This is a particularly troubling claim for textbook and educational publishers.

Here’s a quote:

Context and landmarks may actually be important to going from “remembering” to “knowing.” The more associations a particular memory can trigger, the more easily it tends to be recalled. Consequently, seemingly irrelevant factors like remembering whether you read something at the top or the bottom of page — or whether it was on the right or left hand side of a two-page spread or near a graphic — can help cement material in mind.

Read more:
http://healthland.time.com/2012/03/14/do-e-books-impair-memory/

“We’re using technology to democratize cookbook publishing,” said BakeSpace.com Founder Babette Pepaj. “Why should only ‘big name’ culinary stars have an opportunity to achieve success as a cookbook author? Our goal is to make publishing and distributing a cookbook easy for every home chef, group, company and nonprofit organization with great recipes to share!”

Unlike other do-it-yourself publishing services that help authors create traditional eBooks or mobile apps, Cookbook Cafe is free AND not limited by technology platform. It functions across different types of devices, including the iPad and any desktop or mobile web browser. It takes full advantage of the app environment, without trapping authors inside a technological “walled garden.”

Cookbook Cafe was inspired by Pepaj’s desire to transform how nonprofit organizations (schools, faith-based institutions, clubs, civic groups, etc.) use crowdsourced cookbooks for fundraising. While such cookbooks are an important fundraising tool, their value has, until now, been limited by the cost and complexity of book publishing, marketing and distribution.

“In the past, independent authors and nonprofit organizations were forced to publish cookbooks that were modest in format or designed for a single technology platform, while distribution was usually limited to a small network of friends and family members,” Pepaj added. “We created Cookbook Cafe to replace this antiquated model.”

How it Works:

The Cookbook Cafe platform is built upon three core components:

1) A free Cookbook Cafe iPad App with the cookbook storefront and reader. 2) A web-based version of the storefront and reader accessible through any web browser. 3) A web-based cookbook builder that automatically creates both a native iPad app and a website version of each cookbook.

A New World of Possibility for Indie Cookbook Authors:

There’s no cost to create a cookbook and market it in the Cookbook Cafe iPad and Web-based storefronts.

Each author determines his/her own price — from giving a cookbook away for free to selling it for a price ranging from $0.99 to $9.99 (in one dollar increments). Each cookbook is acquired by the end-user as either a free download or in-app purchase on the iPad, or as a simple download or online purchase on the web. BakeSpace.com collects a commission only when an author sells a book for profit or fundraising. The commission covers all costs, including Apple’s app store transaction fee and credit card processing fees on sales made through the online storefront.

Commercial brands can also use Cookbook Cafe to create and market cookbooks themed around specific ingredients, types of recipes, events, etc. Cookbook Cafe’s launch brand partners include Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, Driscoll’s Berries, Chobani Greek Yogurt and Sabra Hummus.

A Dynamic New Experience for Cookbook Lovers:

The Cookbook Cafe iPad and web-based reader makes it easy for users to not only view the cookbooks they’ve downloaded, but also search and access each recipe individually by type, ingredient and author. This eliminates the need to search an entire cookbook (or cookbook library) to find a specific recipe.

“Imagine if you could search all of your cookbooks at home with a single click,” Pepaj added. “Home chefs often use more than one cookbook to plan a meal, so our advanced search feature means less stress and hassle in the kitchen.”

The free Cookbook Cafe iPad app also includes helpful kitchen tools such as multi-function kitchen timers (five different timers that work even when you close the app), interactive substitution charts and conversion tables.

To Get Started:

If you have an iPad: Visit the App Store, search for “BakeSpace” and download the free Cookbook Cafe app. You can also find the app on iTunes at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bakespace.coms-cookbook-cafe/id467167455?mt=8 .

To check it out on the Web: Visit http://cookbookcafe.com for an overview. To build your own cookbook or visit the web storefront go to http://BakeSpace.com/cookbooks .

Not Taking Advantage of Title Tags

This is probably one of the easiest things to do to improve search engine ranking and user-friendliness on a website, and yet so many publishing sites that I’ve visited have completely failed to capitalize on their title tags.

A surprising number of sites I’ve visited over the past few weeks had nothing at all in the title tag.   An even greater number of sites had completely unhelpful and unrelated text as their title tag. This is a huge problem, since search engines use the title of a site as the link in search engine results, and Google in particular still uses the title tag as a ranking factor in their results.

But even if Google can compensate for your unhelpful tags, in an Internet where tabbed browsing is the norm, it is extremely important to use good title tags because that is what identifies your site in a browser’s tab.

Take a look at the image below.  This is exactly what I see in one of my browser windows right now. There are three publisher websites tabbed on the screen.

It’s obvious what two of them are, but what is the third? It’s somebody’s home, but it’s not mine. If I were a customer who tabbed away to check something else then got distracted, this certainly wouldn’t remind me to come back and finish my purchase.

Not Using Site Icons

Looking at the tabs, you’ll also note that the University of Arkansas stands out because it uses an icon. While in past years the icon was a bit of a vanity luxury on a website that only really got seen in bookmark folders, now the favorite icon is a feature in the tabs and address bar of every major browser. This again is a simple fix, but one that very few publishers have implemented.

If you’ve got a logo that works on the spine of a book, it’ll work just as well as an icon for your site. It’s a great branding tool, and one that’s so easy and inexpensive to implement, there’s no excuse not to do it.

Missing Meta Descriptions

Although Google and the other search engines have devalued the meta description tag as a ranking tool, it still holds a great deal of value if you use it correctly.

If you know the search terms that people use most frequently to find a page, you can include those in your meta description and Google will show that description in the search results. If you have no description tag on your page, Google will grab some random text it things is relevant to the search, but if you can control what Google displays, you have the opportunity to craft some text that will compel browsers to click through to you rather than the next site down the list. If you’ve got that opportunity, it’s a shame to waste it.

Not Connecting to Social Media Accounts

I am not at all sure why, but there are a surprising number of publishers who use both Twitter and Facebook to connect with readers and authors, yet don’t have any links to their social media pages on their website.  If you’re using social media, connect your accounts with your site, and your site with your accounts. It only makes sense.

Most publishers failing to properly integrate their online properties simply didn’t have any mention of Facebook, Twitter or YouTube at all, but the one site that sticks in my mind had a “Find us on Facebook” button with no link to their Facebook page. I suppose they were serious about the finding part, and thought a direct link would be cheating?

Linking to Social Media Accounts that are Dormant

If your company is using social media, you should definitely link to it, and integrate it into your site. However, do not link to your Twitter account if the only thing there is a two year-old tweet saying, “We’re now on Twitter! Yay!”  In fact, if you’re not using Twitter or Facebook regularly but have accounts on those services, make them private until you are ready to make use of them. Social media is there to connect with your customers and fans. If you’re not connecting, don’t advertise it.

Making It Difficult For Browsers to Do What They Want To Do

Make a list of the things that people that visit your site are interested in. Writers will  want submission guidelines, other publishers or agents might want to get permissions or inquire about rights, while  a bookstore buyer or librarian will want to know how your books are distributed. If you write books for kids, parents might be looking for information about books, and teachers might want activities or lesson plans, or a way to request a school visit. A reader might be interested in writing to one of your authors, finding discussion questions for a book club, or maybe someone just wants to buy a book.

I’ve seen publisher sites with no contact information, no links to help authors with submissions or bookstores with distribution information… just a list of books.  If I’m describing your company’s site, you’re not helping your customers or yourself. Take a look at your website from the perspective of the people visiting, and make the information they’d want as visible and accessible as you can.

If You Need Help

SEO expert Ian Scott has been helping my site recover from Google’s algorithm changes from a few months back, and has done wonders in restoring my rankings and traffic. If you need a hand with your own site, I highly recommend his services.

MPA – 2011 Overall Magazine Advertising Revenue Flat
The consumer magazine industry generated $20,086,199,882 in full-year 2011 print advertising revenue, a slight $8 million increase compared to 2010’s advertising revenue of $20,078,0916,149, according to the Publishers Information Bureau (PIB).  Pages dipped 3.1% from 169,552 in 2010 to 164,225 in 2011.

Thrown Overboard: Publishers Feel Abandoned by the U.S. Postal Service
Until recently, Postal Service executives talked about periodicals as “the anchor in the mailbox.” But lately, says one publishing executive, it seems that “the USPS just tied us to the anchor and threw it overboard.”

Paid KDP sales grew rapidly in December — and results show that paid sales of titles participating in KDP Select are growing even faster than other KDP titles. On top of this growth in paid sales, KDP Select authors and publishers on average are receiving an incremental 26% in December as a result of their participation in the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library.

“KDP Select appears to be earning authors more money in two ways. We knew customers would love having KDP Select titles in the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. But we’ve been surprised by how much paid sales of those same titles increased, even relative to the rest of KDP,” said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President of Kindle Content. “Due to this early success and a seasonally strong January, we’re adding a $200,000 bonus to January’s KDP Select fund, growing this month’s total pool to $700,000.”

The top ten KDP Select authors earned over $70,000 in the month of December from their participation in the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, a 30% increase on top of the royalties they earned from their paid sales on the same titles in the same period. In total (paid sales plus their share of the loan fund), these authors saw their royalties grow an astonishing 449% month-over-month from November to December. The list of top 10 KDP Select authors includes Carolyn McCray, Rachel Yu, the Grabarchuk family and Amber Scott.

Carolyn McCray, a writer of paranormal romance novels, historical thrillers and mysteries, earned $8,250 from the KDP Select fund in December. “KDP Select truly is a career altering program,” said McCray. “I couldn’t be happier with the tools, support and exposure it has given me. To say the trade-off of exclusivity on Amazon for the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library has been a profitable one would be a gross understatement. Participating in KDP Select has quadrupled my royalties.”

Rachel Yu is a 16-year-old author of children’s books, and she earned $6,200 from the KDP Select fund in the month of December. “It’s so cool to be part of the success of KDP Select,” said Yu. “It’s just like a library but with easier access. There’s truly no other opportunity like Amazon for self-publishing.”

The Grabarchuk family earned $6,300 from the KDP Select fund in December from their puzzle books. “After only a month KDP Select has dramatically changed things — finally indie publishers are playing as equals with the big publishing houses in the world’s biggest eBook marketplace,” said Serhiy Grabarchuk, Co-Founder of the Grabarchuk Puzzles company.

Amber Scott is a romance writer and earned $7,650 from the KDP Select fund in December. “Enrolling in KDP Select utterly transformed my career,” said Scott. “I’ve experienced not only a surge in royalties but a surge in readership thanks to the increased exposure. I love the chance to earn new readers through the innovation of the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. What an exciting time to be an author!”

Since launching Kindle Owners’ Lending Library on November 2, Prime members with Kindles can now choose from over 75,000 books to borrow for free–including over 100 current and former New York Times Bestsellers–as frequently as a book a month, with no due dates.

For more information about the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library, please visit http://www.amazon.com/kindleownerslendinglibrary . Independent authors and publishers can enroll their books in KDP Select at http://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/KDPSelect . To learn about all of the additional benefits included with Amazon Prime, or to start an Amazon Prime free trial visit www.amazon.com/prime .

In 2000, Chairman and sole owner of M&S Avie Bennett donated 75% of M&S to the University of Toronto and sold the remaining 25% to Random House of Canada Limited (RHC). M&S retained its editorial autonomy and independence throughout this eleven-year relationship. RHC has been providing a range of support services to M&S throughout this period, including Sales, Production, Human Resources and Accounting.

In recent years, the challenges facing publishers, including a difficult economy and digital-driven transitions facing the industry, have put significant pressure on M&S, and it has been experiencing financial challenges. Brad Martin observes, “We believe with McClelland & Stewart fully within the Random House of Canada family we will more effectively be able to meet these challenges to ensure the growth and long-term stability of this iconic Canadian publisher.”

To ensure McClelland & Stewart’s ongoing success, RHC has made significant long-term commitments in undertaking this full ownership. They include maintaining the publishing program, including the eponymous McClelland & Stewart imprint and the New Canadian Library, Emblem Editions, and Signal imprints. RHC will also continue to fund and support the M&S Poetry program, the publication of The Journey Prize stories, and ongoing support for the Writers Trust Journey Prize. Random House of Canada is also establishing The McClelland & Stewart Lecture, an annual event to be held at the University of Toronto, that will be focused around the advancement of writers and their ideas, a mandate with which M&S has long been closely identified.

Doug Pepper, President and Publisher of McClelland & Stewart since 2004, will continue to run M&S, reporting to Brad Martin. He also becomes a member of the Executive Committee of Random House of Canada Limited. Ellen Seligman, Executive Vice President of McClelland & Stewart who has been its highly regarded Publisher (Fiction) for twelve years, continues in her role.

RHC is also very committed to the growth of M&S’s respected Tundra Books children’s imprint. Under the leadership of Managing Director Alison Morgan and Editorial Director Tara Walker, Tundra Books will be the Canadian children’s publishing program within Random House of Canada, with Doubleday Canada maintaining its thriving Young Adult publishing program.

Avie Bennett commented, “Random House of Canada has been a wonderful partner for McClelland & Stewart for the past eleven years. The commitments they have made to upholding the tradition of M&S and the ongoing focus on Canadian publishing assures me that M&S is in good hands.”

David Naylor, President, University of Toronto said, “We have enjoyed our association with McClelland & Stewart and look forward to our continued association through The McClelland & Stewart Lecture events. We greatly respect the care and attention with which Random House of Canada has managed their 25% ownership over the past eleven years and are confident that Random House of Canada’s commitment to McClelland & Stewart will help it achieve even greater success in the future.”

Brad Martin remarked, “Avie Bennett’s devotion to McClelland & Stewart has been a gift to Canadian authors and readers. His contributions to Canadian publishing and to our literary heritage are unparalleled. I thank Avie and also the University of Toronto for their stewardship and commitment to M&S. McClelland & Stewart is one of the world’s great publishers, and we are committed to making it even greater.”

These are the ones I’ve captured so far. I think Patterson has the most compelling ad, since free offers are very successful on Facebook. Cornwell’s is aimed primarily at existing fans. I’m not sure DiCamillo’s strategy of pursuing aspiring authors is the best way to find new readers for her books, but it will get followers, I’m sure.

Patricia Cornwell talks about working in a morgue before getting published, and even after, to pay the bills.

While there are no figures from Amazon on the number of units pre-ordered so far, the retailer reportedly took 95,000 pre-orders on the first day, and other reports say they’ve been selling approximately 50,000 a day since then.

Putting the Kindle Fire in so many hands is a great move if all the folks who buy them are tied to Amazon’s books, music and apps, but is that really going to be the case?

The Kindle Fire is an Android tablet, and while it may be an Amazon-modified version of the operating system, users are going to want to put their own apps on the device. If this isn’t possible out of the box, within a few days of shipping, some enterprising hacker will make it possible.

The problem isn’t new. Even Amazon’s e-ink ebook readers can display content not purchased at Amazon, but at least with the dedicated readers all you can really do with the device is read books.

Not so with a tablet. Amazon isn’t going to make money off users who only bought the tablet to have a portable YouTube and Facebook screen. Even if someone buys a few cheap apps, it’s going to take a while for Amazon to get back its investment, if it ever does.

Likewise, they’re not going to sell ebooks to someone who bought the tablet to load up free videos from the Web and keep their kids amused on long trips. And if it’s possible to add random apps, what if they load a competing ebook reader and use the tablet for reading books bought at B&N or Sony?

Michael Norris, senior analyst of Simba Information’s Trade Books Group, has noted that their data suggests that, “the more multimedia capabilities some devices have, the less likely the consumer will be to purchase e-books on that particular device.”

Simba has also reported that 40 percent of iPad owners have never used their tablets to read or purchase an ebook. I didn’t find that statistic terribly surprising either. After all, you’d have to be a pretty dedicated reader to choose a book over YouTube, Facebook and Angry Birds, and even die-hard readers can get distracted by the bright and shiny bling that you can get on your tablet.

Maybe Amazon is crazy by selling so many tablets at a loss. But maybe not. After all, one third of all US e-commerce sales happen on Amazon. If that statistic holds, maybe it doesn’t even matter that the Kindle Fire can read non-Amazon books and play non-Amazon apps… Amazon is pretty much guaranteed a certain percentage of those digital sales anyway. And getting their online store front-and-center on that many portable devices can only help boost their percentage of sales overall.

Whether the move is good for the book industry, and for Amazon, is soon to be seen, as the Fire is slated to begin shipping on the 15th.