Latest Industry News

It's Friday, and I'm exhausted from birthing a book Tuesday through Wednesday, so here's a round-up of news that may have slipped under your radar:

Bowker (you know, the folks you get your ISBNs from) plans to start monitoring ebook sales in the U.S. My question--how are they going to monitor ebooks without ISBNs? Not even the big boys are bothering with ISBNs when they upload their goodies to Amazon and B&N these days. In fact, the only e-tailers still demanding ISBNs on ebooks are Sony and Apple. So ditching the ISBN: great cost cutting measure or road to inaccuate sales reporting?

Ooo la la! Amazon France is officially open.  Don't know about you, but I seriously need to find a translator.

Both Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million stomped their feet over Amazon's exclusive Kindle Fire deal with DC Comics (currently owned by Time Warner) and pulled all DC graphic novels from their virtually and physical shelves. I know Barnes & Noble doesn't give a rat's patootie about my dollars spent on corrupting nieces and nephews with copies of Sandman.  It looks like it's time to visit my local indie comics shop Bedrock City Comics.

On a side note, the whole brouhaha over DC will be a moot point if they don't improve the writing on their books.  Another re-boot? Again? How many does that make over the last thirty years? And that last issue of Wonder Woman? Yeesh!

Then there's the snark over Barry Eisler's exclusive deal with Amazon for his latest ebook.  People repeat after me, "There is no DRM on Eisler's book from Amazon." Convert the damn thing if you want it on your NOOK. Frankly, if you can't convert it or get your kid to do it for you, then maybe it's not something you should be reading. Barry uses some pretty big words.

Okay, kids. That all we have time for. Have a snarkalicious weekend!