May 1, 2018
Print Stages a Comeback
"Between 2009 and 2015, more than 570 independent bookstores opened in the U.S., bringing the total to more than 2,200; that's about a 35 percent jump after more than a decade of decline," says CBS This Morning. "The surprise recovery may hold lessons for other small retailers."
April 14, 2015
W3 Sidecar Talks to Robert Roper
W3 Sidecar, a wonderful site that interviews writers about their work, talks to A&W author Robert Roper about his process: "I look at thousands of images when I'm trying to figure out how to write something, and you could almost say that my book projects aree xcuses to go out into the world and hunt for views."
August 28, 2014
Journalism Is Doing Just Fine, Thanks — It’s Mass-Media Business Models That Are Ailing
Some argue that the rise of the internet has destroyed — or severely crippled — journalism, but all it has really done is disrupted traditional mass-media business models. Journalism itself has never been healthier, and new players are finding new models.
July 30, 2014
Amazon: Hachette Spat Can Be Fixed Wiith Lower Ebook Pricing
Amazon has characterized its struggle with publisher Hachette as a quest for a “healthy reading culture,” which it is trying to achieve by forcing down ebook prices.
July 16, 2014
Elites or Freedom Fighters: How the Amazon-Hachette Battle Took on the Rhetoric of Class Warfare
The battle between Amazon and Hachette has come to seem symbolic of a lot more than a fight between two companies. One side defends the ideals that this nation was founded on: Independence and freedom from tyranny. The other side is made up of elites who keep the little people down and take the money that is rightfully theirs in an attempt to control the message and maintain the status quo.... To those taking sides in Amazon vs. Hachette, this fight isn’t simply a contract negotiation between two large corporations. It’s a clash of value systems; an actual example of class warfare.
July 9, 2014
Amazon Makes a Direct Offer to Hachette Authors: Here’s the Full Letter
Amazon is proposing that Hachette authors receive 100 percent of the sale of each of their ebooks during the companies’ ongoing negotiations. But the letter it sent this week may largely be a PR move.
July 5, 2014
Byliner Gone Bad and the Business of Longform Journalism on the Web
Byliner was a promising startup with an admirable goal. So what happened?
June 23, 2014
Social Media Fail to Live Up to Early Marketing Hype
Companies refine strategies to stress quality over quantity of fans. "Social media are not the powerful and persuasive marketing force many companies hoped they would be," concludes Gallup Inc., which on Monday is releasing a report that examines the subject.
June 21, 2014
DRM is Unfortunate, but It’s Not the Problem in Hachette vs. Amazon
Dropping DRM would not safeguard publishers against Amazon’s power and influence.
June 18, 2014
Amazon vs. Hachette: The Battle for the Future of Publishing
Amazon.com is getting a very public thrashing these days. Stephen Colbert flipped his middle finger at the e-commerce retailer on his Comedy Central TV program.