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

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Ether for Authors: Can Turning Publishing Into a Competition Pay?

Our weekly round-up of web buzz looks at Italy's RCS Libri / Rizzoli Lab effort in co-publishing; self-publishing in Germany; author contracts; and more. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-11-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jeff Bezos's Wife Gave The Tell–All Amazon Book A One–Star Review

"I find way too many inaccuracies," MacKenzie Bezos writes in a critical Amazon.com review of a new book about the company her husband founded.The vast majority of the 45 Amazon.com customers who have reviewed Bloomberg Businessweek writer Brad Stone's new book, The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-11-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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98 British publishers folded last year due to ebooks, discounts

Closures were up 42% over the previous year, according to the Guardian. The companies that folded included the 26-year-old healthcare publisher Panos London and Evans Brothers.Ninety-eight British publishers closed their doors in the year ending August 2013. The cause? E-books and online discounts. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-11-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon discounts select Kindles in celebration of recent FAA decision

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[ Engadget | 2013-11-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The B-to-B Benefits of Pursuing Mobile Ad Sales

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[ Folio Magazine | 2013-11-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon intros Kindle First for those who can't wait a month for the new Gloria Gaynor book

Waiting another month for that new inspirational Gloria Gaynor book? You'll survive, most likely -- but just in case, Amazon's debuting a new program called Kindle First. Customers can get early access to new titles for $1.99 - or for free, if they're a member of the exclusive club that is... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-11-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Great Digital Content Pricing Experiment

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[ Publishing Executive | 2013-11-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Why is the Ebook Business So Out of Sync with Consumers?

Confusing licensing rules, walled gardens, limited bundling, subscriptions, and library borrowing, buggy platforms. Why do we put up with this ebook nonsense? Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-10-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon MatchBook makes a big push for print book buyers to go digital

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[ PC World | 2013-10-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperCollins goes direct-to-consumer for global ebook sales

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[ The Bookseller | 2013-10-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon launches literary magazine

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[ The Bookseller | 2013-10-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon releases MatchBook for Kindle

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[ Betanews | 2013-10-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Unveils Its MatchBook Print-and-Kindle Combo Deal

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[ AllThingsD | 2013-10-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon's Matchbook service now live, works with over 70,000 books for $3 or less

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[ Engadget | 2013-10-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Yahoo Still Looking to Ignite Tumblr's Ad Potential

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[ AdWeek | 2013-10-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing Executive Larry Kirshbaum to Leave Amazon

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[ AllThingsD | 2013-10-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Crains New York | 2013-10-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-10-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Publishing will get new publisher, based in Seattle

Amazon Publishing will have a new leader when publisher Larry Kirshbaum leaves on Jan. 17 and is replaced by Daphne Durham. Durham will be based in Seattle — not the New York office. She has served as editor in chief and has already taken over responsibility for adult trade books and children’s... Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal

[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2013-10-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Publishing confirms Kirshbaum exit

Amazon publishing editor Larry Kirshbaum is leaving the company early next year and returning to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-10-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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