I didn’t realize how many links I come across in a week until I started tracking them most interesting ones for you (no wonder I often wonder where the day went and my head is full of random information):
#1: An argument for why ebooks cost as much as they do and not as little as consumers think they should from CNET. Interesting, but I think some of the costs are being counted twice. Marketing an ebook doesn’t require a separate book tour from the print version of the book (and most books by large publishers come out in print as well). There is also the common argument made that cheap ebook prices will cannibalize the print sales of the book, which I think is wrong. I don’t think there is as much overlap between those two markets as publishers keep assuming (if there is data to back up the assertion that ebooks cannibalize print sales I’d be interested in seeing it).
#2: More on ebooks: A blog post by author Lynn Viehl on my favourite multi-author blog about whether or not to give away free ebooks or, as she puts it, “To E- or not to E-” It’s an interesting read, especially for authors, on how to use free ebooks to attract readership for your print books.
#3: Not directly about publishing, but there is an interesting article on Advertising Age about whether companies should pay bloggers for product reviews. I thought it might be of interest because every once in a while a new book blogger will raise the question of charging for book reviews (there are sites that do this and post them on amazon.com). For the record, I don’t charge for reviews and if I ever did I would disclose it (though my opinion would be the same because I wasn’t there the day they taught ass-kissing as anyone who’s met me is well aware–it’s somewhat of a character defect of mine). I do receive free review copies (not always) as do many book bloggers who are reviewing current releases.
#4: Amazon is making friends and influencing people again (not). Now it is censoring the author blogs and making the content harder to find. Seems some authors were using the author blog feature to sell directly to consumers and cutting Amazon out of the deal.
#5: Google is getting into the ebook business as a direct competitor to Amazon (and others) by launching an ebook store. Not everyone is happy about this: PC World think this will create a standards war with consumers stuck in the middle. Fiction Matters points out that this will be an online ebook store only which has little appeal to readers who want their books portable and unplugged from the Internet.
#6: Ever wonder how authors of classics feel about derivative works (think the glut of derivatives of Jane Austen)? Well, someone wrote a derivative work of Catcher in the Rye. Unlike many authors whose works are being used, Salinger is still alive and he is not thrilled.
#7: This one is not really a publishing item, but I thought it was interesting: Newsweek has published an article about Oprah where they dissect the credibility of her experts and the balance of her coverage on topics. I am an anti-Oprah book club kind of reader (if she recommends it I know I won’t like it). Although I have found some of her experts credible, I agree with the articles premise that the focus is often more on personality than credibility and a balanced presentation on topics is often lacking. She is powerful though (Random disclosure: She boosted one of my relatives’ businesses considerably just by mentioning one of his products in an O Magazine ‘favourite things’ list).
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