Around The Bookish World: Week-In-Review

Welcome to this week’s news post – In this edition we have news on the sad passing of author, Iain M. Banks, a very cute story of a pig in a wheelchair and his book deal plus more!

This week started off with the sad announcement of Sci Fi novelist, Iain M. Banks who died of cancer. He announced he had the disease earlier this year and stated he wouldn’t live out the rest of the year. His last book - The Quarry is slated for release in a few weeks time and which also has a character having cancer. Friends and fans can leave a message of condolences at his website. 

Apple has announced ibooks for the Mac. I am surprised this wasn’t available before or for apps for other platforms like Android or Windows which Amazon and Kobo have  on offer for their customers. This is part of the new …

Around the Bookish World: Week-In-Review

Welcome to this week’s news post! I apologise for the lack of  a post last week, but I was battling issues with my computer and a bad cold.  But no fear! In this this week’s edition which is full of spats between Simon and Schuster and Barnes and Noble which seems to be getting worse, Sexism in the SFWA and more news!

First up, it looks like the disagreement  between Simon and Schuster and Barnes and Noble is not going to end anytime soon, and in fact looks like its becoming worse. I saw via Twitter and a few blog posts this week that authors have complained that their books are not listed on the B&N site or shelved at their stores as well. This is harming both companies as S&S has basically lost the support one of the largest booksellers in the country and vice versa for …

Around The Bookish World: Week-In-Review

Welcome to this week’s news post! In this week’s edition we have news of Amazon’s launch into licensing fanfiction with Alloy Entertainment,   and more author and book news!

With the recent successes of pulled to publish fanfiction like 50 Shades of Grey and Gabriel’s Inferno, has certainly helped paved the way. But Amazon has now joined forces with Alloy Entertainment, a book packager who is behind popular franchises like The Vampire Diaries, Gossip Girls and Pretty Little Liars. Fanfic writers who have written stories based in these worlds belonging to Alloy Entertainment which is a subsidiary of Warner brothers, are invited to submit to sell their works via a license which Amazon and will be sold under an imprint called Kindle Worlds. Unlike the KDP programme which allows authors up to 70% of royalties, fanficcers can only get around 35% for each story sold. There is also restrictions …

Around The Bookish World: Week-In-Review

Welcome to this week’s news post and once again we have another author meltdown but this time over their struggles for their art and selling out, Amazon moving into their own currency and more publishing and book updates.

Amazon is back in the news with their recent announcement that they will be launching a digital currency to purchase apps in the Kindle Fire platform.  The more customers purchase and use Amazon Coins for buying apps the more discounts they will get and Amazon is enticing their customers with a free 500 coins offer for all customers in the US which comes up to $5 for those who buy games, movies or apps.

And talking about Amazon, I reported a few months ago that there was problems with their warehouses due to a security firm who were bullying  and throwing racist abuse at workers in Germany. Well it looks like there …

Around the Bookish World: Week-In-Review

Welcome to this week’s news post! This week have news that could shake up DRM in the future with legislation that could allow unlocking in the US, Candace Bushnell’s latest book leaked online due to her email account being hacked into and more news and tidbits.

This is really interesting to note that there is an amendement in Congress right now for the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright ACT) that proposes  users to unlock devices and software from DRM restrictions for their personal use.  This could potentially affect the future of DRM especially for ebooks and with Tor and a few other major publishers starting to lean towards to offer non DRM books for certain imprints. I suspect this is the beginning of the end of DRM for ebooks which hasn’t really affected the state of piracy and Tor recently announced that their move to non DRM ebooks hasn’t caused a spike …

Around the Bookish World: Week-In-Review

Welcome to this week’s news post and  in this edition we have an epic authors behaving badly, Penguin facing another lawsuit, as well as our usual author updates and publishing news!

Anne Rice is no stranger to dramallamas on the internet, in fact I think there should be a special entry for her because when she’s in the midst of one they are truly epic. Last week a blogger called Miss Articulate who felt that Rice’s Pandora wasn’t that impressive and turned it into book art because the book was falling apart and it was an old copy. Anne Rice on her facebook page linked to the blog post and all hell broke loose. I liked how Miss Articulate fared with the critical onslaught and a few of Rice’s fans were disgusted by the attacks too and the fact that she made the book into art fares better than what I’ve heard …

Around The Bookish World: Week-In-Review

Welcome to this week’s news post! In this edition we have news on more on the Agency DOJ trial with Penguin and Apple in the US, Avon starting up a site where authors can share their romance books to readers for feedback and more news in the world of publishing!

First up, I reported a few weeks ago that Penguin would probably settle in the EU over Agency pricing however in the US – Judge Coates has denied the right of a jury trial which may affect Penguin in dropping their case and settling instead. And like the other publishers Penguin will have to offer compensation to customers who were caught up in buying their agency priced books. It is not clear if Apple will relent as well but the trial will start on June the 3rd.

Avon Romance has created a site called Share Your Book which allows readers to …

Around the Bookish World: Week-In-Review

Welcome to this week’s news post! We have news on Kobo’s new ereader device, Penguin may relent on Agency pricing in the EU as well as book and author news!

Amongst the heels of the Sony rumoured new ereader – Kobo has launched a new ereader model called the Kobo Aura, which is bigger than their previous readers. It also boasts a HD e-ink screen which produces sharper and crisper resolution and no glare. It also has an SD slot which adds additional storage to the 4 gig memory and it is claimed the glow-lighting tech is much better than the Kobo’s Glo and the Paperwhite. I think with a 6.8 inch screen it will be a perfect device to read mangas and comics especially with the crisper and HD quality e-ink.  It is available for order right now and the price range is around $170/£130 – for more details and …

Around The Bookish World: Week-In-Review

Welcome to this week’s edition of our news in the Bookish world. For this week we have news from upcoming movie and tv adaptations, Books on Board closing their doors for the time being, and Romantic Times award winners and much more news!

First up, a heads-up for those who have bought and have ebooks on their shelves at Books at Board, last Sunday, they announced they are temporarily closing and re-structuring due to financial issues because of changes stemming from Agency pricing which has harmed their sales. This is a huge shame because Books on Board use to be my go place to get ebooks when I first adopted an ereader but this will allow more customers to choose from the bigger sites like Amazon or Kobo and we as readers and publishers need more indies selling because it helps with competition. There is also an irony that Books on Board …

Around The Bookish World: Week-in-Review

 I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend  and welcome to this week’s edition of Bookish news! This week we have news about another struggling publisher which may go bankrupt, sad news concerning SF writer Iain Banks and much more author and book news!

Another year and another publisher heading into trouble, this time it is Night Shade books which primarily publishes science fiction and fantasy titles. This week they announced they will be selling to Start Publishing and Skyhorse Publishing but this hasn’t gone down well with their authors who are understandably upset and irked by the mismanagement of the publisher. This  has led to the SFWA to state to its members who are signed with Night Shade to let them go under Chapter 7 bankruptancy instead of agreeing to this potential sale which will allow them to regain their rights or another body like Amazon if they are interested in purchasing …