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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Amazon opens up Kindle Worlds Store, for all your licensed fan fic needs

Come on now, why are you wasting your time here, when you could be reading some Gossip Girl fan fic? Roughly a month after announcing its licensed character publishing platform, Amazon has taken the wraps off of Kindle Worlds. The site currently offers up 50-plus commissioned stories based on... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-06-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #amazon opens #source link #kindle worlds #vampire diaries #gossip girl #fan fiction


Fair Play? French Want to End Amazon’s Free Book Delivery

The French government announced a plan to introduce a law to stop Amazon from offering discounts and free delivery for books, citing it as "unfair" competitive practice. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-06-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fair play #offering discounts #free delivery


Prague Fair Report: Solidarity with Slovakia, VAT Hike, Amazon is Coming

With Slovakia as guest of honor, Book World Prague offered a gauge of the local book biz, where the recent hike of VAT to 15% has stifled book sales and Amazon is expected to open soon. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-06-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #vat hike


AUDIO: Should adults read children's books?

Jennie Bristow, associate fellow at the University of Kent, says grown-ups read children's books because they feel 'disenchanted with adult culture'. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2013-06-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Anger over authors’ website links to Amazon

Several publishers and authors have told The Bookseller that they are in the process of changing... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-06-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Warning of major threat to Welsh library services

A Welsh council leader has warned that entire local authority library departments could be at... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-06-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Publishing Has First Million Copy Bestseller: What Next?

Amazon Publishing announces that the Hangman's Daughter series is their first million seller. Is it a cause for concern? Celebration? Or merely surprise that it took this long? Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-06-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #amazon publishing


The Audio Book Club on Tenth of December 

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

[ Slate | 2013-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Yahoo Improves Local Lead-Gen Services

As city, regional and specialty titles continue to fight for local business listings and ad dollars, massive web corporations are scaling their ground-level efforts and getting into the mix. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2013-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ad dollars


Apple, Amazon and the Disgruntled Publishers

“They had a relationship that was not positive. You heard a lot of negative things from them.” – Apple media boss Eddy Cue, testifying during the DOJ antitrust trial Monday, describing the way book publishers viewed Amazon, circa 2009 Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2013-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Survey Shows Amazon Leads Japan in Ebook Sales, Apple Already Second

A new survey in Japan shows that Amazon's Kindle is leading the market for ebook sales, with Apple (launched in March) second, followed by Kinokuniya's Kinoppy, Sony's Reader Store and Kobo. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ebook sales


Amazon's bringing its Kindle Fire HD 7, 8.9 to India on June 27th

Having recently rebranded its operations in India under the Amazon name, the retailer announced today that it's launching the Kindle Fire HD 7 and 8.9 there later this month. Due on June 27th, the two tablets will ship for 15,999 ($275) and 21,999 ($380) rupees with access to a reported 1.9... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon's Kindle comes to China: Paperwhite for $138, Fire HD for $244 (16GB) or $293 (32GB)

Amazon launched its Kindle ebook platform into China last Christmas, but locals looking to get their mitts on the company's hardware had to look, ahem, elsewhere. Fortunately for everyone but grey market importers, Amazon has released the non-cellular Paperwhite and the two 7-inch Kindle Fire HD... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #amazon launched #fire hd


Amazon launches Kindle tablet and e-reader in China

After remaining quiet on the hardware front for years, Amazon.com's China business has finally brought the company's Kindle tablet and Kindle e-reader to the country. On Friday, both the Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Paperwhite went on sale through the company's site in the country. The Kindle... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2013-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle software #official launch #overseas markets #mark natkin


Indie publishers debate Amazon and IP

  The dominance of Amazon and the importance of copyright were two key themes of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon's E-Book Deals Were Just as Tough as Apple's

It turns out that Apple isn't the only major ebook retailer that demands "most favored nation" agreements from publishers. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2013-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #favored nation


Making Sense of Marketing Services

For all the activity around “marketing services,” publishers in general still have a lot to learn when setting up a sales operation around this kind of service strategy. The lessons typically center on three core buckets: Culture, market approach and data. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2013-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Is Amazon asking independent bookstores to sell Kindles?

Some independent booksellers say they've received calls from someone claiming to be an Amazon staff member, asking if they'd be interested in selling Kindle e-readers. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #independent bookstores #sell kindles #independent booksellers


Godfray renews government plea on Amazon

Bookseller Association c.e.o Tim Godfray has renewed his calls to the British government to take... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bookseller association #tim godfray #british government


Amazon’s Huge London HQ Says “Publishing Revolves Around Us Now”

Amazon's massive new HQ in historic central London is nothing short of symbolic, and will overshadow neighboring Penguin, Faber, S&S UK, and Bloomsbury. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ss uk