NetRead Software and Services

19/11/2025

I got an inquiry from an old friend today:

"Do you know why books have a lot of quotes from people praising the book on the first few pages? Do people open the book and check those out before they buy a book? It just seems like they would have already bought the book by the time they see those pages."

It was like he'd thrown red meat to a lion. Truth be told, most people outside of publishing don't really understand NetRead's business or the world of book metadata, so when I see this hanging curve ball over the plate, I drop what I'm doing and answer it. 🤣😎

10/11/2025

This tracks.

At last week’s Sharjah Publishers Conference, Y.S. Chi warned that publishers need to build richer data infrastructures or face extinction. He also advised looking outside the industry for new hires and chided publishers for not “wanting to win.”

30/10/2025

One of the more unusual tales of the struggling author...

Helen DeWitt’s bewildering co-written novel, “Your Name Here,” took almost 20 years to publish, a process that nearly drove her to despair.

14/10/2025

"Seattle’s pitchers are harder to read than James Joyce." 🧐😛🤣

Seattle beat Toronto, 10–3, in Game 2 with a familiar formula that the Blue Jays haven’t been able to counter. And now the series shifts to T-Mobile Park.

25/09/2025

It's time again for Litquake. We collaborated with the original organizers in the creation of Litstock, which evolved into Litquake. Jack Boulware & Jane Ganahl made it something very special. Read loud and proud, San Francisco!

Check out the schedule for Litquake 2025

21/08/2025

"Publishers who had once sneered at fanfiction writers as nerds cranking out “Lord of the Rings” spinoffs in basements began embracing it as free marketing, and then as a talent incubator."

Romantasy is propping up the fiction market. Thanks to a generation that grew up reading about a boy wizard.

24/06/2025

Is the audiobook boom finally beginning to bust? While the sky might not be falling just yet, the latest report from the Association of American Publishers found digital audiobook sales falling 12.5% in April after being the primary driver of trade sales for years.

U.S. publishing sales dropped 4% in April as the audiobook boom that had driven industry growth finally cooled off. Digital audiobook sales fell 12.5% overall for the month, with the adult nonfiction category getting hit hardest, showing a 17.6% drop.

24/06/2025

Copyright battle redux.

The ruling isn't a guarantee for how similar cases will proceed, but it lays the foundations for a precedent that would side with tech companies over creatives.

18/03/2025

Michael Lewis tackles another implosion.

“Michael Lewis has this incredible ability to zoom in on one person's story, and from there reveals something much bigger about our culture. His books leave you seeing the world differently, and...

13/03/2025

Bookshop.org launches eBook service for Indies

Five years after taking up the fight for physical books, Bookshop.org is entering the e-book arena. Here’s why Seattle will be a key battleground.

05/03/2025

Audiobook sales exceed eBooks.

Digital audio, so hotly followed by its proponents in the US trade market held an 11.3-percent share among formats in 2024…

28/02/2025

Kai Ryssdal's Marketplace covered book blurbs (who would've thought it possible?). It focused upon its anecdotal value & the burden upon the author, but failed to reference "metadata." Ordinarily, I'm a fan of this show, but they missed the point that enhanced metadata increases sales.

A book critic explains how book blurbs work and why it’s become a source of debate in the publishing industry.