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Historical Romance #eBook Sales Trending at #BooksOnBoard #FED_ebooks #Author #Romance RT

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Historical Romance eBook Sales Trending at BooksOnBoard

 WEBWIRE – Tuesday, April 24, 2012

 

“At BooksOnBoard, 2012 is shaping up to be the Year of the Historical Romance,” stated Nathan Johnson, BooksOnBoard’s Director of Operations. “Sophisticated romance readers appreciate the specialized knowledge that authors must develop to write period content with accuracy, and 2012 has had, and will continue to have, a lot in that line to offer.”

Historical romance has seen significant growth and variation since the early days of Georgette Heyer, who is arguably the founder of the genre, and, more specifically, of the Regency subgenre. “The most noticeable of the genre’s recent developments is the historical/paranormal and historical/fantasy crossover,” Johnson added. There is some debate as to whether crossovers qualify as true historical romance, but the popularity of both is undisputed. “Even if traditional historical romance fans do not consider crossover titles to be true members of the genre, plenty of readers are stating with the Buy Now button that historical romance crossovers are worth the attention,” Johnson said.

Historical romance crossovers are doing better than ever. “2010 saw a flurry of activity as more and more historical romance authors began to weave elements of paranormal or fantasy into their Victorian and Regency settings,” said Bob LiVolsi, founder and CEO of BooksOnBoard. “Now, the many crossover series that debuted in 2010 have matured in plot, character, and—more significantly for the crossover subgenre itself—style.”

Lydia Dare—the nom de plume of writing duo Tammy Falkner and Ava Stone—started turning heads in 2010 with the arrival of the Westfield Wolves series, which adds a powerful family of werewolves to the social landscape of Regency England. Two years later, Dare has returned to release The Wolf Who Loved Me, a title that has been making its presence known on BooksOnBoard’s Bestsellers List since its release earlier this month.

Dare isn’t the only name in historical romance commanding attention right now, however. Jennifer Ashley (The Duke’s Perfect Wife), Tessa Dare (A Week to Be Wicked), and Miranda Neville (Confessions from an Arranged Marriage) have become some of BooksOnBoard’s most successful authors in recent weeks. Still others are enjoying success even days before their new romance titles hit the shelves: Mary Jo Putney (No Longer a Gentleman) and Amanda Quick (Crystal Gardens, a paranormal crossover) are already approaching BooksOnBoard’s top ten.

“Readers seem to be demanding more from historical romance authors,” LiVolsi noted. “Authenticity, complexity, and originality are the hallmarks of success at BooksOnBoard.” Readers of traditional historical romance or historical romance crossovers may choose to agree or disagree over the labels applied to their favorite genres, but according to LiVolsi, one thing seems clear: “This year, authors are delivering on such a scale as has never been seen before.”

BooksOnBoard is the largest independent online retailer of eBooks, with an inventory of approximately 500,000 unique titles.

First Edition Design Publishing, the industry’s largest distributor of eBooks, submits titles to BooksOnBoard and to over 100,000 other distribution points and booksellers in more than 100 countries.

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Half of all pupils will use #eBooks in two years #FED_ebooks #Author #Android #Apple

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HALF of all pupils starting secondary school in two years’ time will be using eBooks as the classroom goes digital, writes Breda Heffernan.

Book publishers Folens yesterday unveiled its first range of eBooks which will

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Apple's iPad

be available to download by students on all digital platforms, including Android, Apple and Windows.

The Folens App, which is free to download, will have 26 Junior Cert and 16 Leaving Cert titles which will be available to buy in June. More books will be added on an on-going basis and trial chapters are now available for downloading.

The eBooks will be on average 15 to 20pc cheaper to purchase than traditional textbooks.

However, Folens said this reduction could be more if the Government closed a loophole whereby textbooks were exempt from VAT but digital education material was not.

The publisher said the new app was developed following demand from parents, teachers and students and after a pilot study carried out last year in a selection of schools received a great response.

Irish Independent ~ April 24. 2012

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New #Sony #eBook Store #FED_ebooks #author

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Source: http://www.computeractive.co.uk

Sony launches ebook reader store

Sony’s Reader Store UK ebook website has been launched offering a range of books in the epub format.

First Edition Design eBook PublishingThe company said that ebooks on the Sony Reader Store site range from new authors to best sellers and classics and can be read on a wide range of devices, including Mac, PC and Android tablets as well as the Sony Reader.

People can download an app at the Reader Store or from Android’s Google Play or access the site directly using Sony’s Reader with Wifi. As well as books, some of which are free, customers can download newspapers.

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eBooks: Men Lie, Numbers Don’t #FED_ebooks #ebooks #author #writer

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How the eBook Revived Our Love for Literature

Source: http://www.literacynews.com

By: Tahar Rajab

It seems as if a very silent revolution is transpiring before our very eyes. To witness it unfold, one needs to simply look up the next time they’re seated on a train. That is if their attention isn’t already occupied by a piece of wonderful literature of course. You see, Great Britain is being transformed into a book reading nation and – if stats are anything to go by – it’s all thanks to the eBook.

Men lie, numbers don’t. Therefore, the statistics behind eBook and First Edition Design eBook Publishinghardcover books, along with reading preferences amongst the younger generation, is telling. EBook sales grew by a whopping 177% last year, with 53% of those who bought eBook readers proclaiming that they now read more books than they ever did before.

Perhaps the most crucial statistic however, lies within 50% of kids saying they want to read an eBook, with one third claiming they would read more with eBooks. Now as previously mentioned, ‘men lie, numbers don’t’, and so on that understanding (and after replacing ‘men’ with ‘kids’ of course), it may very be that these children wouldn’t read more with eBooks and are generally simply fibbing about their desire to read an electronic book. However, as such stats are all we have to go by, one would be correct in assuming that the upcoming generation is one with a rekindled (no pun intended) literature love affair.

Why?

The eBook has transformed lives and the way we approach literature. How it has done so, is really quite simple. Having the capability to do something spurs desire for it to be done. This is the case with the eBook, which by providing users with potentially hundreds of different titles to choose from in one device, stimulates the will to read.

Another reason can be found in the enormous gulf that once existed between books and technology. This can be better explained as a gap between the young and the old; between a generation that grew up with literature as a leading form of entertainment, to one that found leisure in technological advances, such as CD or mp3 players and handheld game consoles. With literature now being available on the latest technological handheld devices, this chasm is no longer, and both sides are now merged together.

Is All Rosy?

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eBooks are outpacing print books

However, perhaps there is a detrimental side effect to the rise in eBook popularity. For every 100 hardcover books sold by Amazon, the website flogs 143 eBooks. EBooks are thus seemingly replacing hardcover works and Open PDFs replacing paper pages. This could result in a weaker emotional bond between readers and pieces of literature. It happened with music. The ability to contain mass amounts of music on mp3 devices, hindered the attachment listeners once felt to the music through a physical representation, like a CD. Literature lovers of my generation will surely agree with the logic that a hardcover book, with its fresh smell and untouched pages, brought with it an inexplicably affectionate sensation. That feeling cannot be reciprocated with eBooks.

After Considerable Thought

The renewed love for literature is most certainly a good thing and an unsung positive association with the upcoming generation. However, whether an eBook is a better source for written material is a completely different debate. Perhaps the whole idea of requiring an emotional bond with a book is rather illogical and ignorant of the fact that such bonds are made while reading the actual text, not by holding the work in one’s hand. However, whether reading off a screen is healthier for the eyes and brain is also a matter that needs conclusive research (much has been analysed though, at the moment; the results of different studies are contradictory). Thus for the moment, the conclusion is that due to things still being fresh and findings being inconclusive, further results are awaited in order to form a sound conclusion. You might need to re-read that last sentence several times, and maybe even print it off into paper form to understand it!

About the author: Tahar Rajab is a British freelance writer with a philosophical outlook

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eBooks Help the Environment #FED_ebooks #ebooks #Author #environment Pls RT

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eBooks Help the Environment One Download at a Time

Posted by Brian Clark Howard of National Geographic News

newswatch.nationalgeographic.com

By Allen Tellis

Sales of eBooks went up 164 percent from 2009 to 2010. eBooks, which include digital newspapers, books, blogs, or journal articles, can be readily downloaded right to a computer or mobile device.

eBooks had an 8 percent share of the book market in 2010, which rose to 15 percent by 2011. It is expected that in 2012, the market share of digital books will be around 20 percent. By 2025, eBooks are forecasted to comprise around 75 percent of the market.

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It's all about Mother Earth

The steady rise of eBooks should benefit the environment by reducing use of paper and ink, and by slashing transportation, warehouse, and shelf-space impacts.

The printed book not only uses paper, but also requires a lot of water and energy. There are also other environmental impacts when storing and shipping physical books. eReaders use resources, of course, but by displaying many books and newspapers, their overall footprint is lower.

The amount of paper used for books in one year was estimated at 1.5 million metric tons, and each book produced gave off an estimated 8.85 pounds of carbon dioxide. Study groups have found that the carbon released from eBooks is offset after people read more than 14 eBooks. For the life cycle of a device for reading books, the carbon emitted is offset after the first year. The savings in carbon emitted into the air is around 168 kilograms for the following years after the first year of use.

An avid reader, who will read more than 10 books a year, should consider buying a device and download ebooks to benefit our environment. Some eReaders will allow you to search the Web and answer e-mails, as well as read all the books you desire. Using a reading device could bring down a person’s overall carbon footprint.

The prediction is that eBooks will eventually take over the printed word completely. Going paperless has been a long-time goal, though we still have a ways to go.

We also need to make more progress in recycling spent tablets and eReaders.

It’s also true that one potential downside of the eBook revolution is the decline of local bookstores. But a number of other factors are also at play, including rising rents, competition from big box stores and major online retailers, and changing consumer habits.

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Atlanta area libraries embracing ebooks #FED_ebooks #ebooks #Author #Library

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Source: www.examiner.com

By: Rick Limpert, Atlanta Gadgets Examiner

From Fulton to Cobb, libraries in and around Metro Atlanta are now offering ebooks, and library patrons couldn’t be more excited.

The number of ebooks being checked out of public libraries is doubling every six months, one recent survey stated.

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Apple's iPad

Ebook reader sales took off late in 2011 with the help of Amazon’s Kindle line, the Nook which is offered by Barnes & Noble, and the fact that more and more people are now iPad owners.

Cobb’s number of “unique library card users” checking out e-books jumped by almost 31 percent from November to December. Public demand was so great that Dekalb’s Public Library system paid $10,000 out of its budget to begin offering e-books in December. This was tough to do, but it had to be done to stay current.

While ebooks account for a fraction of the total books checked out of libraries each month, the number is growing and public library systems are adding more titles by the day.

And current best sellers are in most demand. The most checked out e-book in Cobb County last year was “2nd Chance” by James Patterson. His releases are so popular that there is often a waiting ist for his thrillers.

Book publishers are also aware of the trends and are not releasing some titles to libraries as they feel it is cutting into book sales and their profits. “If you look at the list of the Top 100 [ranked] books on Amazon, libraries may only have access to about 20 of them to buy,” says Scott Smith of the DeKalb public library system.

In the long run, ebooks should help libraries with their bottom line. Library website visits are up and that means less time waiting in line to check out books, and less tasks for librarians to do on a daily basis.

Residents of Gwinnett have really taken to ebooks. The Gwinnett Library website is so easy to navigate and they’ve also improved the “search” feature when it comes to ebooks to make life easier for customers.

Yes, there are issues with lending out ebooks from libraries, but like anything else, once the technology is embraced by all involved and the kinks can be worked out, this is how most of us will be getting out books in the future.

We all need to read more and whether you desire ebooks or still like turning pages of paper books, you should visit your local library and get reading.

Rick Limpert, Atlanta Gadgets Examiner

Rick C. Limpert is a freelance writer and columnist in Atlanta. He’s a writer and photographer who has covered technology, sports, and events all over the world. His works have been featured in numerous print and online publications.


Public Libraries Expect Change, Focus on Ebooks #FED_ebooks #library #Author #ebooks

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From: lj.libraryjournal.com  By Meredith Schwartz

U.S. Public Libraries: A Snapshot of Priorities & Perspectives, based on a First Edition Design eBook Publishingsurvey conducted by OCLC, found that most public library staff anticipate that the top reason patrons are using their library will change in five years, though most of those think the change will be modest. Today, however, borrowing books and materials remain the top reason patrons use the library, at 62 percent, followed by technology at 33 percent, according to the report published on March 21.

Perhaps because it combines the two, most public library staff are focusing on e-books as one of their three top priorities, along with ensuring internet access and demonstrating value to funders. Public library staff expect both physical and online use of the library to increase, though growth of online use received a whopping 85 percent vote of confidence, compared to the narrow 55 percent majority of physical traffic increase. (Ebooks and other electronic resources also rank as the top initiative, with buildings/facilities a distant second.)

To keep themselves in the loop, most librarians focus on listservs and journals, though the most junior librarians are more likely to use social media.

A similar report based on OCLC’s survey findings from academic librarians will be published in the coming months.

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Why eBooks Need Libraries #FED_ebooks #Library #Author

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From: americanlibrariesmagazine.org by Beverly Goldberg

About a week ago, an ALA colleague popped into my office with an epiphany. “Libraries will never die out. You know why? If they didn’t exist, people would be inventing them.” As you might imagine, that got us to talking and finding examples—and it certainly wasn’t hard. Little Free Libraries, anyone? They are springing up all over, and have certainly captured the imagination of the mainstream media, as several issues of American Libraries Direct have recently attested. When you think about it, as AL’s Librarian’s Library columnist Karen Muller has, the Occupy libraries movement sprung from the same human need to share ideas, and often there’s no better vehicle for that than the written word.

In fact, the human need for a library has even prompted the creation of ALA Fact Sheet #16: “Setting Up a Library.”

Karen was on a roll, for she then proceeded to pinpoint, in crystal-clear terms, the heart of the problem with ebooks: “Sharing is antithetical to ebooks.” In one sentence, she had deconstructed arguments over licensing models, pricing schemes, royalties, and copyright protections—the proponents of which defend as the only means of protecting the livelihoods of authors and bottom lines of publishers. But what about simple word of mouth as a means of increasing interest in a title and, ultimately, sales? Brick-and-mortar booksellers do it all the time in a time-honored tradition known as hand-selling. (Yes, so does Amazon with its “You might also like” app, if you don’t mind having your reading tastes second-guessed by an algorithm.) Libraryland’s version of hand-selling, of course, is called readers’ advisory, and benefits authors as well as publishers. If you doubt that, ask David Guterson, who credits librarians and booksellers alike for making his first novel, Snow Falling on Cedars, a bestseller, and him the recipient of the 1995 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.

There’s no question that reading enthusiasts are also sharing enthusiasts and it’s inconvenient at best to share a copyrighted ebook with a friend when the only way to do it is to lend your friend your entire portable library, or e-reader, so she can enjoy that one title you want to recommend. No wonder physical libraries continue to capture the public’s imagination, along with their contents.First Edition Design eBook Publishing

So it should come as no surprise that, even as the people of Athens, Vermont, voted to disband their taxpayer-funded 117-year-old public library at a March 6 Town Meeting, they simultaneously made provisions for the town to set aside space in which to launch a new library when economic difficulties ease. Library booster Dolly Stevens switched roles in mid-meeting from saving the existing library to opening a volunteer-staffed library of some 4,000 books donated to her for the interim, reported the March 7 Brattleboro Reformer.

In Evanston, Illinois, where the Friends of the Library fought long and hard to keep the South branch open but ultimately lost the battle with the city council, the Friends are celebrating the first anniversary of their makeshift volunteer-run replacement, the Mighty Twig branch. The announcement this month that Chicago Public Library’s First Deputy Commissioner Karen Danczak Lyons would become the director of Evanston Public Library and that the board was being given fiscal autonomy seems to auger well for the Mighty Twig eventually to be splinted back onto the taxpayer-funded branch system.

Branch hours for such hard-hit systems as Indianapolis–Marion County Public Library, Santa Barbara (Calif.) Public Library, and Phoenix (Ariz.) Public Library either have been partially restored or seem on their way to expanding. These steps forward wouldn’t be possibilities if it weren’t for the perseverance of grassroots support—and that culture of sharing that libraries embody.

Take heed, ebook creators: You may not be holding quite as many cards in this high-stakes accessibility game as you think.

#     #     #

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Ebooks, young readers stimulate publishing industry growth #FED_ebooks #ebook #author

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From: http://www.theverge.com

By Aaron Souppouris

First  Edition  Design  Publishing

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Publishers – Aggregators – Master Distributors

 The Association of American Publishers (AAP) released its January sales figures this week, revealing a 27.1 percent rise in revenue over the same period last year, led by a huge 73.2 percent increase in ebook sales. The gains weren’t at the expense of traditional mediums, however — hardcover and paperback revenue both saw overall growth as well, but not on the same scale.

As well as reporting total trade figures, the monthly report breaks down hardcover, paperback, and ebook sales for three key demographics: adult, child / young adult, and religious. It’s in these subsections that we see figures more in line with what we’d expect. There’s an overarching trend away from paperbacks, with marketshare down significantly, and the growing popularity of ebooks likely to blame. The industry tactic of holding some titles back from ebook stores for the initial hardcover run seems to be working, however, as sales are up in this sector across all three categories.

Perhaps the most encouraging trend is to be found in the child / young adult statistics. Ebooks saw an incredible 475 percent increase in this demographic, up from just $3.9 million to $22.6 million, in the space of 12 months. The AAP speculates that the increase in ebook sales may be down to “more options for devices aimed at those demographics as well as a number of popular new releases.” Overall revenue was up by 80.5 percent, with child / young adult titles now accounting for 25 percent of the entire publishing industry. While the dramatic increase may be due to the inexplicable popularity of titles like Twilight among non-young adult readers, we’re hoping it indicates that devices like the Kindle and iPad are inspiring the halflings to read more often.

AAP Reports eBook Sales Up #FED_ebooks #ebooks #author #writer

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From: www.mediabistro.com

By Nate Hoffelder

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Publishers – Aggregators – Master Distributors

eBook Sales Up in January, AAP Reports

The American Association of Publishers debuted a new monthly report in January and the news is good.

Sales of adult eBook titles rose 49.4 percent in January ($99.5 million vs $66.6m), while eBook sales in the children & young adult segment shot up 475 percent over last year ($22.6m vs $3.9m). eBooks made up 17.5% of the children trade segment, and a startling 31 percent of the adult trade segment. The trade market as a whole also grew to $503.5 million in January, up significantly from $396 million in January 2011.

The new report, dubbed Monthly StatShot, includes sales data from 1,149 publishers. This is a significant improvement over the old report, which was based on sales figures reported by just over 100 reporting companies with only a couple dozen contributing to most of the categories. On a related note, the AAP has also collected sales figures dating back at least a year for all participating publishers, which means year vs year comparisons have been kept accurate.