1/3 of iPad Owners Don't Use Device for Reading Books

Media and publishing market forecast firm Simba Information, publisher of the "Book Publishing Report" newsletter, has estimated about 35% of iPad owners haven't used the devices to read e-books. The estimate is based on the preliminary findings from a nationwide survey of over 1,800 respondents, who were selected on a nationally representative basis.

"The fact that over a million iPad buyers haven't used the gadget for e-books shows that not all new gadgets equate to a new e-reader," says Michael Norris, senior trade book analyst at Simba Information. "Research has already shown us that with multi-use devices, reading falls down on the list of things to do."

Ongoing proprietary surveys which feed into the "Book Publishing Report" have been amended over the years to include Barnes & Noble's Nook, Apple's iPad and other devices as they've been added to the landscape. With historical data available on some of the older devices like Amazon's Kindle and the PC, Simba has been able to track the changing popularity of e-readers.

"It isn't likely the U.S. market can support scores of dedicated e-book reading devices since so many consumers only buy a small number of books in a given year and the book buying public isn't turning toward e-books as rapidly as most think," said Norris. "However, the current crop of devices available (including the iPad and the iPhone) provides different types of value and trade-offs to diverse consumers; ongoing surveys show that the idea of there ultimately being 'one device to rule them all' is false."

"If you think of a consumer's path to content as a highway, you wouldn't expect everyone to drive the exact same kind of car," added Norris. "The iPad is only one of many vehicles on that road."

Continuous updates on e-books, and the trade publishing landscape as a whole, are available in Simba Information's "Book Publishing Report," an online newsletter which also offers fully searchable and indexed archives. It is available at: http://bit.ly/i4gulv.

EBook Licensing Deals Now Available For Publishers, Self-Publishers, and Authors

Ebook licensing deals are now available for publishers, self-publishers and authors via Amber Communications Group, Inc. (ACGI). The company, found online at www.AmberBooks.com, has been in the book publishing business for twelve years, and has sold and licensed over one million books worldwide.

As the first African American book publisher to have an imprint/co-publishing contract with John Wiley & Sons, Inc, they are also the first to do television commercials, the first to have a literary television show ("Literary Living" on the Black Family Channel), and the first to use television commercials to promote ebooks for downloading.

Authors and publishers who have entertainment books (biographies about major music & film celebrities) that they wish to license as ebook downloads can contact Amber Communications and their book(s) can be made available for purchase and promoted on television internationally. All titles will be distributed with over 100 major international download stores and advances are available.

In other ACGI news, Carol Mackey, best selling author of Sistergirl Devotions - Keeping Jesus in the Mix & on the Job and Editor-In-Chief of Black Expressions Book Club, has recently acquired and licensed book club rights for the following Amber Books titles: Tom Joyner Presents How To Prepare For College and The African American Family's Guide to Tracing Our Roots - Healing, Understanding & Restoring Our Families.

Amazon Announces 70-Percent Revenue Share Terms

Amazon.com, Inc.  announced that magazine and newspaper publishers will soon be eligible to earn a larger share of revenue from each title they sell in the Kindle Store (www.amazon.com/kindlestore). For each magazine or newspaper sold, publishers will be able to earn 70 percent of the retail price, net of delivery costs. These new 70-percent royalty terms will become available on December 1, 2010.

"We are constantly working at improving the Kindle magazine and newspaper experience for both customers and publishers," said Peter Larsen, Director of Kindle Periodicals. "Building on the recent introduction of Wi-Fi-enabled Kindles and the upcoming availability of newspapers and magazines on Kindle Apps, we're pleased to add an increased revenue share and a great new tool for making Kindle better and easier than ever for publishers."

For orders delivered to Kindles using Amazon's Whispernet service, delivery costs are shared between Amazon and the publishers (see www.amazon.com/kppinfo for more information).

To qualify for the 70-percent royalty terms, newspapers and magazines must satisfy several customer experience requirements, including:

Customers can read the title on all Kindle devices and applications. Customers can read the title in all geographies for which the publisher has rights.

These new terms do not apply to blog publishers because existing terms are generally more advantageous for them.

Amazon also announced the Beta release of the Kindle Publishing for Periodicals tool, which allows publishers to more easily add their newspaper or magazine to the Kindle Store. Publishers can quickly create their account, add content and preview Kindle formatting prior to making their titles available for the fast-growing base of Kindle customers.

To learn more about the new royalty terms for publishers and Kindle Publishing for Periodicals, visit www.amazon.com/kppinfo.

The New York Times to Launch eBook Best-Seller Lists

The New York Times will publish eBook fiction and nonfiction Best-Seller Lists beginning early 2011.

Since 1935, The New York Times Best-Seller Lists have been the definitive metric that book publishers and authors have used to judge success. The Times's eBook Best-Seller Lists are a natural extension of this important franchise as the proliferation of portable devices grows.

"The vibrant growth of digital publishing has created a need for an impartial, reliable source for tracking and reporting the top-selling eBooks across the country," said Janet Elder, editor of News Surveys for The New York Times. "The Times is a trusted brand within the book publishing industry and with consumers. As with all The Times's rankings, these additional lists will benefit from corroborative sourcing and we will watch for trends in the industry."

"The best-seller list is an essential part of the Book Review, and we're excited we'll be able to give readers newer and more complete information," said Sam Tanenhaus, editor of The New York Times Book Review.

The rankings will reflect sales aggregated from a growing number of online service providers who sell eBooks to consumers. To further secure the integrity of the rankings, The Times is aggressively developing a means of processing and displaying the information necessary, and of verifying the data provided.

The Times has entered into a relationship with an independent third party, RoyaltyShare, Inc., whose unique, Web-based software platform will be used by the staff of The New York Times Best Seller Lists to help validate eBooks sales data received from various sources.

As new devices continue to captivate readers, the eBook category has seen tremendous growth. The Association of American Publishers recently reported that eBook sales for the first eight months of the year were up more than 190 percent, generating nine percent of total consumer book sales.

The lists will appear in The New York Times Book Review both in print and online editions. Rankings will reflect sales for the week at many venues where a wide range of general interest eBooks are sold nationwide. These include independent book retailers; national, regional and local chains; and online and multimedia entertainment retailers.

"Fiction Novel of the Day" Gadget

Google released a technology a few years ago that is just now starting to catch on worldwide. It's called the iGoogle Gadget, and it's recently become extremely effective at reaching mass levels that websites could only have dreamed of before.

One literary example is a website called DailyLiteraryQuote.com, which three years ago considered itself lucky to reach one-hundred daily unique visitors through its traditional homepage. Now thanks to the Google Gadget showing a new quote every day on individuals' personalized homepages—as well as on the websites of companies and individuals who have chosen to embed the Gadget as free content— Daily Literary Quote claims that they now reach over 235,000 daily visitors.

This month, Literary Monthly Magazine ( http://www.literaturemonthly.com/ ), a traditional literary review that has just recently gone web, has decided to experiment with the new Google Gadget revolution. They have made a deal with top-gadget building team igGadgets ( http://www.iggadgets.com ) to have a private-labeled version of their "Fiction Novel of the Day" Gadget created, to help spread awareness of modern literature.

The new Gadget will be offered as free content to webmasters. Starting in November. Literature Monthly Magazine forecasts to have their new "Fiction Novel of the Day" Gadget on over 5,000 web pages by the end of the year. The project has philanthropic goals, as the idea originated during a Literature Monthly meeting focused on how to spread an awareness of world literature through popular media. Market research, however, shows that Gadgets designed and hosted by igGadgets have a quick and profitable return-on-investment. Literature Monthly expects to make a profit essentially right-away through Amazon affiliate links embedded in their book listings.

Literature Monthly is selecting a host of award-winning modern authors, literary fiction novelists whose works are cosmopolitan and multinational in subject and style, to be featured in the Gadget that will otherwise feature classic novelists from history. One of the modern authors chosen was Roman Payne ( http://www.romanpayne.com ), an American English-language novelist based in Paris, France. He was selected because his books "have the European-American multicultural feel we are looking for. Also, while his novels are modern, they are also very literary, timeless and poetic, which speaks the message we want to help spread in this world where the majority of novels promoted via popular sites suggest political or social agendas," said the Literature Monthly spokesperson, "Our agenda is purely artistic, literary...not political."

Publishers of literary authors are invited to submit works for review in the Gadget to Literature Monthly: http://www.literaturemonthly.com/contact-us.

Researchers in Scotland Discover New Works By Jules Verne

Researchers in Scotland have uncovered dozens of previously unknown works by the pioneering science fiction writer Jules Verne.

Although Verne died in 1905 his novels such as "Around the World in 80 Days," "A Journey to the Center of the Earth" and "Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea" have remained hugely popular, making Verne the second most translated author of all time.

This is not the first time that new works by Verne have been discovered - in 1989 his great grandson uncovered the unpublished manuscript for "Paris in the 20th Century" in a locked safe. The new finds are however particularly remarkable as they are examples of a literary form with which Verne is not usually associated - poetry.

The poems take the form of Haiku - a style of poetry originating in Japan and consisting of just seventeen syllables. This makes the find all the more unexpected as the poems were written between 1869 and 1905, long before the form was popularized in the west.

The collection has been made available to the public for free at http://www.hiddenhaiku.com/author/verne_jules.

200 Bloggers, 200 Books, 56 Publishers And One Hour

On Wed., Nov. 10, at 1 p.m., 200 bloggers will simultaneously publish reviews of 200 books printed on environmentally-friendly paper. By turning a spotlight on books printed using greener methods, Eco-Libris aims to raise consumer awareness about considering the environment when making book purchases. This year's participation of both bloggers and books has doubled from the event's inception last year.

The 200 books to be reviewed are in a variety of subjects including cooking, poetry, travel, green living, and history, and come from 56 publishers from the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the U.K. that are participating in the Green Books Campaign. This diversified group of publishers includes both small and large presses who all print books on recycled and/or FSC-certified paper.

Participating publishers include among others Penguin Group, Scholastic, Barefoot Books, McClelland & Stewart, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Sterling Publishing, DK Publishing, Harvard Business Press, Island Press, North Atlantic Books, McGraw-Hill, ABRAMS and Picador.

"Although there's so much hype around e-books, books printed on paper still dominate the book market, and we want them to be as environmentally sound as possible," explains Raz Godelnik, co-founder and CEO of Eco-Libris. "Their share is still relatively small, but you can find a growing number of books printed responsibly and we hope this initiative will bring more exposure to such books. Through this campaign we want to encourage publishers to increase their green printing options and readers to take the environment into consideration when purchasing books."

Doug Pepper, president and publisher of 100-year-old publishing house
McClelland & Stewart, says he is delighted to participate in a program that ties in with the company's mission. "The Eco-Libris Green Books Campaign's positive "take action" message perfectly reflects our consistent use of recycled papers and our commitment to sustainable publishing as a whole," Pepper says.

Among the bloggers who will review the books there are many who participate in the campaign for the second time. One of them is Kim Allen-Niesen of the blog 'Bookstore People.' "Participating in the Green Books Campaign was such an education in green reading. I didn't have any idea how many publishers and writers are committed to creating books with as small an impact on the environment as possible. I discovered unique books because they were printed on recycled paper and I learned that books I've read for years are printed in a low impact manner. I'm looking forward to more surprises during this year's campaign, "Allen-Niesen says.

phati'tude Literary Magazine seeks African American writers

phati'tude Literary Magazine (PLM), a multicultural literary publication, is seeking submissions for their upcoming African American Winter 2010-11 Issue, "Celebrating Black History Through Literature: From the Harlem Renaissance Movement to Today." The African American Issue will celebrate the literary achievements of the Contemporary Poetry and Literature; Harlem Renaissance; Black Arts Movement; Children's Literature; Urban Fiction; Hip Hop; Scholarship & Writing (Writing in the Academy); and African American LGBT Literature.

Our call for submissions invites African American writers to submit poetry, short stories, Interviews, essays, position papers and book reviews to the magazine. Writers should visit the phati'tude.org website and review submission guidelines at http://tinyurl.com/submit-to-phatitude. Additional inquiries can be made to editor@phatitude.org. The deadline is December 15, 2010.

Gabrielle David, Managing Editor and Jennifer Bacon, Associate Editor, will be selecting and compiling the issue. Says David, "These are exciting times for African American literature; never before have there been so many titles available, in so many different genres. Our challenge will be to explore the very definition of African American Literature and to create an issue that has crossover appeal to various segments of the black reading public within an historical context."

Bacon, who recently completed her Ph.D. at University of Maryland College Park, and has been associated with phati'tude Literary Magazine since its inception, is coordinating the African American Issue's premiere at the Langston Hughes Community Library & Cultural Center in Queens, New York on February 26, 2011 during Black History Month. A day-long event filled with workshops, a panel discussion, poetry readings, musical performances, films and book signings, the premiere will feature guest speakers Haki R. Madhubiti and Tara Betts.

phati'tude Literary Magazine, established in 1997, is a internationally-acclaimed magazine is published by The Intercultural Alliance of Artists & Scholars, Inc. (IAAS), a NY-based nonprofit organization. A themed, quarterly publication, phati'tude Literary Magazine is an 8" x 10" perfect-bound book that ranges from 130-160 pages. It is a collection of the best poetry, prose, short stories, articles and interviews along with literary criticism, book reviews and biographical profiles by established and emerging poets, writers and artists with a focus on writers of Native American, African, Hispanic/Latino and Asian descent, whose works exhibit social, political and cultural awareness.

New Monthly Magazine of Audio Short Fiction Stories

Dark Fiction Magazine (http://www.darkfictionmagazine.co.uk/) has launched a new service for fans of genre fiction. Beginning Oct 31st, Dark Fiction Magazine will be launching a monthly magazine of audio short stories. This is a free service designed to promote genre short fiction to an audience of podcast and radio listeners. A cross between an audio book, an anthology and a podcast, Dark Fiction Magazine is designed to take the enjoyment of short genre fiction in a new and exciting direction.

Dark Fiction Magazine publishes at least four short stories a month: a mix of award-winning shorts and brand new stories from both established genre authors and emerging writers. Each episode will have a monthly theme and feature complementary tales from the three main genres science fiction, fantasy and horror.

With a team of dedicated and passionate narrators, a central recording facility and a,love of genre, Dark Fantasy Magazine delivers a truly outstanding aural experience.

Dark Fiction Magazine will also be producing special editions with seasonal stories and topical issues, competitions, flash fiction episodes and novel excerpts. Each episode aims to shock and delight, to horrify and confound as Dark Fiction Magazine takes its listeners on an aural tour through the world of genre fiction.

Dark Fiction Magazine is a collaborative project, created and developed by Del Lakin-Smith and Sharon Ring.

Book Marketing and Book Publicity: Why a Book's Subtitle is So Important

Authors often agonize when creating the main title for their book. Some high-profile authors pay thousands and thousands of dollars to experts just to come up with a catchy main title. But when it comes to book marketing of nonfiction books, the subtitle is the most important element.

A book's main title is designed to make an impact, catch attention, and pique interest. The subtitle does the rest of the work. It explains, or should explain, in a very specific way exactly what a book is about. In book publicity, the subtitle is crucial for this very reason. If a producer or editor receives a book with no subtitle or an inferior one, he or she is not going to take the time to look at the book. It's that simple. Time is precious to media. Many outlets receive hundreds of books a week in the mail. A title has to hit them hard, fast, and clearly.

"In press releases, nonfiction books with bad subtitles often hamper book marketing efforts," says Dan Smith, CEO of Smith Publicity. "Just as when media receive a book in the mail, when reviewing a press release, a producer or editor will give up on it if the essential information is not given within the first 10 to 15 seconds."

If not augmented by precise subtitles, even some of the best main titles would lack effectiveness. Consider the super bestseller Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. The main title is terrific; it's clever, hip, and unusual. But would you know intuitively what the book was about if it didn't have the subtitle of A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything? Before the book exploded in popularity, an editor seeing the title in a press release or receiving the book might not have taken the time to read this wonderful book. The main title, combined with the subtitle, says it all. The clever cover art of a sliced apple revealing an orange inside certainly helps, but it plays directly off the subtitle.

What would The Tipping Point mean to you, if that's all you read or heard? A publicist would have to make up for the lack of a subtitle by taking crucial time and space in a press release to describe it. But, add in the subtitle to Malcolm Gladwell's gem, How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, and you have a powerful, balanced title. Gladwell's title still allows for some mystery as to the book's exact content, but it certainly provokes interest.

Another example: What would the title Built to Sell convey to you or a reporter or producer? Building what? Selling what? Add in the subtitle for this book by John Warrilow and you get everything you need to know: Turn Your Business into One You Can Sell.

When creating a subtitle for your nonfiction book, consider these points, each of which will help in a book marketing and publicity campaign:

* Above all else, make sure your book has a subtitle!

* Be creative, but don't go overboard. Save most of the creativity for the main title

* Provide specific information in the subtitle, explaining in a few words exactly what your book is about

* Keep it short. Create your subtitle as if you were writing a press release headline for the book.

* Keep Search Engine Optimization in mind. Try to use appropriate keywords and phrases that will help your book organically come up in searches.

"The bottom line is that when it comes to book publicity and getting people to take interest in a book, make it as easy as possible," adds Smith. "Don't assume the reader will know what your book is about from the main title. Your publicist will be thankful."

Dan Smith is CEO and founder of Smith Publicity, one of the premier book publicity and book marketing firms in the industry. Smith Publicity has implemented over 900 book promotion campaigns and secured placements with virtually every major media outlet. The firm has serviced authors from over 25 countries and has offices in New Jersey, New York, Los Angeles, and London. Website: http://www.smithpublicity.com/