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 ]
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EC confirms crackdown on ebook VAT

The European Commission has decided to refer France and Luxembourg to the EU Court of Justice... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mantel climbs Amazon charts as press storm continues

Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall has climbed the Amazon charts following saturation media coverage... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers Say Paywalls, Price Hikes are Working for Newspapers

Four top publishers Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to print and discussed revenue ideas for bolstering their products. The discussion was part of an executive roundtable at the Key Executives Mega Conference in New Orleans. The publishers of ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-02-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Convert a Kindle ebook to a different format

When you buy an ebook from Amazon, it's yours, right? Technically speaking, Amazon is merely licensing the book to you. And the company can, seemingly on a whim, close your account and delete all your books. This isn't likely to happen, but it gives me pause. Indeed, it makes me want to back up... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2013-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Debbie Ford, author of 'The Dark Side of the Light Chasers,' dies

Debbie Ford wrote 'The Dark side of the Light Chasers,' a self-help book. Debbie Ford built on her self-help books to become a lecturer, teacher, self-help coach at the The Ford Institute for Transformational Training. Ford passed on Sunday. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Best-selling Author: "Public Libraries Deprive Writers Of Royalties"

"Horrible Histories" author Terry Deary told a newspaper that public libraries are a drain on government resources that deprive authors of royalty checks. Best-selling childrens' book author Terry Deary has become the first major writer to speak up against the concept of public libraries. In... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Will Pay-as-You-Read Allow Publishers to Charge More for Ebooks?

By minimizing the risk of buying a bad book, pay-as-you-read business models could translate into higher prices and higher quality content, but will it drive more sales? Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Huge boost' for 20p authors

Authors have admitted they welcome the “huge boost” in sales when their ebooks are... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harper releases Bradbury ebooks in the UK

HarperVoyager is marking this year's 50th anniversary of Ray Bradbury's classic sci fi... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Daunt questions Amazon warehouse practises

James Daunt has restated his view that Amazon operates in an advantageous fiscal environment in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon fires German security firm

Amazon has fired the security company it employed to oversee its warehouse operations over... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon attacked in German documentary

Amazon is said to be involved in a scandal in Germany, with a documentary accusing the retailer... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bestselling author riles many, calling libraries 'no longer relevant'

British writer Terry Deary, author of the 'Horrible Histories' children's series, says that libraries have 'had their day' and that there is no 'entitlement to read books for free.' Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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RHUK releases author video

Random House UK has released a video on YouTube showing some of its biggest authors, including E... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Young Writers Graduate: Future Authors Project

Over the past eight years, more than 300 Florida middle and high school students graduated from aspiring writer to published author, thanks to the Océ Future Authors Project. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors speak out for National Libraries Day

Libraries across the country celebrated National Libraries Day on Saturday (9th February), the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A New Kind of Conference for a New Kind of Author

O’Reilly Media and Publishers Weekly will hold the first Author {R}evolution Day February 12 at the Marriott Marquis in New York City. Below is a discussion with co-chair Kristen McLean on what attendees can expect at the day-long event. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As E-books Grow, So Does Amazon

With ebooks’ share of unit sales rising from 14% for the first nine months of 2011 to 22% for the same period in 2012, the biggest winners among retailers were Amazon and dedicated ebookstores and digital download sites. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Author Solutions launches self-publishing in India

Penguin-owned Author Solutions Inc (ASI) has opened a self-publishing imprint called Partridge in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tor UK now accepting direct author submissions

Pan Macmillan SFF imprint Tor UK is now accepting direct submissions from authors, with editorial... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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