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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Apple: E-book price-fixing accusation 'simply not true'

Apple Inc.  is denying antitrust charges filed against it and five major book publishers this week that accuse the companies of a price-fixing scheme to inflate the prices paid for electronic books. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-04-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How to Give Away 500,000 Books

When looking at an effort with the scale of World Book Night U.S.—half a million books will be given away to strangers across all 50 states on April 23—it’s helpful to consider some numbers: 25,000 “givers” have volunteered to give away their allotment of books to people, many of whom they’ve... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-04-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Real Bad Guy in the E-Book Price Fixing Case

This week, the Obama administration’s Justice Department struck a great legal blow against our open market for books, and indeed against open markets in America. Even though online retailer Amazon has captured more than 50 percent of many key book markets—like the one for ebooks—antitrust... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2012-04-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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An E-Book Argument: Are Fixed Prices Needed to Preserve Publishing?

Alleged collusion aside, the publishing industry's agency pricing model may actually protect the long-term interests of everyone in the ebook value chain. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2012-04-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Some Publishers Quickly Settle E-book Price-Fixing Lawsuit

Three of the five book publishers sued Wednesday by the Department of Justice quickly agree to scrap their deal with Apple and claim no wrong-doing. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2012-04-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kids' book parody gets a squeaky-clean version

Adam Mansbach's picture book 'Go the F--- To Sleep' is now available in a kid-friendly version called 'Seriously, Go To Sleep.' Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-04-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book review: Olen Steinhauer's 'An American Spy'

With 'American Spy,' Steinhauer finishes what he started in 'The Tourist' and 'The Nearest Exit.' It's a thrilling, irresistible masterwork of love, guilt and revenge.On two separate occasions over the last nine years, Olen Steinhauer has brought a thriller series to a close. The first was the... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-04-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Justice Department formally charges Apple, big five publishers in ebook price fixing case (update)

The Justice Department has formally decided to sue Apple, Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillian, Penguin and Simon & Schuster over alleged ebook price-rigging. Apple and Macmillian have already denied any wrongdoing, saying that the agreements were enhancing competition in an industry... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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"Some improvement" for books as March sunshine warms retail

The British Retail Consortium's (BRC) sales monitor for March has revealed "some... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple, Major Publishers Sued Over E-Book Pricing

The Department of Justice is accusing the companies of colluding to raise ebook prices by using the 'agency' model of ebook pricing. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2012-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E-book landscape shifts as DoJ rocks agency model

The future of the agency model looks uncertain this evening (11th April) after three giant US... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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U.S. Sues Apple, Publishers Over E-Book Pricing

The U.S. filed an antitrust lawsuit Wednesday against Apple Inc. and five of the nation's largest publishers, alleging they conspired to limit competition for the pricing of ebooks. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2012-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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DOJ Files E-book Price Fixing Lawsuit Against Apple

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple and five book publishers for alleged ebook price fixing the Wall Street Journal... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2012-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Reports: Apple Could Face Federal E-Book Suit Today

The Department of Justice may file a suit against Apple today over ebook price-fixing complaints, according to reports from Reuters and Bloomberg. The DOJ has been probing antitrust complaints regarding Apple's 2010 pacts with  book publishers; several of the biggest publishers are preparing to... Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2012-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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US Sues Apple and Publishers Over e-Book Prices

The US accuses Apple and Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Simon and Schuster and Penguin of colluding over the prices of ebooks they sell. This lawsuit is over the firms' move to the agency model where publishers rather than sellers set price ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Candlelit readings to be held for World Book Night

  This year's volunteer givers for World Book Night (23rd April) are being encouraged... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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10 most challenged books on the American Library Association's 2011 list

The 'ttyl' series by Lauren Myracle and 'The Color of Earth' by Kim Dong Hwa top the 2011 rankings of most challenged books. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Yale Publishing Course Aims to Expand Publishing’s International Scope, and Enhance Digital Monetization

Yale’s summer publishing course is entering its third year. The course offers publishing professionals an opportunity to learn industry strategies for expanding a brand’s scope and monetizing digital products. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2012-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The misunderstood 'digital native' has a two-minute attention span

There have been quite a few studies aimed at figuring out what makes the so-called "digital native" (i.e. children of the 90's who have had Web access and mobile technology their entire lives) tick. Most of them arrive at some disparaging conclusion or other: "Digital natives are slow to pick up... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2012-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Will Review Kindle Newspaper Submission After All

Days after it told one publisher it had indefinitely suspended the programme to approve its Kindle newspaper edition submission, Amazon has suddenly relented. Last week, Scotland’s Herald & Times Group grumbled publicly that, after tw ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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