British book-buyers are now buying more e-books than printed ones through Amazon's online store, according to the latest figures released by the US retailer.
Links of the week August 6 2012 (32)
Our new feature links to interesting blogs or articles posted online, which will help keep you up to date with what's going on in the book world:
13 August 2012
Joseph O'Mahony in the Huffington Post on why he tried self-publishing and why it's worth having a go.
David Gaughran's blog, Let's Get Digital, written in response to last week's Why social media isn't the magic bullet for self-epublished authors
6 August 2012
The future of publishing is in the cupboard under the stairs Kelvin Smith in Bookbrunch on his new book which provides students and others with a comprehensive guide to the publishing business.
A new book provides students and entry-level professionals with a comprehensive guide to the publishing business The future of publishing? You know it's around somewhere. You didn't throw it away or put it in the loft or pack it in a box and give it to Oxfam. It's probably under the stairs.
Why social media isn't the magic bullet for self-epublished authors Ewan Morrison claims that as the project to monetise social media falters the self-epublishing industry's defects will be laid bare.
"Authors - become a success through building an 'internet platform'!". For almost five years we've been subjected to the same message. At the London College of Communication's iGeneration conference this year, I heard that social media was now the only way to sell books, and witnessed glowing examples of the successful use of SM from epub authors such as Joanna Penn (who has her own consultancy and sells $99 multimedia courses on How to Write A Novel). At the Hay festival last month, I heard Scott Pack - self-described "blogger, publisher and author of moderately successful toilet books" - declare that mainstream media, papers and TV "no longer function in selling books"; that the net is now the only way for authors to - you've heard it before - "build a platform". Already every fourth tweet I receive is from an "indie" author trying to self-promote, saying things like "Hoping for a cheeky RT of my last tweet on my book & the 99p offer. B v grateful." And another - "Hope all is well! My dad just published his latest book on Amazon - if possible, I was wondering if you had any tips for him getting his book reviewed by any relevant bloggers. Appreciate any insight." And then there are the hundreds of tweets from social media ebook consultants and so-called specialists offering "the key to online marketing success".