Amazon Changed Reading. Now It Could Change Writing

Throughout its 17-year history, Amazon has helped change the way that books are sold, the format in which they’re read and how they are published. Now it could change how they’re written. In addition to the Kindle Fire HD and the Kindle Paperwhite, Amazon introduced a subscription book format at a press conference in Los Angeles Thursday. These books, called "Kindle Serials," will be released in segments instead of in their entirety. Updates, or "episodes," automatically appear at the back of the book as they’re created or released without extra charge. Charles Dickens popularized a similar format more than 100 years ago when he famously published many of his works as segments in weekly publications . Bezos invoked the author's works when announcing the new product, and some of them, including Oliver Twist, will be re-released as Kindle Serials. Dickens, however, didn’t have the Internet. Or data about how readers responded to each of his chapters. "[Kindle Series] Authors will be able to follow along with reader reaction and adapt the next installments based on the first ones," Bezos said. Amazon will provide discussion boards for each Kindle Serials book. Unlike most book discussion boards, they may influence the outcome of the books. Unlike in Dickens era, anyone reading can participate. "Serialized fiction is perfect for contemporary book culture, where writers interact with their readers directly and books can be delivered with an immediacy that the old pulp... Continue reading at 'Fast Company'

[ Fast Company | 2012-09-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Independent Booksellers Week to promote reading groups

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Fri, 04/03/2011 - 09:12 National Reading Group Day is among the new features designed to boost the importance of indie retailers during this year’s Independent Booksellers Week. The Booksellers Association has just announced that the annual IBW will... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Random House E-book Change May Pave Way to IBookstore

In an unexpected about-face, publisher Random House announced on Monday that it would adopt the agency model for ebook sales in the U.S., beginning March 1... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hearst Magazines Digital Media Announces Staff Changes

Hearst Magazines Digital Media announced several changes to its roster today. Julie Hocheiser is now site director for Seventeen.com. Hocheiser served previously as the senior web editor for the Hearst Teen Network. Neha Gandhi also joined Seventeen.com as a web editor. Gandhi is the former... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-02-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon appoints three to UK team

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 10/02/2011 - 16:03 Amazon has appointed three staff to roles in the UK team. John Gahagan will head up Amazon’s UK Books business, with both the UK Books and print on demand teams reporting to him. Amy Worth will now lead the UK Kindle content... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harper Changes the Audio Equation

Of the 150 titles on HarperCollins’s spring audio list, only two are being published on CD; the rest are being released as digital downloads. Although CD sales have been declining in the audio market for several years, no major house has moved away this drastically from the format. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-02-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple sets 31st March deadline for app changes

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Fri, 04/02/2011 - 10:49 Apple is set for a collision course with Amazon after setting a 31st March deadline for its changes to its app terms. From that date, all apps must make any content they use available for purchase within the app itself. This... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Non-agency authors are Amazon UK’s bestselling ebooks

Written By: Lisa Campbell Amazon.co.uk has reiterated its opposition to agency pricing as it revealed its top-selling ebook authors are not governed by the model. Last week Amazon.com announced ebooks had begun to outsell paperbacks in the US for the first time, with 115 ebooks bought for every... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple confirms rule change over ebook apps

Written By: Philip Jones Apple has confirmed that it wants a cut of Amazon's Kindle sales made via its iPad and iPhone apps. The giant hardware company has said that it will no longer allow apps to sell content via a separate browser link, unless customers are also given the option of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Registration opens for Tools of Change Bologna

Written By: Katie Allen Registration is now open for the first Tools of Change Bologna, which is to be held on 27th March. The conference, which focuses on digital development, will take place a day before the Bologna Children’s Book Fair opens. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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iPhone app store, Amazon Kindle: Why ebook sellers should stop playing by Apple's rules.

Over the last few months the tech industry has been inching toward ebook nirvana. For one thing, gadget makers keep improving e-readers while slashing prices. (I'm going to renew my bet that Amazon will begin selling the Kindle for less than $100 by the end of the year.) The bigger story,... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2011-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Claims E-book Sales Beat Paperbacks

The ebook sales milestone "has come even sooner than we expected," CEO Bezos says. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Kindle Book Sales Soar

Online retailer reports sales of its digital ebooks has outstripped those of traditional paperbacks. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Eric Carle to write first book in four years for Puffin

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[ The Bookseller | 2011-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kindle sales outstrip paperbacks as Amazon has first $10bn quarter

Written By: Lisa Campbell Kindle ebooks have overtaken paperback sales at Amazon.com, as the internet retailer revealed sales topped $10bn for the first time in its latest trading quarter. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon rolls out the first 'Kindle Singles,' short form ebooks

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[ Betanews | 2011-01-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Ups Its Edge

Apple caused a stir last week when it announced that it sold 7.3 million iPads in the quarter ended December 25, bringing the number of devices it has sold since it released the iPad last April to nearly 15 million. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Adam Haslett on Stanley Fish's How To Write a Sentence.

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[ Slate | 2011-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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At Fulfillment Roundtable, Panelists Mull the Changing Role of Bureaus

Top executives of some of the leading fulfillment companies were assembled for FMA's annual President's Panel yesterday to provide an update on their companies and how the market is evolving. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Time to Change Co-op?

After several stark years in which stores like Cody's in San Francisco and Davis-Kidd Booksellers in Nashville closed and the nation's second largest chain is teetering more than ever, publishers and booksellers are looking for new ways to work together. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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