Elsevier has become the latest publisher to partner with Vancouver start-up BitLit to offer discounted ebook editions of a part of its book catalog. “And one of the exciting things is that Elsevier is going DRM-free on the bundling,” BitLit co-founder Peter Hudson (pictured) tells The Bookseller. “Not even watermarking. So Elsevier becomes one of the big three… Read More
BitLit has data you thought you'd lost — on its 'shelfies'
“They really are the Big Five. They’re not just saying that. They really are.” Peter Hudson cracks up as he says this. He’s the co-founder with Marius Muja of the still-young Vancouver-based start-up BitLit. As we report today at The Bookseller, the company has just announced a major new partnership with Elsevier for some 5,000 science… Read More
The FutureBook's Big Idea for the 'Ethical Author'
Presenting ‘The Ethical Author Code’ — for writers of all stripes. Among Big Idea proposals in The FutureBook’s (#FutureBook14) final session of the day on Friday in London, Orna Ross’ presentation of the “Ethical Author” programme is the one that may trigger the most controversy among writers. Offered as “an author programme facilitated by the Alliance… Read More
Richard Nash on Blurb's 'Dream Team'
“To help connect writers…with all the institutional stuff” We need some kind of system to help connect aspiring writers — writers who for one reason for another operate outside the traditional publishing structure, by choice or necessity — with all the institutional stuff, with all these people who used to have day jobs… Read More
#PorterMeets Alastair Nash: 'Barriers falling'
Alastair Nash is among featured speakers who will bring especially astute messages to publishing from other, nearby sectors on Friday (14th November) in Europe’s busiest publishing conference, The FutureBook , at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in Westminster. Bookings will close Tuesday the 11th, so hurry to secure your seat. We are fond of… Read More
George Berkowski's FutureBook Conference podium warmer
The Bookseller’s The FutureBook 2014 Conference programme on 14th November promises to have the widest scope and most inquisitive bent yet, in terms of signalling digital directions ahead. Keynote commentary will come from not only from author and entrepreneur George Berkowski, but also from WGSN’s Carla Buzasi, and — in conversation with Philip Jones — Penguin Random House’s Tom… Read More
"Influenced by people": Tumblr & Mozilla at #FutureBook14
“It’s about how people collaborate, how people meet each other…” When Jennie Rose Halperin joins theFutureBook Conference’s Changing Technology panel, she’ll be carrying a message from Mozilla that echoes that of Tumblr’s Rachel Fershleiser on #futurebook14’s Long-Term Role of Social Media panel: Think community. “For us, the emphasis is on community and creativity,” Tumblr’s Fershleiser says. “We’re the place… Read More
Are we still not 'prepared' for digital progress?
Three signal keynote addresses open The FutureBook Conference in two weeks, from : George Berkowski, author of How to Build a Billion Dollar App: Discover the Secrets of the Most Successful Entrepreneurs of Our Time Carla Buzasi, Global Chief Content Officer with WGSN Tom Weldon, CEO, Penguin Random House UK in conversation with Bookseller Editor… Read More
Not exclusively about exclusivity: Kindle Unlimited
With subscriptions at the center of last Friday’s #FutureChat — and Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited (KU) in particular — it’s worth noting how pleased we are that both Justo Hidalgo of Spain’s 24Symbols and (tentatively) Eric Briys of France’s Cyberlibris will join us on 14th November in London for The FutureBook (#FutureBook14), Europe’s largest publishing conference, at the… Read More
Is Amazon KU exclusivity a velvet barrier for authors?
It “might be a possibility” at some point that Amazon would consider changing the the Kindle Unlimited (KU) subscription programme’s exclusivity requirement for independent authors, according to Daniel Slater, Amazon Independent Publishing principal. He spoke Thursday (22nd October) on a panel discussion at the 25th anniversary national conference (#ninc14) of Novelists Inc., in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Slater was… Read More