Friday, September 14, 2012

Industry News - In Store Printing, Smartphones and Publishers, Self-publishing - and Friday Inspirational Photos

Some interesting news in the publishing industry-

Several companies have joined together for in-store book printing:

From Book Business:

“Eastman Kodak, On Demand Books, and ReaderLink announced they have partnered to revolutionize the way all types of printed books will be marketed, sold and produced at point of sale. The venture brings On Demand Books’ Espresso Book Machine to national retailers integrated with Kodak Picture Kiosks, giving consumers a full-service, digital-to-print media center for all their custom print needs—from photo books, custom/local self-published titles, to educational supplements, and more.”


Now that half of the US owns smartphones, is it opening the way for publishers?

From Digital Book World:

“According to a new study, 45% of all U.S. adults now own a smartphone, about double the proportion that own dedicated e-readers or tablet computers, currently making smartphones the most common mobile e-reading devices.”

“With fewer e-book buyers gravitating toward dedicated e-readers as their reading device of choice, tablets, smartphones and other e-reading venues will become more important for publishers to pay attention to.”


Penguin Group recently purchased Author Solutions Inc., whose revenue last year was $100 million. While self-publishing is on the rise, those authors still face great challenges.

From The Atlantic:

“By adding Author Solutions, with revenues last year said to be about $100 million, to such pedigreed Penguin names as Viking, Penguin Classics, Putnam, and Dutton, the concept of self-publishing has moved away from what was always known as "vanity publishing." While these authors are still mainly paying to see their works turned into finished print or e-books, they are no longer consigned just to the margins of the marketplace.”

“A thorough assessment of self-publishing by Alan Finder in the New York Times recently observed these benefits: "Digital publishing and print on demand have significantly reduced the cost of producing a book. ... Writers who self-publish are more likely to be able to control the rights to their books, set their books' sale price and keep a larger proportion of the sales." But he added this unassailable qualification: "Most self-published books sell fewer than 100 or 150 copies, many authors and self-publishing company executives say."’

What do you think of today’s news?

And your Friday inspirational photos:

Boing!

One Drop...


19 comments:

Stina said...

Love the photos.

One of the advantages of using my iPod Touch as a e-reader is that I can buy books from Kobo, Kindle, and iBooks (can't download the app for Nook, which is a pain since I have a gift card for B&N that I won at the RWA nationals--and I live in Canada. No B&N here). This means I not locked in to one ebook retailer. Competition is still alive. :D

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Still glad I have an iPad because the text would be way too small on an iPhone for me.
Cool photos!

Jennifer Shirk said...

Hmmm...that last was particularly interesting.

I don't have a smartphone yet, but soon... I can totally see using one to read, especially if you're waiting to pick up your child from a sports practice and whatnot. YOu can read a few pages here and there whereever you are.

Jennifer Shirk said...

Hmmm...that last was particularly interesting.

I don't have a smartphone yet, but soon... I can totally see using one to read, especially if you're waiting to pick up your child from a sports practice and whatnot. YOu can read a few pages here and there whereever you are.

LD Masterson said...

I am such a dinosaur. But I like my little flip phone and I carry a paperback book with me to read when I have a few minutes to wait on something.

Thanks for the info. I know I'm going to have to break down and change.

Bish Denham said...

No smartphone yet. I think ebooks are a great invention, though I didn't start out thinking that way. And, I don't think print books will every go completely away. That said, the more outlets an author has, the better.

Love the second picture. Beautiful.

Arlee Bird said...

A few months ago I watched some videos about the in-store printing devices. Pretty amazing. I don't know if the books look as good in real life as they did in the demos, but the concept is incredible.

Yet the e-reader trend threatens to make all hard copy printing obsolete. Things keep changing so fast that new trends are almost old news once they reach the general market place.

I'll probably be ready to buy a smartphone when they start getting replaced by the next new technology and I'll still be reading books I have sitting around my house now.


Lee
Tossing It Out

Jai Joshi said...

This is brilliant news for self-publishing! Bring it on and upwards, I say! The in-store book printing in particular threw me as a brilliant way to reduce costs and increase demand.

Jai

Anonymous said...

I wish we could get one of these for our customers at www.rapidcolor.com

Johanna Garth said...

I've tried to read books on my phone and my finger gets tired from all the page turning!

Jemi Fraser said...

I don't have a smart phone and I'm almost the only one I know who doesn't own one! :)

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

That was interesting to read as I have an Iphone and Ipod.
Loved the pics.

Yvonne.

Talli Roland said...

I have a smartphone - Android - and I do read books on it, but I prefer my Kindle. Interesting news!

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Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

I've heard about the print on demand booths coming soon.
Like the one drop making a big splash.

Michelle Wallace said...

Very interesting news, especially the comments on self publishing in the last article. Loved the little drop!!

Michelle Wallace said...

Very interesting news, especially the comments on self publishing in the last article. Loved the little drop!!

Anonymous said...

Graet photos.
I have a smartphone but it's not linked up to internet. I definitely want an ereader as I get neck and shoulder ache from using the computer too long.

Sherry Ellis said...

This is all very interesting. I don't think I'd want to read a book on a smart phone, though. The text would be too small.

I love your pictures!