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Digital Downloads Jumped 26% In 2011, Led By E-Books

Feb 9, 2012 4:02 PM

Users are downloading more e-books, music, TV shows and movies than ever: Digital content and subscriptions were the fastest-growing retail e-commerce category in 2011, according to a new ComScore (NSDQ: SCOR) report.

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Posted In: E-Commerce, Gadgets, Tablets, Media & Publishing, Books, e-books, comscore

Indie Booksellers All Yanking Amazon Titles? Not Exactly

Feb 9, 2012 1:17 PM

It would be dramatic to say that independent booksellers nationwide are boycotting Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN) Publishing titles en masse—and hey, it could still happen. But a new decision from the American Booksellers Association’s IndieCommerce—which comes as bookstore chains Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million and Indigo are making similar decisions—is not so…

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Posted In: E-Commerce, Media & Publishing, Books, e-books, e-readers, Companies, Amazon, Kindle, american booksellers association, indiebound, matt supko

Beloved Librarian Who Signed With Amazon: ‘The Vehemence Surprised Me’

Feb 9, 2012 8:35 AM

Nancy Pearl, the famous librarian (and action figure!) who recently partnered with Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN) to republish a handful of out-of-print titles each year, tells the New York Times and Seattle Times that based on the reaction she’s received it’s a “hard question” whether she’d do it again.

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Posted In: Media & Publishing, Books, e-books, Companies, Amazon, Kindle, nancy pearl

Another Tech Blogger Launches An E-Book Venture

Feb 7, 2012 10:23 AM

Does three make a trend? In recent months, both former Gawker editor Emily Gould and GigaOm’s Michael Wolf launched their own e-book ventures. Now Lifehacker editor Jason Chen has left Gawker Media to launch an e-bookstore of his own, StoryBundle.

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Posted In: Media & Publishing, Books, e-books, emily gould, gawker, gigaom, jason chen, lifehacker, michael wolf, storybundle

Kindle Touch Now Shipping Abroad—But Not To UK/Germany/Spain/France/Italy

Feb 6, 2012 1:27 PM

The Kindle Touch WiFi is now available in some additional countries, but not the biggest international e-reading markets that already have their own Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN) sites.

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Posted In: Media & Publishing, Books, e-books, e-readers, Companies, Amazon, Kindle, Countries, Europe, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, kindle touch

Why Some Book Buyers Are Increasingly Resistant To E-Readers

Feb 1, 2012 9:19 AM

Book marketing firm Verso Advertising recently found that over half of book buyers say they are “not at all likely” to purchase an e-reader in the next 12 months—up from 40 percent in 2009. Why?

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Posted In: Media & Publishing, Books, e-books, e-readers, Kids & Teen Content, denise berthiaume, jack mckeown, verso

Earnings
Amazon Misses Estimates: Q4 Earnings Down 58 Percent

Jan 31, 2012 4:08 PM

Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN) disappointed investors by reporting Q4 2011 revenues of $17.4 billion this afternoon, up 35 percent from a year ago but missing analyst estimates. Net income slid to $177 million on earnings of $0.38 per share, down 58 percent from this time last year, and shares were down…

EPS* Rev. vs Q410 Net Inc. vs Q410
AMZN Release Missed Analysts' Estimates Revenue Indicator 34.6% Net Income Indicator 57.5%
* vs. Analysts' Estimates: Beat Analysts' Estimates Beat Met Analysts' Estimates Met Missed Analysts' Estimates Missed
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Posted In: Gadgets, Tablets, Media & Publishing, Books, e-books, e-readers, Money, Earnings, Companies, Amazon, Kindle, kindle fire

Study: As E-Readers Increase, So Does Resistance

Jan 31, 2012 11:52 AM

E-reader usage is growing beyond a group of early adopters, but new stats suggest that consumers are also increasingly resistant to buying an e-reader.

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Posted In: Gadgets, Tablets, Media & Publishing, Books, e-books, e-readers, dbw12, verso

Reports: Barnes & Noble Partnership With Waterstones; New Nook

Jan 30, 2012 8:31 AM

Two separate reports published this weekend suggest that Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS) is close to a partnership with UK bookstore chain Waterstones and, perhaps separately, will release a new Nook this spring.

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Posted In: Media & Publishing, Books, e-books, e-readers, Companies, Barnes & Noble, Nook, Countries, Europe, UK, waterstones

Can A Streaming Audiobooks Service Work?

Jan 27, 2012 8:50 AM

Audiobooks.com, a cloud-based streaming audio service for iOS and Android, launches this week as a would-be competitor to the Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN) owned-Audible.com. Considering how many people listen to audiobooks while they are in transit, though, is a streaming service actually a workable solution?

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Posted In: Apps, Media & Publishing, Books, Companies, Amazon, Audible, audiobooks, ian small, simply audiobooks

Amazon: Early Data Shows Kindle Owners’ Lending Library Increases Sales

Jan 25, 2012 6:37 PM

Amazon’s early data from the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, which allows Amazon (NSDQ: AMZN) prime members who are also Kindle owners to borrow one free e-book per month, “suggests the possibility of an increase in customer purchasing,” Kindle content VP Russ Grandinetti said at Digital Book World today.

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Posted In: Media & Publishing, Books, e-books, e-readers, Companies, Amazon, Kindle, dbw12, evan schnittman, michael cader, russ grandinetti

iBooks 2 Is ‘A Huge Missed Opportunity’, Publisher’s Developer Says

Jan 25, 2012 3:19 PM

Apple’s new big play for the education textbook market is a big letdown, according to a developer for one of the leading interactive kids’ education books publishers.

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Posted In: Media & Publishing, Books, e-books, Companies, Apple, ibooks

E-Book Bummer: Growth Slower Than Thought—‘Incremental, Not Exponential’

Jan 24, 2012 12:10 PM

Last year was widely perceived to be a year of outrageous e-book growth, but some new research suggests otherwise. According to new data from Bowker and the Book Industry Study Group, the number of book buyers who also purchased an e-book increased by 17 percent in 2011, compared to 9…

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Posted In: Media & Publishing, Books, e-books, e-readers, bisg, bowker, dbw12, kelly gallagher

Sesame Street’s Digital Transition: Apps For The Juicebox Set

Jan 23, 2012 4:32 PM

While most children, like their parents, still encounter Sesame Street primarily on their TV, the 43-year-old nonprofit brand now attracts 16.5 million kids and parents across its digital platforms every quarter. 35 percent of children ages 0 through 8 now experience Sesame Street exclusively on non-TV platforms, and 85 percent…

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Posted In: Apps, Gadgets, Tablets, Media & Publishing, Books, e-books, Kids & Teen Content, Companies, Apple, iPad, dbw12, jennifer perry, preschool, sesame street, sesame workshop

New Stats: Kids Find E-Books ‘Fun And Cool,’ But Teens Are Still Reluctant

Jan 23, 2012 11:27 AM

The children’s and young adult e-book market faces special challenges not shared by the adult market, new research shows. And teens are slow to adopt e-books, in part because they do not see e-books as a social technology and they think there are too many restrictions on sharing digital titles.

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Posted In: Media & Publishing, Books, e-books, e-readers, Kids & Teen Content, bowker

Research: Professionals With iPads Are Deserting Printed Media

Jan 20, 2012 7:23 AM

Stark new research statistics suggest digital replacement of analogue content is now very high amongst tablet owners.

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Posted In: Media & Publishing, Books, Newspapers, Research & Metrics, Research, Companies, Apple, iPad

Penguin’s DK: Goodbye Books, Hello ‘Flat’ Content. Make Once, Use Anywhere

Jan 18, 2012 9:50 AM

Dorling Kindersley, the division of Penguin that publishes children, travel and reference titles, made a strong case for how it is moving to a “flat” content model, where a printed book is only one of many output options. The digital publisher of DK also said that companies like his need…

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Posted In: Apps, E-Commerce, Travel, Media & Publishing, Books, e-books, Companies, Amazon, Kindle, Apple, iPad, iPhone, Google, Android, Pearson, dk, dorling kindersley, peter buckley

Did Self-Publishing Hype Hit Its Peak In 2011?

Jan 17, 2012 1:29 PM

The average price of a self-published Kindle top-100 bestseller continues to drop, but a new look at these titles’ performance in 2011 suggests these books are facing increased competition from traditional publishers.

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Posted In: Media & Publishing, Books, e-books, e-readers, Companies, Amazon, Kindle, piotr kowalczyk, self-publishing

Kindle Startup Focuses On Interactive Fiction For Adults

Jan 17, 2012 8:00 AM

Coliloquy, a Palo Alto-based publisher focusing on interactive fiction for adults, launches its first four serial titles today on Kindle. The books are active content apps, rather than static e-book files—allowing for multiple story lines, personalized content, in-book reader/author engagement and the delivery of prompts and extras. The company’s founders…

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Posted In: Apps, Entertainment, Games, Media & Publishing, Books, e-books, e-readers, Kids & Teen Content, Women-Centric Content, Companies, Amazon, Kindle, coliloquy, kindle developer program for active content, lisa rutherford, startups, twofish, waynn lue

Report: Apple’s Education News Could Be A Textbook Example Of Its Growth

Jan 17, 2012 6:46 AM

As Thursday approaches, more details (or rumors) are leaking out about what Apple’s education announcement will entail: opinion appears to be coalescing around a new interactive service for textbooks on Apple’s iPad tablet device.

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Posted In: Apps, Gadgets, Media & Publishing, Books, e-books, e-readers, Kids & Teen Content, Companies, Apple, iPad, iPhone, Pearson, houghton mifflin harcourt, ibookstore, mcgraw-hill

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