Consumers chase ebook titles

Apparently interest in e-readers (Kindles, iPads and the like) has jumped measurably since Borders and Angus & Robertson slipped into administration.

Is this signaling a new chapter (pardon the pun) in publishing?

Data from web traffic tracking company Experian Hitwise backs up claims of a recent rise in e-book interest.

The share of searches on e-books rose nearly 5 percentage points for Amazon from mid-January to March 19, and 29 per cent since Borders and Angus & Robertson fell into voluntary administration.

For Kobo, in the No. 2 spot after Amazon, the share of web traffic searching on the term e-book rose about 3 percentage points, or as much as 46 per cent.

University of Melbourne publishing and communications lecturer Emmett Stinson said e-books were likely to generate around 7 to 8 per cent of all book sales by the end of the year, but might even come close to 10 per cent.

Mr Stinson said his guess was "based on Australia's adoption of other new media: ... slow at first, but quick to catch up".

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Self-Published author gets contract

St Martin's Press, an imprint of Pan Macmillan, has secured a four-book deal with US author Amanda Hocking, who shot to fame by selling more than a million copies of her self-published books.

Amanda's best-selling works include the Trylle trilogy and the My Blood Approves series.

St. Martin’s Press will publish Ms. Hocking’s 'Watersong' series, four books in the young-adult paranormal genre, after paying a rumoured seven-figure sum for the deal, announced this week.

Exciting news for Amanda, and further proof that self-publishing can be a great springboard for writers keen to get their work published. We look forward to seeing the new series!

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JJ Cooper's back with Deadly Trust

I don't know how this one slipped under the radar, but JJ Cooper has a new book out!

Deadly Trust is the second book in the jay Ryan series, Australia's newest action hero. I wrote about JJ Cooper's thrilling debut with The Interrogator, and immediately knew the former soldier was a name to watch in the action genre.

This time around former army interrogator Jay Ryan is enjoying the quiet life after leaving the military far behind - or so he thinks. Because old habits die hard and he's quickly thrust back into the thick of things when a disgruntled scientist, backed by the Australian security industry, develops a weapon of mass destruction - a hybrid strain of Anthrax - to be used to create panic in a population apathetic to crime prevention.

Only one batch of Anthrax inoculations can resist the deadly new strain, and it was given to five military interrogators. One of them was Jay Ryan. When the other four disappear, Ryan is the last interrogator left with the antibodies to defeat the deadly Anthrax strain.

Racing against time and hunted by rogue soldiers, mad scientists and an organisation that operates beyond the law, Ryan digs deep into his past for a chance at a future.

In this heartstopping thriller, Jay Ryan wages a one-man war against enemies both known and unseen. There's only person he can trust - or can he? Winning the war may have devastating consequences for the last interrogator.

Check out JJ Cooper's website - http://www.jjcooperauthor.com

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Psychic self-publishes a sure hit

How could you not self-publish your book if you knew it was going to be a big hit? If only all potential publishers and self-publishers had that sort of precognition we'd know if it was worth taking the plunge!

In this week's Daily Telegraph psychic Paul Fenton-Smith talks about his forthcoming book (that the paper forgets to name!), which he is dead-certain will be a smash hit, and why he has taken the self-publishing plunge.

We'll be reviewing Paul's book shortly. Stay tuned!

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Liz Byrski's Last Chance Cafe

Australian author and journalist Liz Byrski has penned a new novel, Last Chance Cafe, which follows the lives of several women as they wrestle with the challenges of ageing in a culture that celebrates youth and sex appeal.

Margot, Dot and Phyllida each face their own challenges in getting older - Margot is looking her disappointments in the eye and wonderinf if it's too late to change; serial campaigner Dot's angry and still looking for a cause; and faithful Phyllida's 50-year marriage is rocked by secrets come to light after her husband is rushed to hospital.

Byrski says she wrote the book to highlight the pervasive 'new sexism' rife in society today, and asks if the spirit of the '70s and '80s can be revived by women to once more challenge the status quo.

"More than three decades have passed since women fought to outlaw the sort of sexism that defined them by their appearance and sexuality. It was a battle that seemed to have been won, but in the first decade of the 21st century it's back," Byrski said.

"This new sexism is more pernicious than ever and it's infecting women's lives from childhood to old age."

Liz writes for a growing and still under-recognised audience of 50+ women looking for books that speak to them about their lives, and it looks like she has once again delivered a riveting read.

And in great news for Liz fans, she'll be touring Australia in April 2011 visiting all the capital cities - keep your eyes peeled for events via her website http://www.lizbyrski.com.au/

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