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NYU Media Talk: eBooks and Beyond

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NYU Media Talk panelists (l-r): Peter Gethers, President, Random House Studio; Tom Turvey, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Google; Peter Balis, Vice President and Director of Business Development for Global Digital Books, John Wiley & Sons; and Judith Curr, Publisher of Atria Publishing Group, Simon & Schuster
NYU Media Talk panelists (l-r): Peter Gethers, Tom Turvey, Peter Balis, and Judith Curr.

Even though it has been years since ebooks first shook up the publishing industry, the “Future of the Book” is still a hotly debated topic. It was this exciting subject that brought students, professionals, and book lovers together for the most recent NYU Media Talk. The panel discussion focused on where the industry is now, where it is headed, and some of the obstacles it faces along the way. Moderated by Michael Cader, the creator of Publishers Marketplace and Publishers Lunch, the panel featured a diverse group of industry leaders: Peter Balis, vice president and director, business development, global digital books, at John Wiley and Sons; Judith Curr, publisher of Simon & Schuster’s Atria Publishing Group; Peter Gethers, president of Random House Studio and an editor-at-large for Penguin Random House (U.S.); and Tom Turvey, director of strategic partnerships at Google. [Read more…] about NYU Media Talk: eBooks and Beyond

McNally Jackson’s Espresso Book Machine: Write it. Print it. Now!

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Espresso Book Machine at McNally Jackson’s Manhattan Bookstore

“I like the part where it pops out,” says Beth Steidle, who is one of two primary operators of McNally Jackson’s Espresso Book Machine. “It’s kind of like Willy Wonka.” But despite the analogy, this machine isn’t popping out candy (or coffee beans or a steamy brew!); it’s printing books. One at a time. Exactly how the customers want them. Last week, NYU’s M.S. in Publishing: Digital and Print Media Program students got a first-hand look at the machine and its wonders during a private visit to the Nolita bookstore.

The Espresso Book Machine (EBM) is a giant contraption that creates print-on-demand paperback books, fully bound, in minutes. The 87 EBMs in the world are sold or rented/leased by On Demand Books. The New York-based company was founded in 2003 by publishing legend Jason Epstein, who had long envisioned an efficient way to print books at an affordable cost in a neighborhood setting. Today, the company stores all of its books on a network database. They’re boldly tackling the old publishing model of gambling on print runs. And they are partnering with major publishers like HarperCollins to deliver out-of-print books at the customer’s convenience (and expense!). In addition, On Demand Books is providing an instant means for self-publishers to see their e-creations in printed form. With all this undeniable business potential, it’s no wonder McNally Jackson was the first in New York to invest in an Espresso Book Machine—and they’ve never regretted it.

[Read more…] about McNally Jackson’s Espresso Book Machine: Write it. Print it. Now!

Digital Book World Day One: Optimism and Excitement

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Thea James, NYU Publishing student and blogger

At 7:00 AM on a cold, snowglobe of a morning, I stood with three other students from NYU’s Master of Science in Publishing program outside a ballroom at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers, bleary-eyed but eager to participate in one of the biggest and most relevant digital publishing events of the year. The second official Digital Book World conference (“DBW”) was about to begin in earnest, and there was much work to be done. As one of a small number of students lucky enough to snag a volunteer position at the event, I was determined to help pave a smooth experience for all attendees, even if that meant  working at the coat check in return for time in the actual conference sessions. Not a bad trade-off at all!

After the morning rush finally subsided and attendees settled into the main ballroom, the coat checker crew was invited to sneak away and catch one of the first panels of the day. In “A CEO’s View of the Future,” speakers Brian Napack (Macmillan), Jane Friedman (Open Road Integrated Media), David Steinberger (Perseus), Michael Hyatt (Thomas Nelson), and David Nussbaum (F+W Media) discussed trends in the digital publishing realm and fielded more than a few tough questions about strategic corporate decisions and preparations for the future. [Read more…] about Digital Book World Day One: Optimism and Excitement