• In advance of his keynote speech at today’s Tools of Change Frankfurt conference, Douglass Rushkoff discusses his new book Program or Be Programmed and the advantages of working with a small, digital publisher instead of a traditional corporate one. • “People accept the tools and interfaces that they’re presented with as if they were pre-existing conditions of the universe,” says …
TOC Frankfurt Preview: “Customer Experience” is What Matters Most
• Sheila Bounford, a speaker at next week’s TOC Frankfurt conference, believes that publishers need to integrate customer service into their business strategy. • Focusing on customer experience, feedback, and market research could lead publishers to a better understanding of their end-users. By Michelle Jones PLYMOUTH, ENGLAND: Now in it’s second year at Frankfurt, the Tools of Change Frankfurt conference …
The Digital Innovator Interviews: James Bridle on E-books, Google, and “The Long Prose Curse”
The latest in our series of interviews with digital innovators from the UK features James Bridle — a publisher, e-book evangelist and literary entrepreneur.
Unraveling the Mysteries of Nordic Publishing in Göteborg
• The Göteborg Book Fair, Scandinavia’s largest book event, starts this Friday, with Africa as the featured region, with more than 70 writers from the continent attending. • Scandinavian writers are hot all over the world and the fair’s timing just prior to Frankfurt offers a preview what’s likely to be featured from the Nordic countries at the big show. …
Old World, High Style: A Visit to Paris’ Librairie Galignani, Est. 1801, Publishers Since 1520
• Paris’ venerable Librairie Galignani lays claim to being the oldest English language bookstore on the European continent. • Despite its age — the store was founded in 1801, but the publishers of the same name date back to 1520 — it has weathered the years well and continues be an important part of Paris’ vibrant literary community. By Rachel Aydt …
Brooklyn Embraces the World: Book Fest, Publishers Boost International Lit
• The Brooklyn Book Festival, which takes place this Sunday, is devoting a stage exclusively to international programming. Among those authors appearing will be Pakistan’s Feryal Ali Gauhar and UK graphic novelist Nick Abadzis. • The programming is a reflection of the broad community of independent publishers making their home in the borough, many of which focus on translations, including …
By Sticking with Java, E-Book Publisher Wattpad Exhibits Huge International Growth
• In August, Wattpad published usage analytics for downloads and readers of the company’s ebooks. The report covers desktop usage, as well as some 1,000 different phone models from 600 carriers in 160 countries (excluding China). • While English-language books and readers using smartphones remains the strongest segment, growth among Southeast Asian readers using Java-based feature phones is nearly as …
The Bible vs. Mao: A “Best Guess” of the Top 25 Bestselling Books of All Time
• Inspired by the Huffington Post‘s attempt to list the top 15 bestselling books of all time, we offer a humble revision, expanding the list to 25 total. • The Bible and Quotations from Chairman Mao still vie for the top spot, with more than 6 billion published copies each. By Noel L. Griese In the September the Huffington Post published an …
The Digital Innovators: Henry Volans of Faber Digital
The third in our series of video interviews with digital innovators from the UK features a discussion with Henry Volans, head of digital development at Faber.
On Not Changing With the Times: How Manhattan’s Three Lives & Co. Bookstore Endures
• Three Lives & Co. Booksellers in New York City has managed to survive increasing economic pressure that has forced the closing of numerous other bookstores. Three Lives’ longevity is the result of staying very much the same as when it first opened in 1968. • Owner Toby Cox — formerly of the marketing department of Broadway Books — likes …