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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John Lewis Christmas ad accused of plagiarism by Mr Underbed author

Chris Riddell points out similarities between Moz the monster and a character from his 1986 picturebookA renowned writer and illustrator of children’s books has suggested John Lewis may have plagiarised one of his stories for its latest Christmas advert, which was launched to great fanfare last... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-11-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon is adding Audible support to its entry-level Kindle

The cheapest Kindle is getting the best feature for those who'd rather listen to books than read them. Based on its listing (as found by The Digital Reader), Amazon is rolling out Audible support for the $80 device "in the coming months." The e-retai... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2017-10-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Alleges Violations by KDP Authors, Publishers

Amazon has filed arbitration complaints against five individuals who it claims offered services to KDP authors and publishers intended to help them manipulate the reading platform for financial gain. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-09-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon slashes Whole Foods prices; supermarket shares plummet

Online retailer Amazon is to slash prices at US supermarket chain Whole Foods Market Inc in a move which could threaten supermarket rivals. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon rejects advertisement for Kapiti author's book for being 'too provocative'

Amazon has rejected a Kiwi author's advertisement for her debut novel, stating the cover and content is too provocative. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2017-08-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Amazon Buy Button Program Draws Ire of Publishers, Authors

Industry members claim the program, which allows third-party re-sellers to win the main buy button on book pages, has the potential to "decimate authors' and publishers' earnings," especially on backlist books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors Guild Joins Warnings on Amazon’s Buy-Button Book Sales Policy

Authors' and publishers' groups are protesting a change in Amazon's third-party sales policy. The retailer says it's in line with 'the rest of Amazon.' The post Authors Guild Joins Warnings on Amazon’s Buy-Button Book Sales Policy appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-05-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon will no longer strong arm ebook publishers in Europe

The European Commission has accepted Amazon's changes to how it sells its ebooks. Following a 2015 investigation over the retailer's anti-competitive behaviour, Amazon said back in January that it would change its ebook contracts, removing clauses t... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2017-05-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #european commission #ebook contracts


'Justice at last' for authors as PLR for ebooks passes into law

Joanna Trollope called it "justice at last", as legislation making the UK the first country in the world to extend Public Lending Right (PLR) to include remote loans of ebooks and audiobooks was finally passed. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-05-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon's Stock Price Soars in Q1 2017

With an 18% increase in Amazon's stock price for Q1 2017 over Q1 2016, the tech giant leads the PW Stock Index. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-04-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook Just Added Call-to-Action Units to Its Instant Articles

Facebook is adding email and page like call-to-action units to its Instant Articles format for publishers, and the social network is testing CTA units for free trials and mobile application installations. Product manager Josh Roberts introduced the calls to action in a Facebook Media blog post,... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2017-04-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Manchester is 'an indie author hotspot' for Amazon

Amazon has revealed statistics from its Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) programme claiming Manchester as "an indie publishing hotspot". Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-04-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors offered $5k to join Amazon's Prime Reading

Amazon US is offering authors $5,000 upfront in lieu of royalties to incorporate their books into its unlimited reading programme for Prime members. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book trade cautiously welcomes Amazon's new ebook deal

The book trade has generally welcomed Amazon’s new ebook offer, but questioned the five year cap for the new deal and raised concerns over whether it will hold in the UK in a post-Brexit world. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-01-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon reportedly to drop MFN clauses from ebook deals

Amazon has offered to drop the Most Favoured Nation clauses from its ebook contracts, following a European Commission investigation into the online retailer’s deals, it has been reported today.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-01-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers urged to respond to Amazon's new ebook offer

The European Commission (EC) has confirmed that Amazon has offered to remove controversial Most Favoured Nation (MFN) clauses in ebook contracts and is asking publishers for feedback on the pledges. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-01-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pearson to slash ebook rental prices by 50% in digital push

Pearson plans to launch its own print rental program for courseware and reduce ebook rental prices by up to 50% as it bids to accelerate its shift to digital. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-01-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Author Earnings: Sharp Downturn in US Indie Ebook Share

From 50 percent 'of all US Kindle author earnings,' Author Earnings now sees indie share dive below 40 percent, 'all the way back to early 2015 levels The post Author Earnings: Sharp Downturn in US Indie Ebook Share appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-10-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon and EU 'in settlement talks' over ebook investigation

Amazon Inc and European Union regulators have started settlement discussions over the internet giant’s ebook deals with publishers, according to news reports. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-10-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Prime subscribers now have free ebooks, magazines and more with Prime Reading

If you have been looking for one more reason to become an Amazon Prime subscriber, the newly launched Prime Reading feature could just be the clincher. Prime Reading gives US subscribers access to a library of free Kindle ebooks, magazines, comics and other publications completely free of... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2016-10-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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