No Shelf Required

A moderated discussion of the issues surrounding eBooks, for librarians and publishers.

About

No Shelf Required provides a forum for discussion among librarians, publishers, distributors, aggregators, and others interested in the publishing and information industry. The discussion will focus on the issues, concepts, current and future practices of Ebook publishing including: finding, selecting, licensing, policies, business models, usage (tracking), best practices, and promotion/marketing. The concept of the blog is to have open discussion, propose ideas, and provide feedback on the best ways to implement Ebooks in library settings. The blog will be a moderated discussion with timely feature articles and product reviews available for discussion and comment.

Blog Advisory Board

  • Ron Boehm, ABC-CLIO
  • Eric Calaluca, Paratext
  • John Dove, Credo Reference
  • Phil Flynn, Wright State University
  • Rolf Janke, Sage Reference
  • Casper Grathwohl, Oxford University Press
  • Kari Paulson, EBL
  • Audrey Powers, Univ. South Florida
  • Nader Qaimari, Cengage/Gale
  • Mary Ellen Quinn, Booklist
  • Michael Ross, Encyclopaedia Britannica
  • Kevin Sayar, ebrary

3 Comments

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3 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Hal Stevens // Nov 20, 2008 at 9:37 pm

    Hi, I need some advice please. I have several websites that have free services dedicated to end-of-life issues (funeral planning, organ donation, buying/selling cemetery plots…and soon to be published green funerals/green burials, cremation, eulogy). On those websites we sell ebooks that I have written and that my company CemeterySpot publishes. These ebooks also appear on websites dedicated to to selling each individual ebook. I have been told that to increase exposure and sales I should have my ebooks listed with an aggregator or on a website that specifically sells ebooks. How do I find the best ebook aggregators that will work with a new author/publisher? Once I find these aggregators what is the process (and costs) of having my titles listed and sold through these aggregators? Can I work with several aggregators simultaneously? Is it adviseable to do so? HELP! Thanks, Hal.

  • 2 spolanka // Nov 21, 2008 at 10:04 am

    If anyone has additional information to share, please do. Here is how I responded to Hal.

    Thanks for your comment. I hope you found the blog helpful. Your situation is a bit complicated so I’ll try to highlight some things below. Keep in mind, what I’m saying is based on what I know, not facts from vendors.

    The biggest problem will be getting an aggregator to work with a new author/publisher. Most do not. You typically get represented by a publisher first, then the publisher works with the aggregator. That being said, it never hurts to try.

    I’d start with public library aggregators - NetLibrary, Overdrive, Ingram Digital. Articles highlighting each of these companies are linked on the blog- articles page. “The New NetLibrary” and “eBook Distributors for the Public and School Library.”

    Data in xml and oed is best. pdf will cost you more. “cost” is usually a % of the list price. 35-50% based on your title list.

    You might try amazon or funeralhome.net as alternatives.

  • 3 phim online // Feb 7, 2009 at 2:54 am

    Very informative, very good… - sincerely, phim online.

    good job guys/gals.

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