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 seem to be at the centre of a debate ripping through the publishing industry. How this debate plays out could have lasting repercussions for readers, writers, publishers, and booksellers.The debate arose as negotiations between Hachette Book Group one of the largest publishers in the world and Amazon, the largest book retailer in the world, began to falter. By all accounts, the sticking point is over who controls the price of digital books. It isn't the first time this clash has occurred over the very same issue. In 2010, Hachette was one of the five publishers that worked with Apple to raise the price of ebooks and force digital retailers onto a new profit model. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #ebook cost #publishing industry #sticking point #digital books

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Amazon's battle with Hachette is a fight for readers, writers and retailers | Hugh Howey'

Amazon Unveils Its MatchBook Print-and-Kindle Combo Deal

Amazon today launched the MatchBook program it announced last month, which lets owners of select print books bought on Amazon get the Kindle ebook versions for $2.99 or cheaper. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2013-10-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #amazon unveils

Publishing Executive Larry Kirshbaum to Leave Amazon

One of Amazon.com Inc.'s top book publishing executives, Laurence Kirshbaum, will leave early next year, Amazon said, a sign of the difficulties the retailer has had in establishing itself as a major book publisher. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2013-10-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #laurence kirshbaum

Amazon's top NY publishing exec to depart

Amazon Publishing, which launched a general-interest book publishing operation in New York two and a half years ago, is losing its top executive here.Seattle-based Amazon announced Friday that the head of its general-interest publishing division, Larry Kirshbaum, would leave the company Jan. 17... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2013-10-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #scaled back #big advances #barnes noble #joint venture #scaling back #ebook format

Amazon Publishing will get new publisher, based in Seattle

Amazon Publishing will have a new leader when publisher Larry Kirshbaum leaves on Jan. 17 and is replaced by Daphne Durham. Durham will be based in Seattle — not the New York office. She has served as editor in chief and has already taken over responsibility for adult trade books and children’s... Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal

[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2013-10-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #daphne durham #amazon publishing #york office #half years

Books in Browsers IV: The Rise of the Reader

At Books in Browsers 2013, the summit kicked off with several discussions about how readers, both as consumers and creators of content, are transforming the book publishing industry. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-10-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #browsers iv

Amazon Publishing confirms Kirshbaum exit

Amazon publishing editor Larry Kirshbaum is leaving the company early next year and returning to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-10-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |

Pew Research Center Reports Increases in Tablet and E-Reader Ownership

A study by the Pew Internet Project released on October 18 shows new information on the pervasiveness of tablets and smartphones in U.S. homes. The study compiled information received from 6,224 phone interviews across The Nation from ages 16 and up. According to results, tablet ownership has... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2013-10-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |

Amazon Has Big Sales Gain, Small Loss

Total revenue at Amazon increased 24%, to $17.09 billion, in the third quarter of 2013 while its operating loss was $25 million, down from $28 million in the third quarter of 2012. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-10-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #small loss #total revenue #operating loss #$25 million #$28 million

Readers rally to protest online censorship of erotic books

Online booksellers like Amazon and Kobo have begun banning self-published titles featuring themes like incest and bestiality. But now, some readers complain, other erotic titles are disappearing as well. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-10-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #online booksellers

With Readers Still Willing to Pay, Is Publishing Catching a Break?

In the New Republic, Evan Hughes argues that the book business has fared far better than music, movies and other media in sustaining its value to consumers. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-10-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book business

Digital Publishers Are Fighting the Shift to Programmatic

Are digital sellers undermining the move to automated buying? For a long time, online publishers have worried that the shift to programmatic would undercut their premium business. Some have even created their own private exchanges and are c ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-10-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital publishers #long time #online publishers #private exchanges

Amazon removes abuse-themed ebooks

Amazon removes abuse-themed ebooks from its Kindle Store after a report highlights titles depicting rape, incest and bestiality. Continue reading at BBC World

[ BBC World | 2013-10-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle store

How Jeff Bezos Crushed Diapers.com So Amazon Could Buy Diapers.com

Tales of ruthlessness in leadership and competition from Bloomberg Businessweek journalist Brad Stone's new book about Amazon. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2013-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |

Frankfurt Book Fair 2013: Post-Amazon, Goodreads Still a Place for Book Lovers

Director of author marketing, Pat Brown, spoke about how the company remains, even after being acquired by Amazon, a place for authors and their fans. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-10-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book lovers #company remains

Candid Facts from Amazon’s Russ Grandinetti

At the Frankfurt Book Fair, VP of Kindle Content, Russ Grandinetti, shared some numbers about consumer usage of Kindle ebooks around the world. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #russ grandinetti #kindle content #kindle ebooks

Dohle tells Frankfurt of Amazon 'co-operation'

Penguin Random House c.e.o. Markus Dohle has told the Frankfurt Book Fair that the relationship... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #markus dohle

Amazon Matchmaker mashes cheap Audible audiobooks with Kindle ebooks

And even better, Amazon's Whispersync technology picks up where you left off no matter whether you're reading, listening, or mixing the two. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2013-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle ebooks

KODAK Stream Inkjet Technology Helps News UK Increase Reader Engagement

News UK (formerly News International) installed a new KODAK PROSPER S30 Imprinting System, bringing the total to 22 PROSPER S30s installed by the British newspaper publisher, a wholly owned subsidiary of News Corp. The current publisher ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #news uk #current publisher

Andrew Wylie criticizes Amazon's 'megalomania' in the New Republic

Andrew Wiley argues that Amazon has entered the business of print publishing to mislead the Department of Justice into thinking it's something other than a digital distribution monopoly.Andrew Wiley, the megawatt literary agent publishing insiders know by the longstanding sobriquet “the Jackal,”... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2013-10-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishing business #print publishing #laura bennett