Go, Kobo

Kobo's strategy is making waves: Join with the indie bookstores, who should be very happy. Until now Mom and Pop bookstores -- some of them not so small -- have been left out of the device game, and, inherently, given the cold shoulder by the ebook onslaught. Now they are joining in, partnering with Kobo. (In the past their only option was to sell Google books, without a device on hand.) The Kobo devices will be sold at indie bookstores, after a deal helped by the American Booksellers Association. Barnes & Noble is no longer the primary source of print books and ebook devices at one venue. Digital Book Review today notes this, however: While Kobo ebook (sic) way outsold Google ebooks, the overall numbers aren't inspiring. The most successful bookstores have sold a few hundred devices and a few hundred ebooks. At the profit margins Kobo is offering bookstores, that doesn't add up to enough profit to pay bills or salaries.

Going Dutch

From all around the world, I think you'll be reading more reports like this one in Publishing Perspectives: "The National Library of the Netherlands (KB) and Google Netherlands, which began in 2011 to digitize 160,000 books from the library’s collection, yesterday announced that 80,000 of those titles have been scanned and are now available to the public. . . The digitized books are 'full text' searchable and available for free through Google Books as well as the web service boeken.kb.nl." I know for instance that the British Library is doing a similar thing. And libraries throughout the world should be following suit. Back to the Netherlands. So if you want to read a book in Dutch, you're in luck. You'll be as they say "Going Dutch" with a little help from Google.

Going Dutch

From all around the world, I think you'll be reading more reports like this one in Publishing Perspectives: "The National Library of the Netherlands (KB) and Google Netherlands, which began in 2011 to digitize 160,000 books from the library’s collection, yesterday announced that 80,000 of those titles have been scanned and are now available to the public. . . The digitized books are 'full text' searchable and available for free through Google Books as well as the web service boeken.kb.nl." I know for instance that the British Library is doing a similar thing. So if you soon want to read a national book in Dutch, you'll be in luck. You'll be as they say "Going Dutch" with a little help from Google.

Toshiba's Mono, a mano

Another one enjoys the fray. Toshiba has just launched their second ereader, the Bookplace Mono, so their experience so far must be a good one. The Mono has a 6″ HD E-ink screen (1024×758), with Wifi, touchscreen, 4GB of storage, a microSD card slot, speaker, and a headphone jack. The Mono will be first available in Japan, and will most readily offer Japanese books. It debuts April 16 at about $145. Wow, how many signs do we need that this device -- the ereader -- has global legs. Of course Toshiba will have to go mano a mano with some very big players, already in the business, such as Amazon. But let's remember that Japan's rich cultural heritage may very well dictate the need for its very own ereader.

Picture your picture as a book cover

While everyone seems to be mesmerized by the price war on ebooks, extended today by Amazon's plan to discount Macmillan ebooks, there was a truly big announcement: Amazon is working on a way to personalize your ebook icons on your ereader. It's in beta. Read all about it at Publishers Lunch. Essentially you may be able to marry your own pictures with well-designed book templates to make a personalized, professional looking book cover for your favorite books on the desktop of your Kindle. Amazon, you rock. This is one more step closer to allowing readers to rule.

Having your cake. . .

A printed book is a very personal item. I have books that are 40 years old, collected during my 20s when I had the first chance -- after the force-fed experience of high school and college -- to read what I really wanted to, slowly and completely personally (with no concern with accepted interpretation). Electronic books are public events. I belong to a church book group now. We read and email each other as we read the book so that as we are reading the book, we are thinking of each other and actually communicating with each other. I would want to experience both with an important book: the personal and the public. However, it would be impossible to have a public experience efficiently with a printed book. And it would be weird to have a totally private experience with an electronic book. However, buying the electronic and print rights to the same book at the same time would be like having your cake and eating it too. Why can't we do that?

Good for Goodreads

With Amazon buying Goodreads, the future could take many roads. But what is safe to say, I hope, is that Goodreads will be more open to encouraging print-centric readers to try reading on ereaders. That will bring electronic books and print books more readily to the inherent characteristics and values of each, clarifying for readers when one is preferable to the other. I think this is predicted by Goodreads CEO Otis Chandler who has spelled out why he's excited about the sale, as explained on Digital Book Week. According to Chandler, the sale is good for several reasons: 1. Expanding the reach of Goodreads with Amazon’s resources. 2. Bringing the Goodreads experience to an e-reader, a frequent request of members, according to Chandler. 3. Amazon will allow Goodreads to continue to operate independently.