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 ]
News tagged with: #retail giant #median income #american literature

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Apple hits back hard at Bloomberg over Chinese spying report

The company posted its strong rebuttal of a disturbing Bloomberg exposé. Bloomberg Businessweek this morning published a bombshell story that had all the juicy elements: spying, tech giants, foreign intrigue. According to the report, tiny microchips were found hidden on servers sold to top tech... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2018-10-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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National Book Foundation Sponsors Fall Author Tour

NBF Presents, a new program from the National Book Foundation, is sponsoring National Book Award-winning or shortlisted authors to visit a dozen book fairs, universities and libraries around the country this fall. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-09-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S hits back at Trump lawyers' 'hollow' threats to sue

Simon & Schuster has hit back at legal threats from Donald Trump over his former aide Omarosa Manigault Newman's book, telling the American president's lawyers "at base, your letter is nothing more than an obvious attempt to silence legitimate criticism of the president". Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-08-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How Much Do Writers Earn? Society of Authors and ALCS Present Talking Points to Publishers

Naming issues on which 'we are in almost complete alignment,' the UK's author-advocacy organization and revenue collection agency lay out talking points to the Publishers Association in an open letter. It's a new call 'to give everyone a bigger share of the pie." The post How Much Do Writers... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-07-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Writers bodies defend author earning figures as 'incontrovertible'

The Society of Authors (SoA) and the Authors Licensing and Collection Society (ALCS) have written an open letter taking issue with the Publishers Association’s questioning of figures unveiled in a recent survey showing writers’ earnings have fallen by 15% in four years, calling them... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Open letter on author earnings

The Society of Authors' Nicola Solomon and The Authors' Licensing & Collecting Society's Owen Atkinson pen a letter to the PA's Stephen Lotinga on author earnings. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Author Earnings Sliding Fast in U.K.

Median annual income of professional writers is now under £10,500—down by 15% since 2013—according to ALCS research, with hourly rates well below minimum wage. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-06-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The story behind the ALCS author earnings survey numbers

Richard Combes examines the findings of the Authors Licensing and Collecting Society's author earnings survey. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-06-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fortress Brings Bestselling Author's Book Back to Print Following Scandal

Fortress Press is reissuing ‘Jesus + Nothing = Everything’ by Tullian Tchividjian, the grandson of Billy Graham whose book was taken out of print after admitting to extra-marital affairs in 2015. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-06-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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APPWG calls for evidence on authors' earnings

The All Party Parliamentary Writers Group has launched an inquiry into authors’ earnings. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-06-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Want to earn more as a book author? A male name will help

In a groundbreaking study of more than two million books published in North America between 2002 and 2012, scholars found that books by women authors are priced 45% less than those of their male counterparts. The researchers, sociologist Dana Beth Weinberg and mathematician Adam Kapelner, both... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2018-04-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon shares fall after Trump's Twitter attacks

Amazon shares took a hit after President Donald Trump attacked the online store on social media, this time accusing it of not being on a "level playing field" with “fully tax paying retailers” and of ripping off the US postal service. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Facebook's CEO hits back at 'glib' comments by Apple's Cook

Facebook Inc. Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg hit back against Tim Cook, calling the Apple Inc. CEO's criticism of the social-media giant "extremely glib."Cook was asked about Facebook's privacy crisis last month and called for stronger regulation of user data. A day after, Cook said he... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2018-04-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Illustrator hits back after Goodkind calls cover 'laughably bad'

An illustrator has hit back at bestselling fantasy author Terry Goodkind after the writer suggested the cover art for his book was “laughably bad”. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Reading comprehension falls in secondary schools, study claims

A new report from Renaissance Learning suggests the reading comprehension of secondary school pupils is falling below that of primary school children because teenagers are not reading challenging enough books. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Judith Kerr on earning her stripes as author and illustrator

On the 50th anniversary of The Tiger Who Came to Tea, author and illustrator Judith Kerr talks about creating the classic picture book, despite failing a module in book illustration at art school. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Maze Runner author James Dashner dropped by US publisher amid harassment claims

Author of the popular young adult series has issued an apology for being ‘part of the problem’ in the wake of anonymous claims posted onlineJames Dashner, author of the bestselling young adult Maze Runner books, has issued an apology in which he says that he “will seek counselling and guidance”... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2018-02-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Two children's authors dropped by agents amid claims of sexual harassment

In the wake of online accusations, The Maze Runner author James Dashner has lost representation, as has Thirteen Reasons Why author Jay AsherThe Maze Runner author James Dashner has been dropped by his literary agent after a series of anonymous accusations of sexual harassment were made against... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2018-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon and Virgin Media back sci-fi series of The Feed

Nick Clark Windo's The Feed (Headline) is being turned into a high-end sci-fi TV drama by Amazon and Virgin Media. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Cole hits back at Brontë controversy

Model Lily Cole has asked for her work to be "judged on its own merits" after a member of the Brontë Society resigned over her appointment as creative partner. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-01-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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