Amazon Recruits Comedians, Engineers for Expanding Audio Service

Amazon.com Inc. is ramping up its investment in podcasts and other radio-style shows to expand the types of programming it offers via Audible, the audio book company it acquired in 2008.Audible has recruited well-known comedians, along with radio and podcast producers for the initiative, and job postings suggest a significant global push. Maria Bamford and Jonathan Katz are taping episodes of "Bedtime Stories," a show in which comedians rewrite fairy tales, according to their manager Bruce Smith.Entertainment plays a crucial role in Amazon's effort to push beyond its core business of selling books, laundry detergent and televisions online. The Seattle-based company's original films and TV shows have won critical acclaim and helped increase the appeal of its $99-a-year Prime service, which includes delivery discounts along with video and music streaming. Audible has more than 250,000 audio programs including books and plays, with downloads available for iPhones, Androids and other smartphone systems. Continue reading at AdAge.com Continue reading at 'Advertising Age'

[ Advertising Age | 2016-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Influential Krugman says Amazon 'hurts America'

Prominent New York Times columnist Paul Krugman has criticized Amazon for using its power in ways that “hurt America”. The Nobel Prize-winning economist, who has been described as The Times’ “most heralded” columnist, used a piece in the newspaper yesterday (19th October) to argue that Amazon... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-10-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Paul Krugman: 'Amazon Has Too Much Power'

'New York Times' columnist and Nobel prize-winning economist Paul Krugman wades into the Amazon/Hachette dispute, declaring that Amazon 'has too much power.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #paul krugman #amazon/hachette dispute


S&S to Go Agency With Amazon

As Hachette continues its stalemate with Amazon over ebook sales terms, Simon & Schuster has reached a new agreement with the e-tailer. Among other things, the new deal will allow S&S to set the prices on its ebooks, marking a return to the agency model. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #agency model #simon schuster


Tamblyn takes to Twitter to give his views on Amazon

Kobo’s president has launched a Twitter tirade about why indie authors should beware of Amazon’s supplier negotiation tactics. Michael Tamblyn, president and chief content officer of the Canada-based ebook company, took to social media today (17th October) to warn self-published authors in 32... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-10-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #indie authors #michael tamblyn


Publishers React to Amazon's Pop-Up Stores

Recent news that Amazon is getting into bricks and mortar retail, with plans for two California pop-up stores, has gotten people in publishing talking. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishers react #recent news


Will you discover a great unpublished book through Amazon?

The new Kindle Scout program has the average reader voting the books that should be published. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-10-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon's Crowdsourcing Program Gets a Name

Kindle Scout is now taking submissions for titles in romance, mystery and thriller, and science fiction and fantasy genres. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle scout #science fiction


Frankfurt Book Fair 2014: How to Outcompete Amazon? Think 'Reader'

Chris Kubica argues that the book business has so far been too content to put the future of reading in the hands of others, and offers 8 ideas to change that. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book business


Audio Hits the Road

On Labor Day weekend, the Audio Publishers Association kicked off what the organization called its “biggest-ever consumer awareness campaign." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Audio Book Club Goes Wild

To listen to the Audio Book Club discussion of Wild, click the arrow on the player below. Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2014-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Canadian Authors Hit by Hachette-Amazon War

Canadian authors say the Hachette-Amazon fight is hurting U.S. sales, particularly for writers looking to break into the American market. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Frankfurt Book Fair 2014: Apple, Amazon in Race for Mobile Readers

The rise of reading on mobile phones is a hot topic at the Frankfurt Book Fair, but perhaps the most surprising finding of a new survey is that Apple is giving Amazon a run for its money among younger readers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #giving amazon #mobile readers #mobile phones #hot topic #younger readers


Facebook Expands Mobile Ad Net to Make a Run at Google, Yahoo

Facebook's mobile ad network is officially open for business.Five months after the social network formally launched its Audience Network with a small set of app publishers and advertisers, Facebook is opening up the mobile ad network to any media buyer and seller. The company is also adding a... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #media buyer #ad unit #drive traffic #mobile sites #sell ads #le monde


NYT Public Editor Takes on Amazon-HBG Coverage

Coverage of the dispute between Amazon and the Hachette Book Group by the 'New York Times' made its way into the Sunday column of Margaret Sullivan, the paper's public editor. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-06 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 ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #investigate amazon #expressing concern #retail giant #ebook terms


Amazon Announces Crowdsourced Publishing Program

There’s a new crowdsourced publishing program from Amazon “which is so new that it doesn’t yet have a launch day, URL, or even a name." Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-10-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Americas Authors Guild presses US justice department to get aggressive with Amazon

The literary body, representing 9,000 authors, is calling on the US government to launch a competition investigation into Amazon, following the long-running dispute between the internet retailer and publisher HachetteAmericas Authors Guild has met with the US department of justice to call for an... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-10-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #reach agreement #publishing industry


NEIBA 2014: Booksellers Join Amazon Antitrust Fervor

During the 41st annual New England Booksellers Association annual meeting, talk of Amazon was in the air, specifically about the possibility of an antitrust case against the e-tailer. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google strips down its news service to pacify German publishers

Google has a tumultuous history with the German publishing industry, which has long taken issue with the search giant's indexing of news stories. Starting next week, Google Germany will no longer display summaries and image thumbnails for news... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2014-10-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #news service #news stories #search giant