Stupid Publishing Tricks, Part 1,110,099

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Okay, so Sarah Palin finished writing her 400-page book in four months*. That’s some hard working. Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins, took one look at the manuscript and pushed the release date to November 17, 2009. As with Ted Kennedy’s memoir, initial print run will be 1.5 million copies. Fine. All well and good so far. Nothing to consider, nothing to worry about. Unless the books don’t move, in which case, well, hmm, those poor trees. The problem comes with this kind of thinking:

The Business of Publishing

The Daily Square – Will I Ever Be Free? Edition

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Todays links of interest: Give Us Links Or We Won’t Sell Your Books: Really?The scandal of the weekend. Yes, it really happened. Book retailers brace themselves for Super Thursday800 books released in one day. Sounds like suicide-by-publishing. In Memory of Kate DuffyAn absolutely lovely tribute.

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The Daily Square – Chalkhills and Children Edition

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Todays links of interest: Best Buy and Verizon Jump Into E-Reader Fray, With iRexWhile we applaud competition, we do worry about the price point. That being said, this is a terrific device. We like it. Report: Nine Scientifically Proven Ways to Get Retweeted on TwitterNote: there has been a rise in the use of semi-colons since this study was released. Fans do not take this kind of stuff lightly. Courier: First Details of Microsoft’s Secret Tablet – Microsoft courier tabletWow, if this comes to fruition before the (long-rumored) Apple tablet, it might make Microsoft cool again.

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On The, uh, World Wide Web

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Surely this is the most inane first line of any article written in 2009? Late 2009, no less. Book publishers are learning to love the Web. They have to. Publishers Try to Learn to Love the Web – Business Week article about publishers experimenting online

Quote of the Week

The Daily Square – Wilco (the song) Edition

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Todays links of interest: The Fall Bookselling Season is in Full SwingAnyone else find some of the numbers in this article a bit scary? The printed number of Ted Kennedy books versus the number sold? The relatively low number of The Lost Symbol? And so on? Ceci N’est Pas Une Typo: July E-Book Sales Triple over 7-08.Uh, have we mentioned the upward trajectory of ebook sales? Still a blip on the PL, but for how long? Also, read the footnotes. These numbers are actually *understated*. Lawsuit: Copyright Filtering Technology InfringesOr implementing the only possible (with today’s technology) way of identifying

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Thoughts on Print Fidelity and Accessibility

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When I was a wee reader, my grandmother assured me that reading in poor light would destroy my eyes. Actually, heredity was the real culprit, and modern science would save me from the tyranny of eyeglasses*. I admit it: I was one of those kids who had to read, and that meant I had to make the best of the situation. Very little light? Just squint and hold the book closer. I’m going to mess up your book As I’ve moved through this big, bad world, I have discovered one thing to be true. People go through a lot of

Square Pegs

The Daily Square – No Regrets Edition

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Todays links of interest: Sterling EditingThe brilliant and wonderful Nicola Griffith and Kelley Eskridge have opened the doors of Sterling Editing. Recommended! ISBNs and ebooks: Part 7624Laura Dawson looks at the various ISBN issues from the standpoint of people who actually work with the numbers on a day-to-day basis. Some of what she reveals is…shocking (okay, not really, but it might shock someone out there!). Back by popular demand, the book page returnsThe Greensboro News-Record has restored book coverage to the print edition. And it sounds like they’re doing it in a smart way.

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The Daily Square – Blue Monk Edition

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Todays links of interest: DoJ Says Google Settlement Must Be ChangedWhile not a shocker, this is an interesting development. Also, it’s back to the drawing board! Twitter: A Vampire That Can Legally Suck the Life Out of YouDeeper analysis of the new Twitter terms of service. Jammie Thomas lawyers file suit against ScribdThough it was inevitable, it’s interesting to note that the book in question Stock and Bonds: Profits and Losses, a Quick Look at Financial Markets by Elaine Scott is out-of-print, only sold on the secondhand market, and not making any money for the author anyway. Seems like there

The Daily Square

The Daily Square – Great White Buffalo Edition

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Todays links of interest: On Hosting One’s Own Parties and Performing a (Bookish) Autoposy*The always genius Kat Meyer continues the conversation (and autosopy) by exploring digital distribution. Which means we’re gonna have more thought. And so on. Because you get one of us thinking, the other is sure to think back! Simon Schuster Issues Digital Piracy PolicyPolicy, good. Vigilance, good. How about a link on your real home page, too? Espresso Book Machine Adds Google Books, More StoresThis is a positive move. Especially like that more stores will offer this capability to their customers.

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