A New Year's Eve Panzerism

(Part 2 of 2)

Panzer on New Year's Eve and Kitty Zen:

This is an amazing point in time.

We are at that precise intersection of history and the future.

And ...

We can embrace it and create a wonderful tomorrow.

Sequential kitty napzzzzzz.

Or ...

Some I suppose may want to sit back and watch.

Or ...

A few may be disposed toward sleeping through it all until next year.

A New Year's Eve Panzerism

(Part 1 of 2 )

Panzer on celebrating New Year's Eve:

Same thing every year.
Skip my late, late nap.

Munch some catnip,

But fun.

pass out,

and ...

spend the rest of the night snorting carpet dust.

Bletch!*


From: Cat Wisdom for humans

How Can Barnes and Noble Avoid Borders' Fate? - Knowledge@Wharton

Panzer made a short trip into the Catosphere. Today our intrepid kitty explorer visited a site he's never been to before called Knowledge@Wharton. Knowledge@Wharton is a business analysis journal. After some digging around there Panzer found a post that analyzes Barnes and Noble's business model.

Whew! Glad I'm not B and N.

The post examines steps Barnes and Noble could (should?) take in order to turn the stores and business around. The post includes interviews from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania professors with suggestions such as adding the store within a store concept similar to the Best Buy stores model which allows other venders to sell their products within the stores. Also proposed is the community center concept in which Barnes and Noble would offer special events and classes so the store would become a destination for their customers. While the ideas included in the post are interesting, it's important to keep in mind that Barnes and Noble did not commission the business analysis and has no involvement in it.

Panzer says, "Hmmm ... But ... But ... Would they still sell books?"

Note: This is a h-u-g-e post. You'll need a thermos of milk and two dozen chocolate chip cookies for your reading today.

To read the post, tootle over to Barnes and Noble

A New Panzerism

Panzer on training your human:

Never wake up a cat with a stupid question like "Who's a good kitty?"

This is doubly true in the winter ...

Wake me when spring gets here.

Because we're not sleeping ...

We're hibernating much like bears.

The only difference between them and us is ...

Cats are meaner when you wake us up.

9 Signs Cats Are Plotting World Domination!

They're Planning A Take Over!
Be Prepared!
You Have Been Warned!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays To Everyone!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays From Panzer, Mom and What's His Name

2016 Book Publishing Industry Predictions: Myriad ... - Smashwords

After spending most of the day playing with the Christmas decorations and the presents under the tree, Panzer decided to take a break and make a short trip into the Catosphere. Our tired kitty boy made a stop at the Smashwords blog. There he found Mark Coker's predictions for the publishing environment in 2016.

2016? No! Not yet.

Mr. Coker's ten predictions cover everything from the expansion of indie authors importance in the market to Amazon's Kindle Unlimited increased commoditization of ebooks. After the ten predictions there's an extensive question and answer section.

Panzer says, "Hmmm ... I'm not sure if I'm ready for 2016."

Note: This is a h-u-m-o-n-g-o-u-s post. You will need two thermoses of tea, two dozen cookies and a sleeping bag to take a nap part way through your reading.

To read the post, tootle over to Smashwords: 2016 Book Publishing Industry Predictions: Myriad ...:

188 Novels Generated by Computers in NaNoGenMo Contest - GalleyCat

Panzer made a quick trip in the Panzermobile today. As soon as our big brave kitty got into the Catosphere he heard all kinds of laughing and hooting. Following the noise took him to the GalleyCAT site.

Panzer found a post by Dianna Dilworth about the silliest ccontest our kitty pilot has ever read about.  While the contest called NaNoGenMo (National Novel Generation Month) runs at the same time (November) as NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), it has absolutely nothing to do with NaNoWriMo. Even though contestants in NaNoGenMo have to write a 50,000 word novel, the novel generated by the computer can be 50,000 words of gibberish that make no sense.

Meow?  Meow? They stole my words.

Panzer says, "A 50,000 word novel by a computer? Patoohee. I've got better things to read ... Like Mom's grocery list."

Note: A cup of cocoa is all you need for today's reading.

To read the post, tootle over to novels by computers

A New Panzerism

Panzer on the meaning of life:

Mom said something to me a few minutes ago and I wanted to give her a snappy cat response.

Nothing.

I could not think of anything to say that was quick and edifying.

Nothing.

I drew a complete blank.

Nap. Food. Then watch out Mom.

And now I'm examining my entire existence.

If I'm not a smart mouthed kitty, what am I?

I can't go on like this ...

Okay ... Okay ...

I know what will fix me ...

Nap time.

Did Tolkien write juvenile trash? - The Passive Voice

Panzer took a quick trip into the Catosphere today. Our big curious kitty boy decided to stop in at The Passive Voice site since he hasn't been there for a while. It didn't take any digging at all to find an interesting post because there was one right on top of the pile.

Juvenile, huh? Yes, you are.

Panzer couldn't pass up a post about one of his favorite fantasy authors of all time, J.R.R. Tolkien. After all ... our kitty boy cut his feline canine teeth on The Lord of the Rings. But ... the title of the post, "Did Tolkien write juvenile trash?" got his fur all bushed out. It turns out, when The Lord of the Rings was first published, the critics hated it. The critics called it trash. Not the readers though. They're still reading it even today. The post is a series of quotes from the BBC Culture site. There's a link to the BBC Culture site at the end of The Passive Voice post. The BBC site is an extract from Dominic Sandbrook's book The Great British Dream Factory about J.R.R. Tolkien.

Panzer says, "Nobody better say anything bad about J.R.R. Tolkien or The Lord of the Rings to this kitty or they'll be sorry."

Note: For today's reading at The Passive Voice site, you'll need a glass of milk and two cookies or, if you plan to follow the link to the BBC site after you read that, you'll need to add a thermos of tea and two muffins.

To read the post at The Passive Voice, tootle over to Did Tolkien write juvenile trash?

Your Writing Business and Power of Attorney - Indies Unlimited

Just enjoying the sun today.

After a week of rain, today has been a sunny day in Panzerville. Panzer got up from his afternoon nap, took a leisurely stretch and casually strolled over to the Panzermobile. After our happy kitty boy tootled around in the Catosphere for a while, he decided to stop in at the Indies Unlimited blog. There he found an interesting post by Melinda Clayton.

Ms. Clayton's post concerns the issue of the handling of a writer's financial affairs if he or she becomes incapacitated. She decided to look into this after she had to have surgery. (Ms. Clayton gives the usual legal disclaimer material: "I am not an attorney, etc.") She explains the information she learned about a Durable Power of Attorney for Financial Management. If a writer becomes unable to handle their financial affairs, the DPA for Financial Management gives the appointed "agent" the right to collect the writer's royalties, make tax payments, make decisions about property, etc. All writers should at least consider investigating this option in case of an accident or surgery.

Panzer says, "You can always change your mind or change your appointed "agent" or cancel your document if you want."

Note: You'll want a cup of tea and muffin for your reading today.

To read the post, tootle over to your writing business

Ingram Buys Direct Sales Company Aer-io - PW

Interesting.

Panzer made a quick trip into the Catosphere today. Our intrepid kitty news hunter made a stop at the Publishers' Weekly site. Digging around, it didn't take him long to find some interesting information about Ingram.

According to a post by Jim Milliot, Ingram has bought Aer-io. Aer-io is a company that lets publishers, retailers and authors sell their books from their own online/media sites to readers. After buying Aer-io, Ingram will begin selling their entire 250,000 CoreSource Plus titles using the company.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... Will the contracts Aer-io already has with publishers be renewed? Or will Ingram be the only one selling from Aer-io when the contracts expire?"

Note: One cup of tea will do it for today's post reading.

To read the post, tootle over to Aer-io

A New Panzerism

Panzer on What's His Name's new friend:

What's His Name has a new friend named Jim.

In fact, he's such an important friend to What's His Name that he calls him The Jim.

I don't know what they do when What's His Name goes to visit The Jim ...

but ...

when he comes back, boy do his clothes stink.

So ...

he can't blame me that he left his clothes on the floor ...

and ...

the light was off ...

It's your fault. You left them there.

and ...

it was dark ...

and ...

it did smell like my litter box.

Smashwords Expands Global Ebook Distribution with ...

Panzer is feeling much better today. Our big kitty boy hopped into the Panzermobile and went out for a nice relaxing trip in the Catosphere. After a few quiet minutes tootling around he stopped in at the Smashwords Blog site.

Happy Cat Dance time!

At Smashwords he found an announcement made by founder Mark Coker about the addition of three new partners for the distribution of ebooks. The new partners added are Odilo, Tolino and Yuzu. Odilo handles distribution to libraries. Tolino handles German retail stores sales. Yuzu is the Barnes and Noble College bookstores. These new distribution outlets will begin in January 2016.

Panzer says, "MeWoW! Expanded distribution for our Smashwords ebooks!"

Note: You'll need a glass of milk and six or seven cookies for your reading today.

To read the post, tootle over to Smashwords: Smashwords Expands Global Ebook Distribution with ...:

Apple Taxes Authors' Patience - Huff Post The Blog

Mom say's I'll feel better tomorrow.

Panzer took an extra long after lunch nap today because he's still recovering from his annual vaccinations at the vet yesterday. So, our sleepy kitty pilot made a short trip to the Huff Post The Blog site. He found a post there by Janet Tavakoli about a problem for authors signing directly with Apple's iTunes Connect.

According to Ms. Tavakoli, Apple has a problem with their iTunes Connect tax software. It seems when an author who is an LLC (Limited Liability Corporation) tries to fill out the required tax form, the information is entered wrong by the software. The only way the author can get the information corrected is to write to the tax department. Apple has known about the problem for three years, but failed to correct it.

Panzer says, "But ... But ... I'm already an LLC (Lots and Lots of Cat)."

Note: This is a short post so one cup of tea will be enough today.

To read the post, tootle over to Apple

No Post Today

Panzer is going to the vet today for his annual exam. He'll post tomorrow.

Business Musings: Gamblers and Artists

There was no post yesterday due to the wind storm that took out our power for a few hours, but it's back on now.

Today, after Panzer got the Panzermobile fueled up and the battery charged, he headed out into the Catosphere. Our big bad kitty stopped in at Kristine Kathryn Rusch's blog. It didn't take any digging at all to find an interesting post about writing.

Ms. Rusch's post is in response to some comments left on her blog (and other places) in regards to other posts she's written recently. In her post she addresses whether writing equates to gambling. Is writing a game of chance? Is it a crap shoot? Or a poker game?  A game where the winner takes all the chips with their mega-bucks bestseller and the rest of us lose? According to Ms. Rusch, the answer is "No." She provides examples from her own writing past to show it's not a matter of luck. She gives quotes from Stephen King to show it's a matter of studying to perfect your writing craft.  And it's a matter of work.

Gamble? No pockets for my winnings.

Panzer says, "I knew writing wasn't gambling. Cats don't gamble. Silly waste of time and money. Mom sits in her chair at the laptop and I dictate my adventures to her every day. That's it."

Note: This is a very l-o-n-g post with examples and quotes, but well worth your time. Bring a h-u-g-e glass of milk and about a dozen cookies.

To read the post, tootle over to gamblers and artists

Sales at BN.com Fell 22% - PW (Publishers' Weekly)

Panzer took a trip into the Catosphere today. The trip was cut short by wailing and crying. Our intrepid kitty pilot hates these emotional breakdowns humans have and feels compelled to track down the sources of the troubles. Stopping at the Publishers' Weekly site, it didn't any digging at all to discover a new post about Barnes and Noble by Jim Milliot.

Adult coloring books again?

BN.com, Barnes and Noble's online arm, announced their sales fell 22 percent for the second quarter compared to the same period last year. Barnes and Noble blames the low sales figures on the problems they encountered with their new rollout in July.  As Panzer told you last week all of Barnes and Noble's sales are down across the board except for their adult coloring books.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... It seems as long as there are human adults there will be large sales of coloring books to keep the book stores in business."

Note: One cup of tea is all you need for your reading today.

To read today's post about BN.com, tootle over to BN.com
To read last week's Barnes and Noble post, tootle over to Barnes and Noble

A New Panzerism

Panzer on winter fun:

Winter has a special place in my heart.

Every year, to protect his Koi What's His Name goes outside to check the ice thickness on the fish pond.

He's always worried about those expensive fish of his.

He gets so impatient ...

checks it ...

and ...

Those fish don't even taste good.

next thing he knows ...

ice breaks ...

and ... he's knee deep in water.

That's just good wholesome family entertainment.

B&N Reports Disappointing Second Quarter

Panzer had an unhappy experience in the Catosphere today. Our big bad kitty boy was just traveling around enjoying himself when he heard moaning and crying. Following the sounds took him to the Publishers' Weekly site. There he found a sad post by Jim Milliot about Barnes and Noble's sales figures.

According to Mr. Milliot's post, Barnes and Noble reported their second quarter sales are down a total of 4.5 percent over last year's second quarter. Bricks and mortar stores' sales are down as are online sales. Part of Barnes and Noble's lower sales stems from problems with their online site. The only bright spot in the sales report seems to be that games and toys sales had an increase of 14.9 percent.

Toys? You're kidding right?

Panzer says, "Games and toys sales are up? But ... But ... They're supposed to be a bookstore chain."

Note: Getting tired of tea? A glass of milk and a cookie should do it today.

To read the post, tootle over to Barnes and Noble

Smashwords: 2015 Smashwords Survey Reveals Insights to Help Au...

Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere when he heard a bunch of ooohing and aaahing. Our brave kitty pilot followed the sound to the Smashword blog. There he discovered Smashwords founder Mark Coker had posted the results of the 2015 Smashwords Survey.

Interesting.

In the post Mr. Coker discusses the results of the sales figures from all the ebook platforms Smashwords distributes to and the conclusions that can be drawn from them. There's a Slide Share presentation included to demonstrate the results. Below the slide show is a compilation of ten things learned from the survey. They include the fact pre-order books are more successful than non pre-order, series that use a free ebook as a lead-in are more successful, free is still a good avenue to readers, longer books sell better than shorter ones, and five more useful facts for authors are included from the sales data.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... I wish I knew all this before I published Cat Wisdom for humans. I would have done some things differently."

Note: You'll need two cups of tea and two muffins to read the post and view the slides.

To read the post, tootle over to Smashwords: 2015 Smashwords Survey Reveals Insights to Help Au...:

In Amicus Brief, Authors Guild, ABA, B&N Back Apple - PW (Publishers' Weekly)

Panzer got up from his afternoon nap today to take a trip to the Publishers' Weekly site. After a little digging around there our big bad kitty boy found a new post about Apple's price-fixing case.

You humans are too confusing for me.

Last week Panzer told you about the Supreme Court's agreement to an extension in Apple's petition to the Court to consider overturning their price-fixing conviction. According to today's Publishers' Weekly post by Andrew Richard Albanese, the Authors' Guild, American Booksellers Association, and B and N have filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of Apple's petition. The groups are asking the Supreme Court to overturn the finding of the lower court because they say it will stifle future competition if the Court doesn't. The group also brings Amazon into their brief as the dominant player in the ebook market and the reason Apple had to work with publishers to establish book prices. The post includes a link to the amicus brief the group gave to the Supreme Court.

Panzer says, "Whew. More attorney fees for everybody. I need an attorney just to explain to me what Apple and their friends and their attorneys are doing."

Note: This is a two thermos and a dozen muffins read if you follow the links here and in the posts.

To read the Publishers' Weekly post about the amicus brief, tootle over to amicus brief
To read Panzer's post about Apple's petition to the Supreme Court, tootle over to DOJ gets extension

Amazon's mega warehouse gridlocks traffic in N.J. towns - nj.com

Panzer planned to take a leisurely trip around in the Catosphere today. However, our intrepid kitty explorer had barely hit the Catophere when he heard all kinds of horns honking and shouting and general noisiness. Following all the ruckus took him to the nj.com site.

Cristina Rojas stated in the post, Amazon is in danger of being sued by Mayor David Fried of Robbinsville, New Jersey.

Why?

Because Amazon has too many warehouse workers there.

There are 4,000 warehouse workers (and an unspecified number of  holiday season workers) at the 1.2 million square foot warehouse.  An Amazon warehouse worker works four 10 hour shifts per week. That means at shift start and end half the workers are coming to the warehouse and half are leaving the warehouse. This is causing traffic problems in the surrounding areas as workers drive to and from freeway entrances. If an answer to the traffic can't be found, the mayor will sue to close the warehouse.

I'll help. I've got extra room and the Panzermobile is quiet..

Panzer says, "I wonder if they could put an airport runway on the roof of the warehouse. Then, they could use airplanes to fly out the workers 300 - 400 at a time. Oh ... Wait ... That wouldn't work ... Too much noise. Sorry. Can't help."

Note: A cup of tea and two muffins should be enough for your read today. If you want to follow the link inside the post to another post about the mayor's threat to sue, you'll need another cup of tea.

To read the post, tootle over to Amazon warehouse

Anne R. Allen's Blog: Disappearing Amazon Reviews: The Facts Behind Amaz...

Panzer is still getting caught up on the news and posts from when he was sick. Today, he stopped in at Anne R. Allen's Blog site. It only took a little digging by our kitty explorer to find an interesting post about Amazon's review policy.

According to the post, Amazon is removing reviews from ebooks again. The post opens with several quotes from writers about problems they're having with Amazon's review policies. Then comes a section on what constitutes a "Paid Review." This is followed by a section on what constitutes "knowing the author." Next is a section on Amazon's enforcement policy of their rules. Then comes a section about "proper" review policies. These sections are followed by information about Amazon's lack of addressing the troll/hate/political non-review reviews. There is a lot of good information included in this post about the Amazon "don't do this" policy for authors working to get reviews for their books.

I want my kitty treats back!

Panzer says, "Hmm ... So, according to Amazon, all those followers Mom has on Twitter know her. I didn't realize she had so many friends. Mom showed me that little birdie thing there and she's always talking about tweeting and peeps. I just thought she was collecting birds for my kitty treats."

Note: You'll need a thermos of tea and a dozen muffins for your reading this time. (Before the body of the post is information about the blog's move to Wordpress. The part about "lost reviews" begins after that.)

To read the post, tootle over to Anne R. Allen's Blog: Disappearing Amazon Reviews: The Facts Behind Amaz...

A New Panzerism

Panzer on going to the veterinarian:

A riddle for you:

What does Panzer call a trip to the vet's clinic?

Answer:

Singing practice.
Mee-yohw! ... Mee-yohw! ... Mee-yohw!

And a second riddle for you:

You can sing along if you want.

How does Panzer know when he's hit the right high note?

Answer:

The cars in front of Mom's car pull over and look for the red and blue lights on the police car.

DOJ Gets Extension in Apple Case - PW (Publishers' Weekly)

Mom, that turkey was so good.

Now that Thanksgiving is behind us and Panzer has had a whole day to catch up on his naps, our kitty boy is ready to search for news for his friends. After waddling his way into the Panzermobile, Panzer discovered liftoff took longer than usual for some reason, but he finally made it into the Catosphere.

During a stop at the Publishers' Weekly site, our kitty pilot discovered a post about the next step in the Apple price-fixing case. Apple was found guilty of ebook price-fixing in 2013 by Judge Denise Cote ... and ... yes, the case is still in the news

According to the post at the Publishers' Weekly site by Andrew Albanese, before the Supreme Court decides if they will take Apple's case under review, the Department of Justice will be allowed to respond to the appeal. Since the response isn't due until January 2016 and the Supreme Court will have to review all the information, it will be a while before they decide if they'll review the case. So ... Panzer will still have a job reporting the Apple price-fixing news in 2016.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... Let me see. The verdict for this case was decided in 2013. It will be 2016 before the Supreme Court decides if they'll take the case. I wonder how much the attorney fees are by now?"

Note: One cup of tea should be enough for the original post, but there are links in the post to earlier ones so you may need a second cup.

To read the post, tootle over to Apple Appeal Case

Bertelsmann seeks partner to buy Penguin Random House - Reuters

It's just something humans do.

Panzer made a trip to the Reuters site today. Digging around there, our inquiring kitty found a new post about book publisher Penguin Random House.

According to the post by Harro Ten Wolde and Arno Schuetze, Penguin Random House majority owner Bertelsmann  (53 percent) is looking for a financial partner to help in a buyout of minority owner Pearson (47 percent). Pearson has not directly stated they intend to sell their ownership, but Bertelsmann wants to be ready in the event they do. Apparently, it will be 2017 before Pearson makes any kind of decision.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... I'll never understand human ownership. You buy something so you can sell it in a couple of years. Cats ... We get it ... We eat it. That's it."

Note: This is a two cups of tea read.

To read the post, tootle over to Bertelsmann

A New Panzerism

Panzer on cats' mathematical abilities:

Humans decided a long time ago that cats have limited intellectual potential.

They believe it because we can't count beyond one.

But ...

I can count to one a lot of times.

And ...

It's a miracle!

Guard the computer ... I am Binary Cat!

Humans have a name for this condition ...

It's called Binary.

Turns out cats have excellent math skills.

ABA Looking Into Amazon Books Inventory Practices

I'm feeling a little better.

Panzer was searching the Catosphere today looking for news items he missed while he's been sick. Our kitty pilot stopped in at the Publishers' Weekly site to see what he could find. After a little digging around he found a post about the new bricks and mortar Amazon Books book store.

Judith Rosen reports Oren Teicher of the American Booksellers Associate (ABA) sent a letter to members that the group is looking into Amazon Books store's inventory practices. The ABA wants to make sure the bricks and mortar store isn't using inventory from Amazon.com. According to the post, this is an illegal practice under the U.S. antitrust laws. There's a link to Mr. Teicher's original letter and a second link to Publishers' Weekly's original post about Amazon Books opening included in Ms. Rosen's post.

Panzer says, "Hmmm ... The bricks and mortar store has been open how long? Less than a month? And the ABA is already looking into their inventory practices?"

Note: This can be one cup of tea if you just read Ms. Rosen's post or two cups if you follow the links too.

To read the post, tootle over to Amazon vendors

Self-Publishing and Big Five Dominate Book Market, According to Nielsen - Book Business

My head hurts. Achoo! And my nose.

Panzer has been fighting a nasty cold for the last couple of days, so it was a short trip into the Catosphere today. Our sick kitty boy traveled to the Book Business site. There he found a post by Jim Wikert reporting about the recent Frankfurt Book Fair 2015.

According to a presentation at Frankfurt by Jonathan Stolper of Nielson, the big five publishers and self-publishers are taking over the book/ebook marketplace. They've beaten the mid-sized and small publishers in marketplace sales for the fiscal year first quarter 2014 to first quarter 2015.

Panzer says, "If self-publishers like me are taking so much of the market, how come I don't have more kitty treats?" Achoo! "I'm going back to bed now."

Note: A cup of tea should do it today.

To read the full post, tootle over to self-publishing

Apple and Amazon Audiobooks Agreement Under Investigation In Germany

Panzer was enjoying a quiet trip in the Catosphere today when our kitty boy decided to stop in at the Yahoo! Finance site. There he found some interesting news about Amazon and Apple.

We'll have to watch this.

According to a post from Reuters, German Federal Cartel Office chief Andreas Mundt says the organization is investigating Amazon and Apple's dealings in Germany. The investigation will center around Amazon's Audible selling audiobooks to Apple's iTunes. According to complaints filed earlier by German booksellers, Amazon, Audible and iTunes control 90 percent of the audiobooks market in Germany. The agreement between the companies will be at the center of the investigation.

Note: This is a one cup of tea post.

To read the post, tootle over to Apple Amazon Audiobooks

The Coloring Craze: Adult Coloring Books, 2015

Panzer jumped in the Panzermobile and headed out into the Catosphere today. Our big bad intrepid explorer kitty was intent on tracking down information on the newest writing trends.

Panzer has been hearing a lot about the adult coloring book market and wanted to know if the rumor was true. Searching around he ended up at the Publishers' Weekly site. It only took a little digging to find what he was looking for.

One paw print per page by us.

According to a post by Jim Milliot, it's true that adult coloring books have taken over the publishing market in 2015. Penguin, Laurence King, Indigo Books, and other publishing houses have all joined the craze. Authors/artists' books are selling in the hundreds of thousands of copies per coloring book. Some publishers are also joining in with stickers books and connect-the-dots books for adults.

Panzer says, "Ummm ... Coloring books I understand. I can make a really good paw print for Mom to color ... but ... stickers books and connect-the-dots books? It's turning into a real playground out there."

Note: This is a medium post, so a cup of tea and a muffin should do it for your reading today.

To read the post, tootle over to adult coloring books

A New Panzerism

Panzer on ways to save money:

Today, I heard Mom and What's His Name talking. Mom said they need to save money for Christmas presents.

What's His Name said my cat food is the really expensive kind

and ...

she should change my cat food to the cheap stuff to save money.

I could catch him some spiders.

Well ... I know how What's His Name could save money.

I've heard bugs are a good source of protein.

Maybe ... What's His Name needs to change his diet to save money.

Solving the Self-Publishing Puzzle - American Libraries Magazine

Panzer was out in the Catosphere today looking for sales and marketing information for his books. Our big busy kitty found a post at the American Libraries Magazine site about getting your books into libraries.

Let's go to the library, Mom.

According to the post by Greg Landgraf, as self-published books gain in popularity, libraries are beginning to take notice. Some libraries are actually setting up venues for the self-published to sell their physical books to the public. Even more interesting is the fact some libraries are even making agreements with ebook distributors such as Smashwords. Representatives from three libraries, two in the U.S. and one in Canada, explain their criteria and selection process in interviews in this post.

Panzer says, "Hmmm ... Getting in a library would be a good tactic. The more people know your name and your work, the more they'll look for your other books."

Note: This is a h-u-g-e post, so bring a h-u-g-e cup of tea and g-i-a-n-t muffin.

To read the full post, tootle over to self-published

Barnes & Noble Chairman Creates TV Ad With Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga - The Wall Street Journal

Today Panzer made a trip to The Wall Street Journal site. After some digging around, our adventurous kitty boy found some news about Barnes and Noble in a post by Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg there.

Hmmm ... shopping time already.

According to Mr. Trachtenberg's post, Barnes and Noble Chairman Leonard Riggio is back helping the book store chain get started in the holiday shopping arena. Mr. Riggio has started Barnes and Noble's launch into the holiday season sales market with a TV commercial featuring performers Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga. The two are gift shopping for each other in one of the chain's bricks and mortar stores. This marks Mr. Riggio's first hands on work with the company in a decade. The post has interesting facts about how Mr. Riggio actually put the commercial and the performers together. Also included is information about his past involvement with the company.

Panzer says, "Are you ready to start your holiday shopping? You know ... they do have other books besides mine that you might like."

Note: This is a v-e-r-y l-o-n-g post, so bring a v-e-r-y l-a-r-g-e cup of tea.

To read the post, tootle over to Barnes and Noble chairman

Authors: Have You Blabbed or Scoped yet? - The Book Designer

Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere when he saw some strange images flickering around outside the Panzermobile. Our big brave kitty pilot followed the ghostly sights to The Book Designer site.

According to a post there by Frances Caballo, those images Panzer was seeing in the Catosphere came from the apps Periscope and Blab. Turns out these two are new broadcast apps. You can live-stream videos of yourself and others. Periscope works on the iPhone or Android and Blab works with Chrome or the iPhone. Caballo included instructions for downloading and using the apps.

Thinking about it makes me tired.

Panzer says, "My time in between naps is already full. There's no time left to learn anything new."

Note: This is an extremely l-o-n-g post. You'll need a thermos of tea and a half-dozen muffins.

To read the post, tootle over to Blabbed and Scoped

Veteran's Day

Today is Veteran's Day in the U.S.A.  

Amazon VP on Amazon's New Bookstore: 'We Have No Idea What's Going to Happen' - Publishers' Weekly

Panzer was out in the Catosphere scouting around for interesting news for you today. Our intrepid kitty hunter stopped in at the Publishers' Weekly site. Guess what he found? More news about the Amazon Books store.

 Jim Milliot has an interview with Jennifer Cast, v-p of Amazon Books, in which she states Amazon's new bricks and mortar bookstore had quite a crowd of book shoppers the first few days it's been open. As Panzer told you a few days ago, the books chosen for the store must be at least 4 star Amazon.com books, approved by Goodreads readers and Amazon staff. This means the store carries new as well as older books that meet that criteria. According to Ms. Cast, if the store is successful, there will be more Amazon Books stores.

It does make me wonder.

Panzer says, "Hmmm. If Amazon Books opens more stores, that may put more pressure on independent bookstores."

Note: This is a l-o-n-g post, so bring a thermos of tea to drink while you read; and, if you want to read the earlier posts too, bring two thermoses of tea and a dozen muffins.

To read the full post, tootle over to Amazon's bookstore

and: To read Panzer's post about how books are chosen for Amazon Books, tootle over to Amazon's first physical bookstore

and : To read Panzer's post about the opening of the first store, tootle over to bricks and mortar store

A New Panzerism

Panzer on alternative uses for our forest products:

If a tree fell in the forest

Who would know?

and ...

and there was no one there to hear it,

could I have it for a scratching post?

Inside Amazon's First Physical Bookstore - Publishers' Weekly

Panzer was out in the Catosphere today and discovered Amazon is in the news again. Our big bad kitty boy stopped in at the Publishers' Weekly site. There he discovered a post about Amazon's new bricks and mortar store.

You missed your chance with me.

Rob Salkowitz gives us a tour of the Amazon Books store. The store carries 5,000 to 6,000 books as well as Kindles, Kindle Fires and Fire TV devices. The books are 4 and 5 star Amazon. com bestsellers. Other things taken into account for store placement include Goodreads reader opinions and Amazon pre-order launch numbers. Included in the post are photos of the outside and inside of the store.

Panzer says, "Hmmm ... I didn't do pre-orders for CAT WISDOM for humans and it's not up at Goodreads yet. Does that mean I'm wasting my time formatting CAT WISDOM for humans for a Create Space paperback? "

Note: One cup of tea should be enough for today's reading.

To read the post, tootle over to Amazon bookstore

J.K. Rowling Has Been Working on a New Children's Book - GalleyCat

A new book?

After this week of nothing but Amazon news and nearly wearing his poor claws down to nubs, Panzer managed to dig up some news that isn't about Amazon! Stopping in at the GalleyCAT site, our big bad kitty found a post about a new J.K. Rowling project.

According to Maryann Yin, Ms. Rowling revealed in a radio interview she has a children's book she's been working on. While Ms. Rowling was very secretive about the book's contents, she did say she intends to finish it, but she didn't say exactly how long that will take.

Panzer says, "Inquiring kitties want to know: What age group is the children's book for?"

Note: The post includes a link to a portion of the Simon Mayo interview. A warm cup of tea should be all you need this time.

To read the post, tootle over to J. K. Rowling

Smashwords: Amazon Lowers Kindle Unlimited Payouts

Listen humans ... It's a business.

Panzer stopped in for a visit at the Smashwords blog today. Our kitty traveler can't seem to go anywhere lately without tripping over news about Amazon and his trip to the Smashwords blog is no different.

According to a post by Smashwords founder Mark Coker, Amazon is changing how their KDP Select global fund will handle their Kindle Unlimited (KU) author payouts. The payouts will now take into account the monetary exchange rates in the different countries where an author's ebooks are sold. This will undoubtedly mean a lower payout rate for authors. Mr. Coker points out that he stated this would happen back in March of this year.

Panzer says, "Not too surprising to an astute cat like me. Amazon is a business and the purpose of a business is to make money. You can't make money, if you give it all away to your workers. Kind of like the purpose of a human is to feed this kitty and, if you eat all my food, I'll be one unhappy kitty. And that ... is why I'm not part of KU and you can buy my ebooks at all the e-retailers."

Note: Included in the Smashwords post is a link to the original Amazon press release. One cup of tea should suffice for your reading today.

Smashwords: Amazon Lowers Kindle Unlimited Payouts:

Amazon Opens First Bricks and Mortar Bookstore - Publishers' Weekly

Amazon's dead tree books?

Panzer was shaken awake from his nap by shouting and clapping. Jumping into the Panzermobile, our yawning kitty found his way to the Publishers' Weekly site.

According to a post there by Judith Rosen, Amazon now has a bricks and mortar bookstore in Seattle, Washington. The store is 5,500 square feet located in the U-Village Mall. The store will sell books chosen from those at Amazon.com, Goodreads favorites, and Amazon staff members favorites. The store will also sell Kindles and other Amazon devices.

Panzer says, "The store is named ... Amazon Books! Pretty ingenious, huh?"

Note: There's a link in the post to an article about Amazon's new store in The Seattle Times newspaper.

To read the post, tootle over to Amazon bookstore

Shopping On Amazon Fire TV

Where's the TV? I need some catnip.

Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere today just enjoying himself. The next thing our big bad kitty knew the Panzermobile was being buffeted around by sighing and "Oh, nos!"

Following all the noise, took our intrepid kitty pilot to the Geek Wire site. Digging around in the posts there, he discovered a post by Todd Bishop and Tricia Duryee about one of Amazon's newest ventures. You can now make purchases on Amazon's Fire TV. A viewer can click on an advertisement on their TV and purchase the advertised item. Not exactly a shopping channel yet as it's only one item at a time, but ... this is Amazon ... so a shopping channel can't be far behind.

Panzer says, "Hmmm. Can't wait to buy my kitty treats on the TV."

To read the Amazon shopping experience post, tootle over to Amazon

A New Panzerism

Panzer on keeping pets:

The three main reasons to keep pets:

1) Teaches responsibility,

One heartbeat away from the curb.

2) Teaches unselfishness,
3) Teaches cleanliness.

All true.

But mostly I just keep Mom around to feed me. Otherwise, I'd dump her in a heartbeat.*


* reprint from Cat Wisdom

Trick or Treat?

Happy Halloween!

Trick or Treat? Your Choice.

Ruth Rendell's 'remarkable legacy' remembered - The Bookseller

A loss to us all.

Panzer visited The Bookseller site today. Our big kitty boy wanted to read the details of Ruth Rendell's memorial service.

According to a post by Katherine Cowdrey, the service was held on October 29. It was attended by 200 family members, friends, actors, and politicians. Ms. Rendell wrote over 50 novels under her own name and her pen name Barbara Vine. Even so, she still managed to have time to be active in politics and social issues.

Panzer says, "Her mystery stories had characters that almost seemed so alive they had a life off the page. That's why they transferred to TV so well."

Note: You'll need two cups of tea and a tissue to read the post.

To read the post, tootle over to Ruth Rendell

How German Publishers Deal with Amazon - Publishers' Weekly

Tolino? Who knew?

Panzer was in the Catosphere today visiting some of his favorite sites. Our inquisitive kitty stopped in at the Publishers' Weekly site. After doing some digging around in there he found an interesting post from a couple of days ago about Amazon.

According to a post by Andrew Albanese, Amazon's Kindle ereader is not the market leader in Germany that it is in the United States. The Tolino ereader is. The Tolino has been around since 2013 and has managed to develop a large footprint in Germany. Combined sales of the several Tolino ereader models have 45 percent of the market there. Most of the post consists of an interview with the Chairman of the German Publishers and Booksellers Association Heinrich Riethmuller.

Panzer says, "Hmmm. Did Amazon make a misstep in Germany?"

Note: A cup of tea should be enough for reading this post.

To read the post, tootle over to German publishers

Amazon delivery workers sue, say they should be full employees - MarketWatch

Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere looking for interesting news today. Our big kitty boy made a stop at the MarketWatch site. There he found a post about a new lawsuit against Amazon.

According to a post by Greg Bensinger, Amazon's new one-hour delivery service has come under fire. The service is made up of on-demand contract workers who work when a delivery needs to be made. Those workers have filed a lawsuit against Amazon about their employment status. They want the same benefits regular employees receive. The post includes a link to a longer Wall Street Journal post on the same subject.

I'm confused about this one.

Panzer says, "Hmmm. Not sure what will happen with this one."

Note: This post needs only a cup of tea ... however, if you follow their link to the WSJ post, bring a muffin too.

To read the post, tootle over to Amazon delivery workers

Official Announcement: National Black Cat Day

Today is National Black Cat Day

What took you humans so long to recognize my greatness?   Haven't you read CAT WISDOM for humans yet?

A New Panzerism

Panzer on tranquility:

I believe in the universal chaos theory.

You know ...

Or ... I can do it for you.

that theory where you humans say everything should be in chaos.

So ...

If things aren't chaotic in your life ...

You should try harder to be like everybody else.

Amazon's Jeff Bezos is the third-richest man in the nation - New York Post

Can you believe it? Just a few books.

Panzer made a quick trip into the Catosphere today. Our big bad kitty stopped in at the New York Post site to find news for you today.

According to a post by James Covert, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is now the third-richest man in the United States. Mr. Bezos is now worth $55 billion. His 20 percent ownership in Amazon stock increased in value after Amazon reported their third quarter profit of $79 million on Thursday.

Note: For your reading today, a cup of tea will do.

Panzer says, "And it all started with dead tree books."

To read the post, tootle over to Jeff Bezos