Archive for the ‘ebooks’ tag
A new $15 per month PD ebook and audiobook service no comments
AllYouCanBooks.com is a new subscription service that gives you unlimited access to a collection of 30,000 public domain ebooks and downloadable audiobooks. The charge for all this goodness is $14.99 per month.
There is no reason to pay someone $15 per month for access to these titles. They are widely available for free. It may be worthwhile to pay something for a PD title if the formatting has been cleaned up and a nice cover provided, but there is no mention of that being done here. I also have no problem with paying for an author’s complete collected works, as it is often more convenient than tracking down everything.
See the eBook Sources page for free sources for these books. If you want to pay something for them, donate $15 per month to Project Gutenberg. For audio versions, see LibriVox, which has a number of free audiobook versions of the classics that have been read by volunteers.
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Author sells over a million self-pub’d ebooks this year no comments
While she may not be a member of the Kindle Million Club just yet, author Barbara Freethy has sold over a million self-published ebooks in 2011.
Freethy has been self-publishing titles from her backlist whose rights have reverted to her after the physical books went out of print. To date Freethy has self-published 17 titles in this manner, eight of which have hit the NYT and/or USA Today Bestseller List. Her self-published titles are available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Sony, Smashwords and Kobo.
In a statement Freethy, who has authored 30 novels, said that she has plans to also self-publish new and original material in ebook format in the future, "I am excited about the opportunity to not only make all of my books available again, but also to publish new works more frequently, allowing me to better respond to the demands of my readers."
According to Theresa Horner, VP Content B&N Digital Products, "Barbara Freethy’s self-publishing success proves that digitizing books can boost readership and breathe new life into older titles. Her backlist titles through PubIt!, Barnes & Noble’s fast and free digital self-publishing platform, have consistently landed her at the top of the BN.com eBook list. We’re thrilled for Barbara and we look forward to helping her sell the next million!"
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OverDrive reports strong growth in ebook checkouts no comments
The growing popularity of ereaders and ebooks has not only led to surging sales at ebookstores — ebook checkouts from public libraries are growing dramatically as well. OverDrive has just released its Q3 2011 results and reports strong growth.
In the first nine months of 2011 the 15,000 libraries powered by OverDrive have seen almost triple the number of ebook checkouts as in the entire previous year. The number of new users that have signed up with the libraries in OverDrive’s network is on pace to nearly double in 2011 vs last year. Readers are not, of course, confined to using dedicated ereaders to borrow OverDrive’s ebooks — mobile checkouts from smartphones and tablets now account for 21 percent of all checkouts.
Kindles only gained library compatibility on Sept 21, so it will be interesting to see how the growth curve changes after that.
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Can public library ebook loans lead to book purchases? no comments
Macmillan doesn’t do public libraries. HarperCollins only lets libraries loan out its ebooks 26 times before they expire. Now that the Kindle, the largest ereading platform, has access to public library ebook collections will other publishers add restrictions or withdraw their ebooks from libraries altogether for fear of loosing sales?
Hopefully this won’t happen, and if it does I think it will be the publisher’s loss as much as their reader’s. There is a very long-standing debate as to what effect public libraries have on book sales, but at the very least we can say that libraries not only spend a lot on books themselves, but they also encourage a passion for reading in the young, who grow up to become customers of the publishers.
Besides, if done right the library ebook lending feature can result in at least some ebook sales. Unlike Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobo and other ereader makers whose ereaders support library ebooks, Amazon has realized this and has made an effort to try to convert library checkouts into sales where possible. 
When you borrow a library ebook in the Kindle format you are redirected to the Kindle Store. This enables Amazon to keep track of your checkouts. When Amazon first announced that the Kindle platform would be able to borrow ebooks from OverDrive-powered libraries I checked out an ebook from my library on my Kindle to try the system out.
A few days before the expiration of my ebook loan Amazon sent an email reminding me of the expiration date and telling me that any annotations and bookmarks I’ve made in the ebook will be preserved in case I later purchase it from the Kindle Store or borrow it again. The email also contained a Buy This Book button. You don’t get emails like this for other ereaders, whose makers probably have no notion of your library activity.
I’m sure Amazon will generate sales in this manner from readers who could not finish the ebook before the expiration date or who decide they want to have the book in their collection. B&N and the other ereader makers only offer library compatibility as a feature to help sell ereaders. Only Amazon has leveraged the feature to also generate more ebook sales.
OverDrive is also looking for ways to generate ebook sales to library patrons. At the Frankfurt Book Fair the company is showing off its new WIN Catalog (Want It Now). OverDrive’s WIN Catalog has the potential to serve as an excellent book and audiobook discovery tool for patrons of participating libraries.
The WIN Catalog will provide complete listings of bestselling, mid-list and backlist titles in a publisher’s catalog. Most of these titles, especially those out in the long tail, are not available at libraries. The WIN Catalog will provide samples and buy links for these titles and public libraries that provide access to the WIN Catalog will receive affiliate fees for sales referred through their websites.
“Public libraries offer for lending a small fraction of publishers’ eBook or audiobook catalogs,” said Erica Lazzaro, OverDrive Director of Publisher Relations. “The WIN Catalog will take hundreds of thousands of early, midlist, and backlist eBook titles that are virtually invisible to library customers and present them for discovery. WIN will also enable for patrons who do not want to wait for popular titles to become available the option to immediately shop for it from a list of booksellers that support their local library.”
“At this time, libraries do not have the funds to purchase all of the bestselling titles, let alone mid- and back-list titles,” said Christopher Platt, director of collections and circulation operations at the New York Public Library. “With the WIN Catalog from OverDrive, in addition to the tens of thousands of eBooks we offer for lending, we will have the ability to reference, browse, sample and provide a connecting point to entire catalogs of eBook titles, allowing us to serve our patrons and community in the best way possible.”
While ebooks and ereaders may be anathema to brick and mortar bookstores and the paper industry, I think they are leading to a reading renaissance that cannot but help to lead to more book unit sales, albeit the increased sales will be in digital format, not paper. It looks like the library ebook lending feature has the potential to generate more book sales as well, not to mention giving patrons new ways to help support their local libraries.
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OverDrive adding ebook samples no comments
OverDrive now offers samples of thousands of its ebooks that are available through public libraries. The samples let patrons read up to 10 percent of a title before joining the queue for it. This might help shorten waiting lists as readers can see if a book is one they really want to read before checking it out.
If a sample is available a ‘Sample’ button will appear under the ebook’s jacket photo. There are also samples available for some audiobooks, but I believe these have been in place for awhile.
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L.A. County library system to add 10K new ebooks no comments
The County of Los Angeles Public Library has announced that it will be adding 10,000 ebooks to its digital collections. This will bring the number of ebooks in L.A. County Library’s collection to over 13,000. According to the library’s statement more than 16,000 ebooks were checked out by patrons in August, the month before Kindle support was added.
County Librarian Margaret Donnellan Todd says, "We are a library for the 21st century. Our mission is to support reading and the love of books. For a hundred years this Library has made the printed word accessible to all Los Angeles County residents. For the next hundred years and beyond, we will continue this important mission. Our investment in eBooks and digital technology ensures that we provide continued access to books regardless of format."
The library plans to have the additional titles available for patrons by the end of next month. Now that OverDrive and Amazon have added support for Kindle books, all of the major ereading platforms provide support for library ebooks. I imagine that we will now begin seeing similar statements from other libraries across the country and libraries that don’t currently offer ebooks will hopefully begin to do so.
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Amazon’s Daily Kindle Book Deal no comments
Amazon has started offering a Daily Deal featuring a different Kindle Book offered at a discounted price every day. Today’s deal is Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen priced at $2.99 vs the regular price of $6.99. Each special offer will run for 24 hours.
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Free ebooks & other deals – 07/04/2011 no comments
Some more free ebooks to help you celebrate your independence:
Divorce Sucks by Mary Jo Eustace (3 stars/24 reviews) Nonfiction. Also free at Barnes & Noble.
Virtual Strangers by Ola Zaltin and Susanne O’Leary (4 1/2 stars/9 reviews) Thriller. Also free at Barnes & Noble.
Antibiotic Resistance: Understanding and Responding to an Emerging Crisis by David S. Perlin (4 1/2 stars/11 reviews) Medicine. Also free at Barnes & Noble.
Business and Competitive Analysis Methods by Craig S. Fleisher (5 stars/2 reviews) Business.
I’ll Make You Remember Me by William Butler (3 stars/2 reviews) Short fiction. Also free at Barnes & Noble.
How to Make Money Marketing Your Business in LinkedIn by Jamie Turner (2 1/2 stars/3 reviews) Business. Also free at Barnes & Noble.
The Truth About Perfecting Your Presentation Skills (Collection) by Various authors (no ratings) Business. Also free at Barnes & Noble.
One Bite by M.K. Elliott (4 stars/4 reviews) Vampiric erotica. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.
The Magic of Windlier Wood by N.R. Williams (5 stars/2 reviews) Fantasy. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.
Squatter With a Lexus (The Secret Trilogy) by Tom Lichtenberg (4 stars/1 review) Mystery. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
Spiderwork (Apocalypto 2) by LK Rigel (4 1/2 stars/3 reviews) Fantasy romance. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.
Raisinheart (Rays and Nights) by Tom Lichtenberg (no ratings) Contemporary fiction. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
Dead Man’s Eye by Shaun Jeffrey (4 stars/15 reviews) Horror. Also free at Barnes & Noble.
Inspector Zhang Gets His Wish (A Short Story) by Stephen Leather (4 1/2 stars/7 reviews) Mystery. Also free at Smashwords.
An Unlikely Pair (My Once and Future Love) by Carla Krae (5 stars/2 reviews) Short story. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
Norbert by James Sutherland (3 1/2 stars/3 reviews) Children’s fiction. Also free at Barnes & Noble.
Wings of Evil by J.R. Tomlin (3 stars/7 reviews) Fantasy. Also free at Smashwords.
Black Silk by Jan Gordon (4 stars/12 reviews) Paranormal romance. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
The Adventures of Kid Combat Vol. 2: The Heist of Spring Road Toys by Christopher A. Helwink (no ratings) Children’s fiction. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
The Essence of Buddhism by David Tuffley (3 stars/2 reviews) Religion. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
Waiter; There’s a Clue in My Soup! Five Mystery Stories by Camille LaGuire (4 stars/4 reviews) Short stories. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.
Warman’s U.S. Coins & Currency Field Guide by Arlyn G. Sieber (5 stars/2 reviews) Coin collecting. Also free at Barnes & Noble.
Warman’s Companion U.S. Coins & Currency Field Guide by Allen G. Berman (5 stars/1 review) Coin collecting. Also free at Barnes & Noble.
Warman’s U. S. Coin Collecting: What You Need to Know, and More by Alan Herbert (5 stars/1 review) Coin collecting. Also free at Barnes & Noble.
Warman’s U. S. Stamps Field Guide by Maurice Wozniak (4 stars/4 reviews) Stamp collecting. Also free at Barnes & Noble.
Jabberwocky by Daniel Coleman (4 1/2 stars/14 reviews) Fantasy. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.
Fold Thunder by Gregory Ashe (5 stars/2 reviews) Fantasy. Also free at Barnes & Noble and Smashwords.
Impeding Justice (Lorne Simpkins the Female Jack Bauer) (D I Lorne Simpkins thrillers) by Mel Comley (4 stars/20 reviews) Thriller.
Being Happy by David Tuffley (4 stars/1 review) Self-Help.
Cookouts Veggie Style! by Jolinda Hackett (4 1/2 stars/6 reviews) Cooking.
Surrender the Wind by Rita Gerlach (4 stars/23 reviews) Historical fiction. Also free at Barnes & Noble.
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Amazon is offering a dozen different Kindle games for $0.99 each for a limited time at the Kindle Store.
SkinItis offering 30 percent off of any device skin with coupon code JULY4. This promotion ends tonight. If you miss this sale, you can still use coupon code SKINITSAVER20 for a 20 percent discount.
With the purchase of the Kobo Touch Edition eReader from Borders.comyou will get a $10 gift certificate from Kobo. The ereader needs to be activated by July 31 to qualify.
Kobo and Velocity Micro are also offering a free ebook — Diamondhead by Patrick Robinson — to owners of the Cruz eReader. To get this thriller you need to download the free Kobo app from the Cruz Market and then search for Diamondhead at Kobo. Use the promo code DIAMOND at check-out.
This month Ebooks.comis offering 20 percent off of a selection of ebooks from bestselling author Fern Michaels and thriller writer J.T. Ellison, author of the Taylor Jackson series.
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Baker & Taylor unveils Axis 360 – digital media distribution for libraries no comments
Baker & Taylor, which is the world’s largest book distributer, has developed a
new digital media distribution platform for libraries. The new platform, Axis 360, is being shown off at the American Library Association’s Annual Conference currently happening in New Orleans.
Axis 360 will promote the use of the Blio ereading software, which currently only works on Windows computers. But B&N and B&T have announced a collaboration that will result in Nook ereaders also being supported by Axis 360-powered libraries.
Beginning this fall libraries can use Axis 360 to offer both audiobooks and ePub books to their patrons. The system will also include full-text book reviews from the Library Journal and School Library Journal.
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OverDrive to distribute DRM-free O’Reilly ebooks no comments
OverDrive announced today that it has entered into a distribution agreement with O’Reilly Media. Soon the publisher’s entire ebook catalog of around 1,500 ebooks will be available DRM-free to OverDrive’s library, school and bookseller partners in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and other countries.
O’Reilly specializes in technology topics and features titles from popular writers such as David Pogue, J.D. Biersdorfer and Robin Nixon.
£149.00
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