Book Business September 2013
Agile Book Publishing Startup LeanPub
“The first copy of a Leanpub book was sold on April 21, 2010,” says Peter Armstrong, whose company Leanpub launched in 2010. “The book was Eric Ries' Startup Lessons Learned, and the price was $29.99. Not all ebooks need to cost $9.99 or less. Since then, we've paid over $700,000 in royalties to authors. Thousands of authors have signed up, and more than 100 books have earned more than $1,000 each."
Ah, Yes, I Remember It Well
I didn't learn to read non-fiction until 1989. Well sure, I did my homework in college and read plenty of textbooks, but at heart I was strictly a fiction girl; novels were my bag. However, when I was hired as a non-fiction editor by Ballantine Books, I had to learn to read and appreciate a range of new genres: health, self-help, popular culture and more.
Bookigee's WriterCube
If you’re struggling with just whatthe relatively new concept of the "entrepreneurial author" means, there's nobody better to ask than Bookigee founding CEO Kristen McLean.
Ebook Spending Slows as Print Clings to Majority Share
This summer Bowker released its 2013 U.S. Book Consumer Demographics and Buying Behaviors Annual Review, a comprehensive consumer-based report analyzing the latest trends in print, ebook and genre sales across wide-ranging demographics. Here are some highlights from the 115 page report.
Eradicating Legacy Thinking
Before joining Book Business last year, I was the director of graduate publishing programs at Rosemont College. In that job, it was my primary responsibility to develop courses, hire instructors and help shape the curriculum that would allow our students to gain the skills needed for a successful publishing career.
Frankfurt Book Fair 2013: Trains and Trade
Sitting down? Good: There are more than 7,800 exhibitors from close to 100 countries listed for the 2013 Frankfurt Book Fair (October 9-13), the world’s largest publishing trade show, and the one that doubles as a showcase for the financial capital of Europe’s railway service. You'll want to sit down and rest your feet before heading to Frankfurt to try to cover the show!
Hi Startup Moment Mapping the World
Every individual experiences the world in a unique way but, so far, there hasn't been a technology able to capture those experiences in a moment by moment manner. Say hi to "Hi."
Hit the Books (And eBooks Too!)
Autumn ushers in a number of changes, not least of which is the new school year. Educational opportunities abound for those with an interest in publishing. Whether the applicant is a recent graduate eager to learn about publishing or a veteran editor seeking new ways of creating digital and interactive content, these are just a few of the top programs publishing enthusiasts should investigate.
Learning to Adapt
In 2012, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) filed for bankruptcy protection. In July of this year, Cengage Learning did the same, hoping to eliminate $4 billion in debt. Earlier in the year, McGraw-Hill completed the sale of its entire education division. And though HMH has since emerged nearly debt free and is seeking an IPO, clearly these are signs that disruptive changes are underway in educational publishing.
Raise a Glass to Literary Greenwich Village
There was a time when, throwing back a pint or two at McSorley’s or Kettle of Fish in Greenwich Village, you’d be likely to rub elbows with the likes of e.e. cummings, Jack Kerouac or Washington Irving. This month, we take you on a tour of legendary literary watering holes in the Village. We plan to pay an actual visit during our Publishing Business Conference Pub Crawl. Who knows, we may stumble across a future bestselling author!
Subject-Specific Solutions
The advent of digital media has presented educational publishers with opportunities not only for the delivery of effective teaching and learning solutions, but also with significant challenges that are well known by readers of this column. These challenges include the need to acquire new competencies within the organizations, the creation of new partnerships with service providers and the need to sort through a range of technical issues.
The Social Publisher
Reading a book is a solitary activity, not a social one. There are exceptions, like reading aloud to a child or a shut-in, but for the most part, reading is something you do by yourself.
