ENTRIES TAGGED "online"
Building an ebook business around analytics
What happens when a web publishing business enters the ebook space?
AskMen, “the leading online magazine for men,” has just launched an ebook publishing program, using the PressBooks Publisher Platform to manage the front-end catalog/website, and back-end ebook production. In the year-and-a-bit since PressBooks launched publicly, we’ve worked with many traditional book publishers, big and small. But what’s most interesting to us is non-traditional book publishers entering the ebook space, because they have the flexibility to approach book publishing in whole new ways.
Especially interesting to us are successful web publishers, mainly because web publishers have the most direct understanding of their readers, and reader behaviour. This skill, and approach, will be critical, we believe, as book publishing evolves. Web publishing is an analytics-driven business. In the ebook world, timely analytics are very hard to come by. And generally, analytics is not something most book publishers prioritize in their business. We believe this will change, as book publishing becomes increasingly digital.
In the interview below, I explore the issue of web vs. ebook analytics with Emma McKay, managing editor of AskMen’s online magazine, and the leader of their ebook publishing program.
An Open, Webby, Book-Publishing Platform
This short article outlines some ideas about an open source, online platform for making books, based on WordPress.
Glimmer of Positivity in Media Industry Analysis
Subtle examples of digital innovation and positive perspectives are emerging in media industry reports. These same elements could benefit book publishing.
News Roundup: Online's Share Increases, New York's "Amazon" Tax, Open Source Textbooks, Edits Shown in Pan Macmillan Ebooks, Penguin UK's Simultaneous Print-Ebook Plan
Weekly publishing news roundup – April 18, 2008.
Open Source Textbook Adoption Grows
Inside Higher Ed notes the slowly growing open source textbook movement: Colleges and individual faculty members continue to experiment with putting course information and material online, and "open textbooks" typically are licensed to allow users to download, share and alter the content as they see fit, so long as their purposes aren't commercial and they credit the author for…
New York Eyes Amazon Affiliates in Tax Move
The Amazon affiliates program could yield millions in revenue for New York state, and it won't come from customer referrals. From the New York Times: … people owe taxes on what they buy regardless of whom they buy it from. But the seller only has an obligation to collect those taxes (and thus the only time taxes are ever…
BitTorrent as a Book Publicity Tool
The author and publisher of two new Mac books posted both titles as free downloads on BitTorrent.
"Prince Caspian" Gets Read It Before You See It Campaign
In anticipation of the upcoming Narnia sequel, HarperCollins is using Facebook, widgets and Web marketing for a "read it before you see it" campaign.
Borders Stores Turn Back on Long Tail
Borders is using its limited shelf space to give top selling books the "face-out" treatment. Poor sellers need not apply.