Sharon Salzberg Comes to Scribd for February Author Series Event

Posted on January 24, 2014 by | 1 Comment

We wanted to thank everyone who made our first-ever Scribd Author Series event with Gretchen Rubin such a success, and let all of our readers know that we’ve officially scheduled our next author: Sharon Salzberg.

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On Wednesday, February 4th, Sharon Salzberg, meditation expert and author of Real Happiness at Work, will be coming to the Scribd offices in San Francisco. Sharon is the co-founder of InsightMeditation Society in Massachusetts, and leader of the 28-Day Meditation Challenge. Her book, Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation, provides insight into the health and mental benefits of regular meditation and is currently available on Scribd.

sharon

We invite Sharon’s followers and members of the San Francisco reading and writing community to join us at Scribd for a free workshop and group meditation session led by Sharon on 2/4/14. The event will feature a short Q&A, a book signing, refreshments, and some take-home goodies, including Scribd subscriptions and free copies of her new book! Anyone interested in participating should RSVP here.

real happiness

In the meantime, check out Real Happiness on Scribd, follow our “Month of Mindfulness” board on Pinterest, and collaborate by requesting an invite on Pinterest or using #ScribdAuthors to share with friends. Also, visit Sharon’s 28-day meditation pledge page, and look for guest posts from the Scribd Editorial Staff!

Until then, stay zen.

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Sci-Fi and How-To’s and Pop Culture, Oh My: Newly Added Scribd Publishers

Posted on January 16, 2014 by | 1 Comment

We know that not all readers are the same. Some readers love romance, and some crave political crime thrillers like a cup of coffee. Some want to improve  themselves, and others want to learn as much as they can about their favorite band. Some readers are still searching for a genre to call their own, tasting a bit here and there.

That’s why we’re constantly expanding our library: we want readers to have as many different options as possible.

This week, we’ve added a few new publishers—Prime Books, ECW, and Atlantic Publishing—to Scribd. Their selections are pretty sizable, so we’ve included some of their most popular titles below. Happy reading!

cthulhu

Prime Books

Prime Books is an independent publishing house focused on Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and cross-genre fiction. They offer dozens of award-winning novels and supernatural-themed anthologies, like The Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy. If you’re looking for a book that will transport you into another world, look no further.  Some of their top titles are New Cthulhu: The Recent Weird, a collection of Lovecraft-esq fiction edited by Paula Guran, and the robot-themed series, The Ware Tetralogy, by Philip K. Dick Award winner Rudy Rucker.

bartenders handbook

Atlantic Publishing

For more than 25 years, Atlantic Publishing has specialized in the practical side of things; their collection is chock full of how-to’s, guides to new habits and hobbies, and handbooks on meant to make your life more rewarding. Popular Atlantic books range from sensible (The Complete Guide to Personal Finance: For Teenagers and College Student) to DIY (The Complete Guide to Drying Foods at Home) to delicious (The Professional Bartender’s Handbook).

taylor swift

ECW Press

ECW isn’t exactly a new publisher—they used to be a part of IPG and are now breaking off on their own. They boast a pretty wide variety of books, but some of their most popular books can be tied to pop-culture, such as Pretty, Pretty, Pretty Good: Larry David and the Making of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm and Taylor Swift: The Platinum Edition by Liv Spencer. Other top titles include That’s the Cookie Crumbles, a collection of essays that cover the crazy chemistry of every day life, and Neil Peart’s Ghost Rider, a journal-like account of his 14-month journey around North America on the path of self-discovery.

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Gretchen Rubin to Speak at Scribd for First Scribd Author Series Event

Posted on January 15, 2014 by | 1 Comment

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We’re excited to announce that on Wednesday, January 22nd, Gretchen Rubin is coming to Scribd headquarters in San Francisco! Gretchen Rubin is author of the bestselling books The Happiness Project and Happier at Home. Both books are perfect for a New Year attitude and make great, uplifting reads.

Fans and members of the San Francisco reading community are invited to join us for a free, intimate afternoon event with Gretchen featuring a Q&A session and meet-and-greet with the author. We’ll have refreshments and take-home goodies to hand out, including some Scribd subscriptions. We ask that anyone interested in attending RSVP here.

GretchenRubin Author Photo Credit Dave Cross Photography

Can’t be there yourself? That’s ok! During our Q&A with Gretchen, lead by our very own Julie Haddon, we’ll be asking questions submitted by our readers. To ask Gretchen a question, tweet it to us at @Scribd—make sure to include the hashtag #ScribdAuthors. We’ll be live tweeting the event if you want to follow along, and videos of the Q&A will be available online afterwards.

Gretchen’s visit is the first event in our new Scribd Author Series. Starting this month, we’ll be regularly hosting events featuring a variety of your favorite authors, exclusively for Scribd readers. For more information about upcoming author events, just visit our Facebook page.

the happiness project

Can’t wait for next week? You can start gearing up for Gretchen’s visit by reading her book The Happiness Project on Scribd. Still want more? Check out our “All Things Gretchen Rubin” board on Pinterest to see what she’s all about or share your own favorite Gretchen Rubin quotes, images, and interviews (we’d love to have you share your favorite Gretchen Rubin quotes, images, interviews, and blog posts. To pin on “All Things Gretchen Rubin,” email socialmedia@scribd.com).

See you Wednesday!

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Scribd Authors: “Story Time From Space”

Posted on January 9, 2014 by | 1 Comment

Meet Jeffrey Bennett. Bennett teaches astronomy, physics, and mathematics at the college level, has worked for NASA, and holds a PhD in astrophysics. He also writes books for children. And not just any kids’ books – his series “Science Adventures with Max the Dog” is out of this world!

maxdog in jupiter

Really, though. Bennett’s storybooks about Max’s space adventures are currently traveling through space on a commercial cargo-craft on their way to the International Space Station. Once they arrive, ISS astronauts will record themselves reading the stories for children back on Earth, launching a new educational program called “Story Time From Space.”

max dog space station

The books still won’t arrive at the ISS for a couple days, but in the meantime, you can find the full collection of stories about Max the dog in space on Scribd.

One small step for Max, one giant leap for readers everywhere!

max in mars

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Trip Adler, Co-Founder and CEO of Scribd, Named in Forbes 30 Under 30

Posted on January 6, 2014 by | 8 Comments

Scribd would like to give a big thank you to Forbes for naming Trip Adler, co-founder and CEO of Scribd, in “30 Under 30 Who Are Changing the World in 2014.”  We are honored to be included in such a dynamic, visionary group.

trip adler

Adler is featured as part of Forbes’ “Media” category for saying “he thinks readers ought to be able to indulge their own diverse curiosities as well – and be able to ‘think about what to read, not what to buy.’” He was also chosen for a photo shoot, “15 Standouts,” along with Evan Speigel and Bobby Murphy of Snapchat (Tech), Bruno Mars (Music) and Shaziza Shalid, co-founder of the Malala Fund (Social). You can now find the full Forbes interview with Adler on Scribd’s evolution and future here.

The whole team at Scribd is incredibly excited! Looks like 2014 is off to a pretty great start.

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How to Start 2014 Off Right: Scribd Suggests New Years Resolutions

Posted on January 3, 2014 by | 2 Comments

Welcome to January, hands-down the best month to start afresh. It’s a new year—time to start over, start something new, start making your life a little better. Everyone has a New Year’s resolution or few. The real question is: can you keep it?

Whether or not you’ve already made a dozen goals for yourself in the new year, or still have yet to figure out just what you resolve to do, we’ve got a few suggestions up our sleeves. Add ‘em to your list of stuff to work on, or make one of them your ultimate 2014 objective. Keeping these resolutions is going to be the fun part.

Resolution #1: Learn yoga.

608 yoga poses

In this landmark overview of yoga asana, internationally renowned yoga teacher Dharma Mittra illustrates nearly 1,000 yoga postures. Whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned practitioner, this book offers expert instruction and insight into the yoga practice while building on basic yoga poses.

Resolution #2: Improve your writing.

elements of a story

Take your journaling habit to the next level with New York Times editor Francis Flaherty’s entertaining and wise writer’s manual. Flaherty spares you the grammar lesson and focuses on the big picture of story design, with practical advice that benefits non-fiction and fiction writers alike.

Resolution #3: Ride your bike more (or learn to ride one if you don’t know how).

ride a bike

Whether you want to substitute your commute from car or bus to bicycle, or just start riding more for pleasure, this humorous and entertaining guide gives you everything you need to start riding again.

Resolution #4: Be more honest.

the art of confession

You know that saying “honesty is the best policy”? Well, it’s true. It really is. Improve your relationships with a deeper brand of honesty than the TMI confessional social media updates with this fascinating, secular look at the social and psychological origins of the practice of confession.

If none of these ideas seem to be the right resolution for you, that’s ok – you could always just resolve to read more.

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Scribd & Smashwords Team Up to Offer Readers 225,000+ Books by Indie Authors

Posted on December 19, 2013 by | 9 Comments

smashwords logoWe are excited to announce that we have officially signed a deal with Smashwords, the world’s largest distributor of independent books. This means that Scribd readers will soon gain access to a catalogue of 225,000+ e-books by Smashwords’ 70,000+ indie authors. Smashwords titles will be available to Scribd subscribers for unlimited reading, as well as for individual sale.

The new partnership is exciting stuff for both Scribd readers and Smashwords authors. “I’m thrilled to learn about the partnership between Smashwords and Scribd,” said Quinn Loftis, a USA Today bestselling Smashwords author of nine young adult paranormal romance titles, including the seven-book Grey Wolves series. “I look forward to distributing all my titles to Scribd via Smashwords because I appreciate the opportunity to reach more readers.  My fans will appreciate the incredible value represented by Scribd’s subscription service.”

Smashwords’ community of authors is diverse – from homegrown New York Times bestsellers to up-and-coming writers – and their titles span an array of genres, including fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Each Smashwords author will have their own Scribd profile page, and Smashwords books will now be featured in Scribd’s curated collections. Look out for them in your favorite genres.

Going crazy over all the new literary possibilities? We are too! Now you’ll really never stop reading.

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