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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First It Was Books. Now Amazon Has Frozen Warner Bros. DVD Pre-Orders

Amazon's war on content providers has apparently opened up another front. While the online behemoth is still embroiled in a dispute with Hachette that has led to the removal of the ability to pre-order that publisher's titles on the site, it now seems upcoming DVD and Blu-ray releases from... Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2014-06-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #content providers #online behemoth


Tracking Amazon: '10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse' Bests 'Hard Choices'

After J.J. Smith's appearance on the "Steve Harvey Show," the author's "10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse," published in February, moved from #42 to #2 on Amazon's bestseller list, pushing Hillary Clinton's memoir down to #3. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tracking amazon #hard choices #bestseller list


Google Play to expand ebook offering to 13 new countries

Google Play is soon to make ebooks available in 13 more countries around the world. The company... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-06-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #google play #make ebooks


Hachette reveals Amazon digital sales share

Amazon has a 78% market share of Hachette Livre ebook titles in the UK and a 60% share in the US... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harper Voyager Expands Digital-First Publishing

HarperCollins science fiction and fantasy imprint Harper Voyager is ramping up its Voyager Impulse digital-first line with plans to launch 31 original ebook titles beginning this summer and on through winter 2015. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stephen Colbert has some choice words for Amazon (+video)

In a recent episode of his show, Colbert discussed the dispute between Amazon and publisher Hachette which has caused some books, including his own, to be delayed or unavailable to customers. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #stephen colbert #choice words #recent episode #colbert discussed #publisher hachette


Indie booksellers join Hachette's battle with Amazon

Shops launch 'I didn't buy it on Amazon' sticker campaign, rallying customers and authors including JK RowlingIndependent booksellers in America are weighing into the dispute between Amazon and Hachette with a series of banners telling potential customers "Thanks, Amazon, the indies will take it... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Is Amazon Really the Devil?

The Amazon-Hachette dispute is a lot more nuanced than has been portrayed in much of the coverage. The retailing giant has its (sometimes anonymous) defenders in the publishing industry, and Hachette has its critics. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #amazon-hachette dispute #publishing industry


The Audio Book Club Reads Americanah

This month, Dan Kois, Jamelle Bouie, and Emily Bazelon discuss Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s novel about two Nigerians who migrate west: Ifemelu to America, and Obinze to London. Is the romance between these two star-crossed lovers convincing? Do the novel’s sharp-edged takes on race in... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2014-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #dan kois #blog posts


Colbert Declares War on Amazon: Watch the Clip

Our Clip of the Week comes to you in the form of two back-to-back segments from Wednesday night's "The Colbert Report," in which Stephen Colbert first outlines the ongoing battle between Amazon and the Hachette Book Group over ebook pricing, and then, together with his guest, National Book... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #wednesday night #ongoing battle #ebook pricing #hardball tactics #edan lepucki


Stephen Colbert has some choice words for Amazon

In a recent episode of his show, Colbert discussed the dispute between Amazon and publisher Hachette which has caused some books, including his own, to be delayed or unavailable to customers. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #stephen colbert #choice words #recent episode #colbert discussed #publisher hachette


Tracking The Amazon-Hachette Response

The Amazon-Hachette dispute has dominated conversation in both the industry and the wider culture for the past month. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #amazon-hachette dispute #wider culture #past month


E-book Subscription Service for Christian Books Launched

Entitle Books, an ebook subscription service, has launched Entitle Christian, devoted exclusively to Christian books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #christian books


Hachette lays off 3% of staff amid book prices row with Amazon

US publisher will cut staff as 'cost-saving initiative' while row with Amazon continues to hamper ability to sell booksHachette, the multinational book publisher embroiled in a public spat with Amazon, announced that it will be laying off about 3% of its staff on Thursday."Today, we had to make... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book publisher #changing marketplace #future growth


Publishers may hate Amazon, but the retailer may be helping us read more books

Amazon.com's negotiations with publisher Hachette Books Group have sparked a wave of anger toward the e-commerce giant from authors and readers alike. Several authors and analysts have spoken out, saying Amazon is a threat to traditional publishers. Perhaps. But whatever is going on in the... Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal

[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2014-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hate amazon #traditional publishers #e-commerce giant


The war on Amazon is Big Publishing's 1% moment. What about other writers? | Barry Eisler

More people are buying more books than ever, and more people are making a living by writing them. Why do millionaire authors want to destroy the one company that's made this all possible?As an author of ten novels legacy-published, self-published, and Amazon-published I'm bewildered by the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #strange things #legacy publishers #net worth


ABA Thanks Amazon

The Amazon contract dispute with Hachette has given the ABA the chance to create signs touting indie bookstores as retailers that carry all publishers' titles. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon releases statement on Hachette dispute

Amazon said of its delays on and lack of availability of Hachette titles, 'Unfortunately, despite much work from both sides, we have been unable to reach mutually-acceptable agreement on terms.... we are not optimistic that this will be resolved soon.' Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hachette dispute #hachette titles


Amazon: Hachette dispute may not be solved quickly

Amazon and Hachette are reportedly at odds over terms for ebook prices, at a time when Amazon is in a position of strength and vulnerability. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hachette dispute #ebook prices


Tracking Amazon: 'Special Heart' Skyrockets

Bret Baier‘s book about the challenges his family faced caring for his son, who was born with congenital heart defects, "Special Heart: A Journey of Faith, Hope, Courage, and Love," rose from 504,703 on Amazon's bestseller list to 143 on Tuesday afternoon, a 352,839% increase. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tracking amazon #bestseller list #tuesday afternoon