Citing heavy competition in online retail, two major book publishers in Poland have created an online bookstore of their own called Inverso.
AAP’s StatShot for September: Modest Gains in the US Market
Total US book sales in 2019 so far reached $11.4 billion, an increase of 4 percent over the same timeframe in 2018, per the Association of American Publishers.
From Frankfurt’s First Audio Summit: Valérie Lévy-Soussan of France’s Audiolib
Valérie Lévy-Soussan, founder of Audiolib, has tracked France’s audiobook market from CDs in the early 2000s to streaming and download formats.
Nitasha Devasar: ‘Indian Publishing Has a Vital Role To Play’
Leading the Association of Publishers in India, Nitasha Devasar wants the global industry to recognize the value India contributes to the business.
Beyond Japan: Kinokuniya’s Hiroshi Sogo Looks at Global Bookselling Trends
With 107 bookstores worldwide, Kinokuniya’s director of import and distribution, Hiroshi Sogo, gives us his international bookselling insights.
Russian Publishing Players Warn of Losses if VAT on Books Is Raised
Even as many parts of Europe have seen an easing of VAT rates on digital reading, Moscow is planning to raise its tax rate on books.
Industry Notes: Storytel Buys Finland’s Gummerus; McEwan Wins Iceland’s New Prize
Finland’s third largest publisher has been acquired by Sweden’s Storytel. In Iceland this week, the UK’s Ian McEwan is the first recipient of a new award.
Poland Approves Reduction of Ebook VAT from 23 to 5 Percent
Warsaw’s cut in VAT rates on digital books takes effect November 1, a long-called-for equalization in taxation on print and ebooks, now allowed by Brussels.
OverDrive’s Steven Rosato: The Arab World’s ‘Enormous Advantage’ in Libraries
At the IPA Amman seminar, OverDrive’s Steven Rosato will stress that in moving to a digital library ecosystem, ‘It’s the publishers who must take the leap.’
Federation of European Publishers Welcomes Second-Hand Digital Opinion
The federation concurs with the European Union Court of Justice’s position that, as FEP puts it, ‘There is no second-hand market in the digital world.’