Barnes & Noble will introduce a new electronic book reader, the Nook, today "with a color touch-screen and $259 price, according to a planned ad for the device," the Wall Street Journal reported, adding that "details of the reader appear in a full-page advertisement viewed by the Wall Street Journal in the New York Times Book Review section dated Sunday, October 25. The advertisement says the Nook will enable its owners to 'Lend eBooks to friends.'"
A B&N spokeswoman declined to comment, but the Journal wrote that the "book chain has scheduled an event for the media, publishers and publishing agents in New York on Tuesday. Features of the Nook include a wireless connection to download books from the retailer's online e-bookstore and an e-paper display from E-Ink Corp. that is separate from the color controls."
In today's edition, the New York Times acknowledged the Journal's claim, though B&N retained its "no comment" status in anticipation of the scheduled news conference for the Nook's unveiling.
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Target now has book prices in its bullseye, too, joining the Wal-Mart vs. Amazon price war by "slashing the prices of seven highly anticipated books available for pre-order on its website" to $8.99, according to the Wall Street Journal, which noted that a "Wal-Mart countered Monday evening by lowering the price of several of the books on its website by a penny to $8.98."
"It remains to be seen if we will go lower if the competition slashes prices further," said Target spokeswoman Kelly Basgen. "At the moment we are only matching what others are doing, but we're watching closely. We want to remain competitive."
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The Weinstein Company, which includes Weinstein Books, and Perseus Books Group, have created a joint venture to publish books. The two companies will develop book ideas together, and Perseus will be responsible for all joint venture staff and "for executing all core-publishing activities." All Weinstein Books staff, headed by publisher Judy Hottensen, remain and "will participate in the development of the longer-term plan" for the joint venture, the companies said. Effective December 1, Perseus will represent all books published by Weinstein Books.
Weinstein Books was founded two years ago as a successor to Miramax Books. Weinstein Books has been distributed to the trade by Hachette.
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The Twin Cities Daily Planet profiled Play by Play Theatre Bookstore, St. Paul, Minn., which is planning a grand opening next month.
"About ten years ago I realized the Twin Cities needed something like this," said owner and "recovering stage manager" Kelly Schaub, "and about five years ago I did some market research and wrote a business plan." She decided to take the bookstore plunge about a year ago.
"I want the store to be whatever people want the store to be," she added. "More than anything, I would like the store to be a place for anybody interested in theater to hang out and make connections."
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In the midst of far too many "Herta who?" articles written after the recent announcement of Herta Mueller as winner of this year's Nobel Prize for literature, Jane Sullivan's column in the Age countered that she was entranced with the author's work a decade ago when she read The Land of Green Plums.
"What makes this award so well-deserved is that it's not just about recognizing a dissident writer," Sullivan observed. "Language, its precision and possibilities, has always been vital to Mueller. Oppressive regimes distort and twist words to their own ends ('Workers of the world, unite' says the sign in the factory). Mueller rescues words and lets them sing."
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The Emerging Leaders Council is extending until next Tuesday, October 27, the deadline for applying for its eight scholarships to the Winter Institute. Booksellers under 40, especially front-line booksellers, are encouraged to apply. The scholarships pay for airfare and lodging at the conference. Though an owner or manager may nominate an employee, the nomination must be accompanied by an e-mail from the nominee. For more information, click here.
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Could in-app sales and the iTablet be the "Killer Combo to Save Publishing?" That's what Wired explored after Apple announced "a subtle-yet-major revision to its App Store policy, enabling extra content to be sold through free iPhone apps. It's a move that immediately impacts the publishing industry, and it could pay even bigger dividends if the Cupertino, California, company indeed delivers its highly anticipated touchscreen tablet."
Wired suggested that Apple has a better chance to "redefine print media to save the publishing industry . . . than any other tech company out there. Apple is a market-shaper, and that's the kind of a company the publishing industry needs to resuscitate it as the traditional advertising model continues to collapse."
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As Amazon launched the international edition of its Kindle, Retail Week considered whether e-readers "will bring about bookshops' demise, or if the world of print will prove resilient."
Waterstone's commercial director Neil Jewsbury suggested the latter: "To say it's the end of the bookshop is premature. I'm sure it does put pressure on individual book retailers but booksellers need to be able to quickly adapt. . . . It's not something we should be intimidated or frightened by. We can up the offer to customers across different channels. . . . We think it's good for publishers, authors, customers and retailers. It's new and exciting, it's convenient, it's in line with trends and fashionable. It's got the opportunity to drive new readers."
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The Henrico County, Va., Public Library held an extended Banned Books Week (September 26-October 17) due to the popularity of its Banned Book Reading Room. Boing Boing reported that the library invites people "to volunteer as a reader of a banned or challenged book. This is our way of celebrating that our community has the right to read freely."
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Boing also Boing showcased io9.com's recommendations for the "best place to start your kids with reading Science Fiction."