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Category >> Publishing Trends
Apr 30
2010

Crunching The Numbers: Some E-book Publishing Facts and Figures from The New Yorker

Posted by Ross Browne in trends , Market , kindle , ipad , future of publishing , e-books

e-readersFirst of all, if you're interested in the e-book revolution and haven't already read Ken Auletta's April 26th New Yorker article, Publish or Perish: Can the iPad topple the Kindle, and save the book business? you might want to check it out. It's a standout piece on an often-discussed topic that really puts Apple and Amazon.com's role in the e-book revolution into interesting perspective.

One thing I found particularly interesting about the article was its exploration of some of the stats and financial figures that attest to the speed with which e-books are gaining traction in the book marketplace.

A few highlights:

Mar 31
2010

Behind the Bestsellers: April 2010 - Nonfiction

Posted by Dan Gibson in behind the bestsellers

graph-2While it surprises me a bit to see neither Malcolm Gladwell nor the Freakonomics guys in the top ten of the nonfiction charts we follow this week, it seems like consumers have settled into the type of books they're willing to buy on the non-fiction front.  Is the book by a prominent conservative who hates the policies of Pres. Obama?  Does the book have some sort of insight into our current financial mess?  Has the book been prominently promoted on television while promising to provide a better you?  Consider those sorts of books likely to very likely to be a bestseller, but that probably isn't terribly surprising.

Publishers have stacks of research to figure out what people like, so when the book accompanying a very popular HBO miniseries produced by Tom Hanks sells a ton of copies, no one is likely surprised.  So, in the midst of titles that are predisposed to bestsellerdom, it's the little surprises that bring me joy.  Rebecca Skloot has been a fascinating narrative journalist largely working in the field of science for sometime, so it's no surprise that her first book is well-written, but the fact that she uncovers such an interesting story - one that would likely be lost to time otherwise - is what makes The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks such a welcome addition to the bestseller list.  While it's fun to read interesting takes on seemingly tired topics sometimes, a book like Skloot is like finding buried treasure.  Read our analysis of the nonfiction charts this month on our website.







Mar 18
2010

What I Didn't Know I Wanted From The iPad: Cooler Footnotes

Posted by Dan Gibson in ipad , enhanced ebooks

infinitejestAs the April 3rd launch date of the iPad inches closer, the details of what we're actually going to see on the laptop without a hinge and a keyboard have been a little sparse. We were promised the future with this thing!  I want to see some magic books!

 

Well, at very least, I would like to see some reason to fork out several hundred dollars for what still seems a little like a bigger version of my iPhone.  Finally, however, we're hearing from individual publishers what they'll have going on around the device's launch date.

Mar 04
2010

Tough Break, Kindle: Penguin's Vision For The iPad Is Amazing

Posted by Dan Gibson in ipad

 

 

PaidContent UK has a look at what Penguin has up its sleeve for the Apple iPad, and in a few words, what they have planned is exciting.

Feb 18
2010

Behind The Bestsellers Returns!

Posted by Dan Gibson in fiction , female authors , behind the bestsellers

graphAs you may or may not know, Behind the Bestsellers was a monthly feature of our e-zine, and while we haven't looked at the charts officially since November, to some extent, not much has changed.

The Help is now the publishing feel good story of this year, like it was in 2009.  The Lost Symbol is still on the charts and there's a James Patterson book there as well, along with a stack of similar detective novels.  Also, we might not ever rid ourselves of vampires.

Feb 03
2010

Amazon vs. Macmillan vs. Everyone

Posted by Dan Gibson in tor , macmillan , kindle , ipad , amazon

rockem_sockem_robotsNormally, when giant corporations fight, it's more a source of indifferent amusement for me more than anything.  While I recognize there was some drama last month over whether companies should be able to act like people, most of the time when public kefuffles occur, it's provides me a giggle over whether Papa John's hurt Pizza Hut's market share by saying that their ingredients are better.  There are certainly underlying issues involved, but it ends up sounding like two fifth graders upset that one didn't invite the other to a birthday party.  Even though it involves the business I work in, I have to admit, this whole Amazon vs. Macmillan seemed to fall into that category, until I started reading authors talk about how they've been affected.
Jan 27
2010

Today Might Be The Day When Print Dies (Or Not)

Posted by Dan Gibson in tablet , self publishing , future of publishing , e-books , apple tablet

HestonIt's Apple tablet day, and since Apple has a level of security that beats the C.I.A., no one really what these things will actually be like, but that doesn't stop a wave of a wild speculation. 

However, with the general success and market domination of Apple products (seriously, do you spend much time thinking about Zunes?), you'd have to believe that the existing producers of e-book readers are sitting on the edge of their plush, executive seats today.  Publishers are on edge as well...how will this change the market for electronically distributed books?  How will Amazon react?  Will there be a price war on titles?  It's a lot to think about and it will likely take a while for the smoke to clear to actually know what will happen next, but what we can be happy about as authors, editors, publishers, agents, and readers is that people are excited for an innovate device that will likely help them read more. 

Dec 08
2009

Tuesday Review Wrapup: Best of Science Fiction 2009

Posted by Dan Gibson in fiction

We love books here at the Editorial Department...even the ones we weren't personally involved with. However, with dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites covering new releases, it can be difficult to keep track of what people are saying about books newly on shelves. To try to resolve that dilemma, we offer our Tuesday Review Wrapup, using the last sentences of prominent book reviews as literary tea leaves to discern the trends guiding our industry. This week,book review sections have been turned over to a series of best of lists for the year and the decade as a whole, so we give in with a recap of the best of 2009 in science fiction (and some fantasy, as well).
Nov 17
2009

Tuesday Review Wrapup: Sarah Palin's Going Rogue

Posted by Dan Gibson in Nonfiction

 

sarah-palin-cover-for-going-rogue1We love books here at the Editorial Department...even the ones we weren't personally involved with.  However, with dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites covering new releases, it can be difficult to keep track of what people are saying about books newly on shelves.  To try to resolve that dilemma, we offer our Tuesday Review Wrapup, using the last sentences of prominent book reviews as literary tea leaves to discern the trends guiding our industry.  This week, we're looking at Sarah Palin's memoir, Going Rogue.

Aug 05
2009

Larry Kirshbaum & Jane Friedman on the Future of Publishing

Posted by Ross Browne in Publishers , market conditions , frustrations

I'll never forget the day I heard of Jane Friedman's departure from HarperCollins. I didn't know much about her at the time, but I remember being amazed by how upset and dismayed folks in and around publishing seemed at the mysterious news of her 'resignation'.

The more I found out about Jane and the climate for this whole development, the more I understood why it was seen as such a dark day in publishing. And now after seeing GalleyCat's August 4th interview with her and Larry Kirshbaum I have an even keener appreciation for what was lost. As the owner of The Editorial Department and someone with a lot of interest in the both the short and long term future of publishing, I was happy to spend an hour listening to these very knowledgeable (and likable) publishing veterans talking so candidly on such an important topic. For those who don't have an hour to spare, I thought I'd share a few highlights.

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