First impressions of an Amazon bookstore - The Idea Logical Company

Panzer took a long trip in the Catosphere today. Our kitty pilot was looking for a little adventure. After traveling hither and yon he found a site called The Idea Logical Company. At the site he discovered a blog called The Shatzkin Files. After digging around for a while, he uncovered a post about what Amazon's Manhattan (New York) bookstore is like inside.

This kitty says it's not worth a visit.

According to site founder Mike Shatzkin, his wife found the Amazon store to be like an airport bookstore because all the book covers face outward. Mr. Shatzkin advises it only takes about 20 minutes to browse the entire store. Mainly this is because the store only contains 3,000 titles. Because of this small number, he points out a problem his wife had finding a book she wanted for a gift. Included in the post is a breakdown of the different types of books available.The post also has descriptions of two visits Mr. Shatzkin and his wife made to the bookstore and the differences in each visit.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... Only 3,000 books ... Doesn't sound like their sales would be enough to pay the rent."

Note: This is a h-u-m-o-n-g-o-u-s post. Bring two thermos of tea, three dozen muffins and a sleeping bag for a nap in the middle of today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to  Amazon bookstore

B&N CEO Parneros Defends B&N's Chances - Because He Had To - The Digital Reader

Today's trip into the Catosphere took Panzer to The Digital Reader site. There our kitty pilot found a post about Barnes and Noble bookstores.

I need to watch what happens there.

The post by The Digital Reader site owner Nate Hoffelder concerns an interview in Fortune (magazine) with Barnes and Noble's new CEO Demos Parneros. Mr. Hoffelder quotes questions and answers from the interview in which Mr. Parneros addresses questions about the number of bookstores and sales at the online Barnes and Noble site. Mr. Hoffelder doesn't agree with CEO Parneros' answer about Barnes and Noble's continuing viability as a bookstore company. Included in the post is a link to the Fortune interview. You can read the interview and make your own decision about Barnes and Noble's future.

Panzer says, "Umm ... I hope Mr. Hoffelder is wrong. This kitty sells more ebooks through Barnes and Noble's online site than through Amazon."

Note: This is a smallish-medium post. Bring a cup of tea and half a muffin for today's reading selection. If you plan to follow the link to the Fortune interview, bring another cup of tea and another muffin and a half.

To read the post, tootle over to Barnes and Noble CEO Parneros

A New Panzerism

Panzer on cat research:

After months of study and close observation ...

Professor Panzer has concluded the following:

One out of every one dogs is noisy and stinky.

Maybe Dog News Monthly?

Okay, it may have been a small sample size ...

but the results still hold up.

Now ...

Where can I get my research paper published?

Conde Nast & Hearst Divest Themselves of the U.K. Distribution Business, Comag U.K.'s Future Is Uncertain - Publishing Executive

What will happen now?

Today, Panzer was barely into the Catosphere when he heard wailing and crying. Our brave kitty followed the lamentations and found himself at the Publishing Executive site. It didn't take any digging at all to discover the source of all the noise was a post about distribution company Comag U.K.

According to the post by Linda Ruth, Conte Nast and Hearst have withdrawn from Comag U.K. Since these two are the sole owners of Comag, the distribution company's future is unknown. The options would appear to be the sale of the company or shutting it down. Currently, the company is continuing business as usual. Comag is responsible for 23 percent of the U.K. newsstand distribution of U.S. publications.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... How can it be business as usual if there's nobody to run the company?"

Note: This is a shortish-medium post. Bring a cup of tea and one muffin for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Comag U.K. Distribution Business

George RR Martin says Game of Thrones spin-offs will all be prequels - and announces a fifth - The Guardian

Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere when he heard clapping and cheering. Following all the jocularity took our handsome kitty pilot to The Guardian site. With just a little digging around he found a post about George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones.

Do the novel now. I can't wait.

According to the post by Danuta Kean, George R.R. Martin has announced in conjunction with HBO he's helping with the creation of five Game of Thrones spin-offs. These won't be spin-offs in the usual use of the word, but prequels to aspects of the world he created for Game of Thrones. Each prequel is getting a pilot episode. Each pilot is written by a different writer with Mr. Martin's input. Mr. Martin does stress that he's still working on his next novel Winds of Winter. There are several links in the post including one to Mr. Martin's blog post about the spin-offs.

Panzer says, "This kitty wishes Mr. Martin would hurry up and finish Winds of Winter."

Note: This is a long post. Bring a big cup of tea and two muffins for today's reading selection. If you plan to follow the links in The Guardian post, bring a thermos of tea and two extra muffins.

To read the post, tootle over to Game of Thrones spinoffs

Streetlib Now Distributes to Kobo Plus - The Digital Reader

Today's trip into the Catosphere took Panzer to The Digital Reader site. After doing a little digging our kitty boy found a post about Kobo Plus and Streetlib. Panzer told you about Kobo Plus and Draft2Digital's distribution agreement earlier this month.

Exactly, how big is the market?

According to the post by site owner Nate Hoffelder, distribution service Streetlib announced they'll begin ebook distribution to Kobo Plus. On June 1 Streetlib will distribute all ebooks in their catalog (unless authors opt-out) to subscription service Kobo Plus. Kobo Plus is Kobo's subscription sales arm in the Netherlands. Mr. Hoffelder's post includes a link to Streetlib's original email to authors about the new distribution agreement with Kobo Plus.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... Kobo Plus has access to ebooks in Kobo, Draft2Digital and now Streetlib. This kitty wonders what the actual number of ebooks Kobo Plus has is."

Note: This is a short post. Bring a cup of tea for today's reading selection. If you follow the link to Panzer's earlier post, bring a muffin too.

To read the post about Kobo Plus and Streetlib, tootle over to Streetlib

To read Panzer's post about Kobo Plus and Draft2Digital, tootle over to Draft2Digital

Harlequin Closing Five Lines, Including Kimani Romance - Book Riot

A clean Panzermobile is a tired kitty.

Panzer was doing his usual Saturday cleaning of the Panzermobile when he found a wadded up post under the pilot's seat. Smoothing all the wrinkles our fastidious kitty discovered it was a post from the Book Riot site about romance publisher Harlequin.

According to Kay Taylor Rea, Harlequin is no longer accepting submissions for five of its romance lines. The shut down lines include: Harlequin Western, Harlequin Superromance, Love Inspired Historical, Harlequin Nocturne and Kimani Romance. Harlequin attributes the discontinuations to lack of reader interest and changing tastes. It appears the lines will continue publishing to finish out the previously purchased author manuscripts, but won't purchase any more. A lot of the post is made up of quoted tweets explaining the discontinuation.

Panzer says, "This kitty wonders if romance readers are finding more of their romances in online ebooks."

Note: This is a shortish-long post. Bring two cups of tea and two muffins for today's reading selection.

To read the post, tootle over to Harlequin

9 Reasons Audiobook Growth Is Soaring - DBW

An audiobook for cats? I'd listen.

Today, Panzer made a trip to the DBW site. Our traveling kitty boy hasn't been there for a while. With a little digging around he found a post about audiobooks.

According to the post by Sandy McDowell, audiobook sales are climbing. The post lists nine reasons for this growth. Reasons mentioned by Ms. McDowell range from enjoying listening to a storyteller to the companionship of hearing another voice. There are more reasons listed between these two. Also included are links specific to some of the reasons listed, like a link to the best free audiobook sites.

Panzer says, "You can take a survey at the end about audiobooks, too."

Note: This is a medium length post. Bring a cup of tea and two muffins for today's reading selection.

To read the post, tootle over to audiobook growth

Amazon Starts Weekly Bestseller Lists - Publishers Weekly

As soon as the Panzermobile got into the Catosphere today Panzer couldn't believe all the cheering and clapping he heard. Following all the jocularity took our kitty pilot to the Publishers' Weekly site. There he found a post about Amazon's newest endeavor.

This needs looking into.

According to the post by Jim Milliot, Amazon has started a new weekly bestseller lists service for readers. Called Amazon Charts the service has two bestseller lists. One has the top 20 books based on sales numbers and the second has the top 20 books based on reading numbers. The sales numbers will include a book's sales across all Amazon platforms. The read numbers will include a book's reads and audio book listens.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... This little kitty can see that authors who have their books in Amazon Kindle ebooks, CreateSpace paperbacks and Audible audio books have a big advantage when it comes to these bestseller lists."

Note: This is a shortish-medium length post. Bring a cup of tea and a muffin for today's reading selection.

To read the post, tootle over to Amazon Bestseller Lists

iOS 10.3.2 Update Stops eBooks in iBooks from Hacking Your iPad - The Digital Reader

I am so tired

Panzer had to go to the vet today for a checkup, so he only made a short trip into the Catosphere. Our kitty boy stopped in at The Digital Reader site. A little digging and he found a post about some important Apple updates.

According to site owner Nate Hoffelder's post, Apple has issued some important updates. If you have an iPad or iPhone, you use the Safari browser, or use iTunes or Apple TV, you need to install the upgrades immediately. The updates address security issues that allow hackers to take over your devices.

Panzer says, "What's an iOS?"

Note: This is a short post. Bring a cup of tea for today's reading selection.

To read the post, tootle over to hacking iPad

New Amazon Buy Button Program Draws Ire of Publishers, Authors - Publishers Weekly

Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere today just enjoying the trip when his solitude was interrupted by crying and booing. Following all the noise took our inquisitive kitty to the Publishers' Weekly site. With no digging at all he found a post about Amazon's New Buy Button Program.

After all that I need a nap.

Panzer told you last week about the controversy swirling around about the changes to Amazon's Buy Button Program. According to the post by Jim Milliot, the controversy continues. Neither publishers nor authors are happy with the current situation. The new program allows re-sellers to obtain Buy Buttons for books based on several factors including shipping times and new book availability. No one seems to know or be able to agree on where the re-sellers are getting the new books from. Of course there is the usual conspiracy theory whenever Amazon is involved. This one concerns Amazon using Create Space against traditional publishers. Near the beginning of Mr. Milliot's post there's a link to a post in the Huffington Post from last week about the Amazon Buy Button Program.

Note: This is a h-u-m-o-n-g-o-u-s post. Bring a thermos of tea and a half dozen muffins for today's reading selection. If you plan to follow the link in Mr. Milliot's post and the link from Panzer's post last week, bring an extra thermos of tea and another half dozen muffins.

To read the post, tootle over to Amazon Buy Button Program

To read Panzer's previous post about the Amazon Buy Button Program controversy, tootle over to book publishers and buy buttons

A New Panzerism

Panzer on bravery:

You may not know this, but I'm one very tough kitty.

I'm not afraid of anybody. Neither man nor beast.

But ...

Vacuum cleaners?

 Are another matter.

And a slow-moving full-grown cat.

There's the noise ...

And ...

It sucks up everything in it's path ...

Paper balls, feathers, cat toys.

Draft2Digital Now Distributes to Kobo Plus - The Digital Reader

Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere when he heard clapping and cheering. Following all the jocularity took our fun-loving kitty to The Digital Reader site. There he found a post about Draft2Digital.

This is worth looking into.

According to site owner Nate Hoffelder's post, Draft2Digital has added Kobo Plus to their distribution channels. Kobo Plus is Kobo's ebook subscription service and distributes to the Netherlands and Belgium. The service is similar in structure to Amazon's Kindle Unlimited (KU) in that authors receive payment from a funding pool. Readers must complete at least 20 percent of an ebook before payment is issued. Unlike KU, Kobo Plus doesn't restrict distribution. However, Kobo Plus does require an ebook to remain in the program for 6 months as opposed to Amazon's three months program requirement. Draft2Digital is a competitor of Smashwords. Both distribute ebooks to online retailers. At this time Smashwords does not offer a Kobo Plus channel. The post includes links for more information about Kobo Plus.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... Draft2Digital looks interesting. I already use Smashwords, maybe I should add Draft2Digital for my ebooks too."

Note: This is a short post. Bring a cup of tea for today's reading selection; but, if you plan to follow the links in the post too, bring a muffin as well.

To read the post, tootle over to Draft2Digital

Book Publishers Are Whining About Amazon Giving the Buy Button to the Seller w/ the Lowest Price - The Digital Reader

Panzer's trip into the Catosphere today took him to The Digital Reader site. There our traveling kitty pilot found a post about Amazon.

According to site owner Nate Hoffelder's post, a lot of book publishers are upset about Amazon's new practice of awarding a book's Buy Button to the seller with the lowest priced offer for the book. This is true even if the seller may not be the publisher of the book. Using a post from the Huffington Post site by book publisher Brooke Warner, Mr. Hoffelder addresses the issues brought up in the post for his responses. Several of his responses relate to the fact that the non-publisher sellers in question couldn't offer the books at a lower price if they hadn't already purchased the books themselves or been given them as review copies. Mr. Hoffelder addresses other issues in his post as well.

Mine. Mine. Mine. Mine.

Panzer says, "I checked all my books and all my Buy Buttons are my own."

Note: This is a l-o-n-g post. Bring a cup of tea and two muffins for today's reading selection.

To read the post, tootle over to Amazon

In a Suprise Move, TNG Acquires Ingram Periodicals - Publishing Executive

That was totally unexpected.

Today, Panzer was taking an enjoyable, relaxing trip around the Catosphere. When, suddenly, the Panzermobile was buffeted by a cacophony of crying and howling. Following all the wailing, took our brave kitty boy to the Publishing Executive site. There he found a post about Ingram Periodicals.

According to the post by Linda Ruth, in an unforeseen move North American periodicals distributor TNG bought Ingram Periodicals. Even before the acquisition, TNG was already the largest distributor of periodicals. Smaller publications believe they may become lost in TNG's large distribution organization. There are, however, some advantages for them in the acquisition. Ingram Periodicals delivers periodicals to retail outlets by UPS. TNG has there own delivery trucks and can deliver at specified times. It also appears TNG has a wider distribution system than Ingram Periodicals which will increase sales possibilities. Other details about the acquisition are included in the post.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... With more markets it might be good for the sales of magazines."

Note: This is a shortish-medium post. Bring a cup of tea and a muffin for today's reading selection.

To read the post, tootle over to Ingram Periodicals

A New Panzerism

Panzer on nature:

Today, Mom told What's His Name, "Those Blue Jays are great to see in the backyard."

And then she told me, " So, you leave those birds alone."

She knows me too well. I agree, birds are great to see in the backyard and ...

Best of all ... they're fun to chase and catch.

Hey ... Wait a minute.

Look at those things.

I mean ...

Nope. Not catching one of them.

Those Blue Jays are pretty big ...

They've got huge, powerful beaks ...

Listen to their noisy trash talk ...

And those beady little eyes are watching me wherever I go.

'Screen fatigue' sees UK ebook sales plunge 17% as readers return to print - The Guardian

I hate thunder and lightening.

We've been having thunder storms all afternoon, so Panzer's trip into the Catosphere was very short. Our brave kitty stopped in at The Guardian site. There he found a post about the decline in ebook sales in the UK.

According to the post at The Guardian, 2016 ebook sales declined by 17 percent in the Uk. One of the main reasons mentioned in the post is consumers switching from ereaders to smartphones. Smartphone screens are not as easy to read on as ereader screens. Along with the lack of ease of use of smartphones is the fact children's books are more appropriate in printed form. The post includes other reasons for the decline as well.

Panzer says, "Sorry about the short trip, but the Panzermobile isn't soundproof."

Note: This is a v-e-r-y l-o-n-g post. Bring a thermos of tea and a half dozen cookies (biscuits) for today's reading selection.

To read the post, tootle over to ebook sales plunge

Amazon launches self-service subscription marketplace - Talking New Media

Panzer made a quick trip into the Catosphere today. Our speedy kitty boy stopped in at the Talking New Media site. There he found a post about a new service Amazon is offering.

Is there anything Amazon can't do?

According to the post by D.B. Hebbard, Amazon is now offering a new digital subscription service sales platform. Digital subscription providers can sign up for the new Subscribe with Amazon service. Subscription providers will receive 70 percent of the subscription fee for the first year and 85 percent if the subscription is renewed after the first year. The post includes a copy of Amazon's press release and the link to sign up for the service.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... This kitty wonders if Mom could sell subscriptions to this blog?"

Note: This is a medium length post. Bring a cup of tea and a muffin for today's reading selection.

To read the post, tootle over to Amazon

Onyx Boox Max Carta eReader

Today as Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere he happened to hear some mumbling and grumbling ahead of the Panzermobile. Following the noises took our brave kitty to the liliputing site. With a little digging he discovered a post about the Onyx Boox Max Carta.

With a large screen it looks interesting.

According to the post by Brad Linder, the upgrade for the Onyx Boox Max is out. The new Onyx Boox Max Carta offers an E Ink Carta 2000 x 1650 pixel display offering a higher resolution display than the Onyx Boox Max. The device also has a 13.3 inch screen making it one of only three large screen ereaders. Currently, the ereader is only available in Germany and China. There are several other features discussed in the post.

Panzer says, "Be sure and read the Comments section. There some interesting views presented there."

Note: This is a medium length post. Bring a cup of tea and a muffin if you plan to read today's selection; but, if you plan to read the Comments section too, bring an extra muffin.

To read the post, tootle over to Onyx Boox Max Carta

A New Panzerism

Panzer on appropriate discipline:

Oops ...

It appears the litter box tipped over while I was nearby.

It just sort of rolled over.

And now ...

What's His Name pushed me away with the broom ...

And now ...

He's carrying on in his whiny, annoying baby voice saying, "Bad Kitty. Bad Kitty."

Bad Kitty? That's an oxymoron.

So ...

What would a Bad Kitty do?

Hmm ...

Sharpen his claws on somebody's leg?