Penguin Makes Ebook Deal with New York Libraries

In a one-year pilot program, Penguin has agreed to make its newer ebooks available at the New York Public Library and the Brooklyn Public Library, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Penguin is now working with 3M instead of OverDrive. If the program is successful, it could branch out to library systems across the country.

The reverse decision comes about four months after Penguin pulled its newest digital titles from libraries.

The new program allows the New York libraries to lend more than 15,000 Penguin front-list titles.

The catch is that the ebooks won't be available until six months after the books' initial publication date. The delay is designed to keep ebook library loans from cutting into sales of new ebooks.

The libraries will pay current market price for the ebooks and the titles are lendable one at a time.

2012 Duel on the Delta Double Finalist

I have some great news to share on the contest front!

Two of my historical manuscripts - THE PARACHUTIST and TEMPTING BELLA - are finalists in the River City Romance Writers 2012 Duel on the Delta contest.

The final judge in my category is Deborah Nemeth of Carina Press. The  winners will be announced in late July.

All of the finalists are listed below. Congratulations and good luck at all!


Contemporary
Clear as Glass — Lynn Kellan
Synchrony's Call — S.J. Bickford
Surrender's Vow — S.J. Bickford

Historical
The Parachutist — Diana Quincy
Tempting Bella — Diana Quincy
Seduced by a Spy — Chrinstina De Gennaro

Inspirational
Too Late to Apologize — Christy Smith
Liberty's Lady — Mary Curry
Deliver Us from Evil — Mary Curry

Paranormal
Dark Conquest — Chritina Kenton
The Book of Dracon, The Mayhen Series — Briana MacWilliam
Seal of Fate — Traci Douglass

Young Adult
Blood, She Read — Sara Hubbard
Lost Souls — Beth Watson
Operation Breakup — Jeanmarie Anaya

Yay! I'm a 2012 Sheila Double Finalist

Where's the champagne?

I received a call informing me that two of my manuscripts are finalists in the Valley Forge Romance Writers 2012 Sheila contest.

THE PARACHUTIST and TEMPTING BELLA both finaled in the Historical Category.

I need to give a special shoutout to the Sheila judges for  providing excellent feedback on both manuscripts.  

Now, the six highest-rated entries in the Historical category move on to the final round, where they will be judged by Elizabeth Poteet of St. Martin's Press.

Congratulations to all of the finalists!

2012 Sheila Finalists

Single Title
The Secret Ingredient, Susan Spaulding*
Cat on a Hot Steel Flight Deck, Heather Nickodem
The Novice Wife, Adele Downs*
Doctor with Benefits, Elizabeth Kelley*
Octagon Girl, Michele Mannon

Romantic Suspense
Her Unreasonable Doubt, Anne-Marie Carroll
The Way You Love Me, Janis Thereault
Mesmerized in Madagascar, George Guthridge
Double Trick, Ava Milone
Twisted, Tori Lennox

Historical
Her Every Desire, Jennifer McQuiston
The Parachutist, Diana Quincy
Embracing an Unloved Earl, Eileen Emerson*
Taming Huck Finn, Leigh Stites
Tempting Bella, Diana Quincy
The Winds of Fate, Elizabeth Bysiek

Young Adult
Midnight Siren, Ruth Knafo Setton
The Agreement, Angela N. Blount
Flying Objects, Falling in Love, and Other Catastrophes, Caryn Caldwell
Designer Genes - "The Boyfriend Cut", Harely Brooks
Dolphins, Dorks, and Danger, Robin Weaver

Women's Fiction w/Romantic Elements
Untamed Valor, Virginia E. Boylan
Taylor Made Life, Kary Rader
Murder, Curlers and Cruises, Arlene McFarlane
Unredeemed, Jodi M. Fisher
Preservation, Carrie Christie

Paranormal
Flood and Fire, Amy Raby
Incandescent, M.V. Freeman
Fairy Tales, Elizabeth Roadifer
Blood Vine, Amber Belldene
Dead Vampires Don't Date, Meredith Allen Conner

Bringing A Romance Cover to Life

Sourcebooks is treating us to more behind-the-scenes cover action.

In this installment, cover designer Dawn Adams takes us through all of the steps that go into making the front of a book look perfect.

I don't know about you but I love these behind-the-scenes glimpses from Sourcebooks. I hope we start seeing a lot more of it. Enjoy!
   

Behind the Scenes at a Romance Cover Photo Shoot

Ever wonder what goes on behind the scenes at a cover photo shoot for a romance novel?

Sourcebooks is giving us a little peak at the cover shoots for "Howl for a Highlander," "Luscious," "Savage Hunger," "A Lady and Her Magic," "A Waltz with a Stranger," and "A Royal Pain." Check it out!

Simon & Schuster Launches Ebook Imprint

Carrie Lofty's digital novella from Pocket.

Simon & Schuster has relaunched Pocket Star, but now the mass market line is an ebook-only imprint.

Pocket Star will feature both bestselling and debut authors in women’s fiction, romance, thrillers, urban fantasy and mystery.

While the revamped line will feature old titles, most will be new, according to the company.

“Similar to how mass market has served as a platform to develop future hardcover authors, it is our mission to use Pocket Star’s new digital-only format to establish new voices in the marketplace," says Louise Burke, executive vice president and publisher of Pocket. "An ebook imprint is flexible, cost-effective, cutting-edge and makes sense in today’s marketplace."

According to Publishers Weekly, Lauren McKenna, Pocket executive editor, is the editorial director of Pocket Star and will oversee all content.

The prices of the ebooks will vary.

Barnes & Noble Hooks Up With Microsoft

Microsoft is getting into the tablet business by making a $300 million deal with Barnes & Noble.

The deal gives Microsoft a 17 percent stake in B&N's Nook division.  

The investment gives B&N much-needed funds to continue developing the Nook.

According to Publishers Weekly, B&N will develop a Nook e-reading app for the upcoming Windows 8 operating system, which runs on traditional computers and tablets.

Microsoft says it wants to do more than just provide a platform and intends to work with B&N to find ways to add value to content.

Interview & Giveaway with Grace Burrowes!

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes is my guest on The Dashing Duchesses blog today.

Grace is giving away three signed copies of her latest Regency romance Lady Maggie's Secret Scandal. It's book five in the Windham siblings series and book two in the "Duke's Daughters" series.

Dash on over to The Dashing Duchesses for the revealing interview and a chance to win a copy! 

2012 Laurie Contest Finalist

When the phone rang over the weekend, and Caller ID showed the call was from Tennessee, I guessed immediately it was good news.

I'd been waiting to hear the results of the Laurie contest and, after all, no one else calls me from Tennessee, home of the Smoky Mountain Romance Writers. 

I was thrilled to learn I'm a double finalist in the historical category - for my manuscripts Tempting Bella and The Parachutist (formerly called The Angel Who Fell From the Sky.) Very exciting news that made my weekend!


Here is the complete list of finalists:

 Contemporary

1. Clear as Glass by Lynn Kellan
2. Back in the Saddle by Susan Breeden
3. Yehaw Paisano by Pet Aubol

Young Adult

1. The Agreement by Angela Blount
2. Dream Crafters by Kim Riordan
3. The Gift by S.A. Tudhope

Historical

1. The Angel Who Fell From the Sky by Diana Quincy
2. Dealer’s Choice by Mayo Lucas
3. Tempting Bella by Diana Quincy

FFP

1. Mind Sweeper by Amy Jones
2. Witness to History by Becky Lower
3. Caller of Light by T.J. Shaw

Romantic Suspense

1. In Safe Hands by Lee Burgess
2. Body of Evidence by Melanie Duncan
3. Mesmerized in Madagascar by George Guthridge  and Talons of Desire by Kalyn Rehrig

Inspirational

1. Charmed Deception by Dianna Shuford
2. Listen to the Wind by Jane F. Thompson
3. God Whisperer by Kimberly Troutte

Sourcebooks Launches Online Romance Book Club

Sourcebooks is launching an online bookclub focused on romance titles.

Discoveranewlove.com offers a number of the independent publisher's digital romance novels for a monthly fee.

Members will have access to some of the publisher's most popular romance writers, such as Grace Burrowes and Catherine Mann.

Readers will also be able to interact with authors in live chats, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The venture launches on April 10. The website currently offers a 6-month membership for $9.99. Included with membership are featured selections at a prepaid price of $1.67 and savings of up to 40 percent on all titles in the online store.

People Buying More Books, Just Not From Bookstores

Reading ebooks makes people more likely to buy more print books, just not from traditional bookstores.

That's the latest word from the Book Industry Study Group's  “Consumer Attitudes Toward E-Book Reading” survey as reported by Publishers Weekly.

Conducted by Bowker Market Research, the survey found that more than half of ebook readers used apps to purchase books more often.  
More than a third are buying more from retail websites like Amazon.

However, the good news for digital vendors is bad news for traditional brick-and-mortar bookstores.

More than a third of ebook buyers spent less at national bookstore chains and 29 percent are buying less from independent booksellers.

The findings also show most of us are still reading all of those ebooks on e-readers, but tablets and smartphones are becoming more popular.

Justice Dept. Plans to Sue Apple, Publishers

The Justice Department has put Apple and five major publishers on notice that it will sue them for allegedly fixing the price of ebooks, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Penguin, Hachette Book Group, Macmillan, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster all follow the agency pricing model.

According to Publishers Weekly, the agency model developed because the major publishers were worried Amazon’s $9.99 price for ebooks would erode the market for print books.

So they allegedly colluded with Apple to come up with the agency model to stabilize prices.

The Journal reports the feds believe Apple and the major publishers acted jointly to raise ebook prices and plan to sue them for violating federal antitrust laws.

Publishers Weekly reports a representative at one of the Big Six publishers pointed out the ebook industry has grown rapidly since the agency model was put into place because it allowed more e-tailers to enter the market.

Hitting it Big After Years of Rejections: An E-Pub Success Story

While the current "Wild West" world of publishing means authors have alternate ways of finding success, many still pursue the ultimate dream of publication with one of the highly-respected traditional publishers.

Author Theresa Ragan certainly did. The six-time Golden Heart finalist pursued that dream for almost 20 years.

As she tells Joyce Lamb in her USA Today "Happily Ever After" column, "I worked with two agents and a few editors. I joined critique groups and brainstorming groups. I attended writer conferences all over the U.S. I judged contests."

Ragan says she wrote every day and in many genres, hoping to attract the attention of an editor. But she never received that coveted offer from one of the big traditional publishers.

So, faced with having to find a real job when her youngest daughter headed off to college, Ragan decided to self-publish.

"With nothing to lose, I self-published Return of the Rose and A Knight in Central Park. Instead of selling 10 books, I sold thousands! After nearly two decades of working hard to get published, I felt like an overnight success," she tells Lamb in the HEA interview.

According to Ragan, she's sold more than 160,000 books in just 10 months.  

She has published six ebooks. Five of them are available in print, using templates she used through CreateSpace. 

Click here to read Theresa Ragan's full interview with Joyce Lamb in USA Today's Happily Ever After column.

Historical Parlor Games

Are you wondering what these people are up to? 

I'm blogging about historical parlor games over at The Dashing Duchesses today.  Pop over by clicking here. 

Amazon Plans to Open Retail Book Store

The king of innovative e-tailing is about to tackle traditional retailing.

Good E Reader reports Amazon plans to open a retail store in Seattle within the next few months. Amazon’s main headquarters is based in Seattle.

The store is seen as a test to gauge whether a chain of Amazon stores would be profitable.

The plan is to go with a small boutique setup which emphasizes books from Amazon's growing line of titles as well as its e-readers and tablets.

Amazon recently started its own publishing division. However, competitors such as Barnes and Noble and Books-A-Million have already said they will not carry Amazon titles in their stores.

An Amazon retail store provides customers with a way to physically buy books published by Amazon.

According to Good E Reader, Amazon hopes to open the new store in the fall, in time to capitalize on the lucrative holiday season.

How Much Can Self-Published Authors Earn

Author Brenda Hiatt is showing us the money again.

On her blog, Hiatt lays out her initial findings as to how much "indie" or self-published authors are earning.

So, far, she says she's collected data from 82 books, 33 of them are backlist titles. The rest are original self-published works.

The titles have been available as ebooks an average of seven months.The average price of the titles is about $3. About one-third have been discounted or offered for free for anywhere from a few days to months.

The earnings per title ranged from a few dollars to a current maximum of nearly $140,000.

For backlist titles, the average total amount earned over a book’s "e-lifetime" (as Hiatt refers to it) is $7,915. The median earned is $4,134.

The "average" usually refers to adding up all the numbers and dividing that sum by the number of numbers. The "median" is the middle number or the average of the two middle numbers.

When it comes to original titles, which have been available an average of 6 months, the total earnings to date averaged $12,548. The median was $5,150.

Hiatt reports the single highest-earning title in her survey was an indie original by a previously unpublished writer.

For the complete results of Hiatt's survey, click here to visit her blog.

UPDATE: I''ve taken the plunge and developed an author website that I actually have to pay for! I hope you'll start visiting me there; that's where I'll be blogging from now on! Come along and have a look! Click here.

Experts Estimate Amazon Sold 6 Million Kindle Fires

Publishers Weekly reports Amazon sold about 6 million Kindle Fires in the fourth quarter of the year - that's the three-month period that ended Dec. 31, 2011.

Stifel Nicolaus analyst Jordan Rohan credits Amazon's competitive pricing for the success of the Android-based tablet.

The Kindle Fire sells for $199. The least expensive Apple iPad 2 costs about $499.

"Kindle Fire has staked out an important market position due to its loyal Amazon customer base and attractive device pricing," said Rohan.

The Kindle Fire remains the top-seller in Amazon's electronics category.

Best Book of 2011: The Black Hawk

Followers of this blog know I've already posted my Top 10ish romances for 2011.

The ish is because there were still so many 2011 titles in my TBR pile that I couldn't come up with a comprehensive list.

Much less my favorite book of the year.

But now I have. One hundred percent. Hands down.

I don't have to read anything else to know The Blawk Hawk by Joanna Bourne is the best book of 2011 for me.

Bourne is a new-to-me author. I'd seen her name on best-of lists and decided to give The Black Hawk a try. Boy, am I glad I did.

The Black Hawk is not only the best romance I've read this year, it's the best book I've read - in any genre - in quite a while.

Why? For so many reasons. But let's start with the fact that it's a complex, intelligent read with the most memorable heroine I've encountered in some time. And everyone would want to be the object of the complicated hero's single-minded affection.

So much is going on in this spy story, that I had to slow down at times to savor it all. To let it sink in.

I usually hate stories that go back and forth in time. In this case, it worked beautifully. Not only did I not mind it, I loved the way it heightened the intensity of the writing.

I checked The Black Hawk out from the library, but I plan to buy it because I want it for my keeper shelf.  I know I'll be reading it again. 

It's a masterful work. If you haven't already read The Black Hawk, you should.

Self-Published Author Earns $100,000 in January

Self-published author J.A. Konrath claims he's raked in $100,000 over the past three weeks.

That's revenue from his self-published titles on Amazon.

According to his blog post, Konrath's "The List" - a book publishers rejected - has been in the top 100 for two months and is currently ranked #71.

"I am soooo glad I had so many books rejected,” Konrath blogs.

GateBookNewser reports Konrath is averaging well over $3,500 a day for January, even though the holiday season is over.

"The List" sells for $3.99 on Amazon and Prime members can read it for free right now.

The Danger of Romance Novels

In a recent Huffington Post essay, author Maya Rodale makes an intriguing case for why romance novels are often ridiculed - most often by people who've never read one.



Rodale, who has university degrees in women and fiction, presents a compelling argument that romance novels have been historically derided by society because they empower women.

Writing romance novels, she says, brought women into the marketplace in a powerful way, both as sellers and buyers. Romance novels encourage women to get out of the house, to seek adventure, to demand true love.

Romance is derided, Rodale says, because it inspires and empowers "women to live and love to a higher standard. And because that's a threat to the status quo, we're taught to ridicule those who embrace that literature, that message, that vision of a life well lived and loved."

Check out the quick, thought-provoking video above.

E-book Sales Up 81% in October

The rising ascendancy of ebooks continued in October 2011, with sales jumping 81.2 percent to $72.8 million, according to Publishers Weekly.

Those figures come from the 20 publishers who reveal their ebook sales numbers to the Association of American Publishers.

Publishers Weekly reports the 81-percent hike marked the first time in 2011 that ebook sales did not double over the same month in 2010.

Overall, for the first 10 months of the year, ebook sales were up 131 percent.

Mass market paperbacks took a hit, with sales falling 37.6 percent.Trade paperback sales were down almost 17 percent, while adult hardcover fell almost 8 percent. 
 
The one high point in print is that religious sales were up more than 12 percent in October.

My Top 10(ish) Romances of 2011

When I sat down to compile my personal top 10 historical romances for 2011, I quickly realized it wasn't really possible to come up with a comprehensive list.

After all, my TBR pile is stacked high with releases from both well-loved and new-to-me authors. One of my favorites for 2011 could be among them, waiting to be discovered. Only I won't know it until well into 2012.

So, instead, I've settled for a Top 10ish List. Below are my favorite books of 2011...so far.

Notorious Pleasures by Elizabeth Hoyt
In which our rakish hero tempts his brother's betrothed

    

 

  Midnight's Wild Passion by Anna Campbell 

Impulse buy at Target turned me onto this must-read author

 

   Silk is for Seduction by Loretta Chase 

Smart and sexy with a clever working-class heroine

Waking Up With the Duke by Lorraine Heath
Hero does his incapacitated best friend the favor
of impregnating his wife. Need I say more?

 

Captured by a Highlander by Julianne MacLean

Fierce warrior + stolen bride = one of the books I 

enjoyed reading most this year

A Wedding Wager by Jane Feather 

 2011 was the year I discovered Jane Feather

and I spent a good part of the year devouring her backlist

The Guardian by Margaret Mallory
Loved Mallory's medieval Knight series and
her foray into Scottish historicals doesn't disappoint

What I Did for a Duke by Julie Anne Long
Revenge turns to romance with Long's signature singular characterizations 

Secrets of a Proper Countess by Lecia Cornwall ...
A sexy, heartfelt debut which gets off to a shockingly sensual start

 

An Unlikely Countess by Jo Beverley

Because, really, this talented author isn't capable of writing a bad book

Did you have favorites this year that I totally missed? Let me know what's on your personal top 10. I'm always looking for great new titles to add to my TBR list!  

 

UPDATE: I''ve taken the plunge and developed an author website that I actually have to pay for! I hope you'll start visiting me there; that's where I'll be blogging from now on! Come along and have a look! Click here.

USA Today's Top 10 Books of 2011

USA Today's book critics have named the top 10 books they enjoyed reading the most this year. Deirdre Donahue, Jocelyn McClurg, Carol Memmott, Bob Minzesheimer and Craig Wilson selected a diverse group of titles for their list.

One of them, Death Comes to Pemberley, is already on my TBR list. This is one book I want in the paper version to add to my library. I love the cover design and the title. Below is a complete list of the USA Today top 10.

 

The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

To Be Sung Underwater by Tom McNeal

Bossypants by Tina Fey

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson

Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie

A Stolen Life: A Memoir by Jaycee Dugard

Just My Type: A Book About Fonts by Simon Garfield

11/22/63 by Stephen King

Last Man in Tower by Aravind Adiga

Tempting Bella Takes 1st in 2011 Hot Prospects Contest

I've got some happy news to share going into the new year.

I received an email from Linda Andrews, coordinator of the Valley of the Sun Romance Writers' "Hot Prospects" contest, informing me that my manuscript, Tempting Bella, won the historical category in the 2011 contest.

Both published and unpublished writers vied for the top spots in this contest. Katharine Pelz, of the Berkley Publishing Group, was the final round judge in my category.

My thanks to coordinator Linda Andrews and all of the judges for a well-run, professional contest. Congratulations to all of the finalists!

Below are the complete contest results:

2011 Hot Prospects Contest Winners

Historical
1st Tempting Bella  Diana Quincy **
2nd Paths of Desire Shannon Donnelly
3rd The Caged Heart Carla Swafford

Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal
1st Last Time Sharon Forret **
tie 2nd Return to Celio Polly Cain
tie 2nd Edge Walkers Shannon Dee

Romantic Suspense
1st Forever Alicia Lienhart
2nd Redemption Diane Garner **
tie 3rd Night Hush Leslie Jones
tie 3rd The Cell Diane Garner

Contemporary Single Title
1st Legally Mastered Sarah Castille **
2nd How to Say No and Mean It Abby Gaines**
3rd Perfect Summer Katie Graykowski
4th Man Overboard Carrie C Spencer

Contemporary Series
1st His Forgotten Wife Susanna Rogers **
2nd Snow Job Kelly Fitzpatrick
3rd Hitting the High Note Karen Rock

Grand Prize Winner:  Legally Mastered by Sarah Castille

**More of the manuscript was requested by a final judge

Avon E-Books for Just $1.99

Avon has a great sale going on right now. Several titles by some of its biggest authors are on sale for $1.99. Titles by Julia Quinn, Stephanie Laurens, Lorraine Heath, Cathy Maxwell and many others are included. It's a great opportunity to try some new-to-you authors.

Here are some of the titles:

Amazon's Bestselling Books of 2011

Amazon's bestselling books list for 2011 is out.

The online retailer looks at both print and ebook sales to see which titles measure up for this list.

The top 10 include titles from the big six publishers, as well as two titles from Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing platform: The Mill River Recluse by Darcie Chan and The Abbey by Chris Culver.

Amazon’s Top 10 Bestselling Books for 2011

1. Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
2. Bossypants by Tina Fey
3. A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard
4. The Mill River Recluse by Darcie Chan
5. In the Garden of the Beasts by Erik Larson
6. A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
7. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
8. The Litigators by John Grisham
9. The Abbey by Chris Culver
10. Inheritance (The Inheritance Cycle) by Christopher Paolini

Samhain Gives Old Romance Novels New Life

Excited by the explosion of ebooks, many published authors are rushing to release digital copies of  their backlists.

Samhain Publishing just launched a new ebook imprint that can help them with that.

According to GalleyCat, Retro Romance will publish previously out-of-print romance novels from the past 30 years.  The line kicked off this week with old/new titles from Sharon DeVita, Kate Donvan, Patricia Hagan, Karen Kay and Debra Mullins. 

"For authors who have older titles and want to release them digitally, but don’t care to act as their own cover artist, production assistant, editor, or distributor, Samhain’s Retro Romance line is an ideal solution," said Samhain editorial director Heather Osborn in a blog posting. "We take on the work of scanning print books into digital files, copy editing, formatting into all of the various digital formats, creating beautiful cover art, advertising and promotion – and supply authors with a robust built-in distribution. It’s a win-win.”

Self-Published Author Markets Her Way to Bestseller List

The Wall Street Journal recently ran a fascinating article outlining how author Darcie Chan's marketing efforts catapulted her book, "The Mill River Recluse," onto bestseller lists.

Chan has sold more than 400,000 copies of her book, in large part thanks to paid reviews and banner ads on well-known websites.   

According to the the newspaper, Chan spent $1,000 on marketing. She bought banner ads on blogs and websites devoted to Kindle readers. She also paid for a promotional spot on goodreads.com, which has more than six million members.

Once she learned self-published authors can pay to get their books reviewed, Chan paid $35 for a review from Indiereader.com and $575 for a review from Kirkis Reviews, a book review journal and website.

"The Mill River Recluse" is the story of a wealthy reclusive widow who leaves her fortune to the townspeople who barely knew her. More than 100 agents and a dozen publishers rejected it.

Chan, a 37-year-old lawyer for the United States Senate, priced her ebook at $.99, hoping to draw a few readers and some helpful feedback.

Now she's dealing with offers from foreign publishers and movie studios.

According to the Journal, Chan has made about $130,000 before taxes and continues to receive royalties every month.

Read the full article by reporter Alexandra Alter.

Justice Dept. Investigates Ebook Pricing

The Wall Street Journal reports the U.S. Justice Department is investigating the pricing of ebooks to see whether there was "improper collusion" between publishers and Apple Inc. to prevent discounting.

Apple’s role in the investigation involves deals that pushed the so-called agency model, which allows publishers to set ebook prices instead of retailers.

There were also agreements blocking publishers from selling their titles at a cheaper price through other ebook stores.

A similar investigation is ongoing in Europe.

The EU's antitrust watchdog said Tuesday that it was investigating whether Apple helped five major publishing houses illegally raise prices for ebooks when Apple launched its iPad tablet and iBookstore in 2010, according to the Associated Press.

Digital Lending Skyrockets at Libraries

USA Today reports libraries across the United States are ramping up digital lending in a big way, looking to move more strongly into tablets and smart phones.

Digital lending picked up momentum when Amazon enabled lending for its Kindle at 11,000 local libraries, bringing in a wave of new ebook library users. 

Developers are now working with the libraries to develop an app which allows people to borrow ebooks on their smartphones.

Douglas County Libraries in Colorado - where ebook lending has grown about 1,200 percent since February 2010 - is developing its own app which releases this month. The app is supposed to allow patrons to browse, check out and read books.

 

The ebook lending evolution is hampered by the ongoing concerns of publishers who worry library digital distribution could hurt their bottom line. Ebooks are the fastest-growing segment of their business.

Some major publishers, such as Simon & Schuster, Macmillan and Hatchette, refuse to sell ebooks to libraries.

Meanwhile, readers can't get enough of ebook lending. Library Journal reports public libraries increased their offerings by 185 percent this year. 

According to USA Today, the New York Public Library has quadrupled its ebook budget since 2009 and plans to spend $1 million this year, while the Seattle Public Library's ebook circulation grew by 92 percent in 2010.