There’s never a dull moment in digital publishing. Some businesses are closing their doors while others are broadening their horizons. Expectations are being challenged and legal tensions continue to run high. Here’s the latest…
The Good
Overdrive Adds More Than 300,000 Titles
Leading digital content provider OverDrive announced global expansion with institutional buyers now in more than 50 countries. To meet increasing global demand in libraries and schools, OverDrive, the leading supplier of eBooks and audiobooks to libraries and schools, announced that it has added 300,000 digital titles from more than 100 top publishers… http://bit.ly/1kkRxWJ
Smashwords Expands Global Footprint
Smashwords announced a comprehensive distribution agreement with Gardners, the UK’s largest book wholesaler. The agreement significantly expands the global footprint of the Smashwords ebook distribution network, enabling Smashwords authors and publishers to reach hundreds of online retailers, public libraries and academic libraries… http://bit.ly/1XfXi6c
Ingram Adds Three Countries to its Global Connect Network
The Ingram Content Group has struck deals with companies in China, India and Italy to expand its Global Connect network to those three countries. Under the Global Connect program, Ingram offers publishers the ability to make content available globally through local print-on-demand and distribution facilities located in particular countries. In addition to shortening delivery times, through Global Connect publishers’ content has central accessibility to in-market facilities with title pricing in appropriate currencies, shipping orders and content translation… http://bit.ly/1PCxXBc
The Bad
Ebook Sales Weaken Amid Higher Prices
When the world’s largest publishers struck e-book distribution deals with Amazon.com Inc. over the past several months, they seemingly got what they wanted: the right to set the prices of their titles and avoid the steep discounts the online retail giant often applies. But in the early going, that strategy doesn’t appear to be paying off… http://bit.ly/1RkLWtL
Publishers Happier with Digital Transition than Authors
Publishers are more content with how the book business is weathering the digital transition than authors are, according to early results of the FutureBook Digital Census… http://bit.ly/1M3nxVt
