Amazon MatchBook makes a big push for print book buyers to go digital

Amazon MatchBook, which lets customers who've previously bought the print edition of a book from Amazon score a digital copy on the cheap, is now open for business. Months in the making, the new service is a bold plan by Amazon to convert the world's stacks and stacks of books into digital form. At prices that range from free to $2.99 per book (the latter is by far the most common price point), even consumers with very large libraries won't have to spend a fortune to get copies of their old books in Kindle format. Part of the beauty of MatchBook is how seamlessly it integrates with the Amazon experience and customers' shopping history. By visiting the MatchBook home page (see the link above), it just takes one click for MatchBook to scour your entire Amazon purchase history, dating back to 1995, to turn up all the titles available for the discount. On the sellers' side, publishers have to opt in to have their books made available for the program, and about 75,000 titles are available for conversion to date. Many bigger publishers are playing it safe for the moment, with HarperCollins the largest mainstream book company in the mix. Harper reportedly has over 9,000 books enrolled in MatchBook, though its focus is heavily geared toward older titles instead of new releases. That, of course, makes sense: Publishers looking to skim a little more profit off of the bestsellers of 1998 aren't going to do it by marking down hardcover copies of those dusty old titles in 2013. To... Continue reading at 'PC World'

[ PC World | 2013-10-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #big push #kindle format #dating back #makes sense

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B&N, Microsoft team up for digital biz

Barnes & Noble Inc. and Microsoft Corp. are teaming up to create a new Barnes & Noble subsidiary that will house the digital and college businesses of the bookseller and include a Nook application for Windows 8.The companies said Monday that they are exploring separating those businesses... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2012-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ebook readers #increasingly popular #paperback books #important parts #rapid growth #nook app


Book review: Frank Deford goes deep, as usual

In 'My Life as a Sportswriter,' the Sports Illustrated writer reminisces on his time chronicling the offbeat and the mainstream in sports.A bio on NPR's website of its commentator Frank Deford notes that the magazine GQ christened him, quite simply, "the world's greatest sportswriter." (Is he?)... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-04-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Potter scribe 'talks Jungle Book'

Steve Kloves, the screenwriter who brought all seven Harry Potter books to the big screen, is in talks to direct a live action remake of The Jungle Book. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2012-04-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #potter scribe #big screen #jungle book


Haymarket Books Rises Up

Haymarket Books, the book publishing arm of Chicago’s progressive Center for Economic Research and Social Change, has enjoyed a 43% spike in sales this year, driven by a hot title and the Occupy movement. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-04-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #haymarket books #social change #hot title


A Knockout Start For Lookout Books

Emily Smith, executive director of Lookout Books, has been in and out of the office more in the past few months than she has been in years, thanks to the success of her imprint’s very first release, a collection of new and previously published work from a 75-year-old master of the short story,... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-04-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #lookout books #short story #edith pearlman #sleeper hit


Two-book Golden deal for W&N

Weidenfeld & Nicolson has acquired one of the hotly-tipped books of London Book Fair, Golden... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-04-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kindle remains Amazon's bestseller in first quarter 2012

  Amazon.com has announced a 19% hike in worldwide media sales, which include books, DVDs... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-04-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #include books


Moyes tops R&J Book Club vote

JoJo Moyes’ Me Before You has come top of an online voting poll for the Richard and Judy... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-04-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #jojo moyes


Something Is Rotten In The State Of E-Book Publishing

The publishing industry has a problem. The old guard haven't innovated. And neither their business models nor their products embrace the digital books revolution. Take the ongoing and complicated spat between Apple and the Justice Department over the agency pricing model and alleged collusion... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2012-04-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #rich media #tablet screens #kit eaton #fast company


UK book exports up 3%

The value of the UK's book exports rose a little over 3% to £1,741.5m in 2011,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Oneworld's Edwards shortlisted for Commonwealth Book Prize

Man Booker-longlisted novel A Cupboard Full of Coats by Yvette Edwards, published by small... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #yvette edwards


Is Amazon morally wrong but legally right?

Amazon's policies may be unkind to many in the book industry, but that doesn't make them illegal. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book industry


'Need for stories' as World Book Night celebrates

World Book Night founder Jamie Byng spoke about the "need" for stories as the 2012... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Foyles makes management moves

Foyles has strengthened its marketing team and made a series of changes to its bookshop staffing... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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World Book Night celebrations readied internationally

The Duchess of Cornwall, Stephen Fry and actor William Rycroft are among those gearing up to hand... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-04-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book trade runs for charity

Five runners attempting the 26-mile marathon in aid of the Book Trade Charity (BTBS) yesterday (... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-04-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Children's book promoting veganism gets mixed reception from experts

Author Ruby Roth's new book 'Vegan Is Love' discusses how food gets from the farm to the kitchen table. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-04-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mixed reception #kitchen table


What Should Bookstores Stock in a Digital Age?

Nothing has challenged bricks-and-mortar bookstores to reconsider their physical space and what they carry more than the recession and the rise of ebooks. Recently, two independents announced that they will reduce their space. Third Street Books in McMinnville, Ore., which expanded in 2006, is... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #physical space #street books #digital age


Book sales down 8% at WHS

WH Smith has reported a 3% rise in group profit year-on-year for the six months to 29th February... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-04-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book sales #wh smith


Canadians File Class-Actions Against E-Book Publishers

Last week, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Apple and five publishers for allegedly colluding on ebook prices, and class-actions suits in the U.S. continue. Three Canadian law firms are filing class-action suits against as well ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-04-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #allegedly colluding