Web Development

Videogame critics Brendan Keogh and Dan Golding have formally launched Press Select, an independent publishing label that aims to produce extensive, long-form videogame criticism. The two critics boast a unique pricing model that promises a 50 percent royalty to the author per copy and a platform that embraces the current publishing market's demand forDRM-free digital books in a variety of formats. "It's been really exciting to see the changes that videogame criticism has seen over the last few years," says Golding, whose game-centric journalism earned him a Microsoft IT Journalism Award in 2012.

LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (LF), the leader in learn to read solutions, and Listening Library, an imprint of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company, the world's largest English language trade publisher, today announced a partnership to bring Listening Library's extensive library of children's audio books to the LeapReader^TM platform. Listening Library's audio books are now available for download via LeapFrog's App Center for LeapReader, the new learn to read and write system. 

House to provide children with access to literary favorites including Nate the Great, Arthur and The Magic Tree Houseseries," said Greg Ahearn, chief marketing officer at LeapFrog.  

(PR Web Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Portland, OR (PRWEB) August 13, 2013 Patrick Thompson, founder of Inkstone Mobile and creator of the top-selling eBook and audiobook apps, MegaReader, eBook Search, QuickReader, and Audiobooks HQ has reached a developer milestone- over 5 million app downloads to date. After leaving his corporate Engineering Director position in 2009, Patrick Thompson founded Inkstone Mobile out of a passion for crafting elegant, easy-to-use applications for mobile devices. Four years later, Inkstone Mobile has over 15 eBook and audiobook apps

Random House's science fiction and fantasy online community Suvudu has launched a blogger community called Suvudu Universe. The site is filled with original content about science fiction and fantasy media written by the community of writers.  Writers that are published on the community can earn badges for placement and access to interact with authors. Suvudu will publish appropriate content, but the writer remains the owner of the media. Here is more about the submissions process from the site:

The year 2013 will be known as that in which the current cycle of digital transformation will draw to a close. Those organizations that will execute significant changes to core business functions in order to realize new digital opportunities have already done so, or at least begun. Those that have not begun these changes are unlikely ever to do so.

Random House, Inc., announces the relaunch of TasteBook, the online food community and custom cookbook creation site. As the newest member of the publisher’s consumer websites, TasteBook was acquired by Random House late last year. Since then, TasteBook has undergone a major redesign and change in price structure. The new website features a personalized homepage, which allows members to instantly follow and connect with friends while sharing recipes. The homepage also includes a “Recipe of the Day” feature and “TasteBook Recommendations” that share even more recipe ideas with members. TasteBook also introduces a new price model for custom cookbooks, lowering the price of a 25-page recipe book by 30 percent to $24.95. Additional recipes can be purchased for $.20 each and added to the book at any time.

In this webinar, you will hear about key requirements that need to be addressed for Independent Book Publishers.

Poor old big-name publishers. Stick to your guns by insisting on the value of your traditional, print-centric gatekeeping, and you'll be shunted straight to the top of the endangered species list. Pander to the plebs by putting a fancy cover on fan fiction, and you'll be decried as an opportunist whore who has swapped literary values for trending hashtags. It's enough to make you run screaming out of your Bloomsbury redbrick and set up in a cheap little Hackney warehouse with a bunch of fixie-riding digital natives who can …

AAUP 2013 kicked off yesterday in Boston and continues through Saturday. Among the first day announcements:

-The release of the Digital Book Publishing in the AAUP Community Spring 2013 report: "AAUP has continued to survey its member presses about the extent to which various digital publishing strategies are being adopted within the community. The 2013 Survey updates information gathered annually since 2010. In addition to gathering data about e-book revenue, digital marketing and discovery strategies, and format and channel availability , we also asked respondents to share their opinions about major concerns or hurdles they are facing, and to tell us more about their presses’ e-book goals.

Quirk Books has announced its "Looking for Love" fiction contest and invites writers to submit unpublished novel-length manuscripts containing a love story. The prize is publication by Quirk Books and a $10,000 advance against royalties.