Week in Review: Aussie Bookstores Beleaguered, Google Launch E-book Affiliates

In Global Trade Talk by Edward Nawotka

By Edward Nawotka

A quick cheat sheet of some notable publishing news from this week and last:

Things don't look so good for Australia's A&R

Aussie Bookstores Beleaguered: On Monday, Federal Minister for Small Business Nick Sherry had predicted that online shopping would wipe out general bookstores within five years.

What’s more, Angus & Robertson said it will close another 42 stores and another 19 A&R stores are being sold this month, accounting for the loss of hundreds more jobs — a pain that compounds the loss of more than a 1,500 bookselling jobs when Borders shuttered earlier this month.

Google Afilitates Network: Google launched a program similar to those that have been in place at Amazon and elsewhere allowing bloggers and Web users to glean a small amount of money from sales of e-books through their own sites.

Digital Textbooks Slow to Catch On: A new study Pearson Foundation says that 55% of students still prefer print over digital textbooks.

London Book Fair: The London Book Fair released late, but audited attendance figures for 2011, the stating fair attracted 24,802 visitors, up 7%, with 44% coming from overseas.

About the Author

Edward Nawotka

A widely published critic and essayist, Edward Nawotka serves as a speaker, educator and consultant for institutions and businesses involved in the global publishing and content industries. He was also editor-in-chief of Publishing Perspectives since the launch of the publication in 2009 until January 2016.