Amazon ebook pricing battle intensifies after 'Authors United' ad

Compares Hachette dispute to past paperback fears, but partially quoting George Orwell is a risky moveAmazon has hit back following an open letter from more than 900 authors criticising its licensing dispute with publisher Hachette, which was published as an ad in the New York Times.However, the latest blog post from the Amazon Books Team is raising eyebrows within the publishing industry due to its use of a partial quote from George Orwell in support of its cause.We have made Amazon many millions of dollars and over the years have contributed so much, free of charge, to the company by way of cooperation, joint promotions, reviews and blogs.This is no way to treat a business partner. Nor is it the right way to treat your friends. Without taking sides on the contractual dispute between Hachette and Amazon, we encourage Amazon in the strongest possible terms to stop harming the livelihood of the authors on whom it has built its business.With it being so inexpensive and with so many more people able to afford to buy and read books, you would think the literary establishment of the day would have celebrated the invention of the paperback, yes? Nope. Instead, they dug in and circled the wagons.They believed low cost paperbacks would destroy literary culture and harm the industry (not to mention their own bank accounts). Many bookstores refused to stock them, and the early paperback publishers had to use unconventional methods of distribution places like newsstands and... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-08-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #status quo #penguin books #market share #big businesses #reading public

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Amazon ebook pricing battle intensifies after 'Authors United' ad'


Apple agrees to a $400-million settlement over ebook price fixing

Apple Inc. has agreed to pay $400 million to settle allegations that the company conspired with publishers to raise ebook prices. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2014-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #apple agrees #company conspired


Amazon appears to be testing an unlimited Kindle ebook subscription

Amazon.com appears to be testing a new subscription model that would give members all-you-can-read access to more than 600,000 ebooks for $9.99 a month.  Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2014-07-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #amazon appears #subscription model


Amazon 'readies Netflix for ebooks'

Amazon briefly posts details about a new "unlimited" subscription service for Kindle ebooks. Continue reading at BBC World

[ BBC World | 2014-07-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle ebooks #subscription service


Amazon testing Netflix-style $9.99 'Kindle Unlimited' subscription for ebooks

But remember: All-you-can-eat subscriptions are only appetizing if there's delicious stuff in the buffet. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-07-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle unlimited


Apple agrees to pay $450m settlement in ebook price fixing case

iPad manufacturer to pay damages contingent upon appeals court ruling over whether it conspired with publishers to fix pricesApple has agreed to pay $450m (£262.7m) in the US to settle claims the iPad manufacturer conspired with five major publishers to fix ebook prices.It came ahead of damages... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-07-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #apple agrees #settle claims #damages trial #harper collins #simon schuster #ebook purchasers


Amazon testing Netflix-style subscription service for ebooks

Ever heard of Kindle Unlimited? Us either, at least not until now. Originally spotted by kboards, a forum site that welcomes Kindle chatter, this previously unknown service appears to be an upcoming all-you-can-read subscription service from Amazon.... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2014-07-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle unlimited


Apple agrees to pay up to $400 million in ebooks price-fixing case

Apple has reached a settlement in a long-standing case that accused the company of fixing the price on ebooks, with the company paying up to $400 million, depending on the outcome of its appeal in the case, a law firm has announced. Apple would pay the $400 million in the class-action lawsuit if... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-07-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #$400 million #law firm #class-action lawsuit


Amazon tells authors 100% royalty offer was 'sincere'

Amazon has hit back at the American Author's Guild for calling its offer to temporarily give... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hit back #american author


Children's book author refuses award backed by Amazon

Allan Ahlberg refused a lifetime achievement award because it was sponsored by the internet bookseller Amazon. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-07-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Amazon Appeals Directly to Hachette’s Authors

The Wall Street Journal reports that Amazon has gone directly to authors 'hoping to gain hearts and minds – and leverage' in its dispute with Hachette. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Amazon Tries to Drive Wedge Between Hachette and Its Authors

Amazon.com Inc. is offering authors caught up in its dispute with Hachette Book Group all proceeds from the sale of any digital book, seeking to bypass the publisher and appeal directly to writers.Amazon sent a letter to authors, including Douglas Preston, proposing to extract them from the spat... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-07-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital book #appeal directly #ebook revenue #greater share #forrester research


Amid Hachette dispute, Amazon appeals to authors

Amazon.com Inc. is offering authors caught up in its dispute with Hachette Book Group all of the proceeds from the sale of any digital book, seeking to bypass the publisher and appeal directly to the... To view the full story, click the title link. Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2014-07-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #amazon appeals #digital book #appeal directly


Amid Hachette fight, Amazon appeals to authors

Amazon.com Inc. is offering authors caught up in its dispute with Hachette Book Group all of the proceeds from the sale of any digital book, seeking to bypass the publisher and appeal directly to the... To view the full story, click the title link. Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2014-07-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #amazon appeals #digital book #appeal directly


Amazon's Latest Proposal Rankles Hachette and Authors

The acrimony between Amazon and Hachette does not appear to waning. And their battle, over ebook sales terms, continues to play out in newspaper headlines. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Authors choose sides in the duel between Amazon and Hachette (+video)

Some 'old guard' authors are joining forces in a letter criticizing Amazon, even as a cluster of self-published authors is rallying around Amazon, charging that traditional publishers like Hachette mistreat authors and readers. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #self-published authors #joining forces #traditional publishers


Amazon's battle with Hachette is a fight for readers, writers and retailers | Hugh Howey

As things stand, Hachette is making ebook discounts impossible, and almost everybody else stands to lose, writes Hugh HoweyNews: New Amazon terms amount to 'assisted suicide' for book industry, experts claimHow much should an ebook cost? And how should that money be split? These two questions... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ebook cost #publishing industry #sticking point #digital books


Authors choose sides in the duel between Amazon and Hachette

Some 'old guard' authors are joining forces in a letter criticizing Amazon, even as a cluster of self-published authors is rallying around Amazon, charging that traditional publishers like Hachette mistreat authors and readers. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #self-published authors #joining forces #traditional publishers


Authors taking sides in Amazon-Hachette dispute

One one side are established authors including Stephen King, John Grisham and James Patterson. On the other side are self-published authors. They're taking sides in the weeks-old dispute between Amazon.com Inc. and Hachette Book Group. King, Grisham and Patterson have signed their names to a... Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal

[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2014-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #amazon-hachette dispute #john grisham #james patterson #self-published authors #taking sides


Indie authors launch pro-Amazon petition

A second petition about the Amazon Hachette dispute has been launched - this time a pro-Amazon... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Authors Pen Open Letter to Amazon About Hachette Dispute

Two weeks ago bestselling author Douglas Preston began quietly circulating a letter to other writers that encourages readers to write to Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hachette dispute #encourages readers