishing can be part of the answer, by providing an alternative to traditional publishers and Amazon, which are increasingly focused on books they can turn into national bestsellers.

  As Kaplan reminded me, the true value of a great independent bookstore resides in its connection to a particular community: “If someone loves our bookstore, has been coming in for years, understands what we’re trying to do, and you can put a great book in their hands that was published by our store, I mean, who’s going to say no to that?”

  Regardless of your stance on ebooks and ereaders, this is really neat!

  Posted in books, Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged books, bookstores, ebooks, news, publishing

• Myers Named National Ambassador – PW

  Posted at 11:00 am by Laura, on January 3, 2012

  Walter Dean Myers Named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature – Publisher’s Weekly – Sue Corbet

  Myers’s international reputation rests on a body of work that is big, bold, and varied – picture books, lyric poetry, fantasy, biography, and, perhaps most notably, realistic fiction that does not blink when it comes to depicting the lives of America’s urban poor. It’s the needs of those teens, in particular, that Myers plans to focus on during his two-year term as ambassador.

  He will be a leader in encouraging children and young adults that reading is important, as well as raising awareness to literature for all ages.

  Posted in Link, publishing | 0 Comments | Tagged genre: young adult, magazine, news, publishing

• Update on Brontë Development: How YOU Can Help!

  Posted at 10:45 am by Laura, on January 3, 2012

  Regarding yesterday’s post – Haworth fighting against new housing developments on the moors and raising money to fix up the church.

  You can do your part, literary friends, to help raise money for Haworth before January 20th! Purchase a funny calendar produced by the locals, or give money to the Haworth Church Restoration Fund. Every little bit counts!

  Posted in Link, Update Post | 0 Comments | Tagged genre: classics, history, news

• Brontë Landscape’s Battle for Survival – The Guardian

  Posted at 9:33 am by Laura, on January 2, 2012

  Although not publishing news, it is literary news.

  Brontë Landscape’s Battle for Survival as New Housing Threaten’s Tourist Trade – The Guardian – Vanessa Thorpe

  Of equal importance to many in Haworth this new year is the parallel struggle to deter developers from building further housing estates across the hills once crossed by the literary sisters and their potent cast of characters.

  “There is an assault on the Brontë landscape going on,” said Huxley. “It is not deliberate, but the reason so many people come here is to see the streets and the hills and moor that the sisters wrote about. Some of these views should be sacrosanct.”

  […]

  Now 20 January looms large in Haworth, which is when English Heritage will come back to see if the church has raised the required £65,000 in order for it to release a pot of £100,000 to repair the worst side of the roof. So far the parish has raised just under £30,000. By chance 20 January is also the last day for objections to be registered to the planned housing developments before Bradford council rules on Haworth’s future.

  I did not get a chance to visit Haworth while I was in England and I deeply regret it. If you love the three sisters, if you’re a fan of their work, if you visit authors’ homes like literary pilgrims, please give money to help repair Haworth and prevent housing developments from taking over the moors.

  There is a mention in the article about a manuscript written by Charlotte at 14. That particular article can be found here.

  Posted in Link | 1 Comment | Tagged genre: classics, history, news, newspaper

• Philly’s First Poet Laureate – The Inquirer

  Posted at 5:06 pm by Laura, on December 29, 2011

  Philadelphia Selects Sonia Sanchez as its First Poet Laureate – The Inquirer – John Timpane

  Siobhan Riordan, president and director of the Free Library of Philadelphia and a member of the selection committee, said, “The mayor really wanted this, and our conversations around Sonia were so easy and so natural. Philadelphia is a city passionate about the things it loves, and she personifies that passion in her poetry and her teaching.”

  A neat article on the exciting news for a massive artistic city. It’s great to hear that literature in all forms is still honored and appreciated!

  Posted in Link | 0 Comments | Tagged news, newspaper

• 

• Hello, I’m Laura!

  I'm a bookish bookworm and book hoarder. By day I'm a literary agent, and by night I'm forever rearranging my bookshelves. I could talk your ear off about Gothic literature, and in my past life people thought I'd become a professional musician. I have a fluffy black cat named Rossetti, I love to travel, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm always down for chips-and-queso nights. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!

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