• How To Publish Your Book On Kindle And Ipad
  August 29, 2010
  As the war of the eReaders hots up, writers are being presented with a new and potentially profitable route to market. For the first time, Independent Writers have a self-publishing avenue that is not only low cost, but also offers the realistic prospect of reaching a significant nu...
• Textee Will Help You Write Your Cellphone Novel
  September 2, 2010
  Having trouble writing your cellphone novel? Is every sentence littered with typos from your sticky typing thumbs? Textee might help! The Textee company has designed rubber typing aids to help people use their thumbs more effectively on smartphones. What do you think? The ad has generated headlin...
• Calibre 0.7.17 released
  September 3, 2010
  New Features * Content server: Show custom column data in the book listing * Add preference to automatically set a tag when adding books (Preferences-General) * Add a tweak to create compound search terms. Show error message in tooltip when user inputs an invalid search query. * Mana...
• 8 myths about reading books on a mobile phone | Password Incorrect
  September 4, 2010
  According to Wikipedia there are 4.6 billion mobile phones in the world. It's a huge number. But people don't try to read books on them. In this post I'd
• Ether Books Mobile Publishing
  September 4, 2010
  Ether Books Mobile Publishing
• The Almost Risk Free Route To Self-Publishing Your Book
  September 2, 2010
  In recent years the development of the internet, advances in print technology and changing reading habits, have made self-publishing a viable route for many writers. However, I now believe that the growing popularity of digital reading devices, such as the Kindle and Ipad, offer the...
• FastPencil Upgrades Self Publishing Sevice
  September 2, 2010
  Digital publishing and social networking company FastPencil has introduced a new self-publishing service program called FastPencil Premiere. The service lets authors publish print and eBook versions of their work and earn higher royalty rates than FastPencil's traditional service. Cartoonist and...
• Moving Tales: Do Animated eBooks Have a Future?
  September 1, 2010
  Recently we've been exploring how the book industry is adjusting to electronic books. There are pros and cons to eBooks, but regardless the industry is moving to digital formats fast - even to the point of the Oxford English Dictionary considering not publishing another print edition. Some book publ...
• Is Scribd pirating your uploaded content?
  September 1, 2010
  I’m not talking about users; I’m talking about the company. I was just sent a link to this post through Twitter. Lynn Viehl, author of books such as Frostfire, had uploaded some of her older works to Scribd so everyone could read it for free. Much to her surprise, Scribd then started charging pe...
• Easiest 3 ways to self-publish an ePUB ebook
  August 30, 2010
     1. Smashwords Smashwords continues to kick goals in self-publishing. In an increasingly crowded market, I just don’t think you can beat Smashwords for ease of use, price (you can’t do better than free), and distribution. Fling your words to Smashwords, and you’ll quickly end up wit...
• Plugin by C. Murray Consulting

Spowodowało to duże ożywienie wśród graczy na rynku e-publikacji – i bardzo dobrze. Im więcej się mówi, tym lepiej. Informacja musi dotrzeć do czytelników, muszą się z nią oswoić i przełamać obawy, w końcu to oni będą e-książki kupować.

Zastanawiające jest jednak, zresztą nie po raz pierwszy, że treść artykułów brzmi tak, jakby adresowana była nie do czytelników, ale wydawców, akcjonariuszy, analityków, jakbyśmy mieli do czynienia ze streszczeniem biznesplanu, a nie informacją dla potencjalnych odbiorców.

Przykład z Rzeczpospolitej: “Atak e-książek, papier w odwrocie”. Jakby chodziło o przekonanie wydawców, że nie ma co bronić książki papierowej, tylko już teraz inwestować w e-książki, bo za chwilę będzie za późno. W artykule jest wszystko to, czego chciałby dystrybutor, niekoniecznie czytelnik, bo ilu spośród miłośników Sapkowskiego interesuje się rynkiem książki w USA?

Ten który czyta książkę papierową, boi się że ją straci. Boi się utraty przyjemności, jaką daje zapachu i szelest papieru, oraz wszystkich ważnych dla niego wartości, które przenosi książka papierowa – z nią się wychowywał i dzięki niej się rozwijał. Nie chce ani rewolucji, ani tym bardziej śmierci książki.

Młody czytelnik, ten który wychował się w czasach Internetu musi z kolei wiedzieć, że książka, dzięki formie elektronicznej, jest bliżej niego, na wyciągnięcie ręki, jest częścią jego świata.

I jednych i drugich przekona umiejętne mówienie o zaletach książki elektronicznej – ważnych z ich punktu widzenia. Co jest niezwykle istotnie, zalety e-książki trzeba pokazywać w sposób nienachalny, by nie wywołać odruchu obronnego. Jeśli mówimy “rewolucja”, to zróbmy wszystko, żeby czytelnik po sprawdzeniu oferty e-księgarni nie opuścił jej z myślą “e, nic tu nie ma.”

Czytelnika nie przekona informacja, że The Lost Symbol Dana Browna sprzedawał się w pierwszych dniach lepiej w formie elektronicznej niż papierowej. To argument dla wahającego się wydawcy. Czytelnik przekonałby się, gdyby ta książka była dostępna w formie elektronicznej po polsku.

Stosunkowo łatwo jest mi wczuć się w sytuację e-czytelnika. Nie dość że książki, które czytam w przeważającej części mają formę elektroniczną, to jeszcze samodzielnie je wydaję – a w związku z tym sam chcę dotrzeć do potencjalnych czytelników. Staram się więc zrozumieć ich obawy i potrzeby.

A na razie dominującą cechą jest zagubienie. Czy warto się zainteresować e-książkami? Dlaczego warto? Jaki format wybrać? Gdzie kupować? W jaki sposób pobierać e-książki? W jaki używać? Na co zwracać uwagę przy zakupie? Co się stanie z e-książkami za 5, 10 lat? Skąd legalnie ściągać darmowe e-publikacje?

Pytań jest wiele i trzeba starać się je rozwiewać pracą u podstaw. Powinno być mniej analiz, a więcej takich artykułów jak w Gazecie Wyborczej – “Gdzie można kupić e-książki w Polsce – 10 propozycji” – z tym, że znacznie rzetelniej przygotowanych.

E-książki są moją pasją. Staram się nią dzielić i pomagać innym. Poniższe artykuły przygotowałem z myślą o tych, którzy chcą czytać e-książki a nie o e-książkach.

Aktualizowana lista stron z darmowymi e-bookami

Polskie książki na Kindle

Lista polskojęzycznych książek na urządzenia mobilne

5 pytań, które warto sobie zadać przy wyborze urządzenia do czytania e-książek

4 sposoby, jak zamienić telefon w czytnik książek

Aplikacje książkowe na iOS: Kindle, iBooks, Stanza – porównanie funkcji

Aplikacje do czytania książek na iPadzie

Ewolucja sposobu gromadzenia książek

Ja chciałbym zaproponować zastanowienie się na wyborem urządzenia z punktu widzenia własnych preferencji. Najważniejsze jest przecież to, jak tobie będzie się czytało.

Obecnie e-książki można czytać na komputerze, e-czytniku, tablecie i telefonie. Skupię się na trzech ostatnich urządzeniach – w miarę rozwoju e-czytelnictwa korzystanie z komputera będzie coraz bardziej ograniczało się do zarządzania półką e-książkową, a nie do samego czytania.

E-czytnik to urządzenie dedykowane (SPD – Single Purpose Device). Jego zakup zwykle wiąże się z decyzją o przejściu na czytanie książek w formie elektronicznej. Natomiast powodów zakupu tabletu jest dużo, a e-czytanie wcale nie musi być na początku listy preferencji. Z kolei w przypadku telefonu, a zwłaszcza smartfonu, dla większości z nas decyzja o e-czytaniu związana jest z wyposażeniem go w odpowiednią aplikację – samo urządzenie bowiem już posiadamy.

1. Ile czasu poświęcam na czytanie?

Jeśli czytasz dużo książek a czytanie zajmuje ci dużo czasu w ciągu dnia, zdecydowanie najlepszym wyborem jest e-czytnik. Zwróć uwagę, by ten którym jesteś zainteresowany miał ekran w technologii e-papieru. Wzrok przy czytaniu nie męczy się, a bateria pozwala na przeczytanie kilkuset stron bez konieczności ładowania. E-czytniki z e-papierem są droższe niż te z ekranem LCD, ale warto dopłacić za komfort jaki dają.

Jeśli nie jesteś książkożercą, a ważne są dla ciebie inne powody, wśród nich te wymienione poniżej, możesz zastanowić się nad tabletem.

Telefon komórkowy również sprawdza się jako czytnik. Oczywiście nie da się na nim czytać długo, ale idealnie nadaje się jako dodatkowe, awaryjne urządzenie do czytania, np. w sytuacjach, gdy mamy trochę czasu, a nie wzięliśmy ze sobą większego urządzenia.

2. Co czytam?

E-czytnik stworzony jest dla literatury pięknej. Idealnie wyświetla tekst, ale jego czarno-biały ekran znacznie gorzej radzi sobie ze zdjęciami. Z kolei tablet, którego kolorowy ekran jest większy niż w przypadku e-czytnika, dużo lepiej sprawdza się przy czytaniu literatury fachowej, przewodników, poradników i książek dla dzieci.

Jeśli czytasz e-prasę, również lepiej jest zdecydować się na tablet. Na urządzeniu tym można w komfortowy sposób czytać gazety i czasopisma – również w formacie pdf. Inną formą dostępu do najnowszych informacji są aplikacje do czytania wiadomości RSS.

Zastanów się również na tym, czy będzie cię w najbliższej przyszłości interesowało czytanie e-książek multimedialnych, takich jak Alicja w Krainie Czarów. Wtedy w grę wchodzą tablety i telefony. Wyposażyć je można w aplikacje do czytania, które obsługują zarówno treści audio, jak i wideo. Wśród nich można wymienić Kindle i iBooks. Są również dostępne multimedialne książki-aplikacje.

3. W jakim języku czytam?

Nie pomylę się chyba, jeśli przyjmę założenie, że obecnie większość e-czytelników kupuje/ściąga książki nie tylko po polsku, ale również, a może głównie – po angielsku. Wynika to z wciąż niewielkiej liczby tytułów dostępnych u polskich dystrybutorów e-treści.

W samym tylko Kindle Store jest już ponad 500 tysięcy e-książek. Liczba e-publikacji dostępnych w Polsce to kilka tysięcy, ale sytuacja z dnia na dzień się poprawia. Wszyscy z nadzieją czekają na rozpoczęcie sprzedaży e-publikacji przez Empik.com, co może wywołać szybszy przypływ e-treści od wydawców.

Jeśli czytasz po polsku i angielsku, możesz wybrać dowolne urządzenie. Jeśli interesują cię wyłącznie publikacje po polsku, to gdyby należało zdecydować się na kupno teraz, jedynym sensownym wyborem byłby e-czytnik powiązany z polską e-księgarnią.

Właściciele tabletów i telefonów muszą jeszcze poczekać na specjalne aplikacje do kupowania i czytanie polskich e-publikacji. Pracują nad nimi Nexto, Virtualo i Legimi. Miejmy nadzieję, że pojawią się jeszcze w tym roku.

4. Po co czytam?

Jeśli czytasz po to, by uciec od codzienności, odizolować się, zagłębić w innym świecie, wybierz e-czytnik. Ściągniesz na niego tyle książek ile chcesz, a potem możesz zaszyć się tam, gdzie nie dopadną cię problemy życia codziennego.

Jeśli potrzebujesz stałego dostępu do Internetu i znajomych, pewnie zdecydujesz się na tablet. Wyposażony jest w przeglądarkę i aplikacje społecznościowe. Co więcej aplikacje książkowe również mają funkcje pomocne przy dzieleniu się treścią: wysyłanie informacji o książce lub krótkich winietek mailem, na Twittera lub Facebooka.

Gdy czytasz po to, by pogłębić wiedzę, tablet wydaje się urządzeniem idealnym. W każdej chwili możesz rozszerzyć temat poruszany w książce o informacje znalezione w Internecie – bez konieczności zmiany urządzenia.

5. Gdzie zaopatruję się w e-książki?

Pytanie jest ważne, dlatego warto odpowiedzieć sobie również, na jakim etapie się znajdujesz, jeśli chodzi o sposób gromadzenia książek.

To, skąd zaopatrujesz się w e-książki, związane jest z pewnymi ograniczeniami. Jeśli kupujesz je w Amazon, możesz je czytać jedynie na Kindle lub w specjalnych aplikacjach na tablety i telefony. Jeśli w eClicto – na dedykowanym e-czytniku lub komputerze.

Generalnie możesz przyjąć założenie, że e-czytnik powiązany z księgarnią jest jedynym urządzeniem, które zapewnia do niej dostęp. Możesz na nim również czytać pozbawione zabezpieczeń publikacje, dostępne w obsługiwanym przez czytnik formacie.

Jeśli zaopatrujesz się w wielu źródłach, lepszym wyborem jest tablet/telefon. Z reguły dostęp do e-księgarni zapewnia odpowiednia aplikacja (w większości są one bezpłatne). Takie własne aplikacje mają Amazon, Kobo, Barnes&Noble i być może wkrótce, jak wspomniałem wyżej, polskie e-księgarnie.

Wybór urządzenia do czytania e-książek nie należy do łatwych. Ceny nie są zachęcające, podobnie jak liczba dostępnych publikacji. Ale zmienia się to na lepsze – i to szybciej niż mogłoby się wydawać jeszcze kilka miesięcy temu.

• Cybook Orizon officially unveiled
  August 27, 2010
  Bookeen just revealed the new Cybook Orizon. Apparently I was wrong and the model from CES 2010 was not replaced.  I don’t have all the details yet, but I do know that it has a 6″ touchscreen and Wifi. There’s no word yet on price or availability. From past coverage, I know that it’s suppos...
• Review: eBooks by Kobo for iPhone and iPad
  August 26, 2010
  This hybrid iPad-iPhone offering adds to the number of e-book readers in the App Store. It's a little slow at turning pages and doesn't do much to distinguish itself from the other offerings out there, but if you're dissatisfied with other e-book reader apps, eBooks by Kobo is certainly worth a tria...
• The Sharper Image announces Literati color e-reader
  August 26, 2010
  The Sharper Image may not be quite the retail presence it once was, but it looks like its still in good enough shape to hop on the latest trend -- its just announced The Literati by The Sharper Image, a $159 e-reader with a 7-inch color screen. That device actually comes courtesy of MerchSource, an...
• A book library on your phone - Mail & Guardian Online
  August 23, 2010
  Times LIVEA book library on your phoneMail Guardian OnlineThe m4Lit project began in 2009 to test whether teens in South Africa would read stories on their cellphones. Most of the reading and writing that happens ...Yoza m-novel library launchedTimes LIVELink Love: Yoza.Mobi Brings Mobile Fiction t...
• More Android e-book devices on the way
  August 25, 2010
  Ars Technica’s Ryan Paul has a look at three upcoming or recent Android e-book readers, including the Cruz Reader, the Pandigital Novel, and the SmartQ T7. Velocity Micro’s Cruz Reader looks particularly impressive. Paul writes: The device has a seven-inch color LCD touchscreen with a resolutio...
• A selection of the best tablets you can buy now
  August 23, 2010
  The announcement and subsequent release of Apple's "Jesus tablet" has set the portable touchscreen computer market on fire. Manufacturers are scrambling to release devices, wanting to get in on the tablet craze while it's still hot.
• Sony Touch Edition has been discontinued!
  August 22, 2010
  At least, that’s the product status reported by BH Photo. You usually only see “discontinued” when a retailer tries to order more and is told it won’t be available. Of course, at this point it’s not really that much of a surprise, is it? We already knew about the new models. via Mike Cane...
• Mobile Ebook Reading
  August 16, 2010
  Mobile Ebook Reading - That's a good question. Does the future of books lie in the increasing popularity of mobile eBook reading? eBook readers have certainly advanced a great deal in recent months, partially because they allows people ...
• EC Media launches Wink e-reader in India
  August 21, 2010
  While the world holds its collective breath for India to actually mass produce that $35 tablet it's been trumpeting here lately, the country's own EC Media International is taking the wraps off of a sparkling new e-reader: the Wink. This cutely titled device doesn't look much different than older g...
• Pocketbook announces color touch screen Android powered e-reader and more
  August 21, 2010
  Manufacturing upstart PocketBook is clearly still gung ho about e-readers, judging by the five new models it has announced will be released at IFA in September, which include a pair of entry-level ProBook 602 and 902 units, as well as the ProBook 603 and 903 premium units. The 60x designated models...
• Books Have Many Futures : NPR
  August 21, 2010
  If many types of paper-based books are headed for extinction, what will take their place? "E-readers" are a big part of the present and future -- but not the whole story. Video games and multi-narrator online stories will have their places too.
• Plugin by C. Murray Consulting

From now on it’ll shine above comments on every blog post. Compare it to that boring Google stuff below. Oh my Geek, just move over the iPhones…

A couple of days ago Reuters had news stating that Google Editions is “due to launch this fall”.

It sounds like a hell of a delay. When first announced in October last year it was due to start in first months of 2010. Then it was about to launch in June or July. Now we have to wait till a vague fall.

The delay suggests Google is not ready with a new service. In view of all failures it’s not good to hurry up again.

Postponing is not good for Google, but it’s actually good for the reader. There are two major reasons for that.

Google will have time to improve before it’s too late

There are a lot of questions and concerns about a new e-bookstore. In my opinion a serious player in the e-book market should not only provide the right tools to buy books but also the right tools to read them.

Reading interface is what I most worry about. If they really want to bring readers in, they have to offer a brilliant tool to read books in a browser. Other Google services are not a good reference. The level to reach are e-reading applications used in mobile devices: Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Stanza, Aldiko and many others. There are web-based reading services like Ibis Reader. It’s what readers will refer to.

If after launch Google Editions will disappoint readers there will be no second chance to fix it. People are generally aware of how Google Books works and looks. They’ll give a try – once – and they have to find big improvements.

Having more time means we can expect a better reading interface, developed by Google itself or, what I hope for – independent web developers.

Competitors will be forced to react at least one more time

What I really liked about former Google Editions launch dates was how current players were reacting. They were trying to weaken the impact of a launch.

It was not a New Year’s gift from Amazon to change publishing terms, including a 70% revenue share offered to Kindle publishers.

Even better things happened in a second half of June, right before the 2nd launch. Remember e-reader price war? Within a couple of days prices were reduced to much below a magic $200.

Google Editions’ competitive edge is “no extra device needed – just use the one you already have”. It’s the biggest threat to device-centric players. They have to lower prices of their devices and develop applications for smartphones and tablets.

From a reader’s point of view it’s a right path to follow. One or two new Google Editions launch dates could bring e-reader prices well below $100.

Posted via email from Password Incorrect

• liquidpubs – new publishing service launched
  August 20, 2010
  Has anyone heard of them? From the press release: liquidpubs is a set of services and technologies that allows publishers of magazines, newspapers and books to offer a groundbreaking experience of their content on tablet computers and smartphones. For newspapers and magazines, whether it’s the iPa...
• Ebooks: Revolution Or Fad?
  August 20, 2010
  HSINCHU, Taiwan — The marriage of an American technology firm and a Taiwanese display panel manufacturer has helped make digital reading a prospective challenger to paper as the main medium for transmitting printed information. Four years ago Cambridge, Mass.-based E Ink Corporation and Taiwan's...
• Kobo Price To Drop To $99 By Christmas
  August 19, 2010
  With all of the new tablets rumored to come out this fall and the new Kindles almost ready to ship, this should be an interesting holiday season for the eReader. And the price wars are likely to continue. The New Yorker is reporting that the Kobo will be down to $99 by Christmas. From The New Yo...
• HOW TO: Make Your Mobile Websites Act More Like Native Apps
  August 18, 2010
  This series is supported by Rackspace, the better way to do hosting. Learn more about Rackspace’s hosting solutions here.As smartphone sales continue to soar, more and more developers are focusing their efforts on building applications for mobile devices. Whether it is a native application or a mo...
• Google Editions "Due To Launch This Fall"
  August 18, 2010
  In a Reuters article about indie bookstores, the reporter broke some news about the seemingly postponed launch of Google Editions. It appears that Google's bookstore--poised to compete with Apple iBookstore and the Amazon Kindle Store--will "launch this fall." Check it out: "The [American Booksell...
• Self Publish Your Tweets & Tweetpics with Twournal
  August 19, 2010
  The brand new Twournal service launched yesterday, allowing people to print and sell copies of their Twitter feeds. The company also offers a free eBook edition of your tweets, even if you don't want to pay to print your Twitter journal. Here's more about the site: "All Twournals have color cover...
• Wattpad launches marketing program for self-published authors
  August 18, 2010
  From their press release: In the first half of 2010, Wattpad has established cross-promotional partnerships with major self-publishing houses Smashwords, Lulu and Bubok. To assist writers in connecting with readers on the site, Wattpad is launching the Self-Published Writers Program, a new marketi...
• eTextbooks: iPad & eReaders Lag Behind, PCs Still Dominant
  August 18, 2010
  Last week we looked at the pros and cons of eBooks vs traditional paper books. For the consumer market, eBooks are still at the early stage of adoption - but becoming more popular due to the iPad and the price point getting lower for eReaders like Kindle. Another market where eBooks have a lot of po...
• Half.com Offers iPhone App to Find Cheap Textbooks On The Go
  August 16, 2010
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• Can Apps Save Content Publishers?
  August 16, 2010
  Can apps save content publishers? That was a question posed today at the DigiDay: Apps conference in New York. Panelists from the magazine and mobile industry discussed the growth of mobile devices and tablet devices for reading and asked how this new adoption can help save magazines. EBook publis...
• Is all piracy bad piracy?
  August 13, 2010
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• iPad Passes Print Reading in User Preference
  August 13, 2010
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• Plugin by C. Murray Consulting

• Ebooks: New Android-based Sony Readers May Be Coming
  August 12, 2010
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• 41% Of UK iPad Owners Prefer iPad As Reading Devices
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• Getting Ready to Publish
  August 13, 2010
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  August 12, 2010
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• Top 10 Ways Authors Can Use Twitter
  August 11, 2010
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• EPUB Straight to the Point (Book Review of the Paperback)
  August 11, 2010
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• Plastic Logic Cancels Que ProReader
  August 11, 2010
  After many delays in a ship date, Plastic Logic has officially canceled its Que ProReader product, which debuted in January and was supposed to ship this year. At CES, mediabistro.com's editorial director took a video tour of the eReader with a premium $799 price tag. Looks like the new Kindle, the...
• 5 Ways That Paper Books Are Better Than eBooks
  August 11, 2010
  Yesterday we gave you 5 reasons why you should read your next book on an eReader device. Needless to say, many paper book fans protested in the comments. And with good reason. Paper books have many things going for them and it's still early in the evolution of eBooks. This is a technology blog. Howe...
• 5 Ways That eBooks Are Better Than Paper Books
  August 10, 2010
  Recently I began to buy eBooks for the Kindle application on my iPad. While I still love paper books, the digital wiles of eBooks are looking increasingly attractive to me. Below are five eBook features that may tempt you to buy electronic books too. I should note that I wasnt a hold-out on eBooks f...
• Project Gutenberg and OverDrive integrate
  August 10, 2010
  OverDrive has announced integration with Project Gutenberg. Boston Public Library is the first to add this featured collection of more than 15,000 EPUB eBook titles to its website. There’s no authentication needed to access these eBooks, and the eBook titles don’t expire or count against a user...
• Google’s count of 130 million books is probably bunk, says Ars Technica
  August 9, 2010
  That’s the title of an Ars Technica article today. The article discusses, at length, the problem with Google’s metadata and says: Google’s counting method relies entirely on its enormous metadata collection—almost one billion records—which it winnows down by throwing out duplicates and no...
• Self-Publishers Start Here: Understanding Fonts & Typography
  August 10, 2010
  In my recent blog redesign I added the “Start Here” categories on the left sidebar to make it easier to find articles with basic information about self-publishing. Each introduces a stage on the journey to publication with links from the archives of TheBookDesigner. This is the fourth in the se...
• 9 Reasons To Be Optimistic About Books
  August 5, 2010
  In the midst of one of the most disruptive transitions the modern publishing industry has ever experienced, it can be easy to give in to pessimism, fall in with doom-saying pundits and short-term gamblers, and forget why you thought working in publishing was ever a good idea to begin with.
• InDesign CS5 ePub Export
  August 7, 2010
  Another novel, another excursion into e-book conversions.  But this time, its with all new software.  InDesign has bumped up to CS5, and of course Sigil and Calibre have both had numerous updates since I used them the last time.  The process has gone much smoother. Step 1, make minor formatting...
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• Updated txtr app allows Adobe protected eBooks onto iPads
  August 6, 2010
  iPad owners looking to read existing Adobe DRM protected books - including those bought from UK retailers such as Waterstones, WH Smiths and Foyles - on their iPad can now do so thanks to an updated version of the txtr app.
• Some Smashwords stats – growing like Topsy
  August 6, 2010
  I received this in an email from Mark Coker and I thought it was interesting enough to republish: Although stats are tough to come by, measured by title count, I think we’re probably the largest ebook publishing and distribution platform for indie authors next to Amazon. We now publish over 16,00...
• Smashwords and Diesel Ebooks team up
  August 5, 2010
  From the press release: Los Gatos, CA. and Richmond, VA — July 5, 2010 — Smashwords, the leading eBook publishing and distribution platform, and the Diesel eBook Store, the world’s largest independent eBook retailer, have announced two eBook distribution agreements that will expand eBook publi...
• HOW TO: Self-Publish Anything Online
  August 5, 2010
  Scott Steinberg is the CEO of high-tech consulting firm TechSavvy Global, and a frequent tech analyst for ABC, CBS and CNN. He’s covered the field for 400+ outlets from NPR to Rolling Stone. His latest self-published venture is the online video series and magazine Game Theory.Starting your own fas...
• Mobcast Selling eBooks On Android Phones In Europe
  August 5, 2010
  Digital content provider Mobcast is now selling eBooks on Android based phones in Europe by enabling mobile carriers to sell books to Android and smart phone customers. T-Mobile UK Orange UK are the first mobile operators to sign up to sell books this way. Through the operator-branded stores users...
• Kindle Gets Games; Two Free Apps Launched
  August 5, 2010
  The Kindle is no longer an e-books-only device; developers have just released two Kindle-ready games, thanks to the Kindle Development Kit (KDK).The KDK was launched earlier this year. At that time, we predicted more non-book apps, from productivity tools to games, would be available for Kindle user...
• Lonely Planet Launches Interactive Travel eBooks
  August 4, 2010
  Lonely Planet released its first interactive travel eBooks called Discover. The books are designed liked a guidebook and is full of images, tips from locals and suggested itineraries. But unlike a print guidebook, the eBooks include more than 3,000 hyperlinks so that readers can make hotel reser...
• Linked: Simon & Schuster Releases Choose Your Own Adventure Apps
  August 4, 2010
  Simon Schuster have released a series of Choose Your Own Adventure apps for $3.99: Instead of turning to a particular page to make a choice, the U-Ventures apps allow the reader to tap the screen and enjoy, with sound, light and other special effects — music and alien voices, for example — adde...
• $99 Color E-Reader and Social Platform to Challenge Amazon, B&N This Fall
  August 3, 2010
  Following recent price cuts on Amazon’s Kindle 2 and Barnes Noble’s Nook, a new manufacturer is set to stir up even more competition in the e-reader pricing wars with the debut of a $99 color device this fall.The device, which weighs in at .42 lbs and features a 5-inch, 800×480-pixel, color LC...
• HarperCollins To Release Five More Enhanced eBooks By Year's End
  August 3, 2010
  HarperCollins released its first three enhanced eBooks last week. The publisher told Publishers Weekly that they plan to do at least five more enhanced eBooks in the coming months. Ana Maria Allessi, VP, publisher, HarperMedia told PW that they are experimenting this year. They are working with r...
• HarperCollins released enhanced ebooks; will do simultaneous ebook releases
  August 3, 2010
  Publishers Weekly is reporting this. According to them HarperCollins strategy will be to release print editions, ebook editions and enhanced ebooks simultaneously. This all comes about because HarperCollins is releasing three enhanced ebooks and plans to do at least 5 more in the coming months. Th...
• Are eReaders Bad For The Environment?
  August 2, 2010
  Are eBooks environmentally friendly or are they worse than their print counterparts? Raz Godelnik, co-founder and CEO of Eco-Libris, has a new article in the Independent Book Publishers Association's (IBPA) monthly journal called "Is E-Reading Really Greener?" positing this very question. Accor...
• Kindle for iOS updated: use it as a free dictionary app
  July 30, 2010
  A new update of Kindle application is up in the AppStore (link). It brings a long-awaited functionality – a dictionary look-up. Together with a possibility to search through the book content, now available also for iPad, it becomes an unexpected alternative to standalone dictionary applications fo...
• Traditional Publishers Release Enhanced E-books for iPhone and iPad
  July 30, 2010
  Scribner and Simon Schuster Digital have released what they are calling their first-ever “enhanced e-book,” Rick Perlstein’s Nixonland, via Apple’s iBookstore application.The enhanced e-book [iTunes link] includes an original interview with the author and 27 historic video segments produced...
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• Are ebook readers for book-lovers?
  July 30, 2010
  As Amazon unveils two lighter, more advanced versions of the Kindle e-reader, we ask: can they ever replace books?
• How Low Will E-Reader Prices Go?
  July 29, 2010
  As Amazon prepares to release a $139 Kindle e-reader next month, could even cheaper e-readers be close behind?
• Amazon: E-books Will Overtake Paperbacks by the End of 2011
  July 29, 2010
  Amazon predicts that it will sell more e-books than paperbacks by the end of next year, and that they will eclipse both paperback and hardcover sales combined shortly thereafter.“I predict we will surpass paperback sales sometime in the next nine to 12 months. Sometime after that, we’ll surpass...
• Simon & Schuster Releases Its First Enhanced eBook
  July 29, 2010
  Simon Schuster has built its first enhanced eBook--complete with CBS News video clips and a $15.99 price tag. What do you think? How much value does video add? CBS News and Simon Schusters Scribner imprint have teamed up to build an enhanced ebook edition of Rick Perlstein's 2008 book, Nixonlan...
• Amazon launches new Kindle e-reader and UK ebook store
  July 29, 2010
  Amazon hopes the redesigned, lighter Kindles and new store will be the 'tipping point' in the UK e-reader marketAmazon unveiled two lighter, more advanced versions of the Kindle e-reader today, alongside a new UK ebook store that it claimed will send sales of the device soaring in Britain.Faced with...
• Amazon Customers Now Order $1 Billion of Products Per Year via Mobile
  July 22, 2010
  Amazon –- who earlier this week made some noise by reporting that Kindle books now outsell hardcovers –- is out with another tale of the times stat: customers are now ordering more than $1 billion worth of products per year via mobile devices.In a statement, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said, "The lead...
• An Amazon-Facebook Alliance to Make Shopping More Social
  July 28, 2010
  When shoppers connect their Amazon and Facebook accounts, they will get recommendations on what to buy based on what their friends like.
• Apple’s Magic Trackpad: is iBooks coming to the desktop?
  July 27, 2010
  This morning’s announcement from Apple has brought about some fantastic pieces of hardware that we’re chomping at the bit to get our hands on. Of course we’re all loving the newly-updated Macs and iMacs, but what’s really caught our attention is the new Magic Trackpad. We first talked about...
• Author Sells 1 Million Books On Kindle Alone
  July 27, 2010
  Amazon has just reached an important milestone: a single author has sold 1,000,000 Kindle books. If there was any doubt as to the long reach of Kindle in the electronic reading wars, this settles it. Stieg Larsson, author of the wonderful trilogy of books The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl...
• Amazon Now Connects to Facebook, Suggests Gifts for Friends
  July 27, 2010
  The experience of shopping and buying items has always been a social one, but online we largely browse and purchase items by ourselves while parked at of our computer monitors. The online shopping experience may soon get far more social as online retail behemoth Amazon has added connectivity to Face...
• Project Gutenberg turns its attention to cell phone reading
  July 25, 2010
  A MobileRead forumgoer reports that the latest Project Gutenberg newsletter contains an announcement of a new Project Gutenberg mobile website, m.gutenberg.org. The site is to be optimized not just for iPhones, but for any mobile phone including browsing-enabled dumbphones. Writes Gutenberg: There...
• Upstart E-readers Fade to Black as Tablets Gain Momentum
  July 23, 2010
  Squeezed by larger companies such as Amazon and Barnes Noble, smaller e-reader makers are going out of business even as consumer interest shifts toward tablets.
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A new update of Kindle application is up in the AppStore (link). It brings a long-awaited functionality – a dictionary look-up. Together with a possibility to search through the book content, now available also for iPad, it becomes an unexpected alternative to standalone dictionary applications for iOS.

Opposite to major competitors, iBooks and Stanza, Kindle introduced dictionary functionality in a much smarter way. After update is complete, when you open an application and sync it with your account, you see a new book on your shelf: The New Oxford American Dictionary with 250,000 entries and definitions.

In my opinion adding a content of application’s dictionary as a separate book is a brilliant idea.

Why? Because it makes a great standalone dictionary application out of Amazon’s app. If you’re looking for a word, just open Kindle, then The New Oxford American Dictionary and tap the magnifying glass icon. You’re searching through the content of a book, which IS a dictionary.

This gives a benefit, no other dictionary app has (as well as iBooks and Stanza). Kindle can explain words in a dictionary entry itself. Dictionary-as-a-function adds a second layer to dictionary-as-a-book. This is especially helpful for non-English users.

From other things I really like the idea that a dictionary entry is being shown after first tap at the bottom of the screen. In iBooks it’s one of the options to choose from a navigation bar (=one more tap). Even more steps it takes to get a definition in Stanza.

Additionally you can look up for words in Google and Wikipedia.

+ iBooks’ interface

+ Kindle’s offer

]]> http://www.passwordincorrect.com/2010/07/29/perfect-e-reading-application-for-ios/feed/ 0 http://www.passwordincorrect.com/2010/07/27/ibooks-how-to-add-books-without-connecting-to-itunes/ http://www.passwordincorrect.com/2010/07/27/ibooks-how-to-add-books-without-connecting-to-itunes/#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:40:51 +0000 nizejpodpisany http://www.passwordincorrect.com/2010/07/27/ibooks-how-to-add-books-without-connecting-to-itunes/

Adding third-party books to iBooks is painful. You need to cable your device (iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad) with a computer to sync books between iTunes “Books” folder and the application. I personally feel stressed every time I connect a device to iTunes. Syncing is slow and when it’s finished app icons are messed up almost every time.

Comparing to Kindle’s 60 seconds, a cable connection is just outdated. The other thing is that with the iBookstore offering such a little selection of books, many people try to download their own book libraries collected before.

Two tips listed below apply only to pdf documents, so probably only iPad owners will want to try it. You can’t use them to send ePub files to iBooks. I hope it will change soon. So far only Stanza is capable of opening external ePubs (as well as pdf docs as you’ll see in the screenshots).

I assume a book is already on your computer. What you can do is to:

1. Attach to email

When you send yourself an email with the attached book and open a message in a native Apple Mail application on your iPad, you are able to open and save it to iBooks.

Opening pdf documents from Mail

2. Open from Dropbox app

If you have a Dropbox account and the application is installed on your device, you can open it and look for the pdf previously uploaded from a computer. In a latest update Dropbox added a possibility to open documents in third-party applications.

Opening pdf documents from Dropbox

By now Stanza is the most robust e-reading application for iOS. It’s packed with features other apps, like Kindle or iBooks are missing. However it has one big disadvantage: no cloud-based bookshelf.

The application is associated to a device not an account. There is no way to sync books and bookmarks like in Kindle. It’s fine when you have one device. Things get complicated to those iPhone or iPod Touch users who are buying iPads. They realize that to read books they collected in Stanza, they need to download them again.

There are a few ways to transfer books to Stanza. I’d like to add to the list a simple solution, which gives at least part of cloud bookshelf functionality. It’s Dropbox (AppStore link), an application available for both iPhone and iPad. Sure, no sync is possible, but at least you can manage you book library from a single place.

This is possible with a recent update of Dropbox. You are able to export documents to other apps, even those ones which can’t be opened by Dropbox itself – like ePub. Please note in the screenshots below, that ePub files can be opened only by Stanza, and pdf files – by Stanza and iBooks.

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I don’t have any problem with using either iPad or iPhone. The devices are perfectly complementary. I read on iPad mostly at home and when on the move an iPhone is a perfect reading companion.

It’s not that easy with applications. They all have their pros and cons, some of them have features the others are missing. This is easily leading to disappointment, as a personal e-book library is split in three places and sometimes I get lost where is a book I feel like reading right now.

So here is a wish list of features a confused reader would love to have in one application to stick to it. The list only contains features which are not available in all three apps. Is there anything missing? Please leave your tips in the comments.

ePub support

Available: Stanza, iBooks

Bookshelf synchronisation

Available: Kindle

Support for audio and video

Available: Kindle, iBooks

Dictionary lookup

Available: Stanza, iBooks

Book content search

Available: Stanza, iBooks

Sharing options

Available: Stanza

In-app purchase

Available: iBooks

Catalog of free resources

Available: Stanza, iBooks

In-app book download from other resources

Available: Stanza

• A $20 eReader For NGOs
  July 21, 2010
  A $20 eReader? Humane Informatics has designed a new low cost eReader for NGOs called the Humane Reader. It uses a TV screen as a display device and books and text are stored on a simple SD memory Card. The device can hold up to 5,000 books on a 2G card and it does not require an Internet connecti...
• 30 Million People In U.S. Will Own eReaders By 2015
  July 21, 2010
  By 2015, 29.4 million US consumers will own eReaders. This is according to a new report from Forrester Research called, "How eReaders Will Fare In A Tablet PC World," by analyst James L. McQuivey. According to the report, eReaders are facing challenges with the rise of tablet PCs. From the report...
• Shanda To Release eReader
  July 22, 2010
  Chinese social writing network Shanda Literature, a company owned by Shanda Interactive Entertainment Limited, has plans to release an eReader called the BamBook sometime in the next couple of weeks. The eReader will come in two versions, both of which will be equipped with Wi-Fi and a 3G network....
• eReaders Beat iPad For Popularity
  July 22, 2010
  While iPads are challenging eReader sales, eReaders still beat the iPad, according to Forrester Research. In a report called, "How eReaders Will Fare In A Tablet PC World," analyst James L. McQuivey found that more consumers want an eReader than an iPad. Kindle was the winner in terms of eReader s...
• Nook for Android Is Here
  July 22, 2010
  Nook for Android hit the Market for free download today, and it has some nifty features that make e-book reading easy and clean, even for someone who would much rather breathe in the dust of a library book than stare fixedly at her Droid X.A little less than a month ago, the Kindle for Android app c...
• Write.fm Makes Sharing Text and Files Amazingly Simple
  July 22, 2010
  I love simple solutions to common problems. Write.fm is one of those services that manages to reduce the number of steps to do a task — in this case, sharing simple text messages and files of any kind — to the absolute minimum.Hailing from Anthony Feint, the same developer who brought us the sim...
• Sharp To Enter eBook Market
  July 20, 2010
  The Sharp Corporation announced today a new version of its XDMF eBook formatting functionality, which will include the ability to embed video and audio content into an eBook. Sharp plans to release this "next-generation eBook format" sometime this year. Sharp also plans to build digital eBook dis...
• Top 10 Worst Self-Publishing Mistakes—Explained!
  July 21, 2010
  I learn a lot from the comments readers leave on the blog. People have pointed out errors, shown me resources I hadn’t heard of, and made connections that had never occurred to me. It’s a big web out there, and one of the things I enjoy most is this sharing of knowledge, resources and experience...
• Penguin Releases Amplified Editions
  July 20, 2010
  The Penguin Group is making its books interactive, beginning with The Amplified Edition of The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. The publisher partnered with entertainment company Starz to make the interactive version of the print title. The "Amplified Edition" of Follett's work includes video...
• Would You Pay More For A Video Enhanced E-Book?
  July 20, 2010
  That is the question that Penguin wants answered, and they are running a test to get an answer. Teaming up with Starz, Penguin is launching an e-book on iPad that contains video from a television mini-series based on the same tract. The company plans to price the book at $12.99, a steep rise over t...
• Adobe to Roll Out New Publishing Software for Tablets
  July 19, 2010
  Adobe is working on a new kind of creative software specifically intended to help you publish digital magazines for tablet devices such as the iPad, the company revealed today.This new software, which will soon take its place in the Creative Suite pantheon, will be downloadable from Adobe Labs and w...
• The Importance Of Social Networking To Authors And Professionals
  July 19, 2010
  With a title like The Importance Of Social Networking To Authors And Professionals, you could expect to have a book, or volumes written to cover all the ways social media has become an indispensable tool for marketing your business. Well, I am not going to write a book here, but I am going to share...
• Simon & Schuster Unveils Mobile Site
  July 7, 2010
  Today Simon Schuster unveiled a mobile edition of their site, bringing shopping capabilities, full search, author pages, book excerpts, and video to smartphones. You can see the iPhone version in the image embedded here. The site will also feature a video hub collecting videos from the publisher...
• Publishing & Self-Publishing: Where Is the Tipping Point?
  July 16, 2010
  Another interesting day in the world of publishing. I picked up on this story by Yoree Koh from the Wall Street Journal’s Japan Time from an alert early this morning: One of Japan’s best-known novelists and film makers, Ryu Murakami, has announced he’s cutting his pretigious publisher (Kodans...
• Major Japanese author to release iPad-only book
  July 15, 2010
  From the Wall Street Journal Japan blog: Novelist Ryu Murakami plans to release his latest novel exclusively for digital bookworms through Apple Inc.’s iPad ahead of the print version. Mr. Murakami, the acclaimed author of over 15 novels including “Coin Locker Babies” and “In the Miso Soup

  ]]> http://www.passwordincorrect.com/2010/07/24/weekly-links-on-mobile-e-books-self-publishing-24-07-2010/feed/ 1 http://www.passwordincorrect.com/2010/07/18/week-on-twitter-2010-07-18/ http://www.passwordincorrect.com/2010/07/18/week-on-twitter-2010-07-18/#comments Sun, 18 Jul 2010 05:30:00 +0000 nizejpodpisany http://www.passwordincorrect.com/2010/07/18/week-on-twitter-2010-07-18/
• Week on Twitter 2010-07-11 http://ow.ly/185mjM #
• #1picstory :: The wildest place http://ow.ly/186ang #
• Bubble Cow: Tips For Editing Your Own Novel http://ow.ly/186TiO #
• RT @DeclanStanley: Alice, a 21st century fairytale for adults, half price for july: http://bit.ly/aeqQmv #
• Writing’s Next Frontier: Twitter Fiction by @JFBookman http://j.mp/ab0Ipm let me add all I'm doing at @mobilefiction #
• RT @JFbookman: Today's Self-publishing daily e-paper is out: http://bit.ly/9qYNXo | 55 top Twitter follows all in one place #
• Bubble Cow: Treading The Commercial Tightrope – The Writer’s Problem http://ow.ly/187SBP #
• Lots of useful data » HOW TO: Optimize Your Mobile Site Across Multiple Platforms http://j.mp/bTVNr4 #
• Next #1picstory will be about starting sth new, and it's all about emotions. Found a great symbol for that:-) #
• Sony Reader Breaks the $100 eReader Price Barrier http://ow.ly/188fi1 #
• #1picstory :: A new startup (and it's not what you think) http://ow.ly/188gLA #
• RT @eBookNewser: How to contribute to Project Gutenberg http://tinyurl.com/2fldat8 #
• Bubble Cow: Making The Most Of FeedBack From Friends http://ow.ly/188QZf #
• Audible releases iPhone app for audiobooks http://ow.ly/188TH7 #
• Major Japanese author to release iPad-only book http://ow.ly/189Qu7 #
• Technologically processed thoughts on technology #6 [audio] http://ow.ly/18b1aR #

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• Kindle and iPad Books Take Longer to Read than Print [STUDY]
  July 3, 2010
  It takes longer to read books on a Kindle 2 or an iPad versus a printed book, Jakob Nielsen of product development consultancy Nielsen Norman Group discovered in a recent usability survey.The study found that reading speeds declined by 6.2% on the iPad and 10.7% on the Kindle compared to print. Howe...
• Google adds 3D viewing option to books
  July 1, 2010
  Yes, it’s true. I was tipped to this by ActuaLitté who has an article about it in French. Here’s the Google translation of part of it: Oh it was fine, though kindly, mocked the whole world by announcing on April 1 arrival of books in 3 D. .. and one could believe in running gag on the part of...
• Will Google Editions Be Good For Independents?
  July 1, 2010
  Google is reportedly about to sign a deal with the American Booksellers Association, to make Google Editions the primary source of eBooks for independent booksellers nationwide. But will Google Editions really help independent bookstores? At this point the pricing is still to be worked out. Google...
• Toshiba To Enter eBook Market
  June 30, 2010
  Toshiba has released a preview page for its upcoming online eBook store Book Place. Book Place will offer today's best-sellers, cookbooks, travel guides, children's books, textbooks, and more. Through Blio, the store will support a full-colored, 3-D and interactive reading experience. The Book Place...
• Amazon Releases Second Generation Kindle DX, Lowers Price
  July 1, 2010
  The holiday weekend is approaching quickly, but that hasn't stopped the eReader price wars. Amazon has released the latest generation Kindle DX. The new model is priced at $379, down from $489. It also has a newly updated screen. The DX comes with a 9.7-inch large screen and a 3G wireless connect...
• Amazon to Introduce Web-Based Book Previews
  June 30, 2010
  Apple continues to push the boundaries of its Kindle book software announcing Wednesday that it will soon offer in-browser book samples.
• Instapaper for the iPhone and iPad gets an update with spiffy new features.
  June 30, 2010
  Instapaper Pro has been an essential iPhone application since the day of its release.  It’s one of those few apps that everyone can find a use for.  When the iPad came out, Instapaper Pro became, if possible, even more essential.  As the popularity has grown, so too has some confusion surround...
• Kobo Upgrades iPhone App for iOS 4
  June 29, 2010
  EReading platform Kobo has a new iPhone app built specifically for the iPhone 4 and the iOS 4 operating system. The new application includes an enhanced retina display; a multitasking functionality in which users stay connected to the eReader while answering emails or text messages; and bookmark...
• An E-Reader for the Kindergarten Set
  June 29, 2010
  Vtech hopes it's created a Kindle for early readers.
• Tips for Potential Self-Publishers
  June 29, 2010
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• Social Networking Affects Brains Like Falling in Love
  June 28, 2010
  Photographs by Bryce DuffyPhotographs by Bryce DuffyNeuroeconomist Paul Zak has discovered, for the first time, that social networking triggers the release of the generosity-trust chemical in our brains. And that should be a wake-up call for every company. Photographs by Bryce DuffyThe essence of af...
• A review of Amazon’s enhanced audio/video Kindle books by Chris Walters
  June 28, 2010
  I purchased one of Amazon’s enhanced Kindle books this morning–Rose’s Heavenly Cakes, because who doesn’t like video footage of cakes?–to see what it’s like to read an ebook with audio and video. Here are some cursory thoughts on the experience. If you’ve ever purchased an enhanced ebo...
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According to Wikipedia there are 4.6 billion mobile phones in the world. It’s a huge number. But people don’t try to read books on them. In this post I’d like to address some of the most popular reasons, which prevent us from doing it.

The screen is too small

This is true – if you still own a 5-year old phone with black&white screen large enough to show in full length only a phone number (if you’re lucky). But things change, and one of the quickest developing ones are mobile phones. More and more people buy smartphones. They have screens large enough to make their producers cry: “hey you can even watch movies on this phone!”.

I’ve heard many times that reading on a mobile phone is a disaster. Now try to watch a movie. It stops every 5 seconds, as it takes a lot of time to download it. THIS is a disaster.

Let’s compare sizes. For a book, you have an A5 format (average paper book) vs a phone screen. For a video, you as a reference we can use a 21″ TV screen. If we can shrink our video world that much, why we can’t do the same with books?

Another comparison. On average the screen of a smartphone has the width of a text column in a newspaper. If the size of a text field in a paper edition of The New York Times is not enough for you, then you can also complain about a mobile phone.

This is bad for eyes

This is truly mysterious point of view. If you read on your 21″ desktop computer monitor – this is bad for your eyes. But the smaller the device is, the less it affects your eyes.

The font is too small

This argument comes usually with a first one, but I guess it’s also connected in some way with a general perception of what the e-book is. There are still a lot of people who think, that an e-book is a fixed pdf document, and that you need to scrool&zoom a lot to see anything.

It’s not true any more. More and more e-books are made with mobile devices in mind. They have a proper format (like ePub), which enables a user to change a font size, among many other features. That means you can enlarge a font to the size you want. Kid book size needed? There you go.

There are few books available

People with the knowledge of modern e-book formats, still think that the number of publications is very limited and they are hard to find.

The truth is that any major e-bookstore now offers books in mobile friendly formats. Do you have an account at Amazon? All books in Kindle e-bookstore are well readable on smartphones. That means you log in to your Amazon account from your cellphone and start reading an e-book in minutes. Same with Barnes&Noble or Borders. What’s more important, there are sites devoted to mobile reading, like Feedbooks or Wattpad. Go there and you’ll see how many good books you can download to your mobile phone – for free.

Extra effort is needed to get a book

If you have a smartphone, you can easily turn it into an e-reader – I wrote a short post about it. What you need is to choose your favourite method. The most popular and the easiest way is to download an application. For iPhone OS you have Stanza. Free books for Android are available via Aldiko application. Kindle and Kobo have apps for both mobile OS-es.

Another way is managing and reading books via a mobile browser. This is what Google Editions is going to bring to an e-book world in the coming days. Reading books will be even easier. No special app needed, you’ll use your smartphone’s browser.

One thing is clear. You absolutely don’t need to learn anything about format-to-format conversions to start reading books on your mobile phone.

It costs money

Most e-book reading apps are free of charge. What you need to pay for is books themselves. So if you think, that turning your mobile phone into an e-reader will cost you an extra money -  you’re just wrong.

What you may want to know is that there are two kinds of apps in the applications markets. One is a program to read and manage books downloaded to it. The other one is a book-app – a book sold as a separate application.

If you want to give the e-books a try at no cost the best way is to download Stanza for iPhone or Aldiko for Android. They both give you the access to free resources from Feedbooks – public domain books as well as new titles from self-published authors.

It’s inconvenient to manage a book library

Some of us think, that building a book library based on a mobile phone is a useless work. Managing all the books from a small device is hard to imagine.

You don’t need to assume that any more. With cloud-based services you can access your library from a lot of devices, like a computer, a tablet, an e-reader – and a mobile phone.

You don’t need to manage your library from a mobile phone – just pick up the most convenient device for that.

Phones will be replaced by better-suited devices anyway

Not true. Tablets, e-readers and phones will be used simultaneously. I’m sure that with the availability of bookshelves in the cloud, anyone will want to have a comfort to access books from whatever device he’s got at hand. The big decision to make will be “tablet or e-reader”, but smartphones? We have them anyway, they can be easily turned into e-reading devices.

And they can be used to read books on the go, anywhere where there was no reason to take a bigger device – but there is time to read books.

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• Plastic Logic QUE proReader Delayed Again, Now Canceling Pre-Orders
  June 25, 2010
  The QUE proReader from Plastic Logic has a torrid past. With so many missed delivery dates and delays under their belt, we’re not sure if anyone even has them in mind anymore. Today, Plastic Logic came back into the lime light for a minute, but not to talk any kind of good news, unfortunately. Wha...
• DC Comics iPad App Debuts Strong on Free App List
  June 23, 2010
  The DC Comics iPad app had a banner first day, rocketing up the App Store charts. Yesterday we started tracking App Store ratings, where the iBooks app is the most popular free iPad app--topping both Netflix and Google Earth. Nevertheless, as of this 4:00 pm EST writing, the DC Comics app is rank...
• Free Vooks! Today only!
  June 24, 2010
  From the Vook blog: Summers can be hectic. We kick it off with Memorial Day, scramble for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day and in a few short weeks, we’ll be throwing a party for America’s birthday. Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a day for You? We think so. So we’re declaring June 23rd

  ]]> http://www.passwordincorrect.com/2010/06/26/weekly-links-on-mobile-e-books-self-publishing-26-06-2010/feed/ 0 http://www.passwordincorrect.com/2010/06/22/15-readers-and-self-publishers-questions-to-google-editions/ http://www.passwordincorrect.com/2010/06/22/15-readers-and-self-publishers-questions-to-google-editions/#comments Tue, 22 Jun 2010 11:43:19 +0000 nizejpodpisany http://www.passwordincorrect.com/2010/06/22/15-readers-and-self-publishers-questions-to-google-editions/ The e-reader price war has started. In a couple of hours the prices of major e-reading devices, Kindle and Nook, have dropped under $200. It’s not a coincidence that this is happening right now.

  Google Editions will launch in a couple of days, weeks at latest. And when it happens, the world will receive a simple message: you don’t need to buy an extra device to read books, use your current one as long as it has a browser.

  Opposite to iBooks/iBookstore which was a blank page with a list of 5 publishers, Editions will start with a strong context created by existing Google service: Books.

  Google announced that at the beginning 4 million books will be available via Editions. Nobody has started a new book venture this big. One day the biggest number of books will be available at the service which is a combination of a search engine, a catalog of 12 million digitized books and a biggest e-bookstore in the world.

  This is making people think. In this article I will not ask about Editions’ impact on the e-book market, others will do it better. But there are many questions from a point of view of an average reader and self-publisher, which stay unanswered.

  1. Will there be an option to download books as files?

  GEditions will be a cloud-based service. Readers will have access to their virtual bookshelves, everything will be stored and synced via Google servers. Clear. On the other side, many public domain books can be currently downloaded from Books as pdf files. What we also know is that Editions will be DRM-ed by Adobe. Wouldn’t it be good to have the books downloadable as files, so that they could be opened on Adobe friendly e-readers like Nook?

  2. What will be download formats to choose from?

  Google supports pdf and ePub. Will there be any other file formats, if download is supported?

  3. What about reading off-line?

  I suppose Editions will not be just a bookstore, but also an e-book reading tool. If so, there must be a convenient way to read books off-line, otherwise it won’t make sense. So, at least a download to cache memory should take place.

  Books are designed to free from daily problems, we need to have the chance to hide with them where there is no connection with the world at all.

  4. Will there be an option to add third party books?

  Google is famous for the open thinking. Unlike Apple with a closed iBooks ecosystem, Google has a power and attitude to bring everything together. I guess guys at Google may have the ambition to offer “the ultimate cloud bookshelf”. There are readers around who try to work out which store/device combination would be the best option to build personal libraries in the longer term. A place open to accept reader’s current collection of books is more than welcome. And please, let it be as easy as uploading files to Docs.

  5. Will search engine get better?

  If there are millions of books to search from it’s easy to get lost. Google is generally messy with search results – there are way too many of them and most matching results do not top the list. If search engine is not improved, looking for a particular book will drive people crazy – as it is now.

  A bookstore is a different story than a search tool. People do not want to search for anything, they need to find what they’re looking for – and find it quickly.

  6. Will authors/publishers have an option to skip DRM?

  If a new book is added, will there be an option to leave a book unprotected? It’s possible with Amazon, why not here.

  7. Will there be an integration between Books and Editions?

  Editions will appear as a new Google service for all those who didn’t use Book Search Program (Books) before. Those who have the former account, like myself, are wondering about possible scenarios:

  - two separate management panels

  - one panel, possibly Books becoming a part of a new Editions panel

  8. Will current Books publications have an option to be included in Editions?

  Some publishers have already added their publications to Books. Will those books be granted the option to be sold in Editions or will they need to be uploaded once again?

  9. Will publishers have an option to set up a price as “free”?

  If I want to publish a free book, will I be able to do it with Editions? Can I set the price as “free” or “you set the price”?

  10. What will be formats of upload?

  Currently if you want to add a book to Books you need either to send a printed book via a post mail or upload a pdf file. Will there be a possibility to add files easier to prepare, like doc or rtf? Will there be an option to add ePub files?

  11. Will the platform be available for international publishers?

  The assumption is “yes”. Book Search is available to publishers from around the world, and they can earn money from AdSense already, so international payment and invoicing is not a problem. On the other side a huge new factor to be included is copyright law and how it differs across the globe.

  12. Will there be a possibility to publish books in other languages than English?

  Having in mind that the system is designed to work as a sponge and bring as many readers, publishers and resellers as possible, plus having in mind that Google is generally not that much concerned about the legal issues – will this option be available right at the beginning?

  13. What tools will be available to spot and remove illegal stuff?

  With a scale and possible international coverage a potential threat is that the level of copyright infringement will be more than average. People might upload the stuff they do not own rights to. The level of probability is much higher when it comes to non-English books.

  For Editions, everyone with a Gmail account can be a publisher, that’s why there should be much better tools involved than currently used by other content distributors. A “report abuse” button is not enough.

  14. Will the resources of Books and Editions merge?

  On one hand it would be good, the reader is given a bigger choice and a full access to public domain free books. On the other hand we’ve got a problem with a “search engine diarrhea”.

  15. Will books from Editions have a higher search rank?

  When people land in an e-bookstore they already know what they want. But before they know it, they search – and Google is there with a new type of search engine answers – the ones which are already associated with a specific bookstore.

  So a naive question to a search giant is: will Google Editions books come first when I browse the Internet for books?

  

  The more we’ll know about Google Editions the more questions we’ll have. I’m sure I’ve missed some. Please share yours. And if you already know the answers…

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• @willgetback from time to time I'll bring back the old stories, the best ones. in reply to willgetback #
• Week on Twitter 2010-06-13 http://ow.ly/17IB0x #
• Beware: iPad probably won’t read your existing eBooks http://ow.ly/17ITdD #
• iPhone Book Concept from Enhanced Editions [video] http://ow.ly/17IU1J #
• New on #feedbooks » Thoughtless http://ow.ly/17J4kC #
• Urban word o/t day: store d'oeuvres http://ow.ly/17JcsZ #
• Just used #SoundHound to find Inner Dub by Glide Swerve http://bit.ly/d0wMvj #nowplaying #
• @willgetback I'm procrastinating, give me some more time:-) in reply to willgetback #
• Guys, #Feedbooks has a new mobile version and IT ROCKS! #
• @ivonatts ePub is a winner, it'll be supported by most distributors. If you add pdf, you've got everything in reply to ivonatts #
• @ivonatts what kind of app will it be? in reply to ivonatts #
• COOL » USB Typewriter Brings Old School to Your iPadhttp://bit.ly/8X6LsU #
• A WSJ Tablet? News Corp Just Bought An e-Reader Software Company http://ow.ly/17JGWO #
• Urban word o/t day: That's What BP Said http://ow.ly/17K65c #
• #hashtagstory :: #bestweekever #3breakupwords #alltimelow #therapist #alltimelow #therapist #alltimelow #fail #
• #hashtagstory :: #love #marriage #endofstory #
• RT @mobilefiction: "Would you marry me?" said Harry to Sally. "Yes, no, cancel submission." #vss #
• Will you pass this Captcha test? http://ow.ly/1YZad #
• Urban word o/t day: Texter's Thumb http://ow.ly/17L1YJ #
• @ebooknewser here's sth you might be interested » Wolfram Alfa still doesn't know what e-book is http://ow.ly/1Zq3r #
• Yay, #VSS Anthology Volume 01 is one of the most downloaded short fiction anthologies at Smashwords! http://ow.ly/1Zs05 #
• IRiver and LG Aim for U.S. E-Readers http://ow.ly/17LBaz #
• Urban word o/t day: vuvuzela http://ow.ly/17LYP0 #
• Bubble Cow: Are You Setting The Wrong Writing Goals? http://ow.ly/17MwFV #
• Will the iPad Kill eReaders? http://ow.ly/17MFOu #
• Urban word o/t day: Bat Shit Signal http://ow.ly/17MSy6 #
• E-books: it's 1st gen #iPhone to change the game not #iPad http://ow.ly/1XwsI #ebooks #
• Updates of #Stanza and #Kobo are now available at AppStore #ebooks #iPhone #
• Do you know other words? » "Reading devices" – inappropriate language for Amazon http://ow.ly/1Xwp4 #
• @CarolBMTbooks I checked also "Kindle" but it was appropriate;-) in reply to CarolBMTbooks #
• iPhone in a book, literally [video] http://ow.ly/1XrrQ #
• RT @eBookNewser: Nintendo 3DS as eReader? http://tinyurl.com/26gqorf #
• Old school: books in the future [video] http://ow.ly/17NrJA #
• RT @beamazing: Speech recognition, mobile apps help build reading skills: http://wp.me/pqy8n-2Z #
• @bartlomiejzarek daj znać jak sie na nim czyta:-) in reply to bartlomiejzarek #
• Bubble Cow: Single Or Double Space http://ow.ly/17NGDB #
• Good news for Android users: #Aldiko e-book reading app is going to have a huge update soon! #
• Best Online Fiction Writers Directory http://ow.ly/17NJ9X #
• Weekly links on mobile e-books & self publishing 19.06.2010 http://ow.ly/17NIAJ #
• Urban word o/t day: porn moment http://ow.ly/17NJGF #
• My case » The Internet’s Short Attention Span http://bit.ly/brDbqO #
• Kind of obvious » Books Read By Teenagers http://bit.ly/9BqZz5 #
• Beware: iPad probably won’t read your existing eBooks http://j.mp/ccSvIS #
• If you prefer to receive #1picstory as an RSS – here is a Flickr feed http://bit.ly/9lQnOZ #
• Comparison of iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 http://j.mp/97gQsi #
• Had fun doing it » E-book covers inspired by the design of mobile applications http://ow.ly/1XC2j #ebook #design #
• Communications tools don’t get socially interesting until they get technologically boring. — Clay Shirky #
• RT @mackenzey: House with books front and center http://tumblr.com/xkabtlqpc #
• Have fun:-) » Create your own one picture stories! http://ow.ly/20EM1 #1picstory Pls RT if you like it #
• @ivonatts maybe a WordPress tts plugin? in reply to ivonatts #
• @willgetback getting back with sth you may like:-) » Create your own one picture stories! http://ow.ly/20EQK in reply to willgetback #
• A tip for those lacking Stanza iPhone/iPad synchronization – store epub files in Dropbox, you can open them in Stanza directly. #
• Another Stanza tip: If you browse mobile #Feedbooks you can download an ePub file directly to Stanza from here. #
• RT @ExisleMoll: How a psychopath makes sweet love. I can get you ringside. Royal box even. #book Amazon http://bit.ly/4YUz2l #
• @ExisleMoll are you planning a Kindle version? Will buy it as soon as it's published. in reply to ExisleMoll #
• @ExisleMoll let me know when you'll have it. in reply to ExisleMoll #
• @willgetback If Type Drawing will be released for other OS-es I'll let you know. in reply to willgetback #
• Technologically processed thoughts on technology #4 [audio] http://ow.ly/17NZjM #
• RT @Aldiko: "Aldiko is better in every way"<-Review: Aldiko vs Kobo on a large Android tablet by Nate the great http://bit.ly/9rMEcW #
• The mobile revolution has arrived | Technology | guardian.co.uk http://j.mp/cBxrkK by @doctorow #
• Great Review of Aldiko Book Reader App for Android http://j.mp/as0OBn #ebook #Aldiko #Android #
• Tips of how to use Motorola Droid as an e-book reader http://j.mp/cEjDpn #
• People Still Read, but Now It’s Social – NYTimes.com http://j.mp/a9UXkB #
• A good article on our web identities » Facebook Bios – Truth or Fiction? – NYTimes.com http://j.mp/aB9Vyw #
• Urban word o/t day: kittens and puppies http://ow.ly/17OlrK #

• Will the iPad Kill eReaders?
  June 17, 2010
  At the Untethered Conference in New York City, Slate technology columnist Farhad Manjoo hosted a smart debate about the future of digital reading, asking four of Apple iPad's eReader competitors a tough question: Will the iPad Kill eReaders? David J. Donovan, IREX North America VP of Business Devel...
• ElectricLit iPad app
  June 17, 2010
  Electric Literature was set up by a group of writers intent on creating a viable publishing model for literary fiction in the digital age. The result was a quarterly anthology packed with innovative and moving short fiction. Electric Literature has now released an iPad edition, ElectricLit FREE, fea...
• Best Online Fiction Writers Directory
  June 18, 2010
  To help GalleyCat Reviews readers navigate the futuristic world of digital writing communities, we've created a growing list of the best online fiction writers. Last week eBookNewser launched a new Digital Writer Spotlight feature to recognize established and emerging voices within these online wr...
• Will the iPad Kill eReaders?
  June 17, 2010
  Will the iPad kill eReaders? That was the burning question at The Big Money's Untethered 2010 tablet conference in New York City today. eBookNewser was there all day, tweeting and blogging. Bob Nell, Sony Electronics' director of business development in the digital reading business division, thou...
• IRiver and LG Aim for U.S. E-Readers
  June 15, 2010
  Watch out Amazon and Barnes Noble, here comes...iRiver?
• A WSJ Tablet? News Corp Just Bought An e-Reader Software Company
  June 14, 2010
  News Corp, which among other properties owns Fox News, The Wall Street Journal and MySpace, just announced that they have bought an e-reader software company called Skiff  ”to deliver premium journalism to tablets, smartphones, e- readers and netbooks”. News Corp also made an investment in Jou...
• Beware: iPad probably won’t read your existing eBooks
  June 13, 2010
  eBook readers in the UK, where we've enjoyed our pick of devices which can all display books purchased from any store which opt to buy from, may wish to exercise caution when it comes to the iPad's eBook capabilities.
• Kindle 2.5.2 firmware available for manual update, but only for international types
  June 10, 2010
  Not lucky enough to have the Facebook-friendly 2.5 update pushed to your Kindle before itself was pushed back? Well, it's out in the wild now in downloadable form, meaning you no longer have to leave your reader hanging around with its antennas on. But, there's a rather nasty catch: this update onl...
• Important Questions to Ask Before You Self Publish (and sign on the dotted line)
  June 11, 2010
  So many self-publishing houses; so many empty promises… In the past year since my own self-published book, The Victor, was released, I have met many authors who have gone the self-publishing route and have learned many important things that they should have given thought to but didn’t even know...
• Kno: New Tablet For Students
  June 11, 2010
  Despite young consumers growing up on digital technologies, eReaders have not yet taken off for college students. One of the big problems with eReaders and textbooks is that they don't allow a user to flip pages quickly and the bookmarking features can be buggy. We reported last week that Amazon's...
• On Apple’s iBookstore, e-books that cost less sell more
  June 11, 2010
  The Bookseller notes that cheap and discounted e-books have been selling really well on Apple’s iBookstore. HarperCollins and Pan Macmillan are mentioned to have a lot of cheaper-then-print e-books on the bestseller list, whereas Hachette who prices e-books higher only has two books there. David...
• Small e-publisher proposes cross-promotional ‘Ebookism’ catalog
  June 12, 2010
  In an effort to help small publishers promote their e-books, David Major of Dminoz has proposed a cross-promotional e-book catalog called “Ebookism”. Small publishers would add their books to the catalog, and embed the catalog in a page on their web site. Publishers would submit books using an e...
• Analytics – another reason to self-publish at Feedbooks
  June 9, 2010
  I’m a big fan of Feedbooks, both as an author and reader. Analytics, a newly added feature, proves that for a self-publisher this service is a great landing page to bring new readers – and an ever improving way to learn who they are. There are self-publishing sites which offer statistics of a bo...
• Plugin by C. Murray Consulting

• Turning PDFs to ePub Files
  June 12, 2010
  Want to read a PDF on a mobile device without having zooming issues? Howtogeek.com has some easy instructions on how to convert a PDF eBook to ePub Format for Your iPad, iPhone or eReader using Calibre installer. The process is simple. Once you've installed Calibre, you have to import the eBooks...
• Apple’s Safari Reader–The Missing Link for Online Reading?
  June 9, 2010
  The buzz on the latest version of Apple’s Safari browser has been hitting the web in the last 24 hours, so you’re probably well aware of the some of the new features included in this latest release. One of the best I’ve found so far is Safari Reader. This one little part is a game changer fo...
• 9 Ways for Self-Publishers to Get Unstuck
  June 2, 2010
  Publishing a book can take quite a bit of time. Sometimes you finish a manuscript after months or years of work, and you feel like you’re ready to go. But then you realize you need to hire an editor, and it’s back to “hurry up and wait” while another editorial process takes place. Or your b...
• How to Build a Literary iPad App
  June 9, 2010
  With two million iPads in circulation, one literary journal wants to help other indie publications create iPad apps. Today's guest on the Morning Media Menu was Scott Lindenbaum, one of the co-founders of the literary journal, Electric Literature. He described, in practical terms, how the indie pu...
• Seth Godin Advises Amazon to Create a $49 "Paperback Kindle"
  June 8, 2010
  In an provocative essay, author Seth Godin advised Amazon to build a $49 "paperback Kindle" to compete with the growing market for eBooks on tablet computers. In all, Godin suggested four ways Amazon can radically change its eBook strategy. Read the whole essay, but here's an important point: "The...
• The Best PDF Reader Apps for your iPad
  June 4, 2010
  Apple iPad is an awesome device for reading PDF documents and ebooks – the screen is brilliant, the text and graphics are perfectly legible and it almost feels like you reading a real book. Favorite PDF Reading Apps for the iPad The iPad has built-in support for the PDF format. For instance, if y...
• Apple Updates iBooks: Notes, One-Click Bookmarks and PDF Support
  June 7, 2010
  Apple just announced some major additions to its iBooks e-reader application. Most importantly, iBooks users can now read their PDF files in iBooks. PDF documents will get their own bookshelf in the application. In addition, iBooks users will now be able to write notes within the app and create book...
• The iPhone 4 Is Here
  June 7, 2010
  Today at WWDC, Steve Jobs officially announced the new fourth-generation iPhone, to be called the iPhone 4.Thanks to that whole lost prototype incident, we’ve known what the phone was going to look like for several months. But now we have confirmation of the final design as well several of the 10...
• Ebook Sales Show Enormous Growth in 2010 (first quarter)
  June 5, 2010
  Ebooks have arrived. The sales of ebooks in the U.S.A. for the first quarter of 2010, more than 90 million dollars, predict a record year for ebooks. I created this chart using data from the IDPF.org, which shows only the sales from the largest publishers.If you've been reading on the iPad, which is...
• Calibre 0.7 released – major changes
  June 5, 2010
  From the Calibre website: It has been nearly a year since calibre 0.6.0 was released and calibre has come a long way since then. calibre has always been amazingly flexible. 0.6 was all about bringing that flexibility to the conversion engine and device support. Today calibre supports conversion fr...
• New ereaders for Cool-Er
  June 5, 2010
  Interead, who makes the Cool-Er, has announced the Cool-Er Connect, a new WiFi and touchscreen enabled model for September. The new reader will feature a 6 inch e-ink screen and will be built by Netronix. It will be priced at under $249. Along with this there will also be the Cool-Er Compact, whi...
• Plugin by C. Murray Consulting

• Adobe Releases Digital Publishing Platform
  June 1, 2010
  Adobe officially released its Digital Publishing Platform, which was used to create the Wired app for the iPad. The tool set has a special eBook Platform that is aimed at helping book publishers, distributors and retailers release their eBook content. The Adobe site says, "Publishers can lower...
• Feedbooks introduces new analytics for authors and public domain contributors
  June 1, 2010
  Been following Hadren’s tweets and I see that new analytics have been added for self-pub and public domain contributors on Feedbooks. The new analytics cover visulaization of monthly downloads and pie charts for formats and clients. Data is currently available for the last 15 days and older dat...
• Borders Adds $120 E-Reader to Its Shelves
  June 1, 2010
  Last month, brick and mortar book retailer Borders announced its belated entry into the e-reading space, promising both an e-bookstore and a selection of e-readers. Today the company announced that it is taking pre-orders for its second e-reader, the Aluratek Libre eBook Reader Pro.The Libre Pro, w...
• E Ink shows off brighter, crisper, more flexible displays
  June 1, 2010
  It's easy to forget that E Ink is an actual company and not just a display technology, but the company was out in full force at the recent SID 2010 conference to remind folks of that fact, and show off some of its latest and greatest prototype displays. Chief among those is a new color display that...
• Adobe's Digital Publishing Platform behind Wired app, uses CS5 tools and will be available to all
  June 1, 2010
  So, despite all that hubbub about Flash, Adobe managed to still deliver iPad magazine publishing tools to Wired after all... and it's not stopping there. Adobe's "digital viewer software" is the crux, which Adobe says it built in Apple's Objective C and will continue to maintain for the iPad while...
• Ebook News: Ebooks Will Have Peaked by 2014?
  May 30, 2010
  Lots of ebook news this weekend, headed by a study by Informa Telecoms Media that finds that the market for dedicated ebook readers will peak in 2013 with 14 million sold, then drop by 7% in 2014 and continue to fall from then on. Why? Well, Informa says it will be due to the pressure of “multi-...
• Sony May Combat The iPad With New Tablet
  May 26, 2010
  The Wall Street Journal is reporting today that Sony may be ready to challenge Apple in the booming tablet marketplace. According to the report, Sony is actively developing a “portable device that shares characteristics of netbook computers, e-book readers and hand-held game machines.” If a riva...
• BookLover app: an app for book lovers
  May 26, 2010
  BookLover is a $0.99 app for the iPhone for people who love books. It looks at first glance like an iPhone version of Delicious Library, which I’ve never used. You can organize books — complete with book cover art and in some cases a synopsis — on your virtual bookshelf. You can take notes on...
• August 2010 Kindle maybe code-named Shasta and may have WiFi
  June 1, 2010
  ‘Shasta’ WiFi Kindle? Engadget’s Thomas Ricker reports today that the thinner (why?) faster, higher-contrast Kindle possibly due in August may have WiFi capability for use with home or office WiFi networks or hotspots you find (preferably free) at coffee shops or bookstores and of course at ai...
• Guns N' Roses Vook Released
  June 1, 2010
  Vook, an eBook meets video format, has published a new Guns N' Roses title out called Reckless Road: Guns N' Roses And The Making Of Appetite For Destruction. Marc Canter, Slash's best friend of 30 years, wrote the book along with author/filmmaker Jason Porath. According to a promo video on the V...
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