Strauss Consultants

Category: Blog

  • Is Barnes & Noble Close to Selling?

    Is Barnes & Noble Close to Selling?

    This holiday season could be the last make-it-or-break-it chance for Barnes & Noble. The results of the 2018 Q4 sales period will be extremely telling and will allow us to better answer the question of: “Is Barnes & Noble close to selling its ownership?” Previously, 2017’s Q4 produced dismal results for B&N, probably not helped…

  • Amazon combining Createspace and Kindle Direct Publishing

    Amazon combining Createspace and Kindle Direct Publishing

    If you haven’t been keeping up with the latest regarding Createspace, rumors have been brewing for the last year that Amazon was shutting down as they began rolling out Kindle Direct Publishing’s new features like expanded distribution and the ability to print books using KDP. Indie authors wondered what this meant for Amazon’s former book…

  • Barack Obama: Frontrunner for CEO of Barnes & Noble

    Barack Obama: Frontrunner for CEO of Barnes & Noble

    …Voted by the Internet of course. Barnes & Noble shocked the book industry last month when they unceremoniously fired their CEO for “violating company policy”. The book industry, understandably concerned as this had been B&N’s fourth CEO in five years, has taken it upon themselves to throw out some names of those they think should…

  • Publishers are concerned about Barnes & Noble

    Publishers are concerned about Barnes & Noble

    Barnes & Noble made shock waves last month when it was announced that their CEO was abruptly fired with no explanation. Publishers were immediately stunned; Demos Parneros was the fourth CEO B&N has had in five years. The news concerned many bookselling experts. And if publishers are concerned, does that mean that the last major…

  • eReaders are Healthier for You than Other Screens

    eReaders are Healthier for You than Other Screens

    eReaders are healthier? Readers of eBooks on non-designated eReaders may be doing their eyes a disservice as studies have shown time and time again that their iPad, other tablet, or smartphone screens are not good for long term browsing. Studies show that reading books on eReaders are healthier for your eyes and prevent long term…

  • Walmart to start selling eBooks and eReaders soon

    Walmart to start selling eBooks and eReaders soon

    Walmart eBooks? They will be available sooner than you think. Not too long ago, Walmart announced a partnership with Kobo, a major player on the eBook field on the international level that had yet to properly maintain a presence in the US, what with Amazon and Barnes & Noble dominating the market. However, the retailing…

  • Amazon Should Not Take Over Libraries

    Amazon Should Not Take Over Libraries

    An article recently posted on Forbes that caused a huge outrage on the internet this week. An economics professor by the name of Panos Mourdoukoutas proposed in a now controversial Forbes opinion piece that since Starbucks and Amazon have rendered public libraries virtually useless, Amazon stores should just replace libraries altogether. His reasoning was that…

  • Audiobooks have a positive effect on mental health

    Audiobooks have a positive effect on mental health

    Audiobooks are currently the fastest growing part of the book industry. Readers of this type of book format are noticing the positive benefits on their overall mental health. Given that people are spending more and more time using their eyes to look at screens every day, listening to audiobooks give them a chance to rest…

  • Spotify is in negotiations for an audiobook deal

    Spotify is in negotiations for an audiobook deal

    In light of the news that audiobook sales have grown enormously over the last few years, Spotify is the latest to throw their hat in the audiobook ring with their negotiations with Scribd in order to distribute their audiobooks. Clearly the mostly music streamer is broadening their horizons, as they already are a huge distributor…

  • Audiobook sales have doubled in the last five years

    Audiobook sales have doubled in the last five years

    In news shocking no one who has been paying attention to what’s going on in the book industry, audiobook sales have blown up in the last five years in the UK, thanks to their increasing popularity. According to the Nielsen UK Books & Consumers survey, print book sales have gone down about 3% from the…