May 22, 2013

What’s the Problem with Self-Publishing?

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The discussion of self-published titles in libraries has increased in recent years, in direct proportion to the angst surrounding ongoing ebook licensing negotiations with major traditional publishers. Prompted by the prospect of limited availability of popular titles or higher prices—probably both—­librarians are understandably weighing alternatives that might satisfy readership demands. There are, however, very real barriers that must be overcome before self-publishing is likely to be even a small component of many collection efforts. Some barriers will fall away naturally as this growing market gains momentum and filters its way into downstream publishing markets like libraries, while others will require a more concerted advocacy effort to overcome.

Auto-Graphics Adds Self-Publishing Tool to Library Software

Self-publishing via libraries is a hot topic these days. Califa is partnering with Smashwords to allow order cialis overnight its patrons to self-publish. A few public libraries have brought in Espresso Book Machines and seen the demand for self-publishing dwarf print-on-demand. Jamie LaRue and David Weinberger call on libraries to be a platform for self-published [...]

Penguin Parent Buys iUniverse Owner

Pearson, parent company of Big Six publishing company Penguin, acquired self-publishing company Author Solutions Inc. (ASI) from private equity firm Bertram Capital for $116 million in cash. The five year old company is better known by its brand names iUniverse and Xlibris, under which it has published about 190,000 print and electronic books so far by about 150,000 authors. The company has grown at approximately 12 percent for the past three years; in 2011, it made about $100 million in revenues.

Bowker Report Shows Self-Publishing Driving 6 Percent Growth in Print Book Output

Bowker is projecting that traditional print book output grew six percent in 2011, from 328,259 titles in 2010 to a projected 347,178 in 2011, driven almost exclusively by a strong self-publishing market.