OK, shut up, so it’s turned into J.K. Rowling Day here.
Tomorrow it’ll probably be Amazon Day. Who knows?
Anyway, over at The Leaky Cauldron site, they have a transcript of the press conference held earlier today and I thought I’d pull some interesting quotes from it.
Filed under Digital Overthrow, Writer
In my original 2008 post, J.K. Rowling: A Year In The Life, about the midnight lines for the final book in Harry Potter series:
It’s too easy to forget what a phenomenon her books have been. The final volume was the fastest-selling book in all of publishing history. … This could be the last time this happens in book publishing history. Once ebooks catch on, there won’t be this kind of public excitement to capture on film. What would a crew do, film a server crashing under heavy loads?
Well, we had a bit of that already today:
Click = big
Filed under Digital Overthrow, Writer, Writers, Writing
Two bizarre notions the press has latched onto:
1) That writers need permission to create a Kindle book! See this:
As Business Insider points out, if Amazon wants the incredibly popular Potter books on Kindle, the company will either have to let Rowling use the Kindle format or open the Kindle to ePub books.
Boldfaced emphasis added by me.
What? What? You can buy a damn book to learn how to create a Kindle book! No one needs Amazon’s permission to use the format!
2) That Amazon is going to have to cave in and adopt ePub. See above again and see this:
Henwood’s words suggest that the Potter books will be released in a single format, probably EPUB. The problem? Amazon’s Kindle, which controls about 60 percent of the e-reader market, according to PaidContent, doesn’t support EPUB. But, if that’s the route Rowling decides to take, it had better start. If Amazon doesn’t change its policies, it will risk losing Potter fans to the Nook, the iPad, the Kobo and other e-readers currently on the market.
Boldfaced emphasis added by me.
What? Do you think Rowling is stupid? Of course there will be ePub — but there will also be Kindle format too. Why would she want to say No to all her readers using Kindle hardware or Kindle apps? Does the press have this stupid idea as a corollary to thinking people need permission or a license to create a Kindle format book?
Filed under Amazon Kindle, Book Creation, Digital Overthrow, eBooks: General
Well, I didn’t expect this to be a J.K. Rowling extravaganza here.
But good for her.
I’m not a Harry Potter fan — haven’t read the books, have seen only passing moments of the movies — but I do like the success of J.K.. She damned well earned it.
After the break, an excellent documentary that aired several years ago in England, J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life.
J.K. Rowling to release Harry Potter e-books herself
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Harry Potter series author J.K. Rowling will, for the first time, release the famous children’s stories in e-book form in October through a new website called Pottermore.
Rowling’s site will be the exclusive sales channel for the Potter e-books, bypassing traditional e-book stores like Amazon’s Kindle store, Barnes and Noble’s Nook store and Apple’s iBookstore. The Harry Potter series will be published in the open-source e-Pub format, which is compatible with any electronic reading device, including the iPad.
Boldfaced emphasis added by me.
ePub. No Kindle format at all?
So, even though Sony is somehow connected to the Pottermore website — even if only through sponsorship — the Reader will not benefit from this coup?
That is a huge, huge FAIL.
Thanks to Nate of The Digital Reader, I have a link to the official Sony Press Release.
Previously here:
SHOCK: Harry Potter eBooks DRM-FREE!
Sony + Harry Potter = Reader Exclusive?
Harry Potter Legit eBooks Coming
Filed under Digital Overthrow, Marketing, Stupid, Writer
J K Rowling unveils Pottermore and DRM-free Harry Potter ebooks
CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHOR J K Rowling has launched the Pottermore online reading experience, which will invite fans online, and will sell DRM-free ebooks of the series for the first time.
The project, which is a collaboration with Sony, involves bringing the Harry Potter books online, telling the story through a web site and exclusively selling the ebook and audiobook versions in multiple languages.
What makes Pottermore so interesting is that the ebooks will not feature digital restrictions management (DRM), copyright protection designed to prevent media content from being illegally distributed on filesharing networks.
This is a significant move, as it means that the ebooks can be used on any device, from Amazon’s Kindle to Apple’s Ipad, both of which lock their own ebooks to their respective platforms. This open approach will be welcomed by many who find DRM technology invasive and obstructive, and it might set a precedent for other authors and publishers considering entering the digital world.
To cope with the possibility of so-called ‘piracy’ the ebooks will feature a digital watermark that will identify who purchased the book. This will allow authorities to track down who shared an ebook with the rest of the world, and those users could be faced with lawsuits for copyright infringement.
Could this be the straw that breaks the back of DRM?
Millions encountering eBooks for the first time — and DRM-free too — will start wondering why the hell all other eBooks aren’t DRM-free!
I would love to spit on the tossed-to-the-curb corpses of Adobe Digital Editions and DRM-stripping tools.
Filed under Digital Overthrow
Update: Sony misses its chance.
The announcement of Harry Potter eBooks coming is not surprising. That move was inevitable.
What intrigues me is the Sony connection.
Click = big
Contrary to all indications, Sony doesn’t seem about to exit the eBook market.
Filed under Sony Reader
‘Harry Potter’ Series to Be Sold as E-Books
Author J.K. Rowling announced Thursday that her seven Potter novels will be sold as e-books starting in October — ending the boy wizard’s status as one of the highest-profile holdouts against digital publishing.
The magical stories that conquered the world in print form will be available as audiobooks and e-books in multiple languages through a new website, “Pottermore.”
Rowling also has written 18,000 words of new Potter material for the interactive site, which promises to immerse users in her world of wizards, combining elements of computer games, social networking and an online store.
Rowling says the site includes “information I have been hoarding for years” about the books’ characters and settings.
The Potter books have been available illegitimately in e within hours of their publication, in multiple languages, worldwide.
It will be interesting to see what the sales of these legit versions will be.
Filed under Digital Overthrow, Writer
Note: All Nook Touch rooting news of this day will be consolidated into this single post, with any updates at the end.
Don’t forget to see:
Nook Simple Touch Root & Setup Script Kit
[N2E] TouchNooter 1.6.22 It’s now fixed!
How to root Nook Touch and side load apps (Kindle, ADW launcher, Amazon App Store), review
Filed under B&N Nook Touch Rooting
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