JARIYA: Ebook Prices Then and Now: DOJ Has Huge Effect

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Ebook Prices Then and Now: DOJ Has Huge Effect
Little of consequence is happening in the next two weeks in the publishing world compared with the ebook price-fixing trial that recently started in lower Manhattan. Nonetheless, books keep coming out, getting sold and turning into best-sellers.

Given the price-fixing trial, perhaps it's best to take a look at the list today versus the first week we started tracking ebook best-sellers, way back in August. A few weeks after we started tracking best-sellers, the first of the agency contracts (HarperCollins) was replaced with new deals at the retailers and the discounting began immediately.

Simon & Schuster, Hachette and Macmillan have all followed HarperCollins and now their books are being discounted, too. Penguin has yet to sign a new agreement and Random House will only have its books fall under a new agreement when the two large publishers merge.

Read much more, including the DOJ's effect on ebook prices and about the latest best-selling self-published author to sign a huge publishing deal.

Ebook best-sellers from the week ending 6/2:

-- Top-25 Best-Selling Ebooks
-- Top Selling Ebooks: $10 and above
-- Top Selling Ebooks: $8.00 - $9.99
-- Top Selling Ebooks: $3.00 - $7.99
-- Top Selling Ebooks: $0.00 - $2.99

Editor's Note: We are proud to announce that we have added Apple to the list of ebook retailers that we track with this list, giving us a nearly complete list of all the ebook sales in the U.S. More details to follow, including an updated methodology.

DOJ/Apple: DOJ's Opening Statement Spells Out Case (DBW)
In a slick Powerpoint presentation, the Justice Department spelled out its case against Apple. The DOJ paints a picture of a publishing industry that wants to get rid of the $9.99 ebook pricing paradigm and a tech giant that badly wanted to get into the ebook business. PDF of the slides.

DOJ/Apple: Open-Shut Case (Pub Lunch)
The DOJ presented a streamlined version of the evidence we've already seen, saying there's "simply no dispute" that Apple was the hub in a price-fixing conspiracy.

Discoverability and Revenue - It Starts With Your Web Site

Today's websites need to be not only accessible but fully optimized and responsive on all platforms: desktop, mobile and tablets. Tapping into modern SEO techniques specific to the Publishing Industry, along with generating great content across your online presence will maximize your rankings in search engines. That's how you drive discoverability. And revenue. Read more.

DOJ/Apple: Apple Denies Conspiracy (paidContent)
In a three-hour opening statement, the lead counsel for Apple said that the government had no evidence that Apple knew of coordination between the publishers and that its negotiations with each publisher were contentious and sometimes even bitter - hardly the stuff of conspirators.

DOJ/Apple: Judge Cote Insists She's Open-Minded (Pub Lunch)
After receiving some attention for her early thoughts on the evidence and trial before it had started this week, Judge Denise Cote was told by Apple lawyers that all they want is a fair trial. She responded that the deck isn't stacked against Apple - unless the evidence says otherwise. Related: "Unusual" Statement From Judge About Getting Apple to Settle.

China Says Yes to Random-Penguin (PW)
In one of the last hurdles for the Random House-Penguin mega-merger, Chinese regulatory authorities approved the move. The deal is expected to close in July.

Is Your Site a Great Place to Browse, Discover and Buy Books?

Channels, platforms, SEO and social media - oh, my. With the publishing industry changing so quickly, it's a challenge to keep up. A responsive website, publishing-specific SEO tips, and social media expertise can help you create a visible, engaging online presence.That drives Discoverability. And Revenue. Read more.

DBW Marketing and Publishing Services (DBW)
Building on the successful Digital Book World Discoverability and Marketing conference from 2012, this new event is designed to help book marketers, editors, producers and more learn the practical information they need to know to build their businesses and advance their careers in 2013 and beyond. Register today.

BEA: Not Author-Centric Enough (Pub Perspectives)
One commentator went to both Book Expo America and the London Book Fair and found the former to be lacking in its nod to authors and rising author power.

Another Spotify for Ebooks (The Digital Reader)
Denmark's Mofibo is expected to launch this summer. The price for the service is expected to be about $15 a month.

Wiley: Orderly Succession (DBW)
Some companies lurch from one crisis to another when its senior executives abruptly leave and a replacement can't quickly be found. Not Wiley. The company has named a new chief financial officer well in time for the current CFO's scheduled 2014 departure.

Tips for Twitter for Publishing (Pub Perspectives)
If you have a stomach for Twitter puns, click on. If not, #beware.

Ways to Improve Kindle Direct (David Gaughran)
Self-publishing advocate David Gaughran has some ideas for Amazon to improve its Kindle Direct Publishing platform, including adding more data for authors and having a couponing system.

Growing tablet shipments highlight need for more mobile content production

The tablet market is expected to increase 59% this year.. surpassing shipments of laptops and putting pressure on publishers to produce content that has been optimized for mobile. Read more

Understanding Hybrid Authors: What The Most Successful Authors Want From Publishers

In the last iteration of this series, a report based on a survey of nearly 5,000 authors of all kinds, What Authors Want: Understanding Authors in the Era of Self-Publishing, it was found that hybrid authors are the authors that publishers and self-publishing platforms covet. This much more focused report dives into the minds of hybrid authors and helps publishers discover what to do to lure back those who have gone over to self-publishing, how hybrid authors intend to publish their next book and much more!

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