Audio Book Industry News

Guess who's been caught telling tales? It's Konkona

From IBNlive.com
By Varsha Pillai

After Naseeruddin Shah, Gulzar, Sanjay Dutt and Vidya Balan read out stories for children, it’s now Konkona Sen Sharma's turn to become a storyteller.
Konkona is recording for an audio book series for Karadi Tales. So, what are the stories about?


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Amazon Acquires Audio Book Publisher

Acquisition of publisher Brilliance Audio should allow the web shopping giant to offer customers a greater selection of audio books.

Amazon.com Inc. said Wednesday it has acquired independent audio book publisher Brilliance Audio. The purchase will allow Amazon to expand the number of audio books produced and offer customers a wider variety of audio selections to choose from, Amazon said in a statement.
For the full article please click here ---> PCWorld.com

Borders break from Amazon

Borders Books is breaking ties with Amazon.com and going solo by bringing together its bricks and mortar stores with an internet presence all of its own.

From
BizReport.com
By
Helen Leggatt

Books are big business online and Amazon.com has been the driving force for quite some time. In 2001, Borders Books (BB) made the decision to work alongside Amazon.com rather than develop its own web store. Now, in a recent announcement, made after disappointing Q4 2006 results, BB has confirmed its intention to go it alone and “mesh the in-store sales with online”.

BB’s plans include developing its own website, closing many of its bricks and mortar stores abroad and revitalising its 499 existing superstores.

A new store concept is in development which includes a digital center where customers can purchase various digital products, including music and
audiobooks.

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Tastemakers: Literature - Forbes.com

From Forbes.com;


"Paid downloads of audio books have also increased markedly in the last year, and the Audio Publishers Association reports that sales in 2006 jumped 50% from the previous year.


All in all, the American publishing industry made nearly $35 billion in revenue in 2005, up almost 6% over 2004, according to the Book Industry Study Group, a trade organization based in New York. The organization also recorded a rise in the sales of children's books--thanks in part to the continuing popularity of the
Harry Potter series--and religious books, which brought in $3.3 billion and $2.3 billion, respectively."


For the full article please click here --->
Tastemakers: Literature