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Print Books Still Preferred by Readers

A new study from Ricoh Americas Corporation shows that readers continue to prefer printed books over e-books. Consumers cited lack of eye strain, the look and feel of paper, and the opportunity to physically shelve printed books as the reasons they are preferred. Other items of note from the survey include:

  • Nearly 70 percent of the study’s 800 respondents said they were unlikely to stop reading printed books by 2016
  • Sixty percent of e-books downloaded in the United States are not read
  • Printed textbooks are preferred by college students over e-books because they lead to stronger concentration and offer fewer distractions
  • Publishers derive just 20-30 percent of revenues from e-books

Court Rejects Booksellers’ DRM Suit Against Amazon, Publishers

A case brought against Amazon and the Big Six publishers in February by Posman Books, Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, and Fiction Addiction was thrown out by a federal judge in New York on Monday, reported NPR.

The lawsuit charged Amazon and the publishers with conspiring to create a monopoly by making e-books from Amazon useable only through Amazon devices and apps, and thus forcing the bookstores out of the competition. The judge said that the device-specific digital rights management (DRM) technology employed did not benefit the publishers and that there was no evidence of a conspiracy.

Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 Selects The Invention of Wings

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd, author of The Secret Life of Bees, was selected as the third book for Oprah’s Book Club 2.0, reported the Associated Press. Publishing on January 7, 2014, the title is also the top pick on the January 2014 Indie Next List.

An interview with Kidd will be featured in January’s O: The Oprah Magazine, on newsstands next week, and Kidd will appear on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday on the Oprah Winfrey Network next year.

Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 began in 2012 as the new iteration of her original book club, which ended in 2011. Anticipating high sales due to the announcement, publisher Viking plans a print run of 320,000 copies.

Amazon to Collect Sales Tax in Tennessee and Nevada

Amazon will begin collecting sales tax in the state of Tennessee on January 1, 2014, reported the Nashville Business Journal. The company, which has built warehouse facilities in the state in recent years, was operating under an exemption that is now coming to an end. Tennessee officials estimated missing out on $23 million in sales tax revenue in 2012.

In Nevada, Amazon will also begin collecting sales tax on January 1, according to KSNV News 3. Nevada will take in an estimated $16 million in sales tax revenue from purchases on Amazon at a sales tax rate of 8.1 percent.

Charles Taylor Prize Renamed, Award Added

The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction, a prestigious Canadian writing award sponsored by RBC Wealth Management, is changing its name to the RBC Taylor Prize and has also unveiled a new logo. The 2014 longlist for the $25,000 prize was announced on Wednesday, December 11.

A new award, the RBC Taylor Prize Emerging Writer’s Award, will be presented in 2014 to an emerging literary non-fiction author aged 18 to 35. The winner of the $10,000 prize will be chosen by the RBC Taylor Prize winner. The winners of both prizes will be revealed at a March 10 awards ceremony in Toronto.

Changes in Ingram Publisher Services’ Leadership

Ingram Content Group has announced changes to the leadership of Ingram Publisher Services.

Gonzalo Ferreyra has been named director of acquisitions, full-service distribution. He has 24 years of experience in the book industry, including positions at Weldon Owen Publishing, VIZ Media, Ten Speed Press, and Borders.

Carter Holliday is now director of acquisitions, third-party logistics and Ingram Content Group services. Holliday comes from Ingram’s Lightning Source print-on-demand group.

Leah Rex has been promoted to director of client relations for Ingram Publisher Services, succeeding Vice President, Client Relations Karen Cross, who is retiring in January. Rex previously held the position of director of acquisitions, full-service distribution.