A rare benefit of COVID-19, the UK’s government finally–and suddenly–has wiped out the market’s punishing tax on digital publications.
UK’s Publishers Association Leads ‘Axe the Reading Tax’ Campaign
With Brexit looming larger as the UK’s new government takes charge, the publishing industry steps up its drive to drop the VAT on ebooks and digital content
Interview: Amanda Ridout on Her Boldwood Books’ Rights Strategy
Launched earlier this year and looking for commercial fiction, Boldwood Books promises to publish its new titles in ebook, audio, and print-on-demand on the same day internationally.
In Turkey, the Fourth Annual Istanbul Fellowship Program: 72 Markets Attending
The fourth annual Istanbul Fellowship Program drew a record number of applications from more than 100 countries, and closes today with presentations and networking events.
European Publishing Welcomes ECOFIN’s Decision on Taxation for Ebooks
A new decision allows EU member states to align VAT rates on print books and ebooks if they choose to, instead of a 15% minimum for electronic services.
Russia’s Clever Media Group Now Talking of September for North American Launch
Russian children’s publisher Clever Media Group is looking to publish English-language titles in US and Canadian markets this autumn, accelerating its international expansion plans.
Russian Publishers Warn of Lost Profits Amid a Newly Announced VAT Hike
The prosperity that some in the Russian book industry thought was rising this year may be headed in the other direction, if the expected rise in book VAT becomes a reality.
It’s Springtime for Print, Say Some Russian Publishers: Others Eye Piracy, Discoverability Challenges
Some Russian publishers say that if piracy can be controlled, print can double its market share within years. Others caution that taxes and over-reliance on outdated authors is hampering growth.
Czech Publisher Grada Opens Bookport, an Ebook Subscription Platform
More than a quarter of the roughly 15,000 ebooks available in Czech are on the newly launched Bookport subscription platform, with more titles coming.
The Sprint to Print: INscribe Introduces INdemand for Publishers
‘Our ebook sales have been going up, not down,’ says INscribe’s Larry Norton. And the ‘micro-publishers’ who are scrappy enough to make that happen also want a fast, easier path into print.