Amazon's Russell Grandinetti: Kindle champ takes on the books trade | Observer profile

Why are some of the world's most widely read authors now at daggers drawn with Amazon? The answer lies in Jeff Bezos's chief lieutenant, now the most powerful man in publishingEarlier this year, Amazon threw a party at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to celebrate the launch of Alpha House, a political comedy TV series. It was an important moment for CEO, Jeff Bezos, signalling the global retailing giant's push into creating entertainment. Bezos's laugh pierced through the social din and his executives laughed along with him.But in less than six months, Amazon's mood has soured. Initiatives designed to establish the loss-making firm as a creative powerhouse have stumbled. The most bruising, an effort to push further into online book publishing, has pitched the book industry against the retailer it depends upon. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-08-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #important moment #book industry

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Dulwich Books invests in 'modern' redesign

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Tue, 01/03/2011 - 15:06 Dulwich Books has invested nearly £10,000 on a revamp to increase book space and create a new area for events. The owner Sheila O’Reilly said the redesign made her books more accessible for customers to buy and browse and she... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Media Decoder: A Limit on Lending E-Books

Beginning in March, ebooks from HarperCollins may be lent by public libraries only 26 times before the license expires. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Move over iPad, Kindle is coming to an AT&T store near you

By Joe Wilcox, Betanews Today, AT&T announced that, starting March 6, it will carry Amazon's Kindle reader in its retail stores nationwide. Timing is interesting, given iPad 2's imminent launch and Apple App Store subscription changes that could compel Amazon to curtail or even stop... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2011-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Retailers finalise World Book Night plans

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 24/02/2011 - 09:42 Final preparations are underway for a medley of events planned to celebrate World Book Night, with independent and national retailers planning to host author readings, quizzes and book swaps. On 5th March, 20,000 participants... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Trade looks forward with "excitement" in Egypt

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Wed, 23/02/2011 - 14:23 Booksellers and publishers in Egypt are re-opening their doors with "excitement about a new era in publishing" after the country’s revolution. Some publishers and booksellers became targets after supporters of the former... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Michael O'Mara to publish book on sitcom pioneers

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Mon, 21/02/2011 - 08:47 Michael O'Mara has acquired an anthology about the writers of "Hancock's Half Hour" and "Steptoe and Son", dubbed "the fathers of the British sitcom". Commissioning editor Kate Moore bought world rights with Elly James of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Indies could earn as much as 30% from books sold via Gardners' Hive

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Fri, 18/02/2011 - 16:30 Book wholesaler Gardners has begun consulting with independent booksellers over the direction of its consumer website, with one option revealing that booksellers could earn as much as 30% when books are sold at their full RRP.... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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OverDrive Library E-book Reader Now Optimized for IPad

OverDrive Media Console--the iPhone app that lets users check out and read ebooks from their local libraries--has been upgraded to a universal app optimized for... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google One Pass gives back what Apple's iPad subscription plan takes away

By Joe Wilcox, Betanews Well, that didn't take long. One day after Apple dropped its subscription plan bomb on suspicious publishers, Google officially countered with One Pass. Google strips out the onerous restrictions Apple imposes. It's a brilliant marketing response, and aptly timed with new... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2011-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple move raises doubts over Kindle app

Written By: Philip Jones Publication Date: Wed, 16/02/2011 - 07:33 Apple's decision to grab a revenue share from ebook purchases made via apps raises questions over the future of Amazon's Kindle app, according to media reports. As The Bookseller reported yesterday, the FT notes that Apple is... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Atwood takes stage at TOC and tells publishers to keep feeding their authors

Written By: Philip Jones Publication Date: Wed, 16/02/2011 - 07:06 Author Margaret Atwood used her Tools of Change keynote speech to warn the industry not to eliminate authors, and make sure they are paid enough to "pay for the cheese sandwiches". read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Daily Telegraph votes The Book Hive best indie in Britain

Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Tue, 15/02/2011 - 08:49 The Book Hive in Norwich has been voted the best bookshop in Britain, according to a Daily Telegraph survey. More than 18,000 people voted across 10 categories in a bid to find the best small shops in Britain. The awards,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kindle App Update Adds Real Page Numbers

Kindle 2.6 for iPhone and iPad now displays "real page numbers," which Amazon has been adding to a large number of ebooks available from the Kindle Store. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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British Bookshops to cease trading within a month

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Tue, 15/02/2011 - 17:04 All remaining 28 British Bookshops and Stationers stores will shut up shop within a month, unless a last-minute deal can be made with any interested parties. The programme of closure will begin over the next week, with around... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperCollins Children's Books acquires four

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Mon, 14/02/2011 - 17:21 HarperCollins Childrens Books publishing director Helen Mackenzie Smith has bought her first books since joining the publisher from Random House earlier this year. She bought four books by picture author and illustrator Rachel... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Government may take direct control of libraries

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Mon, 14/02/2011 - 08:39 The government may take direct control of libraries if councils are overzealous in closures. The Sunday Times, quoting Whitehall sources, said the government is concerned some communities, particularly rural ones, may end up... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Pitfalls of E-Book Buying: What to Look Out for Before You Purchase

Easy downloads and convenient storage are the chief lures of a virtual library, but ownership has some irritating downsides that require your attention before you hit the ebook purchase button. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Beautiful Books acquires two "major" autumn titles

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 10/02/2011 - 08:00 Beautiful Books has acquired two "major" non-fiction titles for autumn 2011, with one revisiting Orwell's Wigan Pier and another looking at one of the first people to recognise the Young British Artists (YBA). Publisher... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Dominic Kingston to leave Macmillan Children's Books

Publication Date: Thu, 10/02/2011 - 07:55 Senior publicity manager Dominic Kingston is to leave Macmillan Children's Books (MCB) at the end of April. Kingston has been with the publisher since 2005, when he joined as publicity manager. Lauren Ace will join the team as publicity manager on 7th... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon.com launches Kindle app for WebOS

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 10/02/2011 - 07:56 Amazon.com has launched a free Kindle app for webOS to use with the new HP TouchPad. The app allows customers to "buy once, read everywhere" across other devices such as Kindle, iPad, iPod touch, Blackberry and iPhone. Dorothy... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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