Just released on the newswires: ANN ARBOR, Mich., March 31, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Borders Group, Inc. today announced that it has entered into an amended and restated revolving credit agreement. The new, $700 million senior secured asset-based credit facility matures in March 2014 and replaces the company’s existing revolving credit agreement, which would…
Did Lulu Get a Shed-Load of iPads with Apple Deal?!
Looks like Lulu got a shed-load of free iPads after this week’s agreement with Apple. Their latest ‘fantastic’ offer to celebrate ‘the momentous occasion’ is a free iPad with three promotional publishing packages. I’m not sure if the ‘momentous occasion’ is their deal with Apple, though, I suspect they mean the release of the iPad itself.…
Steve Almond’s Exploits with Publishers and Self-Publishing
Steve Almond recounts his experience of how rock and roll can save your life, pissing off some of New York’s top literary agents and publishers…oh, and his journey into self-publishing. “To say that I’ve had a checkered history in publishing would be like saying Elizabeth Taylor had a checkered history in marriage. In the past…
Borders US Set To Make Fools’ Day Deadline
Borders Group US are facing D-day on April 1st. A substantial loan of $42.5m secured two years ago from Pershing Square Capital for the refurbishment of retail stores and an IT upgrade is due to be repaid on Thursday, this week. A number of reliable financial sources, including Bloomberg US, are reporting late Tuesday evening that a…
Shss! It’s Softly, Softly For Lulu in The eBook Wars
This week seems to be the week that anyone remotely connected with selling ebooks is announcing a hook-up deal with Apple or Amazon. We have already seen announcements from Author Solutions’ deal with their brands, AuthorHouse, Xlibris, iUniverse and Trafford for inclusion on Amazon’s Kindle, and yesterday, news came of the popular Smashwords announcing a distribution…
Author Solutions Announce Kindle Deal with Amazon
On the same day Smashwords announced a deal to have their premium ebook catalogue listed in the new Apple iBookstore, Author Solutions Inc (ASI) announced a deal with Amazon to have books published through iUniverse, Xlibris, Trafford and AuthorHouse available on the Kindle ereader. From the press release below authors will take it as read that…
UK OFT Receive Complaints on Amazon Seller Agreement
Last week Amazon UK informed sellers using their Marketplace that they could no longer list book titles on other online retail sites, including the seller’s own site, for less than the listed Amazon retail price. The deadline for sellers to agree to this is Wednesday 31st March, and those sellers who do not agree will…
Publishing Perspectives: Simon Levack
Of all the publishing perspectives and self-publishing experiences we have brought to you over the past two years, most of them have dealt with the transition from self-publishing success to the mainstream world of large publishing houses. Success can be measured in several ways in self-publishing, dependent on whether we look at success from the…
Nathan Bransford on Self-Publishing Advice
One of Curtis Brown’s literary agents, Nathan Bransford, has written an illuminating piece on guidance for authors considering self-publishing with Should You Self-Publish? Ten Questions to Ask Yourself. There is a lot of advice dished out to authors about self-publishing, but in my opinion, though much of it is well-meaning and sincere, it comes from…
Ingram Digital May Stop eBook Availability until Agency Model in Place
Ingram Digital’s General Manager Andrew Weinstein has sent a letter to its client retailers informing them of the possibility that they will be forced to stop the availability of ebooks titles in their catalogue listing from publishers who intend implementing the agency model. From as early as April—of the largest New York publishers—Ingram Digital may…