April 9th, 2011
An informative article in today’s Globe & Mail highlights the plight of Canada’s largest book chain, Chapters/Indigo (formally, Indigo Books & Music Inc.). Unlike in the United States, Chapters/Indigo is already the “last man standing” among bookselling conglomerates. It’s like Barnes & Noble would appear after it ate Borders. As with many flagship corporations Chapters/Indigo…
April 7th, 2011
On April 5th three musicians celebrated the 100th anniversary of Seattle’s Union Station with a free performance using instruments they made and by utilizing the building’s cavernous interior. This lovely short video was made by The Seattle Times’s Ken Lambert.
April 2nd, 2011
Which ebook formats do we really need? By “need” I’m thinking only about consumer needs, not what the vendors want. * I think the only ones we need today are: 1. ePub – Not because it’s any good, but because it’s an industry standard, not just one vendor’s idea. 2. PDF – Because there’s already…
March 18th, 2011
Get ready for either frustration or a monthly bill. While I’m keen to see content owners compensated, the New York Times is far from an average content owner so the lesson here will be a one-off. And as Peter Brantley points out, “the New York Times is…
February 23rd, 2011
Last evening I wrote to a colleague who runs a regional association of trade book publishers. I thought I would share the letter: Hi xxx, I thought of you when I read this just now in today’s Wall Street Journal: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703529004576160421561955208.html I think it’s a very good article just because it presents the unvarnished truth…