US E-Book Sales Slightly Increased in April 2025

E-book sales saw a slight gain, and digital audiobooks had a massive decline this past April.
The post US E-Book Sales Slightly Increased in April 2025 first appeared on Good e-Reader.
https://goodereader.com/blog/e-book-news/us-e-book-sales-slightly-increased-in-april-2025

#audiobooksales #ebooksales #printsales
@indieauthors

What do these 4 images have in common that makes them mean more to me than some others?

Have a guess!

#MidJourneyArt #highstandards #illustratedstyle #AIArtwork #squareart #expressive #publishers #media #massmedia #printsforsale #printsales #prints4sale #printsale #PortfoIioDay #portfolioday2023 #portfolio #professionallytrained #skilled #skillz #composition #dynamic #britishartists #londonuk

Good afternoon, I want to get an air purifier and reusable masks for this wildfire smoke in the northeast, because it's really aggravating my asthma, so why not get some beautiful fine art photography for your home or office?

https://www.pictorem.com/profile/LunarRise.Photography

#MastoArt #photography #BuyIntoArt #BlackArt #BlackArtist #FineArtPhotography #FineArt #BuyBlack #ShopSmall #smallbusiness #printshop #printsales #prints4sale #AYearForArt #DisabledArtist #BlackMastodon #BlackFedi #DisabledFedi #disability

I want to start making some of my photos available for folks to order prints. What services/systems are folks using for photography sales?

I'm looking for:
* Search, select, print, ship, payment etc.
* Support different payment and and shipping addresses, e.g.: gifts.
* Professional quality printing.
* Integration with Flickr a plus.
* Intregration with Lightroom a plus.

Looking at SmugMug. Reasons NOT to use them? Alternatives?

https://flic.kr/p/2njB4k5

#Photography #PhotoSales #PrintSales

PayPal is Reportedly Trying to Buy Pinterest for a Whopping $45 Billion

Paypal has reportedly offered to buy the digital pinboard site Pinterest for $45 billion, which could bring more tie-ins to financial technology and e-commerce.

According to a report by Reuters , the value has been offered, but is not final.

Pinterest has been widely used by photographers and creatives alike to create mood boards and inspiration books as a tool for upcoming projects and shoots, but it has also grown as a marketing and advertising avenue for creatives simply by adding the Pinterest Browser Button to websites and portfolios. Creatives have generated buzz about their businesses by making their own accounts and posting their work in custom boards appropriately keyworded and backlinked to their professional portfolios.

While some may disapprove of the process, overall it has had a positive effect on the photography industry since people don't really use it as a traditional social network, but more of a place to find inspiration.

If this acquisition were to go through, it would nearly double the biggest-ever social media company acquisition to date: Microsoft's $26.2 billion purchase of LinkedIn in 2016. PayPal has seen a growth in internet shopping as consumers are increasingly buying items they see on social media as users continue to follow influencers on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. This link may have led PayPal to consider Pinterest as an investment in order to capture a large portion of that e-commerce growth and add additional revenue streams through advertising on the platforms.

Where many platforms like Instagram and TikTok have tried to focus on creating their own direct buying platforms, PayPal is making a bet on a different kind of shopping model according to Marketplace Puls e e-commerce Analyst Joe Kaziukėnas.

Pinterest went public back in 2019 and was valued at approximately $13 billion at the time, but grew substantially since 2020 due to the pandemic and the increased interest in DIY projects. This boom in growth has reportedly led to several parties who have shown interest in tying themselves to the "inspiring" company. Just a few months ago, VSCO was looking to be acquired by Pinterest, though a finished deal never materialized.

PayPal has offered $70 per share for Pinterest with hopes to negotiate and finalize a deal by November 8 according to one of Reuter 's sources. That same source also cautions that no deal is certain and terms can often change by the time one is finally agreed upon.

#culture #industry #news #acquisition #business #creativity #financial #inspiration #paypal #photography #pinterest #printsales #shopping #socialmedia #vsco

PayPal is Reportedly Trying to Buy Pinterest for a Whopping $45 Billion

Paypal has reportedly offered to buy the digital pinboard site Pinterest for $45 billion, which could bring more tie-ins to financial technology and e-commerce.

According to a report by Reuters , the value has been offered, but is not final.

Pinterest has been widely used by photographers and creatives alike to create mood boards and inspiration books as a tool for upcoming projects and shoots, but it has also grown as a marketing and advertising avenue for creatives simply by adding the Pinterest Browser Button to websites and portfolios. Creatives have generated buzz about their businesses by making their own accounts and posting their work in custom boards appropriately keyworded and backlinked to their professional portfolios.

While some may disapprove of the process, overall it has had a positive effect on the photography industry since people don't really use it as a traditional social network, but more of a place to find inspiration.

If this acquisition were to go through, it would nearly double the biggest-ever social media company acquisition to date: Microsoft's $26.2 billion purchase of LinkedIn in 2016. PayPal has seen a growth in internet shopping as consumers are increasingly buying items they see on social media as users continue to follow influencers on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. This link may have led PayPal to consider Pinterest as an investment in order to capture a large portion of that e-commerce growth and add additional revenue streams through advertising on the platforms.

Where many platforms like Instagram and TikTok have tried to focus on creating their own direct buying platforms, PayPal is making a bet on a different kind of shopping model according to Marketplace Puls e e-commerce Analyst Joe Kaziukėnas.

Pinterest went public back in 2019 and was valued at approximately $13 billion at the time, but grew substantially since 2020 due to the pandemic and the increased interest in DIY projects. This boom in growth has reportedly led to several parties who have shown interest in tying themselves to the "inspiring" company. Just a few months ago, VSCO was looking to be acquired by Pinterest, though a finished deal never materialized.

PayPal has offered $70 per share for Pinterest with hopes to negotiate and finalize a deal by November 8 according to one of Reuter 's sources. That same source also cautions that no deal is certain and terms can often change by the time one is finally agreed upon.

#culture #industry #news #acquisition #business #creativity #financial #inspiration #paypal #photography #pinterest #printsales #shopping #socialmedia #vsco

Instagram Photographer Fails to Deliver Sold Prints, Leaves Fans Angry

Instagram gives its users a sense of trust with people behind huge, popular accounts. One such photographer did not deliver on what he had promised and left his audience burned, with cash out of pocket, unfulfilled print sales, and in legal limbo.

It is common knowledge that what is presented on social media is not always true. Although this mainly applies to influencers who present a lavish and unattainable lifestyle or showcase endorsed products that they don't actually use, a similar notion can be applied to business conducted over social media platforms. These can make transactions appear more intimate and personable compared to traditional online stores, but it also leaves direct buyers exposed to fraud due to a lack of consumer protections in such scenarios.

As researched in-depth by VICE Senior Staff Writer Alex Zaragoza, one such case involves an Instagram-famous photographer, Ryan Shorosky, who held online print sales but allegedly failed to deliver on what he had promised to his fans.

Shorosky is a photographer and trucker with a current following of 61,500 on his Instagram page. His account is filled with rose-tinted images -- edited in his vibrant signature style -- that show his creativity in capturing details and moments found on his long journeys on the road.

In 2018, Instagram user Ghazal Sheei purchased Shorosky's print -- advertised on one of his Instagram print sales -- but received neither the print nor a refund, which prompted her to post about her experience.

"Nine months later, after several back and forths and a couple insincere apologies and excuses from him, he still hasn’t sent it. Actually, he outright stopped responding a few attempts ago," she wrote.

It took until January 2019 for Sheei to finally receive a refund, only when prompted by many other displeased customers who commented and sent emails and messages to the photographer.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ghazal Sheei (@ghazalsheei)

However, Sheei's experience wasn't an isolated case. Zaragoza investigated the dubious nature of Shorosky's Instagram print sales business and found that there are numerous fans who had purchased his prints -- with most sales in the $120 range -- but didn't receive the product and were demanding a refund or, at the very least, an answer from the photographer. Some of these customers even created group chats to share their experiences and to discuss what action to take, how to report Shorosky for his unethical business practices, and how to get their money back.

Zaragoza was able to speak to Shorosky, who explained that he underestimated his abilities to keep up with the demand, as he spent most of his time on the road and couldn't afford an assistant to look after the print production. Meanwhile, some buyers received refunds months later or poor quality prints while others didn't receive anything at all, and Shorosky continued to post print sales and reportedly disabled comments under some posts to avoid unsatisfied customers warning others, Zaragoza's report suggests.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by r y s h o r o s k y (@ryshorosky)

Although Shorosky's account was disabled temporarily by Instagram, he has since gained reaccess to it and continues to post his work and new sales, rubbing salt in his past buyers' wounds. Further, the lack of support and the ability to warn other potential buyers on Instagram who pay artists directly -- instead of using the Marketplace section -- can leave people susceptible to future issues.

Instagram might make users feel that they can closely follow and participate in their idols' life and support their art directly, but that illusion can be soon shattered when that trust is misused. Without regulation, the problem could get worse. Zaragoza writes that on the other hand, there are many artists who rely on Instagram to make a living and would see their business suffer should more regulations be introduced.

Shorosky has since been featured on the official Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Instagram Page, has taken on big clients such as Tesla, and continues to share his work online. This means that many potential new fans will find his work appealing and inspiring, while others have been left with empty pockets. VICE's report sheds a different light on Instagram's long-term plan to give creators more control to profit on the platform and perhaps undermines the platform's plan to lean more heavily into shopping as the platform pivots away from a photo-sharing app.

#culture #industry #news #camerasales #instagram #instagrambusiness #instagraminfluencer #prints #printsales #scam #scamartist