BTW News Briefs

BISG Study Finds Tablets Gain on eReaders

E-book consumers are shifting from dedicated eReaders to multi-function tablets at an impressive rate, according to the Book Industry Study Group (BISG)’s Consumer Attitudes Toward E-Book Reading survey. Tablets have risen by about 25 percent over the past year as respondents’ first choice for e-reading, while dedicated e-readers have fallen by the same amount.

The study found that Amazon’s Kindle Fire was the first choice of more than 17 percent of e-book consumers; Barnes & Noble’s NOOK Tablet was the first choice of nearly seven percent in August 2012; and Apple’s iPad has held steady around 10 percent.

“We’ve discovered throughout the course of this survey work that we can chart the future based on what is currently happening with e-book ‘Power Buyers.’ Their e-book purchasing and e-reader preferences have proven to be reliable predictors of market trends,” said Angela Bole, BISG deputy executive director. “Based on this, the introduction of new tablet devices by Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, and Microsoft is likely to continue the trend of preference for tablets over dedicated e-readers through the upcoming holiday season.”

Abrams Announces Management Changes

On November 14, Abrams announced new roles for some of the company’s management team and one new hire, effective immediately. “The changes we are making will allow Abrams to continue to grow and evolve in ways that are both strategic and tactical,” said company president and CEO Michael Jacobs.

 Steve Tager has been named senior vice president, chief marketing and business development officer. In addition to overseeing the marketing and publicity departments, Tager will develop new revenue streams through business initiatives, including Abrams’ digital assets. 

Deborah Aaronson is becoming vice president, publisher for the adult trade group and will oversee the evolution of the Abrams, Stewart, Tabori & Chang, and Abrams Image lists. 

Mary Wowk, vice president, sales, will continue her sales efforts in the North American market and will broaden her focus to include the rest of the world.

Elisa Urbanelli returns to Abrams as associate publisher for the adult trade group. She will take over responsibilities formerly handled by Aaronson and will make acquisitions across a number of categories with a particular focus on art and museum publications.

Chronicle Books Selects Ingram’s CoreSource®

Chronicle Books has become the latest publisher to select Ingram’s CoreSource® platform to manage digital assets and distribute e-books to a worldwide audience. 

“Our objective at Chronicle is to create and distribute exceptional publishing that’s instantly recognizable for its spirit, creativity, and value, and with Ingram’s CoreSource platform, we gain the relevant tools we need to share our popular and award-winning content, in whichever form our customers prefer, with more readers worldwide,” said Jack Jensen, president of Chronicle Books.

“As digital technology continues to reshape how people read, we continue to develop our CoreSource platform to help publishers create and sell more content worldwide,” said Marcus Woodburn, Vice President of Digital Products, Ingram Content Group.  “We are pleased that Chronicle Books has selected our CoreSource platform to share their innovative publishing with more readers, and we look forward to helping them grow.”

2012 National Outdoor Book Award Winners Announced

The winners of the 2012 National Outdoor Book Awards were announced this week by the National Outdoor Book Awards Foundation, Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education, and Idaho State University.  Among his year’s winners are:

• Outdoor Literature: Almost Somewhere: Twenty-Eight Days on the John Muir Trail, by Suzanne Roberts (University of Nebraska Press)
• Outdoor Literature: The Ledge: An Adventure Story of Friendship and Survival on Mount Rainier, by Jim Davidson and Kevin Vaughan (Ballantine Books)
• Natural History Literature: The Forest Unseen:  A Year’s Watch in Nature, by David George Haskell (Viking)
• History/Biography: Buried in the Sky: The Extraordinary Story of the Sherpa Climbers on K2’s Deadliest Day, by Peter Zuckerman and Amanda Padoan (W.W. Norton)
• History/Biography: Anything Worth Doing: A True Story of Friendship and Tragedy on the Last of the West’s Great Rivers, by Jo Deurbrouck (Sundog Book Publishing)

The complete list of winners and honorable mentions is available on the National Outdoor Book Awards website.