Todays links of interest: E-book release delayed for Kennedy memoirHmm, you’re a publisher. You have a growing market segment that features people who like to buy and read books. So what do you do? Oh right, you tell them you couldn’t care less about them. NY judge: Seinfeld cookbook not an illegal copycatAh, now we can move on with our lives! Time Inc. Joins E-Reader Suicide Stampede: ReportOh good. We hadn’t had a story like this in…days.
Welcome back from whatever you did this summer. Me, I spent my time building a digital publishing company. It went mostly okay, though, in the end, there was no company to show for it. That has nothing to do with the work and talent of the people involved. Talk about amazing, smart, and creative. Four terrifying words: high-resolution Word file. When we started Quartet Press, one of the guiding principles was openness. It’s an uncomfortable thing. Publishing people like to pretend that the business different and secret. Not so. It’s good to talk about stuff. I believed then, and I
Todays links of interest: TheWrap Shows You What the Class Action Lawsuit Was All AboutThe Wrap continues to explore the foreign levies issue, but still seems confused about how monies are allocated. Back in the olden days, the assessment on blank video media was allocated based on television broadcast hours. Assumption was blank media was being used to tape shows off the television. Processes may vary, but it does answer some of the questions in the article.
Todays links of interest: Sex, scandal, yawn: Madoff books are a bustHonestly, does this surprise anyone in the publishing industry? Authors Guild Slams Amazon Over Its Google Settlement Stance; Other Groups Opt Out of SettlementReally, Authors Guild? Google deadline extended againDue to scheduled systems maintenance, the deadline for objections is extended to September 8, 2009. Three Editorial Cuts at Simon SchusterMaggie Crawford and Margaret Clark (who worked on Star Trek) books have been let go by Simon Schuster.
Todays links of interest: Tintin ‘to be sued’ for Congo bookSigh.
Todays links of interest: UK police to review Rolling Stones guitarist deathAh, Brian Jones, justice will be served (or a lot of money will be wasted, take your pick). Random House Down in First Half of 2009It’s a bumpy ride, though RH had some bright spots. Dan Brown is on the horizon for a robust second half.
Todays links of interest: Punctuation Hero or Vandal?Story of the day. Sony Warns Trade Over E-Book PricesIn the UK, however the question remains burning in the US as well. Also, so not impressed with Fionnuala Duggan’s response it’s a bookseller problem. A bookseller problem caused by…? ‘Reading Rainbow’ Reaches Its Final ChapterLove the fact that different educational focus, started under the Bush administration (where Laura Bush championed reading!), is forcing excellent programming to disappear. Not feeling proud right now.
Todays links of interest: Court Denies Amazon’s Motion to Dismiss BookLocker Antitrust LawsuitOne step down…watching this one with interest. Buying Blind: Amazon Answers My Questions, Sort Of, About Kindle LicensesOr, see shoulders shrug as no real answers are forthcoming.
Todays links of interest: Download Over a Million Public Domain Books from Google Books in the Open EPUB FormatGoogle wants you to read.
Todays links of interest: Sony plans a Kindle rival with wireless downloadsThe much-anticipated wireless device from Sony is announced. Many cool features, $399 price point. That’s gonna be a tough one. We must kill press freedom to save itIn the Los Angeles Times, Tim Rutten posited that the only way to save journalism is to suspend anti-trust rules so newspapers can collude on online pricing. Which, you know, is really about protecting the newspaper business model than it is about saving journalism. King Kaufman responds. Winfrey tweet says new book pick coming next monthMore publishing madness: new Oprah pick comes
