Dead Tree Bookless Library, Only Ebooks Allowed

I see what's coming. Do you?

Panzer stopped in at The Guardian site today.  My little black kitty found a post by Alison Flood there about a new university in Florida.

The new Florida Polytechnic University will have 500 students when it opens this fall. It has a huge library building. 11,000 square feet to be exact!

But there are no dead tree books in that library building.

Instead there are computer terminals for the students to log-on and read their ebooks. Everything in the library is digital.

Panzer says, "Is our future here today?"

To read the whole post, tootle over to bookless library

Japanese Publishers vs. Amazon Japan On Ranking System

Explain please.

Panzer hit the Catosphere at warp speed today. My bad kitty boy went over to the Asia & Japan Watch site at The Asahi Shimban. He found a post by Mayumi Mori about a shouting match going on between Amazon Japan and the Japanese publishers who use Amazon's store for ebook sales.

So, what's all the shouting about?

Amazon Japan has instituted a new publisher ranking system.  Publishers who pay Amazon Japan higher fees and have bigger ebook offerings receive higher rankings than those who don't.

Panzer says, "I don't understand. Are the higher fees for advertising or what? And, if you have more ebooks to sell, why shouldn't you have a higher ranking?"

To read the whole post, tootle over to Amazon Japan

12 Thoughts On Kindle Unlimited

What to do?

Panzer made his first ever visit to the Steve Scott Site today.

Panzer doesn't know if you've heard, but everybody in the Catosphere has been talking about the Kindle Unlimited program. Some people support it and believe it's the best marketing tool since Kindle Select. Others hate it and won't join for the same reason they wouldn't join Kindle Select and restrict their sales only to the Kindle Store.

So, when my bad boy heard that Mr. Scott had a post with his views on the Pros and Cons of the Kindle Unlimited program, he took the Panzermobile right over to the site. Mr. Scott addresses the payouts from having your book in the KU program, how category rankings are impacted, how sales numbers might decrease if you don't join and more pros and cons to total twelve.

Panzer says, "Should I or shouldn't I join? I'm so confused. I don't know what to do!"

To read the post and make up your own mind about the Kindle Unlimited program, tootle over to Kindle Unlimited

New Kobo Aura-H2O Ereader Review

Me in the water? Not in your life-time.

Panzer was over at the GoodEReader blog today. My bad boy found some big news for you there in a post by Michael Kozlowski.

Kobo has a new ereader called the Aura H2O.

And you'll never guess what it does.

It can be under water for thirty minutes and still work!

So you drop it in the bath tub. No problem. You drop it in the ocean at the beach. No problem.

The post is a complete, indepth review of all the features in the new Kobo ereader. Features reviewed even have accompanying videos showing how they work. There's also a "Pros" and "Cons" list at the end of the post. Consequently, this is a very long post. So bring a huge double latte.

Panzer says, "I want one and I don't even go near the water."

To read the entire review, tootle over to Kobo Aura H2O

Amazon Hachette Feud Could Change The Publishing World

What does the future hold?

Panzer went over to The Guardian site today. My bad black kitty boy found a post there about the future of ebook publishing.

In her post Jennifer Rankin looks at the Amazon-Hachette dispute not from the standpoint of ebook pricing, but from what will happen to the business models of publishers and how they will reinvent themselves in the future. As an example, HarperCollins has already started doing direct sales from their website.

Panzer says, "So ... did Amazon really push publishers to change or were they already planning to make these changes?"

There is a second section of the post that's a recap of the Amazon-Hachette dispute. Because of this, the post is v-e-r-y, v-e-r-y l-o-n-g, so bring a HUGE cup of tea.

To read what changes might be in the future for publishing, tootle over to Amazon Hachette Feud

A New Panzerism

Thanks Mom. I needed a good laugh.

Panzer on a balanced diet:

You're kidding, right?

You Are Now Buried Under 3.4 Million E-books And Counting

I feel so bad.

Panzer isn't happy about the post he found over at Claude Nougat's blog. In fact, my bad boy is downright disheartened.

According to Mr. Nougat, there were 3.4 million ebooks available in the Kindle Store the day he wrote the post. And he also discovered that 12 new ebooks are added to the store every hour. That means the competition is getting stronger every five minutes.

Mr. Nougat even checked into the rankings of past top-selling authors Amanda Hocking and John Locke.

Guess what.

They're not number one in sales any more.

So, things are getting tough all over.

What chance does a poor little kitty have to sell his books?

Panzer says, "Mr. Nougat does point out Amazon now gives indies access to a pre-order button, so at least we have something."

A warning: this is a very, very long post with screen shots and information, so bring a big, big cup of tea.

To read the full post, tootle over to buried under 3-4 million e-books

12 Tips On How To Promote Your Book

Watch out. He uses bad words.

We made a stop at Chuck Wendig's Terrible Minds blog today. Panzer found a post on promoting your book.

Mr. Wendig offers twelve tips for promoting yourself and your books on social media. These tips are to show how to promote without being "spammy." That means no "Me ... Me ... Me" posts. Now that doesn't mean you can't talk about yourself, because you should. What it does mean is you should be funny, tell jokes, be helpful. Not just "Buy My Book!" "Buy My Book!" And that's just one tip. There are eleven more for you.

Panzer says, "I don't go to Mr. Wendig's blog very often because he uses bad words. So, be warned!"

To read Chuck Wendig's tips for book promotion, tootle over to promote your books

Smashwords: Inc. Magazine Names Smashwords to Inc. 5000 List o...

$22 million!

Over at the Smashwords blog, Panzer found a post announcing the company's inclusion on the Inc. 5000 list. According to owner Mark Coker, Smashwords is #122 in the top 5000 and the #1 fastest growing media company on Inc.'s list.

My bad boy wasn't surprised that Mr. Coker said Smashwords made $22 million in revenue in 2013. There are over 100,000 authors and small publishers who use Smashwords services. That's a lot of books.

Panzer found the last few paragraphs of the post the most interesting. In that section Mr. Coker asks the question, Where is Smashwords as a company going in the future? And, Where are indie authors going in the future?

Panzer says, "I know where I'll be. It's nap time right now."

To read the full post, tootle over to Smashwords: Inc. Magazine Names Smashwords to Inc. 5000 List o...:

Barnes & Noble Teams With Samsung on New Galaxy Tab Nook - GalleyCat

Let's take a look at this new Tablet.

Today, WE visited GalleyCAT. Panzer found a post by Dianna Dilworth about the new Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook.

My bad boy told you this new co-branded Nook was in the works back in June, so it's no surprise it's here. The surprise is the price: only $179 and you get $200 worth of ebooks and TV shows to go with it. You can order it online or in the Barnes and Noble stores.

Panzer says, "I want to try out this new tablet. How about you?"

To read the full post, tootle over to Barnes & Noble Teams With Samsung on New Galaxy Tab Nook - GalleyCat

More E-Book Price-Fixing Fallout

I promise. Not again.

Okay, Panzer did it again. He promised me he'd stay away from the Publishers Weekly site.

But ...

being a bad boy, he just had to break his promise.

So ...

He found a post there by Andrew Albanese that brings up another court case involving Apple and the big five publishers involved in the original price-fixing case (yes, Hachette Book Group is one of the big five). This case was brought by DNAML, Diesel eBook Store and BooksOnBoard. All three companies are no longer viable and are now suing for compensation.

Judge Denise Cote has ordered the three e-retailers, Apple and the big five publishers into mediation.

(Now, I have the keys to the Panzermobile, so my bad boy isn't going anywhere without me for a week.)

To read more about the latest in the price-fixing game, tootle over to mediation

A New Panzerism

Love conquers all ... including curtains.

Panzer on True Love:

The only thing between me and true love is your window curtains.

And ...

No ...

I don't know why they're on the floor.

Today Is My Day!

Happy Black Cat Appreciation Day TO ME!


(That's in the U.S. today. Maybe, we can make it worldwide next year?)

Thoughts in Progress: Three Fun Elements to Add to Your Mystery {+ Givea...

I never thought of that.

Panzer stopped in at Mason Canyon's Thoughts in Progress blog to visit his friend Traveler (Cat in Residence). After the two bad boys got finished discussing their respective pet humans, Panzer read a guest post by Elizabeth Craig.

Ms. Craig discusses three fun things you can incorporate into your mysteries to add a little humor. Each time you add something new to your mysteries you're opening the door to new readers and a new market.

To see what things might entice new readers to your novels, tootle over to Thoughts in Progress: Three Fun Elements to Add to Your Mystery {+ Givea...:

Orwell Estate Joins The Amazon-Hachette Fray

I give up. This joke will never end.

Panzer found an interesting post by Alison Flood over at The Guardian today.

Bill Hamilton,the George Orwell Estate executor, says Amazon misquoted Mr. Orwell in the letter the retailer sent to readers and authors.

If you want to read the latest in this ongoing, never-ending soap opera, tootle over to another Amazon problem

Amazon-Hachette Dispute Is Yesterday's War

Are you two listening?

Panzer was out in the Catosphere today trying to avoid the Amazon-Hachette dispute.

No such luck!

What my bad kitty did find is a post by Leonid Bershidsky at the Bloomberg View site with an argument that could put an end to the dispute. Mr. Bershidsky points out that in his opinion buying ebooks from the Amazon store for your Kindle is obsolete.

What?

The Kindle obsolete?

The Amazon ebook obsolete?

Why?

Because more people are reading ebooks on their smartphones and tablets.

So, according to Mr. Bershidsky, the Amazon-Hachette dispute (war) is pointless.

Panzer says, Are you listening Mr. Bezos? How about you Mr. Pietsch? It's a pointless fight."

To read this new take on the Amazon-Hachette disagreement, tootle over to battle is yesterday's war

Hachette's Pietsch Responds To Amazon's Readers Emails

Mine! Now get out of there!

Panzer is back home after a trip to Publishers Weekly's site in the Catosphere.

My bad boy found a post there about Amazon's response to Douglas Preston's New York Times advertisement asking people who support him to email Amazon's Jeff Bezos. In response, Amazon setup an online site and asked people who support Amazon to email Hachette CEO Michael Pietsch.

So ...

Mr. Pietsch sent letters to the supporters of Amazon who have been emailing him.

Panzer says, "Would you guys get out of my litter box? It's so full I can't even get in to use it."

To read the latest in the Douglas Preston-Amazon and Amazon-Hachette disputes, tootle over to Hachette's Pietsch

A New Panzerism

Panzer says:

Even Mom is right once in a while.

Mom figured she could have a kitty

OR

a nice couch.

She made the right choice.

The Douglas Preston vs. Amazon Dispute Continues

Be quiet! I need sleep!

Panzer is not a happy kitty. First, my bad boy hasn't been able to get any sleep because of all the noise in the Catosphere about the Amazon-Hachette dispute. Now, the Douglas Preston-Amazon dispute my sleepy kitty told you about is making noise again. This time Mr. Preston tells David Streitfeld at the New York Times website he's worried because his book sales at Amazon are down.

So ...

His letter to Amazon (that he's had all over the Catosphere for weeks) will finally appear in Sunday's New York Times newspaper in a full page ad. Some of the authors from Mr. Preston's Authors United group who signed the letter paid the $104,000 price tag for the ad.

Panzer says, "Can't you humans get it straight, Mr. Preston? You never ever bite the hand that feeds you (or sells your books)."

Be prepared. This is a very long post and the comments section is long too. You'll also find a link in the post to the letter from authors who support Amazon in the Amazon-Hachette dispute.
 
To read the latest from Douglas Preston about his Authors United group and his views on Amazon, tootle over to writers battle amazon

YouTuber Creates ‘Harry Potter’ & ‘Scott Pilgrim’ Mash-Up Trailer - GalleyCat

Hee hee hee!

Panzer was over at GalleyCAT today where he found a post about a YouTube Harry Potter mash-up video by Scott Pilgrim. My bad boy has been laughing so hard he can't get up off the floor of the Panzermobile. There are scenes from each of the Harry Potter movies put together to make quite an adventure,

 To watch the video, tootle over to YouTuber Creates ‘Harry Potter’ & ‘Scott Pilgrim’ Mash-Up Trailer - GalleyCat

Douglas Preston and 900 Other Authors' Letter To Amazon

Finally.

Panzer got jarred out of his morning nap by yowling and hissing coming from the Catosphere. My bad boy jumped into the Panzermobile and followed all the noise to the Publishers Weekly site. Once there, he found a copy of bestselling author Douglas Preston's much talked and blogged about letter to Amazon about the Amazon-Hachette dispute. The letter has now been officially signed by 900 authors and will be published as a full-page ad in Sunday's New York Times newspaper.

The full letter and all of the signatures are included at the end of the article.

Panzer says, "Well ... after all these weeks of threatening to do the letter and the ad, finally, we get to see who signed it."

To read the letter and see if your favorite authors signed it, tootle over to open letter to amazon

J. R. R. Tolkien’s 10 Tips For Writers: INFOGRAPHIC - GalleyCat

Middle Earth? I want to go there.

Panzer was over exploring at GalleyCAT today. He found a post by Dianna Dilworth that includes an infographic titled J. R. R. Tolkien's 10 Tips For Writers. Mr. Tolkein was the author of the Middle Earth books.

Panzer says, "I'm a HUGE Lord of The Rings fan. I'll print this infographic and put it up over my food dish. Then I can see it ever time I eat!"

To read J. R. R. Tolkein's tips, tootle over to J. R. R. Tolkien’s 10 Tips For Writers: INFOGRAPHIC - GalleyCat

Sony to Leave Ereader Market

You knew it was coming.

Today, Panzer wasn't surprised by a post he found at The Bookseller about Sony's announcement it's leaving the ereader market. My Catosphere traveling bad boy told you back in February of Sony's departure from the ebook stores market. So, leaving the ereader market is a logical step.

According to Joshua Farrington and Lisa Campbell's post, Sony will instead concentrate on their Digital Paper PDF reader. They will be working with the business customers market now.

Panzer says, "The market keeps getting smaller."

To read about Sony's movement out of the ereader market, tootle over to Sony ereader

A New Panzerism

You do see I'm not done yet, right?

Panzer on "being in the family way":

No.

You move.

Smashwords: How to Do Box Sets at Smashwords for Audience Buil...

A multi-cat boxed set.

Panzer noticed a while ago that a lot of authors have been doing boxed sets at Amazon of either their own work or in conjunction with other authors. So, it was no surprise today when he found Mark Coker's latest post at the Smashwords blog.

This is a long post because Mark goes into detail about how to do a boxed set at Smashwords. He starts out with examples of how some Smashwords authors have already put together their boxed sets. He then goes on to give instructions about doing multi-author sets.

Panzer says, "I better get some of my cat friends together for a box set!"

If you're interested in doing a box set, tootle over to Smashwords: How to Do Box Sets at Smashwords for Audience Buil...:

George R.R. Martin Will Not Write an Episode For ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 5 - GalleyCat

I can't wait!

Panzer stopped in at GalleyCAT today. My bad boy has some bad news and some good news for you about George R.R. Martin and Game of Thrones.

First the bad news. George R.R. Martin won't be writing an episode for the next season. He's done one episode for each season, but not this time.

Why?

The good news. So he can work on The Winds of Winter. He wants to finish it!

Panzer says, "GalleyCAT even has a link to a video about the new season characters!"

To read the whole post and watch the video, tootle over to George R.R. Martin Will Not Write an Episode For ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 5 - GalleyCat