Monday News: Author learns hard lesson about copyright for images; Debate over newly found historical undergarments, Pearson acquires Author Solutions
Publishing NewsHarlequin / Intellectual Property Issues / Penguin / self-published / vanity-press25 Comments
I think what is most remarkable about this video is that it contains actual photos of Earth and space, not computer generated graphics. Mind blowing and beautiful.
600-year-old linen bras found in Austrian castle – ” A revolutionary discovery is rewriting the history of underwear: Some 600 years ago, women wore bras. The University of Innsbruck said Wednesday that archeologists found four linen bras dating from the Middle Ages in an Austrian castle. Fashion experts describe the find as surprising because the bra had commonly been thought to be only little more than 100 years old as women abandoned the tight corset.” Yahoo News
I got excited about this and then someone deflated my balloon with the following post.
History Hoydens – “On to the “bra”. Please look closely at this garment. The bottom is frayed. Why? Because there’s something missing. Please look at the side. See all the little eyelet holes? Those are for lacing. What was the MAIN female undergarment of the day? The kirtle (a long, tightly-fitted smock). You can see tons of examples of this garment in the Wenceslaus Bible (dated to the late 14th century). There is NOTHING groundbreaking about finding the top portion of a kirtle.” History Hoydens
Pearson to acquire Author Solutions, Inc for $116m – “Pearson, the world’s leading learning company, is today announcing the acquisition of Author Solutions, Inc (ASI) from Bertram Capital for $116 million in cash. Formed in 2007, ASI is now the world’s leading provider of professional self-publishing services. It has enabled 150,000 authors to publish, market and distribute more than 190,000 books in print and electronic formats and benefits from several powerful growth trends including user-generated content, eBooks and digital publishing and marketing technologies.” Pearson Press Release
This is kind of interesting. Pearson has Book Country, a platform that is designed to encourage self publishing and now it is acquiring one of the largest independent self publishing arms. If ASI sounds familiar it is because ASI powers Harlequin Dell Arte and Thomas Nelson’s self publishing arms, only a few years ago this was known as vanity publishing.
Bloggers Beware: You CAN Get Sued For Using Pics on Your Blog – “Well, you’ve probably figured it out from the title, but it’s because I’ve been involved in a case regarding a photo I used on my blog. Like most of you, I’m a casual blogger and learned my way into blogging by watching others. And one of the things I learned early on was that a post with a photo always looked nicer than one with just text. So I looked at what other people were doing for pictures. “ Roni Loren
Roni Loren goes on to state that she was sued by the copyright owner of one of the images and even after she took the image down, she was asked for compensation. I didn’t realize that the use of copyrighted images was so widespread amongst bloggers although some of us did mention the irony of authors using copyrighted images (or talking about buying knock off handbags) while also being up in arms over piracy. One of the easiest and free things to do is use Flickr-Advanced Search-Creative Commons photos. Also look for sites that allow you to embed photos like LOLCats. Or pay for an image service like Big Stock Photo.
Zola Aims to Replace Google Books, Then Take on Amazon | Digital Book World – “A new bookselling start-up funded by authors and other investors is forming partnerships with publishers and independent booksellers and aims to replace the Google eBooks re-seller program as the go-to platform for indies interested in selling e-books. Oh, and the company plans on taking on Amazon, too. Zola Books is a New York-based start-up that has raised $1.3 million from investors, including well-known authors like Audrey Niffenegger (The Time Traveler’s Wife), Josh Bazell, (Beat the Reaper) and Chandler Burr (The Emperor of Scent) and plans to offer independent bookstores an online storefront from which to sell e-books, much like Google Books.” Digital Book World
This site is apparently in private beta right now. There is a section for “curators” which I presume is like bloggers or people with large twitter feeds. Curators will be able to earn affiliate fees (like Amazon allows).
Tor/Forge E-Books Are Now DRM-Free | Tor.com – “Tom Doherty Associates, publishers of Tor and Forge, is pleased to announce that all of their ebooks are now available DRM-free from Amazon, B&N, Apple, Kobo, Google, and most other major ebook retailers.“It’s clear to us that this is what our customers want,” said senior editor Patrick Nielsen Hayden. “We see it in the success of SF publishers like Baen and Angry Robot that have preceded us in going DRM-free. To the best of our knowledge we’re the first division of a Big Six publishing conglomerate to go down this road, but we doubt very much that we’ll be the last.” Tor
Yay! Progress
Monday News: Visa Responds to the Erotica Book Banning, Apple Says Kindle No Competitor
Book Deals / Publishing NewsAmazon / Apple / censorship / Deals / lawsuits / Paypal18 Comments
News
Visa responds to erotica authors and say that it isn’t imposing any kinds of restrictions on fiction:
Relevant to this situation, the sale of a limited category of extreme imagery depicting rape, bestiality and child pornography is or is very likely to be unlawful in many places and would be prohibited on the Visa system whether or not the images have formally been held to be illegal in any particular country. Visa would take no action regarding lawful material that seeks to explore erotica in a fictional or educational manner.
Your move Paypal.
Amazon is seeking to expand its original digital video offerings with television-type episodes:
The driving force behind these hires is Amazon Studios, which solicits screenplays, pitches and test movies from anyone on the web. This means that unlike Netflix, Amazon isn’t looking to compete with television cable channels in bidding on projects from established industry names; it’s doing something more homespun, closer to YouTube or (especially in its focus on animation) even Fox, but with a professional sheen.
Apple files a motion to dismiss in the civil suits alleging horizontal price fixing arguing that Kindle is not a competitor. Publishers all cry “noooo” as if Kindle isn’t even a competitor to Apple, it is hard to argue that Amazon is a monopolistic power dooming all of publishing.
“Nor does this ‘Kindle theory’ make sense on its own terms. For example, if Amazon was a ‘threat’ that needed to be squelched by means of an illegal conspiracy, why would Apple offer Amazon’s Kindle app on the iPad?
Of course, Apple doesn’t say why it won’t allow in app purchasing for Amazon apps or why it rejected a book for having a LINK to Amazon’s bookstore. That’s not anti competitive, right?
Wal-Mart has a new promotional site where people can offer up items to be placed on the Wal-mart shelves. I saw one author on Twitter campaigning for her book to be placed “on the shelf”.
Deals
There aren’t any new mainstream deals that I can find so this week I thought I would present twenty titles that are either free or under $2.99 in certain genres. This will include a number of self published titles and I can’t vouch for the quality of any of them. Today I am presenting twenty titles in the PNR/UF/SFF genre.
- Veiled Eyes by C L Bevill * $0 * A | BN | K | S <- the reviews say to not be afraid of the terrible cover
- Powerful Magic by Karen Whiddon * $0 * A | BN | K | S
- Promise by Kristie Cook * $0 * A | BN | K | S
- The Ghost Hunter by Lori Brighton * $0 * A | BN | K | S
- Eternal Eden by Nicole Williams * $0 * A | BN | K | S
- Justice Incarnate by Regan Black * $0 * A | BN | K | S
- Caged by Amber Lynn Natusch * $0.99 * A | BN | K | S <- YA. Looks like it might be for fans of Lilith Saintcrow.
- Descended by Blood by Angeline Kace * $0.99 * A | BN | K | S <– YA but it looks pretty good. I bought it.
- The Pearl of Paradise by Jean Brashear * $0.99 * A | BN | K | S
- Bridger by Megan Curd * $0.99 * A | BN | K | S
- Sexy As Sin by Steena Holmes * $1.49 * A | BN | K | S
- Craved by Stephanie Nelson * $1.99 * A | BN | K | S
- Honor Bound by C.J. Archer * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
- Bound to the Prince by Deborah Court * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
- Gemini Moon by Elysa Hendricks * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
- Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble by H P Mallory * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
- The Vampire King by Heather Killough-Walden * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
- Angel Burn by L.A. Weatherly * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
- Destiny Unchained by Leia Shaw * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
- A Kingdom’s Possession by Nicole J. Persun * $2.99 * A | BN | K | S
“Your move Paypal.” heheheh.. Indeed.
Thank you for the deal links!
Apple doesn’t (and never did) view Amazon as a threat in the ebook market? I laughed so hard! Prior to Agency pricing didn’t Amazon have something like 80% of the ebook market? And what was the latest number I saw, 60%? (*disclaimer: percentages are from memory and may be wrong). Any business competeing with that would view it as a threat, and be right to.
That statement is just silly. And I like how Jobs biography specifically talks about how to take Amazon down in the ebook market.
Anyway. Now I can happily spend some time looking at cheap non-Agency-6 books.
Now, of course, the lawsuits and investigation are all over the news outlets, as are discussions about ebook prices in general. We’ve been talking about this for how long and finally the rest of the world is catching up. DA: Way ahead of the curve, as usual.
Yes, making all the apps that had various outside buy links disable them is a sign of Apple’s openness and that they embrace competition.
Another deal in this are: The first two volumes in L K Rigel’s Apocalypto series, Space Junque and Spiderwork are only $2.99 each. Fantasy-science fiction futuristic romances that I really liked. (I think there’s also an omnibus volume of all three books for something like six bucks). Most folks recognize the second book, as its cover was the subject of controversy a while back, when one of the major publishers tried to buy the image and then had it copied when the artist said no.
I never thought the PayPal thing was about Visa refusing service, but about chargebacks and the cost of doing business. Is Visa saying that they won’t be charging more to vendors that sell these books?
Apple’s shenanigans over ebooks just make me laugh. Not that I’m a big Amazon fan either. I just wish a company would try to get market advantage by providing reasonable prices, user-friendly ebooks, and good customer service. I’m such a Pollyanna.
I agree, Sonoma, I never thought Visa was the problem, I thought the issue was chargebacks. I don’t recall anyone said that the credit card companies refused, just that they charged more. I don’t see anywhere in that letter where they denied that. As far as I know credit card companies have always charged higher fees for adult material. Seems the only question here is in the definition of adult.
@SonomaLass:
Which store? I’ve wanted to pick those up and this is a great price. I’ve been searching Kobo but either it’s not there or their search engine really sucks…more than usual.
I thought it was specific banking partners (not Visa) that PayPal worked with who had a problem with the specific content the Smashwords (etc.) banned?
@MrsJoseph: Smashwords, Amazon & B&N (actually Smashwords and B&N has book 1 for $1.49), I don’t see them anywhere else…
@MrsJoseph: Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/LKRigel
Thanks Brian and Moriah!
Off to go spend some money!
Thanks to all for mentioning Space Junque. Wonder of wonders, B&N actually had it, and at the sale price.
I followed the link regarding the Visa/PayPal/erotic books issue and then went to the PayPal blog that the Visa guy referred to in his letter. Now I’m really confused. The problem is that the books in question might contain images?? Isn’t there a fairly easy solution then? – Make sure the only image (which I would think would be the cover) is not explicit. Problem solvered.
Sounds like Smashwords, at least, is getting this sorted out. They’re going back to their pre-panic system, apparently:
http://www.smashwords.com/about/beta
I think in other commentary on this I read that smashwords, in their press release (possibly the 2nd one?) Said that paypal had indicated they were being pressured by the credit card companies.
Apple isn’t providing serious competition in the e-book market. They’ve stuck some books on the iPad the way a grocery store has a shelf or two of books.
So Apple embraces competition. That’s funny.
Just got an update from Smashwords that Paypal has relented. SMashwords is going back to its previous TOS from February.
Part of the email sent to me.