Google

My long-held conviction that broad-based subscriptions for ebooks were not likely to work is partly based on facts that are now changing. It is still by no means a slam dunk that ebooks must go where Spotify has taken digital music and Netflix has taken the digital distribution of TV and movies, but it looks more likely today than it did six months ago. Still, looks could be deceiving.

The core of subscription economics is to pay less to the content supplier than they earn other ways to give you some headroom

In the latest mash-up of old and new media, a division of Simon & Schuster, the Atria Publishing Group, has teamed with Hollywood's United Talent Agency to create a new imprint to publish books by Internet entertainers. Five deals have already been made with YouTube stars like Shane Dawson and Justine Ezarik.

Keywords Press, as the new endeavor is called, aims to release six to 10 titles annually, both in print and digital formats, ranging from "serious to comedic, fiction to nonfiction, practical advice to personal memoir," said Judith Curr

irebrand Technologies, a leading publishing industry technology services company, announced today that its eBook Architects team has released a new EPUB quality assurance tool, FlightDeck, into a 2-month open beta. FlightDeck gives publishers and authors clear and actionable information on the quality and salability of their EPUB 2 and EPUB 3 files.

Occasionally I've asked book publishers if they've ever considered a turnabout: withholding their books from Amazon until Amazon makes some concessions. They always insist that they couldn't withstand the short-term financial hit such a move would entail. They surely know the reality of their own bottom lines far better than I do, and they certainly haven't gotten the same free pass from Wall Street that Amazon has enjoyed over the past couple of years.

At the age of 50, Park established his company Gitden in a rundown office in the Sadang neighborhood of Seoul and produced the Gitden Reader after two years during which he barely left his desk. The application has shoved aside products by Apple, Google, and Amazon to gain recognition for its world-class quality.

The International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF), which maintains the electronic publication (EPUB) standard for e-books, published on May 12 the results of its assessment of the compatibility of e-book readers on app stores to the EPUB 3.0 standards.

In the past year Apple's tablet OEM competitors experienced a growth of 79%, while Apple experienced only 13% growth in tablet shipments. Despite growing challenges, as the tablet market reaches saturation in advanced world markets, ABI Research projects Apple to remain a strong force in the market if it emphasizes its strengths and explores new opportunities.

Unlike most disruptive innovations, ebooks were very quickly adopted by the publishing industry's most profitable customers, people who buy the most, spend the most, and talk the most about books.

Disruptive innovations start out by addressing the needs of a small unprofitable market. They address a customer base that non-disruptive products do not. Those who buy a disruptive product at the outset are customers who are less likely buy the disrupted predecessor.

According to a quick Google search, the typical U.S. household now pays between $80 and $90 per month for the TV component of their cable bill (excluding broadband and phone service). Now compare that to the price of an all-you-can-read digital content subscription service like Next Issue for magazines or Oyster for books. The former is $10-$15/month and the latter is $10/month.

As Penguin Random House launches a social network for book recommendations - seen by some as welcome support for independent booksellers - we take a look at reading recommendations on the web. What are the best platforms for social reading? Which, if any, are you using and what are your tips for sharing your reads online?

Google on Monday announced a brilliant bit of marketing for its same-day delivery service, Google Shopping Express. The service, which launched in the San Francisco Bay Area last year, is rolling out to consumers in Manhattan and West Lost Angeles. As part of a promotional package, Google is promising new sign-ups six months of free unlimited delivery. Participating stores in Manhattan include Costco, Walgreens, Target, and Fairway Market, which alone are enough to revolutionize your regular shopping routine.