might be a future for it just yet

The Jewel of Medina from Spokane journalist Sherry Jones (first reported here) might get picked up by a Danish publisher.

less reading, more anime?

according to reports, the Japanese are reading less printed material, a market that’s been in decline since 1996, resulting in fewer bookstores and more time spent reading online.  this news coincided with Marvel’s announcement of adapting superheroes for the Japanese market.

love the captive audience

now hopefully they won’t mutiny! there is no mention of library involvement which i hope is an oversight….  ( via Shelf Awareness)

Here’s autographing event that adds up to a different kettle of fish: Take one commuter crowd at the end of the workday (Thursday, September 4); pour them onto a ferry (the 4:40 p.m.); add a dash of awe-inspiring surroundings (the stretch of Puget Sound from Seattle, Wash., to Bainbridge Island); and one popular local author with a brand new book (Susan Wiggs’s Just Breathe). Mix for 30 minutes. Yields a boatload of book lovers, signed book in hand, ready to start the weekend celebration early.

Of course the hope is that a captive audience of passengers who may not already be fans of Wiggs’s more than 30 books could well come out the other side of this half-hour sail as converts to the author’s work. Marianna Ricciuto, assistant manager of public relations at Harlequin, said that the idea evolved after Harlequin approached the Washington State Ferries about advertising Just Breathe on their vessels, and Trans4Media, the PR agency for the transportation company suggested hosting a signing during the commute. The Harlequin marketing team embraced the idea. “We wanted to create [an event] that captured the feeling of Just Breathe, surrounding [the guests] with awe-inspiring beauty,” Ricciuto said.

This is the first event of its kind to take place literally on the Sound, according to Aunie Aubrey, director of administration at Trans4media, who does PR for the fleet. “We are thrilled to have our first book signing on board the Washington State Ferries, featuring Northwest author Susan Wiggs,” Aubrey said. The idea immediately appealed to author Wiggs, a Bainbridge Island resident: “It’s the best commute there is, on Puget Sound in high summer. I hope Just Breathe is the kind of engrossing, feel-good novel people can relax and enjoy during a ferry sailing.”

Passengers and Wiggs fans should board the ferry in Seattle at Pier 52 (801 Alaskan Way). Regular ferry fees will apply. Wiggs will be signing in the passenger cabin of the ferry. Copies of Just Breathe (Harlequin/MIRA, $24.95, 9780778325772/0778325776) may be purchased in the galley, courtesy of Olympic Cascades (which caters the refreshments on board with local business partners). Bon voyage!–Jennifer M. Brown

Holy digital content, Batman!

If you’re still looking for proof that digital content is becoming the big thing, here’s something to ponder over your coffee.  Comic book publishers are seriously investigating the likelihood of bringing you their product over your mobile device.

Publishers Weekly has this to say:

“People who are interested in a certain type of content are going to follow it wherever it may be, and it’s not about the format.”

Nowhere is that more true than in manga, or Japanese comics, which have become the most popular form of published sequential art in America. Manga is published overwhelmingly in the paperback book format and its success is largely driven by a younger audience that also happens to be more Web-savvy and less wedded to print than its forbears. As cell phone and smart phone technology in America finally catches up with what’s available in Japan and Europe, some comics publishers have moved quickly into mobile phone distribution, a format that has proved enormously popular and lucrative for manga in its native land”

Read more

you’ve got your LibraryThing in my Shelfari

amazon continues to spend it’s money, this time acquiring the Seattle-based company Shelfari, a social networking site for the book obsessed.  what makes this even more fascinating is that a few weeks ago, first reported here, amazon bought Abe books which owns LibraryThing.  the plot thickens.

must’ve been a slow day for crime

imagine getting arrested for overdue books – funniest mug shot ever.

(via bookshelves of doom)

niche market

in conjunction with online dating powerhouse Match.com, Penguin is taking a leap into the matchmaking market with the launch of www.penguindating.co.uk.  books will obviously be a focus of the dater’s profile.  perhaps Penguin is just seeking another outlet for a really good romance?    and before you sign-up, please note that this is based in the UK, so unless you plan to move….

too tired to sign

turning out autographs is no easy task, the hand gets tired.  a craigslist ad discovered by Gawker solicited for people capable of faking author signatures for an upcoming LA signing, 200 books for $25.  easy money.

(via Shelf Awareness)

Watchmen, a different kind of battle

apparently, the lawyers were asleep on this one: Fox claims it never ceded the rights to Alan Moore’s “Watchmen” and wants to stop the release of this incredibly hyped movie.  hope the actors didn’t request a percentage of box office sales as part of their contract!

the future is grim…

if you’re Barnes and Noble, at least according to the Motley Fool.  on Monday, the fools picked Barnes & Noble as their throw-away stock based on changing buying patterns, grim sales projections, slow sales from last quarter (both online and brick and mortar), charging customers for internet access, and the increasing popularity of ebooks.

(via Shelf Awareness)