IndieBookMan

AV Club: BookBurn Spring 09 - The Journey

noreply@blogger.com (IndieBookMan) — Thu, 21 May 2009 16:52:00 +0000

Angelo Solera reads from his novel The Journey - el Camino at the very first BookBurn reading, sponsored by AuthorsBookshop.com and hosted by Koba Cafe in Baltimore, MD April 22, 2009

BookBurn Spring 2009 - The Journey from indiebookman on Vimeo.

AV Club: BookBurn Spring 09 - To Love Mercy

noreply@blogger.com (IndieBookMan) — Wed, 20 May 2009 16:49:00 +0000

Frank Joseph reads from his novel To Love Mercy at the very first BookBurn reading, sponsored by AuthorsBookshop.com and hosted by Koba Cafe in Baltimore, MD April 22, 2009

BookBurn Spring 2009 - To Love Mercy from indiebookman on Vimeo.

AV Club: BookBurn Spring 09 - Breezes of Inspire

noreply@blogger.com (IndieBookMan) — Wed, 20 May 2009 04:44:00 +0000

Nick Ruth reads from his novel Breezes of Inspire at the very first BookBurn reading, sponsored by AuthorsBookshop.com and hosted by Koba Cafe in Baltimore, MD April 22, 2009

BookBurn Spring 09 - Breezes of Inspire from indiebookman on Vimeo.

Under a Radio Umbrella

noreply@blogger.com (IndieBookMan) — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:30:00 +0000

Ill be talking about indie publishing, AuthorsBookshop, bookburning etc. in an interview on Umbrella Radio tonight at 8:00pm!

Stop by the website and listen!!!!

http://www.umbrellaradio.org/

Burning Books this week!

noreply@blogger.com (IndieBookMan) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 03:42:00 +0000

AuthorsBookshop.com announces its first

BALTIMORE BOOK BURN EVENT!

We have selected three of our favorite local authors and have invited them
to BURN THEIR BOOKS!

Are we really going to burn them?

Heck no! We are going to celebrate them (and all indie books!) by bringing
them to light!

Each of the three authors will read an excerpt from their book. They will
then be available for questions, conversations, and of course - to sign
their books!

As if that isn't enough, our favorite Baltimore-based musical performer,
sahffi, is going to be on hand to play a few of her amazing songs. And to
top it all off, you will be able to enjoy the great coffee of Koba Cafe -
easily one of the best joe-joints in town!

So come out to support local writers, local music and local business. You
cannot go wrong.

Can't be there? You can still enjoy the event! WE WILL BE WEBCASITING LIVE
VIDEO OF THE EVENT at BookBurn.com.

The inaugural Book Burn event will take place:
7PM, Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Koba Cafe - 644 E. Fort Ave, Baltimore MD

Presenting:

The Journey, el Camino, Angelo Solera
To Love Mercy, Frank S. Joseph
The Dark Dreamweaver, Nick Ruth

With special musical guest, sahffi!

For more information, visit BookBurn.com

SEE YOU THERE!!

Report from the Mountains: pleasant, airy and down right cool.

noreply@blogger.com (IndieBookMan) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 02:39:00 +0000

I'm becoming addicted to CrowVoice's Report from the Mountain webcasts. Like the mountains themselves: pleasant, airy and down right cool. I have found myself waiting each week for the new installment.

I'm a fan of CrowVoice's poetry to begin with so it isn't much of a stretch, but couple it with some great jazz (Eric Dolphy's tickling "Hat and Beard" serves as the theme song) and Crowvoice's dreamy, hushed mid-west accent (makes me miss home!) and you have a really nice little treat once a week.

Take a few minutes to check it out - That's all it will take to enjoy an entire episode - and I bet you will come back for more.

Report from the Mountains

Free printing setup at Lightning Source

noreply@blogger.com (IndieBookMan) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:28:00 +0000

I just got an email from Lightning Source announcing an introductory deal - they are eliminating the setup fees if your order more than 50 copies. Here is clipping with the pertinent info:

Have you considered using on-demand printing, but wanted to see for yourself how it works? Effective March 23, 2009 through June 1, 2009 you can set up as many titles as you like, and with an order of 50 copies Lighting Source will waive your one time set up fee.

It’s simple:

1) Go to www.lightningsource.com and complete an application.

2) Set up your title metadata online. Enter the code FREESETUP in the promotional code field.

3) Upload your files or send your book

4) We will send you a proof of your book for your approval.

5) Approve it and place your order – 50 copies of each title to one ship to location- and your set up fee will be automatically credited to your account when your order ships prior to July 10, 2009.

This offer is good on all print and bind types in our standard list of products- Color interior, B&W interior, perfect bound paper, case laminate and jacketed hardcover.
Use FREESETUP on as many titles you like within the promotional period and save even more.

Got that? So, if you have been thinking of using them anyway remember promotional code: FREESETUP

Anouncing AuthorsBookshop's first Book Burn!

noreply@blogger.com (IndieBookMan) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:17:00 +0000

AuthorsBookshop proud to announce our first in a series of events we are calling "Book Burns" - readings by independently published local authors. Here is the press release announcing the first event, to occur April 22nd at Koba Cafe here in Baltimore.

If you are interested in reading your book at future Book Burns, please let me know via the AuthorsBookshop "contact" page.

For more info, visit BookBurn.com.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

BALTIMORE-BASED ONLINE BOOKSELLER SET TO "BURN" BOOKS
AuthorsBookshop launches new series of book readings by local authors

Baltimore, MD, March, 18, 2009 - After having been stigmatized for years, independently published authors are watching the decline of the mainstream publishing industry with excitement. As the major publishing houses slash staff, budgets, and the number of books they publish, many in the independent publishing world are seeing an opportunity materialize before their eyes. Even the main-stream media has noticed: small presses and self-published authors suddenly appear to be the future of publishing.

On the forefront of this new movement stands online bookseller AuthorsBookshop and its new series of "Book Burn" events - book readings featuring local independently published authors, hosted in locally owned venues around Baltimore.

"The mainstream publishing industry is falling apart," explains AuthorsBookshop founder Brad Grochowski, "and this opens up a great opportunity for the indies. We have been working for a few years now to bring some great indie books to light. Our Book Burn events will give local authors a great venue to share their books, and bring welcome traffic to some wonderful local shops."

The online bookseller announced today that it is launching the Book Burn series and will kick it off with an inaugural event at Koba Cafe in Locust Point. This first event of the series will present literary works from three Baltimore-based authors; Angelo Solera, Frank S. Joseph and Nick Ruth. The three books being presented; "The Journey," "To Love Mercy" and "The Dark Dreamweaver" represent a broad spectrum of subject matter and style. To round out the evening even further, the event will present local musician sahffi as it's first musical guest.

The event will also be webcast in real time, bringing an international audience to the books and local shops alike. "The technology is finally here," proclaims Grochowski, "Indie books now have an international presence. We have been selling books all over the world - now we are bringing book readings to a global audience. It's really exciting."

AuthorsBookshop is a Baltimore-based online bookseller that specializes in selling independently published books. Launched by Grochowski in 2005, it has developed a reputation for working closely with authors and small presses to bring more attention to their books, while offering sales terms far more reasonable than larger online book vendors.

The inaugural Book Burn event will occur at 7:00pm, Wednesday April 22nd at Koba Cafe, 644 E. Fort Street, Baltimore MD.

###

"The Decider" decides to get paid, you bet!

noreply@blogger.com (IndieBookMan) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 23:07:00 +0000

The Decider "decided" to accept $7 Million dollars for a chance to explain why he did what he did. You know, all that presidenty stuff he did - starting wars, accomplishin' missions, tapping your phone line, etc. etc. etc. I really really really can't wait to rea... oh wait. Yes I can.

7 mil for some faux-heart-felt platitudinizationizing. Blech.

They claimed he had 30,000 words already written... then they took a look at his manuscript. Turns out he had written "im the desidur" 10,000 times. Har har... that's a "Bush is dumb" joke. There's still room for a few of those, isn't there?

Anyway, turns out - as demonstrated yet again by both Bush and Blago - the best way to succeed at getting published is to fail at politics. What else is new?

Now I am just waiting to hear that the $7 million is coming from federal bailout money. You know it is, right?

Featured Book: Spirit Of Place Baltimore's Favorite Spaces

noreply@blogger.com (IndieBookMan) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 03:25:00 +0000

I love this book. Spirit of Place couples beautiful photos of Baltimore landmarks with prominent Baltimore personalities. Each person poses in front of their favorite landmark,and writes an essay about what that place means to them.

If you live in or love Baltimore, this book absolutely must grace your coffee table.

AuthorsBookshop.com: Spirit Of Place Baltimore's Favorite Spaces

I been sayin' it for years.

noreply@blogger.com (IndieBookMan) — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 03:10:00 +0000

Why does indie publishing get such a bad rap, when the "indie" label is a badge of honor for film makers and musicians? If you know me, or have ever talked publishing with me, or have spent much time reading this blog, you know I have been trying to figure this out for years now. It's a frustrating situation.

Well, far more important folks than I seem to have taken notice too, now, and they are writing about it in far more important places, like, say, the Washington Post.

The Post published an article a few days ago titled "A New Chapter in Self-Publishing" (har har har) aaaaaall about how the indie pub world deserves the same respect as indie film and music. Ok, maybe it doesn't come out and say it deserves it, but it does a great job of asking the question; why isn't it getting it?

In music, DIY is a source of credibility for acts that take pride in circumventing the music machine and the compromises often required to release an album through a record company -- especially a major label.

With books, by contrast, do-it-yourselfers are usually regarded with skepticism, if not outright derision, when they pay to publish their own work through what is disdainfully referred to as a "vanity press."

I think the most interesting take away is the suggestion that, as a corollary to musicians fortune of being able to go out and play, therefore attracting an audience who will buy their albums, that authors are starting to use blogs to attract attention to there writing. Great point. I think this is true.

I think though, that authors do need to get out and read their work more though. Blogging is great, but reading at a bookstore, coffee shop or pub is a great way to get your work out in front of folks in person.

Anyway, read the article. It's good thoughts.

RIP Spacebat

noreply@blogger.com (IndieBookMan) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 19:27:00 +0000

We will miss you Spacebat!

Not so far from the tree...

noreply@blogger.com (IndieBookMan) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 04:02:00 +0000

Well, this is exciting. My daughter has her first online published piece. That's exciting enough, but when you consider that she is only five, well, that makes it all the cooler.

I have to warn you, it's a bit dark, though perhaps somewhat prescient. Anyway, here it is:

The Mouth of the Actual

Here is a snip:

The people stayed alive because they had none-dieing-bones. The princess gave them none-dieing-bones from her heart before she died. The people could live forever and forever. The future started going dead because the future didn’t have none-dead-bones. But because before the future was dead, the princess’s heart gave none-dieing bones to the future so it could stay alive, but it was so close to dieing. So now it is more dead then less dead.

It's definitely worth reading some of the other kid's stories too... some very interesting stuff. Preschoolers can be pretty scary man. They think of some pretty scary stuff.

One of her preschool teachers has created this "early futures" project to (among other things) explore and document childrens' understandings and expectations of what the future will be like. She is using it as a tool to get kids thinking about what the future could be like, what role they will play in it, and what they can do to shape it. The website documents some of the things she and the kids discover. It's really pretty cool.

The same teacher is also co-creator of "Slanties," so, we are confident that Neema is in wonderful hands when she is at school.

Why'd you do it that way?

noreply@blogger.com (IndieBookMan) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 06:05:00 +0000

There is a great conversation going on, following a really cool post about AuthorsBookshop over at the blog HTML Giant. Adam has some really thoughtful things to say about us in a really skeptical, even-handed post.

One question arose in a comment that prompted me to write a (much too long) response, and I think it's work sharing in part here.

The question was: “What if the service just sent an email to whatever press you ordered from and it would be their responsibility to ship the order?”

This is a question that has come up more than a few times and it is a good one. So I wanted to take a second to talk about it here, and address it formally. I think it's important.

I think it is a great idea, and I very seriously considered it when I was doing my early research. In the end however, I rejected it, and I think for some very good reasons.

The first is that authors and publishers should spend there time writing and publishing. Take if from me - taking orders, packing and shipping books, dealing with the post office, unhappy customers and credit card companies is a major undertaking. This is all time that could be much better spend getting the next book written, printed and ready for market. If every author or publisher had to deal with the drama, we would have no new books.

Second, I am very firmly committed to quality of service. When you get a book from AuthorsBookshop, it should arrive at your door on time and in perfect condition. Each order should be packed consistently, and should contain a secret toy surprise. If I were counting on the publishers to pack and ship, there is no way I could guarantee timeliness, quality or consistency. Call me old-fashioned, but these things mean a great deal to me. (And trust me, I receive books from publishers all the time - you would be amazed at some of the crazy packing jobs I have seen!)

Third, the model you suggest has been tried by others and has failed, mostly for the reasons I state above.

And fourth, with my model, I am a real bookstore with real inventory. This allows me to sell books through more avenues than just online - book festivals, readings, word of mouth, friends and fans, etc. I have sold more than a few books to visitors who have physically browsed the shelves.

Finally , and perhaps the most important to me personally, (other than the secret toy surprise issue mentioned above), I have held each book in my hand… flipped through the pages and read from them. I _know_ the books and can - and often do - recommend and make suggestions. I love these books, and have a relationship with them. There is no way I would have that if they were all shipping from their publisher.

These are the considerations I weighed when choosing the model I did. I would love to hear your thoughts or suggestions as to how things could be done differently.

In the end, beyond the terms I offer, or the model I have chosen, or even the name of my business (is it really that bad, Adam?) I really care about indie publishing. If I could list and sell these books for absolutely nothing, I would do it in a second. I want to help as many authors sell as many books as possible. That’s my motivation, my objective and my passion. If nothing else, please understand that.

It's just become even easier to "share" at AuthorsBookshop

noreply@blogger.com (IndieBookMan) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:52:00 +0000

I have added a new feature to AuthorsBookshop.com this week, and I wanted to let you know about it.

"Social tagging" has gotten pretty big over the past year or so. What is social tagging? It's allowing content on a website to be "tagged" or "shared" with the number of social networking sites that are out there -- facebook, myspace, digg, etc -- with a simple click of a button.

Well, we have this at AuthorsBookshop now! If you look on any book's page, author's profile or any of the blog posts you will see this the sharing icon and the link, "Share This." It looks like this:

Clicking the icon or text link will give you a smorgasbord of options. You can email the page to a friend or post directly to your profile on any of dozens of social networking and blogging sites.

What good does this do for our authors? When someone happens upon your book, profile or blog and likes it - they can let the world know by "sharing" it.

So, don't be afraid to ask stop by and "share" your love for indie books with all of your networks!

Oh no you dont!

noreply@blogger.com (IndieBookMan) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 16:28:00 +0000

Looks like Illinois legislators don't want our man Blago to walk away with 60 trabillion dollars for a book he won't write himself after all. What's wrong with those jerks? The guy has to feed his family!

any elected official who is convicted of a felony or of a misdemeanor involving a violation of his or her official oath of office to forfeit any monetary rights derived from any media depiction or detailing of the crime for which the person was convicted as a term of their sentence. The forfeiture lasts during the term of the sentence and any period of probation, parole or supervised release.

That bill was just introduced. It means our guy can write (or, really, someone can write for him) about his crime... but he can't keep any of the proceeds. Maybe there is some justice after all.

Of course, Free Speech advocates are a little worried about this. The old "chilling effect" idea. I think that's appropriate. We have to be careful any time we are limiting speech. But in this situation it feels like real, honest-to-goodness oh-no-you-don't-mister-smart-guy justice.

Maybe they should change the wording of the bill a tiny bit to read:

any elected official who is named Rod Blagojevich and is convicted of a felony...

That would be some good legislation.

Indie enough.

noreply@blogger.com (IndieBookMan) — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 04:23:00 +0000

So, there is a great dialog going on over at the April Hamilton's fellow indie book blog Indie Author (I definitely recommend you spend some time there) that started with an email April received.

Seems some person, I don't know if he is afilliated with IndieBound or not but he/she definately throws their name in there - gives her the old up-and-down about calling herself an indie despite the fact that she has her book listed on Amazon, and is pointing folks there from her site. Huh?

Here, let me quote:

I am wondering why you call yourself an "inide" (sic) author when you have not one, but 2 links to Amazon on your site with no mention of Indiebound.org. Amazon is the anti-indie.

As the manager of an indie book shop we seek the support of authors by asking them to post Indiebound.org as a purchase option.

I cannot believe that you profess to be indie all over [your author] site when you are blatently (sic) promoting Amazon, an entity that has been responsible for destroying the spirit of indie across this country. You will have a very difficult time getting indie book shops to support your book with a page that has Amazon all over it.

Urrr.... what!? I mean, don't get me wrong - I hate amazon too. I have set out to take them on at their very own game, and traffic hardcore in indie indie indie. I mean, that's all that I do.

But come on man. An author has to sell books, and each publisher has to make decisions based on what it feels is best for their own business model. If it makes the most sense to April to send potential buyers to Amazon, well then, we indie booksellers selling indie books have two choices: 1) Offer her a better business deal than Amazon, or 2) Educate her as to why you are offering a better business deal than Amazon.

If a bookseller is not offering a better business deal, than they can take a hike. She has no obligation to focus on you, just because you are indie, and she is indie.

And, come to think of it, Indie bookstores don't generally go out of their way to avoid mainstream published books. They can't, it's their bread-and-butter. I mean, I do at AuthorsBookshop (we sell indie books and nothing else) but we are weird and, as I sad, hardcore indie. The sellers have to do what's best for their business. They have to stay afloat.

Now, don't get me wrong. I think this person is actually great. We really need, in the indie publishing world, to have the folks who are willing to remove their jackets and throw a couple punches. I'm a softy, and something of a pacifist and prefer other methods. But we need those folks too. I just think in this case, he/she is swinging at the wrong target.

Indie publishers and indie booksellers are both pushing huge rocks up a steep hill. We can't afford to spend time tripping each other up. If you have a better way to push your rock - share the info, and encourage the other indies. Then we all get to the top faster.

Look, I would obviously rather April had her books listed at AuthorsBookshop... I've got a better deal for her than Amazon anyway. I would rather she list them with IndieBound. So, I will talk to her about what I have, how it might work better for her. Im just worried that accusing her of not being "indie enough" is going to drive a deeper wedge between indie publishers and indie sellers.

I'm sorry Mr./Ms. Letter Writer, April is an indie author and publisher. She is not owned by a mainstream media company, or an international conglomerate. She is indie. Maybe not indie the way you would like, but by any rational definition, she is indie.

By the way - I notice at her website Publetariot.com, which totally kicks ass by the way, April has a link to Indiebound. I am relieved by this... it would appear that the letter writer has not yet done irreversible damage.

Booking Blago

noreply@blogger.com (IndieBookMan) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:51:00 +0000

Thank God! Rod Blagojevich got a 6-figure book deal. I was really worried about him. I wasn't sure what he was going to do for money now that his whole selling-a-senate-seat gig didn't work out the way we had all hoped.

It makes total sense and is completely fair that his book, which he will obviously write every word of himself, will earn him $millions+. I mean, he totally deserves this. Much more so than all those annoying "authors" who have spent years "crafting" "deep" and "meaningful" novels word by word. Who needs that crap?

Ah, mainstream publishing. It fills one with so many warm and fuzzy feelings, doesn't it.

Burning books, AuthorsBookshop style

noreply@blogger.com (IndieBookMan) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 04:46:00 +0000

I've just solidified the place and time for our first ever "BookBurn" event. BookBurns are readings done by local indie authors in different venues. This first BookBurn event will be at Koba Cafe, 644 E. Fort Ave, in Baltimore on April 22 at 7pm.

More details to follow as I get the books and authors lined up.

If you are in the Baltimore region, or are willing to travel, have your book listed with AuthorsBookshop.com and would like to read, drop me a line. I am hoping to get the next few months lined up in advance.

A dead chimp

noreply@blogger.com (IndieBookMan) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:21:00 +0000

Let me start by saying that I am the last person to suggest, support or condone censorship. One of the greatest gifts our forefathers gave us - and one of the few that have truly been realized (still working on that "all men created equal" bit) - is our freedom of speech, and of free press.

Neither government nor corporation should stifle any person's right to express themselves in the manner they see fit. In fact, I personally feel that the government is obligated to fund and support even those voices which disagree with or denounce it.

But I also feel that, having said what things we are free to say, that there are two considerations that should come into play; 1) the speaker must accept the social consequences of her words and 2) the speaker aught be willing to accept personal responsibility for the effect her words have had on others.

In other words, I believe you should have a right to flagrantly espouse your beliefs re sexual preference toward a well muscled gay man. However, you must then respect his response. Even if it includes a black eye.

Likewise, I think we must also try be conscious of how those words effect that man, regardless of his response. We should take responsibility for the harm our words can do others.

There are many words and images that have, for hundreds of years, been used to denigrate and dehumanize people. I say it is not a matter of political correctness, but personal responsibility toward our brothers to avoid using those words and images.

And I have been accused of acting as the "political correctness police." I have to explain that political correctness is not at all the point. I am not concerned with your politics, nor how correct they may or may not be. The point is that the words you are using, whether you want to admit it or not, are hurtful. The complaint against "political correctness" is an excuse to be lazy, selfish, to ignore the effect your words have on your fellow mankind.

And so, all this to explain that to my mind the New York Post certainly had the right to publish a hurtful image. And I am not surprised they have. Conservatives have reason to fear. There is a black man in the whitehouse, at the head of the Republican Party, and coaching an NFL team to victory in the superbowl. Gays are pushing pushing pushing for marriage rights, and we don't see an abortion prohibition on the horizon. (Doesn't conservatism generally find itself on the losing end, historically?)

So, they will lash out. And that's their right, protected by the Law of the Land.

But I say that my rules apply; print your image, but accept the social response and understand, in your heart of hearts, that you have done harm to your fellow man.

If Col Allan, the editor who made the decision to publish, is fired, it would be a great step toward the first rule. It's up to him to live up to the second.

Parlez vous francais?

noreply@blogger.com (IndieBookMan) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:04:00 +0000

Bonjour!

Seeing as we just enjoyed (some might insist "survived") St. Valentines Day, and seeing as French is generally considered to be the language of love, I thought this might be a good time to announce some new book categories recently added at AuthorsBookshop.

Actually, we have added a new section of categories with several categories listed under it.

Is response to a request by our newest publishing partner, Editions Mille Poètes, a Montreal based publisher who publishes works in French, we have added the section "Livres en Francais" containing the following categories:

-Contes
-Histoire
-Nouvelles
-Poesie
-Romans
-Temoignages

This is in addition to the "Libros en Espanol" added last year.

Both of these sections are in line with our plans to broaden the international reach and appeal of AuthorsBookshop.com.

We have already shipped books to Australia, England, The Netherlands and India, and have books listed from these countries and more. But we are looking for ways to make your books even more accessible to the global market.

We also aim to serve as a gateway to over-seas publishers, giving them a great avenue to get their books into the US market.

Plans include utilizing sales partners that will present your books overseas, as well as developing multi-language versions of our own site and helping over-seas publishers find and work with state-side printers to ease their entry into the US sales environment.

AV Club: The Google Book Search debacle, explained

noreply@blogger.com (IndieBookMan) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 02:58:00 +0000

This is a good, if slow, explanation of the Google Book Search debate and subsequent law suit. It seems weighted in sympathy toward Google, but it's a really good primer on the situation.

Settling with Google

noreply@blogger.com (IndieBookMan) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 02:20:00 +0000

As you may well know, when Google announced Google Book Search - and started scanning every book it could get it's hands on - publishers started freaking out. Rightfully so, I think. Google was in a very real way infringing on the rights of the publishers and owners of the content. It was actually a little brazen, I felt when I first started to hear of this, for Google to just presume they could digitize all of our printed works and make them as available as they had done the web.

And this was from a company who's founding principle is, "don't suck." So why were they out there, doing something really sucky?

I think their intentions are fine. The want to digitize, categorize and searchablize (Googleize?) the entirety of mankind's knowledge. That's an awesome goal, and I can get behind it. And really, if you are a small publisher or manage indie books, it could really work to your advantage to have your content available to the world in this way.

But rights is rights, and I for one am really glad that there were organizations ("the Authors Guild, the Association of American Publishers and a handful of authors and publishers") awake enough, and powerful enough, to cry foul and look out for the interest of all publishers, big and small. In short, they sued 'em.

And the suite is drawing to a close, with a settlement that both sides can agree on... or have agreed on in any case. There are debates from both sides as to whether the compromise is satisfactory or not, but in the end I think it's just going to be what it is. Google gets to pursue its goals, publishers rights are protected, and we indies get a new avenue for exposure that we can definitely benefit from (I think we come out the best in all of this.)

The blog Future Perfect Publishing has some good thoughts on the situation, plus this great bullet-pointed breakdown of the settlement:

Rights holder control the use of their works by Google - Rights holders can opt out of the Book Search program, although now that the settlement appears likely to be approved, that might put them at a sales and marketing disadvantage relative to those who belong to the program.

Rights will be administered through a new organization called the Book Rights Registry - The registry will represent authors and publishers, and be a clearinghouse for rights related issues. Google contributes $34.5 million to set up the registry; thereafter the registry’s operational costs are paid out of the 10-20 percent administrative fees charged against the money it collects on behalf of authors and publishers.

Google will share revenues with rights holders - Any book sales, subscription and advertisement revenue generated by the Google Book Search will be divvied up by the Book Rights Registry, which will give Google 37 percent and rights holders 63 percent.

Google will pay for past use of copyrighted works - in fact, a website has been set up where rights holders can review the settlement in detail and file claims online.

Out-of-print books will be made available unless the rights holder objects - This will extend the “long tail” life for such titles and could mean additional revenues for rights holders that might not have been feasible otherwise.

I can say this - with Amazon trying to get your book on its Kindle, and Google trying to Google-ize it, it's hard to avoid the feeling that the written word must be worth something. That's a hard feeling to come by these days, with readership and booksales flagging, industry leaders struggling to keep there jobs and publishing companies of all stripes sweating to keep their presses running. Let's hope Google and Amazon who, for better or worse, have been right about so many things so far, are right about this as well.

New Kindle to launch this month

noreply@blogger.com (IndieBookMan) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:16:00 +0000

So, the new Kindle is set for release this month. I have to say, I haven't really boughten into the whole e-book phenomenon (and I am definitely not alone in that) but I have to admit I am starting to feel like that weird old guy who still insists that music sounds better on vinyl. He may be right, and it may be true, but never-the-less it's time to leeeet iiiiit goooooo...

I do love vinyl, but finding a working record player, replacement belts when they break and styluses when the where out has become of act of extreme dedication - not to mention expense. So, in practical terms, it's just more realistic to listen to music digitally. I don't even bother with CDs anymore - downloading straight from itunes to my iphone.

And, perhaps at some point I will make that same leap with books... after all, the iphone has some great e-book reading options, and Amazon just launched a huge library of free e-books that I can open right on my phone (http://books.amazon.com/m).

Bu gall dern it, a book is more than just a bunch of words... it's more than its content. A book is... a book. It's a cover, pages, ink, touch and smell. I'm not ready to give that up yet.

And I got into book writing, publishing and selling because I love the objects as much as the information they contain. I'm not so sure I am interested in selling content, information, data... I want to write, publish sell and read... books!

But then again, I love a good gadget and the new Kindle looks pretty darn cool. I kinda, secretly, want to hold one and feel it and try it out. Not that I would ever admit that.

Do I want to read a novel on it? I don't know... I would have to try it and see. As much as I love my iphone, I know I don't really want to do that much heavy reading on that. But, maybe the Kindle is different. Maybe it is... the iphone of ebooks.

I would love to know what you think about ebooks and the Kindle... please drop them below!!!

Book Porn: book and chair

noreply@blogger.com (IndieBookMan) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:00:00 +0000

book and chair, originally uploaded by stevenarens.

Book Porn: Exciting pictures of books. If you have book porn, send it my way. If it's truly exciting I would love to post it!