From the monthly archives:

August 2009

Today at the Melbourne Writers Festival I had the happy task of announcing that my organisation, Queensland Writers Centre, will launch a new affiliate of The Institute for the Future of the Book in Australia in 2010.

if:book Australia will promote new forms of digital publishing and explore ways to boost connections between writers and audiences.

if:book Australia is the third centre of excellence for digital literature in this network after the Institute for the Future of the Book was established in New York by Bob Stein, and if:book London developed by Chris Meade.

From the media release:

The first project for if:book Australia will be a national seminar series delivered next year called Writers and Digital Markets. Supported and funded by the Literature Board of the Australia Council, the program will inform Australian writers about new opportunities to create and publish digital content.

if:book Australia will function as a ‘think-and-do tank’ and QWC is seeking partners from across the publishing, education and media sectors who are interested in collaborative programs and research

Click here for the media statement and more info

{ 9 comments }

Pool has not-so-hidden depths for publishers

August 19, 2009

I’m currently travelling on the Writers Train. Or more specifically the Q150 Steam Train with authors Nick Earls and Kim Wilkins and the Arts Queensland Poet in Residence Hinemoana Baker. As I write this, I’m in the town of Roma in western Queensland. We have travelled approximately 500km (at about 30km an hour which is [...]

0 comments Read the full article →

The Eleven Axioms of 21st Century Book Publishing

August 17, 2009

Mike Cane at The eBook Test has published eleven aphorisms, all of which are sensible and all of which modern publishers should take note: 1 – All publishers are information engines, not producers of objects 2 – A book is no longer a thing in itself 3 – Connections between books add value to all [...]

3 comments Read the full article →

Open platforms deserve open content

August 15, 2009

Over at Techdirt, Michael Masnick has applauded Sony for supporting the open ePub format on its ebook reader. Masnick points out, and he’s right, that openness can be a competitive advantage, especially against an established competitor with a closed system, such as Amazon Kindle. It always gives me a moment’s pause when tech or publishing [...]

0 comments Read the full article →

eBook sales up 149% YTD, reports IDPF

August 13, 2009

If there still exists a publisher sceptical about the market growth of eBooks, perhaps the latest sales statistics released by the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF) will turn them into believers. Michael Smith, head of IDPF, reports that June 2009 trade eBook sales were $14m, an increase of 136% on the same month last year. [...]

0 comments Read the full article →