Amazon hits back at claims it is to blame for falling author earnings

Retailer insists Authors Guild report that criticised the online giant for contributing to tumbling writers’ incomes used flawed figures, but Guild stands by findingsAmazon has called the conclusions of a recent report into US author earnings flawed, after the Authors Guild suggested that the retail giant’s dominance could be partly responsible for the “a crisis of epic proportions” affecting writers in the US.The report from the writers’ body, published last week, highlighted the statistic that median income from writing-related work fell to $6,080 (£4,730) in 2017, down 42% from 2009, with literary authors particularly affected. Raising “serious concerns about the future of American literature”, the writers’ body singled out the growing dominance of Amazon for particular blame. “Amazon (which now controls 72% of the online book market in the US) puts pressure on [publishers] to keep costs down and takes a large percentage, plus marketing fees, forcing publishers to pass on their losses to authors,” said the report. Related: Crashing author earnings 'threaten future of American literature' Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2019-01-16 00:00:00 UTC ]

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Amazon hits back at claims it is to blame for falling author earnings

Retailer insists Authors Guild report that criticised the online giant for contributing to tumbling writers’ incomes used flawed figures, but Guild stands by findingsAmazon has called the conclusions of a recent report into US author earnings flawed, after the Authors Guild suggested that the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-01-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Crashing author earnings 'threaten future of American literature'

Authors Guild survey finds writers’ incomes have fallen dramatically in five years – with literary novelists worst-hitA major survey of American authors has uncovered a crash in author earnings described as “a crisis of epic proportions” – particularly for full-time literary writers, who are “on... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stan Lee's comic books were a commentary on the social issues facing the United States

Stan Lee's impact on popular culture spurred a billion dollar superhero industry, but the comic supremo's contribution to American literature during a period of intense social change was just as rich.   Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2018-11-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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We’re all ears for audiobooks – and here are some of the best

Sales have doubled in the past five years, with commuters and men aged 25 to 44 accounting for the bulk of purchases. But many of us are unable to finish them – so here are a few you won’t give up onNo longer just the greatest invention for bathtub readers, the audiobook is, according to new... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2018-04-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Prime members will find another perk in Amazon's newest bookstore (Photos)

Amazon may have spent the past two decades pulling bookstore shoppers to its business online, but with a new storefront in California's East Bay, the retail giant is hoping to lure them back to a brick-and-mortar store. Amazon Books is in the final stages of preparing for its opening tomorrow... Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal

[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2017-11-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Scholars Highlight Hobby Lobby Owners' Path From Retail Giant to Bible Curators

In their new book, Biblical scholars Candida Moss and Joel Baden examine the Green family’s collection of antiquities planned for their $500 million Museum of the Bible, and question how the Hobby Lobby owners might be able to control the conversation about the Bible through it. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What's behind the dramatic spike in swearing in books?

A new study finds a 'dramatic' increase in swear words in American literature over the last 60 years. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2017-08-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Books in America are full of swear words: the more recent, the more profane

It's not just your @#%& imagination: American books have gotten a lot more profane over the last six decades, according to a study led by a San Diego State University psychology professor. A team of scholars reports that there's been a “dramatic” increase in curse words in American... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Alexa, HCCP Collaborate on Daily Devotionals

Marking the first collaboration between a book publisher and Amazon Alexa, HarperCollins Christian Publishing is launching a devotionals skill for retail giant’s “intelligent assistant” starting December 12. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-12-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book festivals are worth far more than fees | Claire Armitstead

Writers, championed by Philip Pullman, may object to attending literary gatherings for free. But the events help to sustain a reading culturePhilip Pullman became cheerleader for a growing band of refuseniks last week when he resigned as president of the Oxford literary festival because it... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-01-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Mark Twain's turkey tale – perhaps the funniest in American literature

What Twain eventually learned, after an interminable time on the trail, is that turkeys have a genius for feigning injury. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-11-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Income for US authors falls below federal poverty line – survey

Authors Guild says median income for members has fallen 24% in five years, with piracy, Amazon and publishing economies contributing to slump in earningsThe earnings of more than half of American authors fell below the US federal poverty level last year, according to a survey from the Authors... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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​This interactive map crams in American literature's greatest road trips

People love road trips. Some like 'em more than others. And some like them perhaps a little bit too much. This interactive map from Richard Kreitner and Steven Melendez crams the locations mentioned in twelve road-tripping books including Mark Twain... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2015-08-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Atticus Finch is a racist in To Kill a Mockingbird’s sequel

Portrayal of liberal lawyer’s dark side praised for its realism by civil rights campaignerOne of the great figures of American literature has suffered dramatic reputational damage this weekend. The unexpected early release of shocking plot details from the new novel by Harper Lee, a sequel to... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kobo Takes Over Blinkbox Books

Tesco, the U.K. retail giant and parent company of ebook retailer Blinkbox Books, has reached an agreement that will keep the digital operation in business. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors ask the government to investigate Amazon

The Authors Guild met with Justice Department officials to ask the agency to launch an investigation into Amazon, expressing concern that the retail giant might be violating antitrust law in its fight with Hachette over ebook terms. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-10-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Louise Erdrich Wins 2014 PEN/Saul Bellow Award

Established in memory of Nobel Prize-winning author Saul Bellow, the $25,000 award is presented biannually to a living American author whose "scale of achievement in fiction, over a sustained career, places him or her in the highest rank of American literature." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-09-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Is Experimenting With A New Homepage Design

The newer, flatter design puts Kindle, Fire, and Prime categories front and center.Amazon has unveiled a new homepage design to select users, placing a new emphasis on the retail giant's biggest brands: the Kindle ebook platform, its Fire lineup of tablets and smartphones, and the Prime... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2014-07-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kindle Unlimited brings endless reading and listening to customers

Amazon already gives Prime customers access to a Kindle lending library, allowing the user to "borrow" books each month. But for some of the more voracious types, this may not provide enough material for a month's worth of entertainment. For those customers, the retail giant has unveiled Kindle... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2014-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Don't put your daughter on the page. She'll only earn a measly 11k a year

A survey of nearly 2,500 writers has shown that median income of a working author last year was just £11,000, down by 29% since 2005A new breed of publishing event, a secretive curtain-raiser, designed to tease the book trade and the critics, is to take place somewhere in London on Monday... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-07-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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