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 ]
News tagged with: #selling books #laundry detergent #tv shows #music streaming

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Authors choose sides in the duel between Amazon and Hachette (+video)

Some 'old guard' authors are joining forces in a letter criticizing Amazon, even as a cluster of self-published authors is rallying around Amazon, charging that traditional publishers like Hachette mistreat authors and readers. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon's battle with Hachette is a fight for readers, writers and retailers | Hugh Howey

As things stand, Hachette is making ebook discounts impossible, and almost everybody else stands to lose, writes Hugh HoweyNews: New Amazon terms amount to 'assisted suicide' for book industry, experts claimHow much should an ebook cost? And how should that money be split? These two questions... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Binc Foundation Expands Assistance

Booksellers can now apply for aid to prevent homelessness and to pay for funeral costs. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Five Finalists Named in Amazon Novel Contest

The judges have winnowed down 10,000 entries to the top five. Consumers vote on the grand prize winner from today through July 18. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Zuckerberg: Basic Internet should be as universal as 911 service

Mark Zuckerberg sees the Internet as a vital service that should be made available to everyone across the world—a service that can be as vital as, say, the ability to call for emergency help on a telephone. In an editorial published Monday in The Wall Street Journal, the Facebook chief outlined... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2014-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors choose sides in the duel between Amazon and Hachette

Some 'old guard' authors are joining forces in a letter criticizing Amazon, even as a cluster of self-published authors is rallying around Amazon, charging that traditional publishers like Hachette mistreat authors and readers. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #self-published authors #joining forces #traditional publishers


Sudan security service confiscates copies of newspaper

Copies of the Sudanese daily newspaper Al-Tayyar were confiscated by the country's security service on Saturday (5 July).The privately owned newspaper had only been allowed to resume publication last month after it was suspended in June 2012 for publishing a series of investigative articles on... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Malcolm Gladwell, Meet Amazon's VP of Fulfillment

As the gulf between Amazon and Hachette widens in their publisher-versus-retailer heavyweight fight, frustrated authors caught in the middle have begun to weigh in—some in better spirits than others. In the spoof video above, Outliers author Malcolm Gladwell meets with Amazon's vice president of... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2014-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Derbyshire faces cuts to library service

Libraries in Derbyshire could see staffing reduced and opening hours slashed as the county... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors taking sides in Amazon-Hachette dispute

One one side are established authors including Stephen King, John Grisham and James Patterson. On the other side are self-published authors. They're taking sides in the weeks-old dispute between Amazon.com Inc. and Hachette Book Group. King, Grisham and Patterson have signed their names to a... Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal

[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2014-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon speaks – finally – about its dispute with publisher Hachette

Amazon senior vice president of Kindle content Russ Grandinetti told The Wall Street Journal that Amazon is acting 'in the long term interest of our customers.' Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Indie Authors, Readers Show Support for Amazon

More than a thousand readers have signed a petition in support of Amazon in its dispute with Hachette. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors Pen Open Letter to Amazon About Hachette Dispute

Two weeks ago bestselling author Douglas Preston began quietly circulating a letter to other writers that encourages readers to write to Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Indie authors launch pro-Amazon petition

A second petition about the Amazon Hachette dispute has been launched - this time a pro-Amazon... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Goes to the WSJ to Defend Itself

In the WSJ, Amazon's Russ Grandinetti 'defended the company against criticism that it is using its growing clout in electronic books to bully a major publisher.' Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-07-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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EIBF backs German publishers in Amazon complaint

The European and International Booksellers Federation has supported the German Publishers... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kensington Expands Distribution Deal With PRH

After many years as a distribution-only client of Penguin, Kensington Publishing has inked an expanded sales and distribution agreement with the newly combined Penguin Random Publisher Services, the Penguin Random House distribution unit. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As Amazon slugs it out with the big publishers, authors are left cowering | Adam Fletcher & Paul Hawkins

And whoever comes out on top, you can bet the poor old writer won't be any better offA few weeks ago, we published a book called Denglisch for Better Knowers, a (hopefully) humorous book about how the English language could be improved by taking new words and concepts from German. Like "ear... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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FEP probes Amazon pressure throughout Europe

The Federation of European Publishers (FEP) is surveying its 28 members to assess whether they... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-06-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pubs could deliver more future library services

More library services could be delivered in local pubs and shops according to the chair of a... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-06-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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