For many publishers, direct sales is an untapped opportunity

John Oakes on OR Books' alternative business model.

In this TOC podcast, OR Books co-founder John Oakes talks about the importance of a direct to consumer channel and why OR Books has made it a priority.

Amazon, ebooks and advertising

Amazon's adoption of ad-supported ebooks is shifting from possible to likely.

Amazon already sells ads on the Kindle. Joe Wikert explains why ad-supported ebooks are a logical next step for the company.

Social reading should focus on common interests rather than friend status

Travis Alber on ReadSocial's unique social reading environment.

In this TOC podcast, we hear from ReadSocial co-founder Travis Alber on why they're building their platform without tying it to your social graph.

Why I can't shake my ereader

Battery life and device weight keep E Ink devices on wish lists.

Ereaders are now commodities — improvements are incremental at best — but the fundamental qualities of these devices still make them compelling.

The reinvention of the bookseller

Coffee shops were game changers for bookstores in the '90s. What's next?

Once booksellers accept the reality they can no longer just sell books, they can begin evolving into something dynamic and unique.

B&N and Microsoft: The potential beyond digital

Thoughts on how Microsoft could play a role in Barnes & Noble's stores.

Joe Wikert: Microsoft should use its investment in B&N's digital business to create an end-to-end consumer experience that rivals Apple's.

Join us in celebrating International Day Against DRM

Trust your customers to do the right thing and you'll earn their business.

A DRM-free world is one where retailers will find it much harder to create a monopolistic position that locks you into their device or format.

What if ebook DRM goes away tomorrow?

Ending DRM is fine, but we also need great buying and reading experiences.

Abandoning DRM won’t change the publishing landscape unless B&N, Kobo and others force the issue through innovative devices and apps. In fact, Joe Wikert says that same innovation can occur with or without DRM — so why wait?

As transmedia publishing evolves, experimentation is the name of the game

Verane Pick on what's involved in a transmedia operation.

In this TOC podcast, Verane Pick talks about her work at Counter Intelligence Media. She also talks about gaming mechanisms and hints that gaming techniques may become an "engagement silo" in a future project.

The sorry state of ebook samples, and four ways to improve them

A good ebook sample can turn a browser into a buyer.

Joe Wikert: "My gut tells me the revenue missed by not converting samples into sales is a much larger figure than the revenue lost to piracy. And yet, the publishing industry spends a small fortune every year in DRM but treats samples as an afterthought."