Taking the love out of fan fic: Kindle Worlds

Last week, Amazon announced Kindle Worlds, a new imprint and store allowing anyone to publish fan fiction, and earn money from it.  The Amazon royalty rate of 35% of the sale price will be used and writers paid monthly.  A proportion of proceeds will also be paid to the original licence holder.

Amazon has been able to do this through an agreement with Warner Bros, licensing Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liars, and The Vampire Diaries as three different ‘Worlds’.  Writers can pick a world, then write fan fiction using the characters and settings as per the original text.

But what is Kindle Worlds doing to the world of fan fiction?

National Simultaneous Storytime 11am AEDT TODAY!

Library and Information Week 2013

Visiting the library never went out of fashion.

Celebrating libraries and the librarians which make them lively hubs, Library and Information Week highlights the many purposes libraries serve today.  From computer lessons to music videos, and story-time to study-time, libraries really are the only stop you need for recreational and study activities.

Libraries in 2025 #aliafutures

What will libraries be like in 2025?  Will their functions be outsourced to private firms, with roving librarians?  Or will libraries become spaces for community gatherings, rather than print collections?  Will there be a single National Library Card for access to all libraries?

These are just some of the possibilities for Australian libraries hypothesised in the ALIA Discussion Paper on the Future of the Profession, released this week.

eReading in a walled garden

Are e-books entering a new phase of the digital revolution?

The first generation Kobo eReader (Source: Kobo)

3 years since eBooks hit the market by storm, the eBook revolution is now entering a new phase.   Phase 1 can be summed up with two words: ‘market capitalisation’, with Kobo, Amazon, Sony and the ‘Nook’ (Barnes & Noble’s exclusive eReader) emerging as the top four bestselling eReaders around the world.  Australia’s uptake has been slower, in part due to the closure of Borders bookstores in 2011, which ended for several months distribution of the entry-level Kobo eReader.  Competitors such as Dymocks did not, at the time, have any entry-level eReaders – their offers were in the ~A$3oo range.

But now that the eReader fight has subsided, with eReaders being sold widely, not just in bookstores, the fight has turned to content licensing.  And the field isn’t a pretty one.

Love2Read2013

Welcome 2013!

Another exciting year has kicked off already.  Read Watch Play, run by the NSW Readers Advisory, has already had their online chat and digging deep into their February theme which is Heartread.

Last year, you would have seen the Love2ReadTV project which I created. Love2ReadTV will continue to be available on the project website for viewing and also on YouTube.

With the exciting continuation of the Love2Read brand, the Reading Hour will again be held in 2013.  The date is 24th August 2013, from 6pm-7pm, so mark it down in your diary!

With so much happening this 2013, all supporting reading, there’s never been a better time to dig in to a good book.  Visit your local library today!

National Year of Reading Wrap-up

It’s been a jam-packed, busy and inspirational National Year of Reading 2012, but we finally made it!  With hundreds of successful projects, programs and events  throughout the year, it has truly been an amazing year for reading.

WeVideo Review

 

Summary

This year, the Love2ReadTV project has been fortunate to receive the support of WeVideo, a leading cloud-based video editing solution.  With entries and editing being performed from various locations around Australia, it was important to have easy access to all video editing files at any time.

December theme: love2read

2012 has been a very big year.  A packed NYR12 event calendar, combined with the inspiring support of so many libraries, organisations and individuals, has made it a year to be remembered.

This month, our reading theme is love2read.  Fittingly, it’s been the main message this entire National Year of Reading.  The love2read flower has made its way to many libraries across Australia, as well as bookshops, cars and cafes.

When we think about this theme, we should be considering how the National Year of Reading has changed us.  Perhaps you’ve tried a genre you’ve never ventured towards, or perhaps you’ve been inspired to read.  And as we enter the Christmas season, remember there’s nothing better than the gift of literacy.  Ideas include:-

• The obvious one is a good book
• Giving audiobooks
• Donating to a worthy cause
• Spending time with family, sharing a good story
• Verbal storytelling
• And many more

It’s been a big year, and shortly I’ll post a recap of this year’s NYR12 thoughts.  Make sure you subscribe (see right) to receive an email when it’s published.

Love2ReadTV: We believe in Reading! Do you? Librarians Episode

FRESHLY RELEASED
This Love2ReadTV special episode features librarians all across the nation. From Albany in WA to Shellharbour in NSW, and Darwin in the NT to Moreland in VIC, this episode celebrates the wonderful libraries and the librarians which make them lively hubs.

Love2ReadTV is a project celebrating the National Year of Reading 2012.  See more at www.love2readtv.com.au