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Tag: publishing news

Apple and Amazon – dog fight and bad influences on the market

11th June 2013
| 5 Comments
| Blog

There was this blog from the Bookseller, which I am going to copy in total, as they say it so much better than I could. I am a mac user and I often order books through Amazon, but, as an independent publisher, it makes me upset to see how they try and control the market. Most interesting is that they are fighting over ebooks, when they soon will be last year's black. There are so many better options, especially for the kids that write for Bombadil and the many kids that value our brand. Trial and marginalisation (Submitted by Philip Jones) The Apple e-book price fixing case is a curious side-show for an industry that is already looking beyond the...

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Books sales up in times of recession

1st May 2013
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| Blog

It has long been known that more books are sold in times of financial difficulties than when times are good. One reason is that people spend more time at home, another is the link between studying and bad times. I know that literature is not always seen as education, and though some, like Fifty Shades of Grey, which has added greatly to the increase in book sales in 2012, is not really considered standard educational literature, then books as such, not to mention reading, exemplify learning. According to this morning's briefing in the Bookseller total book sales in digital and physical formats grew 4% in 2012 to a total of £3.3bn. That overall growth contrasts with a 2% dip recorded the...

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Digital books cannot be resold according to court ruling

23rd April 2013
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According to news in the Bookseller, this morning, a German court has ruled that digital books cannot be resold by purchasers. The German District Court of Bielefeld ruled that digital and audiobooks were not subject to "exhaustion of the rights of the author" in the same way that physical books were in a recent court ruling, according to Publishers Weekly. Last July, the Court of Justice of the European Union upheld purchasers' rights to resell software through UsedSoft. However the German court has said digital books are distinct from software, and cannot be resold. The Booksellers Association in Germany has "welcomed" the court¹s ruling.

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It does pay off to be a publisher – at least for some

23rd April 2013
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| Blog

Last Sunday, the Sunday Times Rich List placed Waterstones' owner Alexander Mamut as the highest-ranking trade figure. Mr Mamut is placed 54th on the list, with a fortune of £1,483m according to the newspaper supplement; however, his riches are not all down to Waterstones, but due to his substantial Russian assets in property, construction and oil fields. However, there are several authors on the list, as well as other publishers. Viscount Cowdray and the Pearson family are in joint 224th place, down from a joint 164th place last year. The supplement has discounted their estimated fortune by £100m, and put the family stake in the Pearson media group, Penguin's parent-company, as being worth "only" £150m, below the 3% declarable limit....

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Signs of changes in the book industry visible at the London Book Fair

15th April 2013
| 1 Comment
| Blog

It was really interesting reading the following article in the Bookseller this morning. It shows that change is on its way and it is good to see that publishers and self-publisheed authors are finally meeting, though I do wonder if the self-published authors will just give up their ambitions of changing the industry once they are picked up by an agent of a big publishing house. At Bombadil we are dedicated to changing the world of publishing from the youth perspective. Here is a copy of the article, with a link above. Happy reading! The future of self-publishing, the new agency model and the Penguin Random House merger will be the hottest talking points at the London Book Fair, industry...

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Digital publications from the UK to be sent to deposit libraries

8th April 2013
| 1 Comment
| Blog

In most countries, a publisher has to send companies of newly printed books to repositories, or often called deposit libraries or national libraries. There have been many famous libraries through the ages, though the old libraries seemed to be more like our present day deposit, as the books were chained to their stands, and could not be borrowed. In year 2000 UNESCO made recommendation for the construction of legal deposit legislation, though the books have been deposited in many national libraries as far back as the 1500s. In the UK the most exciting ones to visit are (in my opinion) the British Library and the Bodlean. Each country has its own regulations, and the number of books deposited is usually...

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Sad news about Ian Banks

3rd April 2013
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| Blog

Sometimes sadness and laughter can mix. I was very sad to hear that Ian Banks has terminal cancer. He announced it on his website though many major UK papers also carried the news. The BBC carried the news as did the Daily Mail. This of course made me sad, as Ian Banks is an extremely talented author, and seems to be a wonderful person as well. What did make me laugh, however, was his wonderful way of proposing to his wife. He apparently wrote: As a result, I've withdrawn from all planned public engagements and I've asked my partner Adele if she will do me the honour of becoming my widow (sorry - but we find ghoulish humour helps). So sad,...

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Goodreads have become part of Amazon

2nd April 2013
| 2 Comments
| Blog

I took the liberty of copying Philip Jones' blog in the Bookseller directly onto the website. I think it is not only well written but also important. First of all it brings up the information that Amazon has bought Goodreads, which essentially means that it will not longer be an objective and independent social network for bookworms. Or will it? I don't think so, but again, I may be wrong. I believe it depends on the members and how they want to play it. I hope it means more openness to all. Good reads for all (by Philip Jones, deputy editor of the Bookseller) The acquisition of Goodreads by Amazon serves as a reminder of how bifurcated the book business now...

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