Latest forecast predicts U.S. e-book sales will reach nearly $2.7 billion in three years

The catchphrase "There's an app for that" may soon be replaced by "There's an e-book for that." In a new report, "2011 E-Book Forecast: Get Set for the Next Best-Seller," Yankee Group predicts U.S. e-book downloads will grow at an 83% CAGR by 2013, while paid mobile app downloads will grow at a 72% CAGR during the same period. U.S. e-book sales will grow from $313 million in 2009 to $2.7 billion by 2013.

The report also finds:

E-book unit sales will skyrocket. By 2013, U.S. consumers will purchase 381 million e-books, roughly four times the amount they purchased in 2010.

Average selling prices of e-books will plummet. By 2013, the average e-book retail price will fall to $7, down from an average of more than $9 in 2009.

Age is a factor in e-book adoption. While a third of 18-19 year olds express high interest, key features like scalable fonts, text-to-speech conversion and lightweight e-readers have attracted more than 22 percent of the 65 and over crowd.

Students will have a big hand in stirring e-book sales. Textbooks are heavy, expensive and unwieldy. It's no surprise then that 1 in 4 students express strong interest in e-books.

"E-book prices are falling, unit sales are growing and revenue is skyrocketing--you may ask why this didn't happen 10 years ago," said Dmitriy Molchanov, analyst at Yankee Group and author of the report. "Aside from the growing adoption of e-readers like Amazon's Kindle, new content formats, better content discovery tools and new business models will all drive e-book sales in the next three years. The ecosystem is maturing fast--device makers and others who don't make their move now will miss out on a multi-billion-dollar market."

Nook Or Kindle? New Developments In 2011 Creating A Stir by Kathy Erickson

The choice for many people searching for ebook readers in 2011 still comes down to the Nook or Kindle. There are other ereader choices on the market, but the most popular devices by far are still the Nook and Kindle. Let's take a look at an updated comparison of the two and uncover some controversial developments.

Nook and Kindle Physical Design-

Both the Nook and Kindle are similar with same size reading screens, but the 3rd generation Kindle (Kindle 3) has a slimmed down design compared to the Nook. The Kindle 3 is noticeably smaller and lighter than the Nook. Barnes and Noble's device has gone through little or no noticeable changes from the original physical design released in 2009.

The Nook has updated its software to version 1.5, allowing for sorting of titles into "shelves", giving the ability to password protect the device, and giving it the ability to sync between devices. Amazon's Kindle allows you to do all these things with their products as well.

Differences Between Nook and Kindle-

Their are some obvious and not-so-obvious differences between the two devices.

Navigation: The Nook has a color touch screen underneath the reading screen that allows for the user to scroll between and within the titles using the swipe and touch of a finger. The Kindle is pure push-button technology. This technology difference alone is a source of love or hate for each product depending on the customer.

Battery Life: Battery life on one charge differs greatly between the two devices. The Kindle is 30 days with the wireless off, whereas the Nook has a max time of around 10 days with wireless off.

Memory: The Nook has expandable memory, with a standard memory of approximately 1,500 titles. The Kindle has a standard (not expandable) memory of 3,500 titles.

Speed Of Device: Both devices are very comparable in page turn speed. It is apparent when watching both devices work side-by-side, however, that the push button technology for scrolling through the text itself is a little faster.

International Capabilities: Only the Kindle works in foreign countries with the 3G wireless. Otherwise, of course the Nook works anywhere in the world, one just has to think ahead and download titles on the internet.

New Developments Proving To Shake Up The Battle

EPUB Issue: Only the Nook allows for use of the "Epub" file. Why is this important? Public libraries across the country are slowly becoming capable of lending out digital content via "Adobe DRM" software. Not all libraries are there yet, but they are getting there soon.

This issue alone is causing many people to thumb their noses at Amazon and buy the Nook. How will Amazon respond in 2011? They can't ignore this issue forever, or they will get left in the dust, right? We'll have to wait and see.

Amazon's Faulty Covers: Many people this holiday season were getting Kindles that seemed to have a strange problem...They kept re-setting! Amazon worked with numerous people, sending them new Kindles, only to have the same problem happen over and over.

The culprit has now been found and officially acknowledged by Amazon. It was the "non-lighted Kindle covers" that were apparently causing the constant resetting of the devices.

Amazon is attempting to resolve the problem by sending a free "lighted cover" to customers having trouble.

There are some major differences one can see when choosing between the Nook or Kindle, and it will ultimately come down to preference. Both devices are leading the market in ebook reader sales because they are both considered solid products.

Check Out Both Devices In Action

You can get help deciding between the Nook or Kindle by watching a great video showing both in action and getting more info at http://www.thenookvskindle.com.

Professional Publishing Revenues Rebound with Help from E-books and Online Strategies

Professional books, still a foundational reference source for most working professionals, grew 1.1% to $13.9 billion in 2010, an initial step toward a full recovery. Media and publishing forecast firm Simba Information's latest report, "Global Professional Publishing 2009-2010," details the resilience of professional books through the recession and the explosive adoption of electronic models.

After losing sales in 2009 due to contracted library budgets and decreased exports, professional book publishing, which includes the legal, medical, business, scientific and technical fields, has nearly regained its 2008 position. Although largely due to a recovering economy, new e-book strategies and products from large commercial publishers have helped libraries make the most of their budgets and shelf space.

"Although publishers have dealt with electronic journals for years, producing electronic books as a viable publishing product is slowly taking hold," said Dan Strempel, lead author of the report. "E-books are now gaining a prominent foothold within the professional and academic world at large."

Historically vilified by the scholarly publishing world, search giants, such as Google and Yahoo!, have proven to be a boon to the industry, as added exposure has increased book sales. The report finds publishers are especially excited about Google Books, which allows users to browse sample pages before purchasing the full text or designated sections.

"The number of publishers distributing through search engines is remarkably increasing, a trend which will continue over the next few years," noted Strempel.

Publishers have embraced a print-on-demand distribution model, which allows buyers to purchase a specific digest and have it shipped within 24 hours of placing the order. According to the report, partnerships with online distributors, such as Amazon, have helped make backlist, out-of-print and large print books readily available.

"In short, as the Internet age continues to evolve and offer new business models and distribution routes, professional publishers must continue to explore the many ways books and book content can be seen, explored and purchased," added Strempel. "The possibilities for reaching the right consumer are now limitless."

New York Times Bestselling Author Launches Website For Writers

TheBookPatch.com uses state of the art technology to build a unique and free platform for writers to create, edit, publish and sell their books in one seamless process.

The new website offers members (membership is free) a complete set of tools letting writers log on to their book from any computer in the world with an internet connection and write. The built in word processor compliments writing alone, collaboration or co-authoring regardless of geographical boundaries. The program supports multiple story lines and exclusive applications for creating a cast of characters, storing author's notes and chapter outlines and more.

The website has a built in social network, forums and, professional assistance.

Once a book is ready for print, TheBookPatch.com provides a built in cover design wizard and printing at a push of a button directly from the site. There are no set up fees or royalty sharing. The author retains 100% copyright and can order as little as a single copy. TheBookPatch printing price is unparalleled and declines with every additional copy even if ordered one at a time. Authors can update and make changes to their books with no additional charges and retain the previous editions discounts. An average book price for a

200 page book with a full color cover will run between $5.50 and $16 on the average. TheBookPatch also offers an online book store where authors can sell their books and collect the profit while TheBookPatch retains only the printing cost.

"By making the website free to use I want to encourage educators to take advantage of this great tool for their students in this time of economic crunch." - Victor Ostrovsky CEO TheBookPatch.com

More information is available on http://www.thebookpatch.com

Book Publishing: Do You Want Your Writing to Stand Out or Blend In? by Cheryl Pickett

One of these things is not like the other... I'm guessing at least some of you know what follows that line from the famous Sesame Street song. For those of you who aren't familiar, the gist of it is that one of four items is not like any of the others displayed together. It might be an orange vs. three apples or three blue items vs. a yellow one for example. The simple sing along lesson reinforces shapes, colors and the skill of comparative analysis.

Along with that, the exercise can give the impression that it's not good to be the one that's different-the one that doesn't belong. It's better to be in the group of what is the same. In truth, sometimes that concept can serve you well. There are times when we don't want to stand out in the crowd, or when we should go with the flow. However, there are also situations when that strategy is detrimental. It's likely you've experienced both being odd person out and blending in perfectly. In publishing, you'll find that, most of the time, you'll need to do some of both.

First, your book needs to be in the "like the others" category in that it falls into a recognizable heading or spot on a shelf, whether physical or virtual. If it's aimed at a particular audience like entrepreneurs or home cooks, it needs to fall within expected norms of what a reader would expect from that kind of book. Even if you publish independently, you still have to be able to speak to the attributes your potential reader will identify with. Go too far to one side or the other and you may only appeal to a fringe audience, which often means fewer sales.

That said, the crazy thing remains that at the same time the book needs to be clearly defined, it also needs to be the attention grabbing yellow one among the blue ones. It's good for it to stand out because it gives a reader who has hundreds of choices an incentive to at least consider it first over the others. If they like it, it makes a recommendation easier instead of comments along the lines of "it's like most of the other ones you've probably read".

The vast majority of holding this fine line will come in the writing. As you write the content of your book, you'll need to develop your unique voice, yet not get too far out of line with regard to common expectation. It's a very tricky balancing act for sure. Walking this line with the right amount of skill means you'll keep the readers happy and your wallet full as well.

If you would like to learn how to create quality content and write your B.E.S.T right now, I invite you to visit my website http://www.cherylpickett.com.

Cheryl Pickett has been writing articles, blogs and books for well over a decade. Her mission is to help message driven entrepreneurs, authors and other thought leaders create compelling content faster, easier and with less stress.

New imprint, Seventh Millennium, Offers Book Publishing for Indie Authors

New imprint, Seventh Millennium, a division of Nordskog Publishing, Inc. is now in full production.

Authors know that the competition for the few available publishing spots is fierce; meaning that some particularly promising manuscripts will not see publication or will be delayed. Will it be yours?

We are pleased to answer this dilemma with Nordskog Publishing, Inc.'s new MakeMeMyBook division, under the Seventh Millennium imprint. NPI is now seeking authors and manuscripts. Once published, these books will share in the popularity of NPI's regular line-up of Nordskog books of Meaty, Tasty, and Easily Digestible Biblical Treasures; Noble Novels fiction series, and Young Heart Books for children."

With the author providing negotiated full or partial capital costs, and with resources and professionalism far beyond what one might expect from self-publishing, NPI's MakeMeMyBook Division offers priority access to excellent editing, production and marketing services, on an expedited fast-track.

The first book published under this new imprint, Confrontational Politics by California State Senator, Bill Richardson, is already enjoying great success. And a new, worthy, evangelistic book has been put into the African missionary field in less than a month, with regular publication soon to follow!

Nordskog Publishing, Inc. has been publishing Christian based books since 2007. And by February 2011, will have successfully published twenty outstanding books under their various imprints.

For publishing guidelines visit Nordskog Publishing, Inc. at www.NordskogPublishing.com/contact.shtml and click on 'prospective authors' at the bottom right.

Ever Dream of Writing a Best-Selling Book or Ebook?

School bus driver tells her story of developing an online publishing empire so her friends now jokingly call her the "Internet Publishing Queen..." But it wasn't always this way. In a small mountain town of Pagosa Springs, Colorado, with plenty of hard work to do, at the same time developing an internet business, Cary Ellis found herself working long hours and having to push on when she wanted to quit. Her dream of being a "writer" was almost buried in the routine of everyday life.

She managed to self-publish her first book in 2008, called "Super Immunity Secrets," available here in town at Moonlight Books and Joys Natural Foods, also sold in paperback on Amazon, for Kindle, and as an ebook. Additionally it took huge effort and education to then create her own websites, and discover methods online to do her own marketing.

Publishing Industry Changes

Through this self-publishing process she learned that the publishing industry is changing dramatically. Traditional publisher are not taking the same risks they used to; and they tend to publish books by people who already have a reputation offering them guaranteed sales.

e-Publishing is Green

You didn't have to be a rocket scientist to see the changes going on. She learned that though many people still read paper books, there is a huge movement towards e-books or electronic publishing. In fact Amazon's books for Kindle are overtaking their sales of paper books. Kindle isn't the only electronic reader either, Barnes & Noble has their own, Sony has one and the iPad offers electronic reading capability. When you think about it, this probably is better for the environment (cutting less trees for paper, less fuel for shipping), so e-Publishing is Green.

How about YOUR e-Book?

Have you always imagined yourself a writer, maybe with handwritten or computer notes partially or all finished - but haven't known where to go from there? Well wonder no more...

Ms. Ellis has been so kind as to summarize what she's learned about getting your book, ebook or info product created, and out onto the web - and is giving away a 60 page Free Ebook to help you get started! The book is entertaining, encouraging and full of good advice and pitfalls to avoid. Download your own FREE copy now.

Isn't it about time you make your dreams come true?

For those inspired and courageous enough to go the next step, she has also created a detailed training program to help you get your work out of the blocks and into the marketplace. She makes it clear that just imagining what you want to put out there may not be enough.

The wise writer who wants to really get to their audience must do some well-directed research first. Maybe Herman Melville didn't do this with Moby Dick, but we're in an information rich world, where our topics must be targeted to a specific audience. Cary tells us there is a fine art to doing this, in order to achieve success with our work - and potentially put out our own "best-seller."

Catch the video that tells Cary's story, and download your own copy.

Offering step-by-step training for internet marketers, how to create fast easy ebooks and info products for online business success.