PayPal Threatens To Abandon eBook Retailer Over Objectionable Content
News by Rob Hart February 29, 2012
PayPal is pressuring eBook retailers like Smashwords to take down content related to rape, incest, pedophilia and bestiality--and if they don't, PayPal will stop doing business with them.
Amazon Digitally Stomps Its Foot, Pulls 5,000 Kindle Titles Over Contract Terms With IPG
News by Hanna Brooks Olsen February 23, 2012
Amazon continues to strong-arm its way into improved sales at the cost of small publishers. They should go pick on someone their own size but... there really isn't anyone left.
17 Publishers Join Forces To Wage War Against Book Pirates
News by Rob Hart February 16, 2012
A coalition of 17 publishers shut down two websites based in Ireland for piracy, one of which was offering 400,000 pirated eBooks for free.
The Next Digital Frontier: Readers And Authors Interacting Within eBooks
News by Rob Hart February 13, 2012
Online book retailer Copia is testing technology that would allow authors to interact with readers within the pages of an eBook.
Libraries Are Not Amused At Penguin's Decision To Stop Lending eBooks
News by Hanna Brooks Olsen February 10, 2012
Penguin recently decided to join the group of publishers who no longer allow libraries to stock their eBooks. Predictably, libraries and Kindle readers aren't pleased, and they're taking action.
Amazon Is Opening An Actual, Real-Life Brick-and-Mortar Store
News by Hanna Brooks Olsen February 6, 2012
No longer content with putting real stores out of business as an online-only company, it seems Amazon has decided to spring for the overhead and open an actual store. Could it be true?
Spanish Analysis Firm Proposes European eBook "Consortium"
News by John Jarzemsky
Javier Celaya proposes that European publishers band together to fight Amazon.
Digital Publisher Trestle Press Dinged For Stealing Cover Art
News by Rob Hart February 1, 2012
Trestle Press, an indie digital publisher, has been caught stealing artwork for covers--and even though they've apologized, it appears the damage is done.
Is ePublishing The Next Bubble Industry?
News by Rob Hart January 31, 2012
Scottish writer Ewan Morrison says the current rush to ePublish is like the dot-com bubble--and it's only a matter of time before it bursts.
Franzen Says eBooks Are The Worst
News by Rob Hart January 30, 2012
'Freedom' author Jonathan Franzen says eBooks are bad for society and literature--but his argument lacks supporting evidence.
Barnes & Noble To Share Reader Data With Publishers?
News by Rob Hart January 26, 2012
Jim Hilt, vice president of eBooks at Barnes & Noble, turned some heads when he said the bookseller plans to share reader data with publishers--which sounds a bit foreboding.
Is Nothing Sacred? Self-Published Erotica Section of Amazon Rife with Plagiarism
News by John Jarzemsky January 26, 2012
Amazon's self-published erotica section is rife with plagiarism.
Study: Teens Think Your eBooks Are Lame, Prefer Actual Books
News by Hanna Brooks Olsen January 24, 2012
Teens: who knows what they'll do next? Apparently, what they won't do is read eBooks. Unlike younger kids, most teens are already jaded on the new technology, and prefer their words on paper. Twist!
Apple Makes Some Major eBook Announcements: iBooks 2, iBooks Author, iTunes U
News by Rob Hart
Apple just made some major announcements for their eBook platform- creating apps for self-published authors, interactive textbooks and college classes.
Man Who Predicted eBooks Dies at 86
News by John Jarzemsky
Futurist who developed search engines, predicted rise of tablets and eReaders, dead at 86.
Can't Everyone In The Publishing Industry Just Get Along?
Column by Rob Hart January 16, 2012
We spend a lot of time arguing over what's better--print vs. eBooks, traditional vs. self-publishing, indies vs. Amazon--but can't we just agree that both sides have their benefits?
Ian Rankin Calls For Tax Breaks For New Authors
News by Rob Hart January 16, 2012
Scottish crime writer Ian Rankin calls for the United Kingdom to adopt tax incentives to support new writers, now that publishers are taking less risks and paying out less for advances.
Royalties For Authors In The Kindle Lending Library Up 449 Percent
News by Rob Hart January 13, 2012
Authors who are participating in the Kindle Lending Library are seeing increased royalty payments, from a fund Amazon put aside to compensate them.
Study Says Kids Prefer eBooks Over Print
News by Rob Hart January 11, 2012
A new study indicates that kids prefer eBooks over print books, and that the comprehension level is the same for both--although that's not the case when it comes to enhanced eBooks.
Rumored NYC Apple Event To Focus On eBooks And Sef-Publishing?
News by Rob Hart January 4, 2012
Apple is reportedly planning a press conference for the end of the month in New York City, and rumor is the focus will be digital publishing--possibly on digital textbooks and self-publishing.
Get Your Kindle 'Signed' With Kindlegraph
News by Brandon Tietz December 30, 2011
It used to be the only way for an author to sign your Kindle was to flip the thing over and take a Sharpie to it. But Kindlegraph is bringing author signatures into the digital age.
Spanish Novelist Quits Writing In Protest Of Piracy
News by Rob Hart December 22, 2011
Spanish novelist Lucía Etxebarria announced that she's going to quit writing, because her latest novel has been illegally downloaded more than its been paid for.
Free Writing Advice From Kim Jong Il
News by Rob Hart December 19, 2011
To mark the passing of Kim Jong Il, here's some writing and filmmaking advice from the North Korean dictator.
The Wild West World of eBook Only Erotica (NSFW)
Column by Joshua Chaplinsky December 19, 2011
Is the eReader the new Internet when it comes to get-rich-quick porn?
Despite Big Gains in 2011, The eBook Age Still Has Some Major Holdouts
News by Rob Hart December 19, 2011
2011 was a big year for eBooks, though there are still some holdouts--we have yet to see eBook editions of classics like 'To Kill A Mockingbird' and 'The Catcher in the Rye'.