Hedes & Dekes: Kindle Action

A recent article from Slate makes note of the Kindle’s role in changing the state of the publishing industry. Marion Maneker explains: with the introduction of the Kindle 2, Amazon’s founder and CEO Jeff Bezos announced that electronic books sales have nearly tripled. [Via The Big Money]

But the Kindle isn’t the only component in the changing landscape of publishing. More and more texts are being offered for free, and many authors are taking the initiative to publish their own texts online for free. A year ago, Tor reported an increase in sales for readers offering free copies of their books. [Via Bloggasm]

Of course, this is not a new concept. “Information radicals,” Cory Doctorow and Charles Stross among them, have long been promoting Creative Commons licenses, allowing readers to download, reprint, and otherwise share their published materials. [Via Forbes] The Ja(y)ne bloggers at Dear Author have been making the same claim for years as well. However, most major publishing companies have been hesitant to make such a move before now.

But slowly, the tide is turning, and more and more free e-books are becoming available across the Web. So where are all these free books? And are they even worth reading? The answer to the latter question is a resounding Of course! The answer to the former is: just look around the ’Net.

Publishers
· Harlequin is offering some books for free. Check out Rachel Vincent’s My Soul to Lose.
· Jelly Ink Press follows Creative Commons licensing. Check out Kelly Link’s Magic for Beginners.
· Samhain Publishing offers a number of free short stories for download.

Self-Published e-Texts
· Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother
· T.A. Pratt’s Bone Shop
· Catherynne M. Valente’s The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making
· Tim Bete’s Guide to Pirate Parenting
· Michele Albert’s Absolute Trouble (previously out of print)

Still at a loss? Check out the Finding Free e-Books blog [Via Finding Free e-Books or Booklorn’s Free Reading series [Via Booklorn].



--Rachel Frier

Hedes & Dekes: University Presses vs. E-publishing. The Battle Wages On

Last week, an AP article seemed to suggest that university presses are about to go the way of the Titanic. The article’s grim assessment of the situation faced by Louisiana State University Press, among others, would make it seem that all such presses have become great dark financial voids, sucking in money without returning revenue. As publishers worldwide brace against impending doom, fearing replacement by e-publishers and other upstarts, LSU Press’s example seems a veritable Thánatos.

However, Jennifer Howard at the Chronicle of Higher Education suggests that it may not be quite so. Reporting from the annual meeting of the Association of American University Presses, Howard has a more optimistic outlook: “The meeting, which ended Sunday, was more a study in resilience and adaptiveness than it was a death watch.” Presses are looking for new ways to function, and making chances to help ensure their survival. The financial situation facing university presses is still far from ideal, but they’re not going down without a fight. Let’s hope they can set an example for the rest of the publishing world. [Via Chronicle of Higher Education]


--Rachel Frier

Photo: Google