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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Amazon's E-Book Business Is Up 70 Percent, but It's Still Not Disclosing Kindle Sales

Whatever Kindle sales were in Q4, they could have been better had Amazon not sold out of its flagship e-reader. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2013-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon reports record sales growth

Amazon saw record sales growth of 22% to $21bn (£13bn) over the Christmas period, with the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New scorecard lets libraries give feedback on ebook offerings from publishers

The American Library Association has created a scorecard that asks library workers to grade publishers on the way that they are offering ebooks for lending. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon 'to put advertising on Kindles'

Amazon is reportedly readying an advertising push for displays on Kindle e-readers after pitching... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Macmillan tests selling ebooks to libraries in two-year stretches

Major publishers are taking wildly different approaches to resolving the woes surrounding ebook lending at libraries: they're experimenting with both the short-yet-cheap subscription as well as an expensive option to pay only once for perpetual use. Sure enough, we're now seeing the middle road.... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-01-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In Brazil, Ebooks Predicted to Reach 2.63% Market Share

Extrapolating from recent sales figures from ebook distributor DLD, we estimate ebook sales to reach some 3.57 million units—or 2.6% of the overall market—by the end of 2013. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-01-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ten Authors Vie for 2013 Man Booker International Prize

Ten finalists were chosen as finalists from among 150 submitted for the Man Booker Prize International Prize for fiction. The shortlist was revealed at India’s Jaipur Literary Festival. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-01-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fears for long-term over 20p ebooks

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[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon launches Kindle in Canada

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[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Beyond Native: Bringing Video Ads In-House

The Verge has started offering advertisers like Ford pre-roll video ads. But in this case, Ford doesn't need its agency, as The Verge produced these Web video spots, using its own technology and editorial staff. Indeed, the tech-centric publication is looking to take native advertising to... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2013-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Anobii becomes 'ebooks by Sainsbury's'

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[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Interview - HuffPo CEO Jimmy Maymann: 'We Don't See Traditional Online Ads as the Future'

In the face of stagnant growth in traditional advertising, digital publishers are looking to sponsored content as an alternative route, something Buzzfeed has been doing well, and The Atlantic has been doing less well recently. It's an approach ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Is Literature Losing a Battle with Commercial Monoculture?

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Spar installs Amazon collection lockers

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[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Shafak to be LBF Author of the Day

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[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jacqui Small to publish illustrated ebooks

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[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'A Memory of Light' tops bestseller lists despite ebook furor

Fans angry over a delayed ebook release for the finale in Robert Jordan's 'Wheel of Time' series have given the book one-star ratings on Amazon. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-01-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Advance Buys Digital Ad Agency Pop

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[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PublishNews Brazil: Amazon Opens Kiosks to Sell Kindles in Brazil

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[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Debut authors make Waterstones 11

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[ BBC News | 2013-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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