Archive for the ‘ eBooks ’ Category

Going beyond the text: David Baldacci experiments with enriched ebooks

Mar 18 2010

Ever since I became an ebook evangelist I have promoted the idea that ebooks are the perfect platform to offer more than just the text of the novel/short story. What does this mean? An enriched ebook offers a glimpse of a working author in a “behind the scenes” sort of fashion.

While there are any number of ways to enrich an ebook, I always envisioned them with rough drafts (so the reader can see how the story evolved), outlines, interviews, alternate endings and more.

Bestselling novelist David Baldacci has done just that with his new book Deliver Us from Evil (aff link). According to Galley Cat, he’s offering an enriched ebook with a smorgasbord of features including a video tour of his office (I love seeing author’s working spaces), audio Q & A about the book, research material, deleted scenes (including the original ending) and other goodies that will enhance the reading experience.

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Read an E-book Week 2010 is here

Mar 09 2010

I know I’m a little late jumping on the horse here, but this week from March 7-13 is officially Read an E-book Week – meant to promote ebooks to the general public and to celebrate the new era of digital publishing that ebooks have ushered in.

I’ve been reading ebooks for a while now, so I’m already reading an ebook. More specifically, I’m reading Stephen King’s Under the Dome (aff link). It’s the perfect novel to read as an ebook because the hardcover version is heavier than a brick. No way I’m lugging that thing around town with me.

I’ll be posting a review right here on Brad’s Reader when I’m finished with King’s magnum opus.

How are you celebrating Read an E-book Week? What ebook are you reading? Leave a comment below and share your answer!

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Barnes & Noble considers bundling print books and ebooks

Mar 04 2010

The largest book retailer in the United States is making the bold move of considering bundling ebooks and print books. Barnes & Noble, who came out with their own ereader Nook last November, will begin testing the idea within the next few months. This is according to a recent article on Publishers Weekly and the Teleread blog.

I’ve been advocating for this type of bundling for a while now. The obvious advantage is that you can read the print version in the comfort of your own home, and then take the ebook version with you while you’re on the go. This would work especially well with dinosaur-sized books like Stephen King’s Under the Dome (which I’m currently reading as an ebook). If I had bought King’s latest magnum opus as a hardcover, you certainly wouldn’t see me lugging it around so I could read a few pages in the doctor’s office waiting room.

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1 comment - Latest by: Melissa Donovan : I'm a fan of these developments. In terms of bundling, I think it's fair to offer a discounted ebook to ... More

Do most people really care about ebook DRM?

Feb 23 2010

Over the last year I’ve talked to a lot of people with e-readers. A majority of them have the Amazon Kindle, a few Sony Readers and a handful of the new Barnes & Noble Nook. Everyone says the same thing: They love their ebook reader. Those with the Kindle or Nook, which can download ebooks wirelessly tell me that they read a lot more with the e-reader than before.

Surprisingly (at least to me), the one subject that never comes up is DRM. I’ve “educated” a lot of newbies to the world of ebooks about the dangers of DRM, and most simply aren’t that worried about it. Their main concern is ease-of-use. Downloading an ebook via  a wireless network with the touch of a button is quick and easy – instant satisfaction with no tech skills required.

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2 comments - Latest by: Susan : I already spend so much time in front of a computer that I don't see myself ever using an ebook. ... More

Teleread blog sold to North American Publishing Company

Feb 13 2010

Teleread might just be one of the oldest advocate of digital books on the net. David Rothman started Teleread back in 1992, advocating national digital library systems, and has kept it going ever since. The blog reached a new milestone after being sold to North American Publishing Company. The move is a very positive step, not just for Teleread, but for blogs everywhere. It’s one more example of how blogs are mainstream and won’t be going anywhere soon.

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1 comment - Latest by: Missy : Hey, Brad: Great blog you have here. Any word on how much (Teleread) sold to NAPCO for? This is the first ... More

How to stay updated on publishing, ebooks, literature and everything else

Feb 06 2010

I know a lot of my readers on this blog are interested in ebooks, publishing news, self-publishing, writing and so forth. How do you keep up with all these topics without spending all day searching the interwebs. Of course Google is probably the first place you’ll search. But Google has tools that will allow you to stay current on just about any topic without wasting a lot of time.

When I first began Brad’s Reader, my main focus was on literature and writing. Since the world of literature is so big, I needed a way to see all the important bits of news and related blog posts at-a-glance. What did I use? I created a Google Alert using the search term “literary news”.

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Author’s Guild backs Macmillan in feud with Amazon

Feb 02 2010

So far I’ve been silent about the recent feud between Amazon and the publisher Macmillan because there have been so many articles, blog posts, forum comments and other coverage, that I didn’t want to contribute to all the ‘noise.’ However, there is a slightly new development in this story that I do feel it’s worth writing about.

Today the Author’s Guild released a statement that pretty much supports Macmillan in the feud. There’s really nothing surprising about that since the Guild usually supports the large publishers and higher ebook prices. The Author’s Guild believes that if Macmillan succeeds in having more control over ebook prices, it will be good for the industry as a whole:

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2 comments - Latest by: Anna : Seriously, the publishers just want more profit obviously. However, it is never clear whether they are going to channel that ... More

Bad Apple! DRM imposed on new iPad tablet

Jan 28 2010

Oh Apple, how you disappoint me. It appears that the new iBooks app for the newly announced iPad will be bogged down with DRM, making it hard (if not impossible) to share ebooks you buy from Apple. I’ve had a hard time getting specifics, but I found a few reputable blogs posting the same thing.

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Apple unveils new iPad tablet

Jan 27 2010

Did you honestly think I’d go without writing a post about the newest cool gadget from Apple? Don’t worry, I’m not turning Brad’s Reader into a fanboy site, but the iPad has tremendous implications for the world of ebooks. Will it be the long awaited ‘Kindle killer’? I don’t know.

For the last year or so (maybe even longer) there have been rumors that Apple would eventually release a tablet device. That day has come. At first glace, iPad is a beefed up version of the iPhone/iPod Touch. But under the hood the iPad is impressive. I want onto the MacRumors blog and here’s what they had to say:

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4 comments - Latest by: Chanell Sorotzkin : worrying much more about the purchaser. This is the only method that i invest in books anymore. All of the ... More

What can we learn from a book pirate?

Jan 26 2010

Book publishers are still struggling to figure out a way to deal with ebook pirates in a way that will not alienate the average ebook reader. The music industry did a very crappy job of this, and they are paying the price.

In general, the publishers believe that ebooks strip sales from print books (of course, print books are more expensive) and that ebooks are so easy to pirate, they need to be loaded with draconian DRM to protect the financial interests of the publishing company and the author.

I think that these publishers are deluding themselves. Ebooks can help drive sales of print books and ebooks, in the end, are more profitable because of the ‘infinite supply’ theory. Furthermore, DRM has done little to stop pirates. DRM only serves to keep honest readers from buying an ebook.

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1 comment - Latest by: Tom | Build That List : I was talking to the pastor of my church about turning his published books into ebooks, but he said to ... More


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