Daily book biz round-up: Google’s new tool; “Best of” overload; and more

Today’s book news:

• Google quietly unveils handy new tool for word-searching scanned books
• Moby Lives on “Best of” list overload
• Amazon’s Tom Nissley cleaning up on Jeopardy
• A very good layman’s explanation of Google’s alliance with indie booksellers
• How American booksellers are incorporating Google eBooks into business
• The L.A. Times hates Twitter, loves e-books
• Jonathan Lethem and Christopher Sorrentino talk to EW about They Live and Death Wish

Daily book biz round-up: e-readers read you; manga crackdown; and more

Today’s book news:

• Your e-reader knows too much
• Oprah’s Dickens picks not flying off shelves
• Sorry boys: Japanese cracking down on “extreme sex acts” in manga titles
• Orange Prize judges announced
• Room and The Imperfectionists make B&N Best of 2010 list

Canadian Heritage approves iBookstore Canada

It’s official: Canadian Heritage has announced that Apple Canada has been granted approval under the Investment Canada Act to establish iBookstore Canada. From the news release:

“Our Government is committed to strengthening Canada’s economy through all its sectors, especially arts and culture,” said Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore. “Apple has demonstrated how iBookstore Canada represents new opportunities for Canadian authors and publishers, and I have determined that this investment will be of net benefit to Canada.”

The release goes on to say that the decision was based on several commitments made by Apple Canada: to promote Canadian-authored titles in both English and French; to increase access to titles by Aboriginal publishers and authors; to assist Canadian publishers in streamlining the process of e-book creation; and to create an iBookstore tailored to Canadian consumers.

Daily book biz round-up: GLBT titles not vandalized after all; 13 underrated books; and more

Today’s book news:

• Harvard gay and lesbian titles not vandalized after all, according to Harvard
• Unfinished Roald Dahl piece surfaces on eBay
• Norwegian children’s author made fool of by her own son
• The Millions on the 13 most underrated books of 2010
• Author Dave Cullen on his Nielsen sales figures
• Jeff Lemire talks to PW

Daily book biz round-up: ads in e-books; gay titles vandalized; and more

Today’s book news:

• Washington Post book critic liked only two fiction titles this year
• It had to happen: advertisements in e-books
• Amazon continues to censor books whenever they see fit
• Gay and lesbian titles vandalized at Harvard library
• Video: Bad Writing: The Movie

Biblioasis announces Metcalf-Rooke Award shortlist

Biblioasis has announced the shortlist for the 2010–2011 Metcalf-Rooke Award for fiction. Seven unpublished manuscripts were selected from more than 60 entries. The winner, announced on Dec. 15, will receive $1,500 and a publishing contract with the Windsor, Ontario, press. The nominees are:

• Laura Boudreau, Cat in Winter
• Nancy Cullen, The Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
• Colette Maitland, Keeping the Peace
• Anakana Schofield, Malarky: A Novel in Episodes
• Claire Tacon, In the Field
• Sonia Tilson, The Monkey-Puzzle Tree
• Alice Peterson, All the Voices Cry

Daily book biz round-up: more Best of 2010 lists; new Lawrence Hill story; and more

Today’s book news:

• More “Best of 2010″ lists than you could ever possibly want
• The Walrus posts new Lawrence Hill story, “Meet You at the Door”
• Amazon continues to sell WikiLeaks e-book
• Anne of Green Gables likely to fetch $20,000 at Sotheby’s auction
• J.T. LeRoy sues Bloomsbury

Daily book biz round-up: book hunting on Google eBooks; when Franzen met Oprah; and more

Today’s book news:

• MobyLives goes book hunting on Google eBooks
• Salon’s Laura Miller picks the best fiction and non-fiction of 2010
• WikiLeaks defector writes tell-all book (but it’s in German, so don’t get too excited)
• EW on the long-awaited meeting of Franzen and Oprah
• Lisa Moore and Emma Donoghue make New Yorker‘s best of 2010 list

Google Editions launches under new name: Google eBooks

The wait for Google Editions is over, at least if you live in the good ol’ U.S. of A. This morning, Google finally launched its e-book sales platform under the new, dull moniker Google eBooks. According to the website, Google has more than 3 million titles ready to download, including millions of free public domain titles and hundreds of thousands of books from publishers. As for non-U.S. residents, Google plans to roll out international editions in early 2011.

According to Publishers Weekly:

Google officials say its pricing “will be competitive,” with other e-book ventures, and will accommodate the agency model if desired. The price for titles from agency publishers will be set by the publishers, and the the price for non-agency publishers will be set by the seller, meaning that Google will set the price for books in the Google eBookstore, and “resellers” will set the price in theirs.

As for resellers, the program envisions a key role for independent booksellers, who can host and sell Google’s eBooks on their Web sites, a move that makes sense both for Google, which despite its dominant online search presence lacks the retail experience of its competitors, and for indie bookstores, who can now get into the e-book game without having to build and maintain their own expensive platforms. At or shortly after launch, indie stores will begin to roll out their own customizable Google eBook storefronts, including  stores participating through a partnership with the American Booksellers Association.

Daily book biz round-up: NY Times 10 Best; Decision Points unlimited; and more

Today’s book news:

• Room makes the NY Times‘ 10 Best Books of 2010
• From The Times of London: authors on their favorite books of the year
• Decision Points limited edition not so limited
• The usually populist Guardian First Book Award goes to art history title
• Indigo brags to The Toronto Star about its growing toy selection