This just in from INGRAM!

Received this via Ingram because I've got an edition of Never Ceese published through Lightning Source. Oh do read on:

August 19, 2011

Dear Publisher:



Earlier this week Microsoft announced the discontinuation of the Microsoft Reader effective August 30, 2012. This includes download access of the Microsoft Reader application. Users can continue to use the Microsoft Reader application and their .lit eBooks after full discontinuation on August 30, 2012. Ingram and Microsoft will continue to provide technical support until July 10, 2012.

At Microsoft's request, Ingram will cease making .lit eBooks available for initial download on November 8, 2011. Users will still be able to re-download .lit eBooks from original links through August 20, 2012, but no new purchases can be made after November 7, 2011 (US).

If .lit is the only format currently submitted to Ingram, we recommended replacing those files with industry standard EPUBs (http://idpf.org/epub) or PDF's.

For questions or more information, please contact your Account Manager.

Sincerely,



Ingram Content Group

What does this mean? It means you should go straight away to Black Bed Sheet Books to buy ALL your ebooks because they WON'T stop offering .lit format. Many folks still use MicroSoft Reader and will for quite some time. Here's a bigger question: if ebooks are in such demand, why is microsoft getting out of the ebook business? Because e-books aren't in big demand. Amazon and Barnes & Noble and Apple just want you to think that so you'll buy their "exclusive" reader. All of Black Bed Sheet Books e-books are DRM free. No exclusivity here. ;)



Oh, the link: http://blackbedsheet.goshopper.net/



And to reply on this claim: "At Microsoft's request, Ingram will cease making .lit eBooks available . . . " More like, Ingram decided all by themselves to do this. Why would Microsoft care? They don't. But it's a nice spin that keeps Ingram from looking bad I guess.



Oh and notice how INGRAM came right out and said the "industry" standard was EPUB or PDF. Oh, I'm laughing my butt off at that. *sniff, sniff* I smell "big dog" publishers marking their territory. Hear that Amazon. MOBI isn't the "industry" standard according to Ingram. You better go set them straight. LOLROFL Oh, I love starting things.



Hey Ingram, did you know that the New York Times Best Selling e-book statistics are pulled from AMAZON Kindles ONLY!!! So much for your idea of what "industry standard" is and so much for anyone who chooses NOT to publish a Kindle through Amazon (because they take returns on ebooks and offer ebooks published through them out for free without the publisher's permission) ever making that list. RACKET!!!!