iBooks Author, Digital Book World, And The Rise Of Voice And AI
The news that Apple is formally discontinuing iBooks Author is no surprise to those following the software, but it certainly does mark the end of an era, and the beginning of a new one. On the heels of selling a previous business, the year 2014 saw me learning new skills and picking up the trail of new interests. Publishing had always been one of those, as I viewed with fascination the fact that anyone could publish a book, for the first time in human history, with mitigated
Macmillan lifts library ebook embargo; DBW ban ends
In a bit of good news amidst a lot of bad news, Macmillan has decided to reverse course and lift its controversial ebook embargo on libraries. (Publishers Weekly article here) We're excited to see our friend and partner the American Library Association see their wishes recognized and honored. We're proud to have raised our voice forcefully and repeatedly on this issue. Our ban of Macmillan employees and staff participating in Digital Book World (which extended up to the paren
Digital Book World Bans Macmillan Employees In Response To Library Embargo; Creates Library Scholars
UPDATE: Read The Washington Post's coverage of Digital Book World's action against Macmillan here. As part of the sold-out Digital Book World 2019 back in September, our friends at the American Library Association announced the eBooksForAll campaign, in response to Macmillan's then-proposed embargo on ebooks at libraries. That embargo has since gone into effect, as of November 1, limiting libraries of any size or type to purchasing a maximum of one (1) copy of any new book, f
Publishing's Next Decade: A Digital Book World
The decade of the 2010's was an up-and-down one. The rise of ebooks was met by a decline of ebooks. Amazon has grown, opening opportunities for publishers, but also forcing monopoly-like conditions on many. Booksellers struggled to find their way. Libraries continue to innovate and provide leadership for their respective communities. M&A activity remained high with plenty of consolidation taking place across the industry. Digital Book World changed hands. What will happen in
Digital Book World 2019 Awards Finalists Announced
We are pleased to announce the 2019 Finalists for The Digital Book World Awards. In addition to the awards listed below, the DAISY Consortium is currently determining the Finalists for the Digital Book World Accessibility Award, Presented By DAISY. Those results will be announced when they are available. Finally, we are pleased to announce that Digital Book World will present three special awards for Outstanding Achievement this year in the publishing industry. Margot Atwell
BISG print-on-demand seminar: challenges in print world remain
Our friends at BISG recently held a webinar on printing on demand, and a number of issues confronting the book industry and paper shortages were mentioned. Digital Book World has added a new breakout track for Digital Book World 2019 called Print Book World, designed to cover best practices and current trends related to the print industry and how these issues interact with digital. Within this new track is David Hetherington, VP - Global Business Development, Books Internatio
DBW Response To Forbes' Kickstarter Article: Some Thoughts On Expensive Conferences
Before you go further, read the eye-opening and insightful piece in Forbes about Kickstarter. I admire so much about Kickstarter's business. They have turned financing of projects on its head, making it far easier to conceive, create, and execute on creative projects than has ever before been possible. Their work with publishing, and the very idea they would have a Director of Publishing at all, is fascinating and led Digital Book World down the path of getting the dynamic Ma
Q&A with DBW 2019 speaker Charlotte Abbott (Founder, FutureProof Content Strategy)
I recently had the privilege of sitting down with publishing industry veteran and Digital Book World 2019 speaker Charlotte Abbott. She's the founder and director of FutureProof Content Strategy, and works with clients to create stories that drive results. Check out her interview below - enjoy. Let’s start with a summary of your publishing career. Are we still in publishing? My evolution from book editor to business journalist to content and audience strategist has taught me
Voice-First Technology And The Car: A New Frontier For Publishers
During the Super Bowl, this ad for Mercedes Benz aired, which clearly demonstrates how expectations for voice technology (more properly, voice-first technology) have progressed to encompass the modern car: The implication here is that everything is possible by using our voices and talking to objects around us. And, indeed, this is the destination that voice-first technology has us headed toward. Digital Book World has come to incorporate voice technology within the broad purv
Castlingo: a great tool for publishers to create Alexa skills with zero code
Thanks to our partner Witlingo, a company based in the DC area which develops voice experiences for brands, Digital Book World has access to a new service called Castlingo. This service makes it easier than it has ever been before for publishers and content creators to create their own Alexa skill, without knowing any code whatsoever. Compliments of a special arrangement lasting through December 8, Castlingo is available for FREE. You can use it to create an Alexa skill right
