Amazon's updated e-book return policy looks like a big win for authors

Anyone who has been taking advantage of Amazon's liberal return policy regarding e-books could soon be in for a shock. That's because following discussions with the Authors Guild, Amazon has agreed to block automatic returns on digital books that are more than 10 percent read. Currently, the problem for authors on Amazon is that customers can return e-books online anytime within seven days of purchase no matter how much content has been consumed. That means if you can you read a book in less than a week, you can simply return it when you're done for free, resulting in a loss of profits for the author. However, under the new policy which is scheduled to go into effect sometime before the end of the year, Amazon will begin blocking automatic returns on e-books that are more than 10 read, which will then need to be reviewed by a representative to ensure that the return is genuine. The Authors Guild says the goal is to create a deterrent for people who abuse Amazon's current policy and to prevent people from treating Amazon's e-book marketplace as an ersatz library. Issues with Amazon's e-book return policy date back more than a decade, but had recently come under fire again after lifehacks about the company's guidelines began circulating online. And according to NPR, in some cases, abuse of the company's return policy even resulted in some authors having negative earnings balances, which typically happened when customers returned an e-book after the creator had been paid out... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2022-09-23 19:10:20 UTC ]

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Pandemic drives ebook and audiobook sales by UK publishers to all-time high

Printed book sales plunge in first six months of 2020 on back of shop and school closuresSee all our coronavirus coverageSales of digital books by British publishers are set to hit an all-time high this year as the public turns to reading to escape pandemic cabin fever.However, the ebook and... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-11-14 07:00:02 UTC ]
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S&S Has Gains in Sales, Earnings in Q3

With sales of both print and digital books rising in the third quarter, revenue at Simon & Schuster increased 28.5% over the quarter ended September 30, 2109, and profits were up 5.5%. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-11-06 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Bookstat: Cavanagh's reign continues

Steve Cavanagh’s Fifty-Fifty (Orion) has once again reigned atop the Bookstat e-book top 10 for the week ending 24th October, with Martina Cole’s No Mercy (Headline) holding firm in the runner-up spot for a second week running. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-29 03:52:52 UTC ]
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Online sales push Bloomsbury to best first-half since 2008

Bloomsbury Publishing has delivered its highest first half earnings since 2008, as "signficantly higher” online book sales and e-book revenues led to year-on-year profit growth of 60% to £4m in the six months ended 31st August 2020. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-26 15:50:49 UTC ]
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Bookstat chart: Fifty-Fifty shoots Cavanagh to the summit

Steve Cavanagh’s Fifty-Fifty (Orion) beat the odds to top the Bookstat e-book top 10 for the week ending 10th October. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-15 02:37:30 UTC ]
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Bookstat chart: Ford steers into pole position

Martyn Ford’s Every Missing Thing (Thomas & Mercer) zipped straight to the top of the Bookstat e-book top 10 for the week ending 3rd October. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-07 19:45:45 UTC ]
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Publishers Worry as Ebooks Fly off Libraries' Virtual Shelves

Checkouts of digital books from a popular service are up 52 percent since March. Publishers say their easy availability hurts sales. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2020-10-01 11:00:00 UTC ]
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London Library offer e-book loans for first time

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[ The Bookseller | 2020-09-28 00:23:57 UTC ]
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Bookstat chart: Osman on point as Thursday Murder Club rockets to the top

Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club (Penguin) has charted top of the Bookstat e-book top 10 in its second week on sale, rising from third to score an across-formats double, after its hardback claimed the UK Official Top 50 number one through Nielsen BookScan's TCM.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-09-16 21:50:09 UTC ]
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Judge Issues Sweeping Order Against E-book Piracy Operation

A federal judge in Washington has issued a preliminary injunction against a major e-book piracy operation known as the KISS Library, after the operators of the site failed to show up at a hearing or to file any response to a lawsuit filed in July by the Authors Guild, Amazon Publishing, Penguin... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-09-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
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BrandPost: Why Can’t Smart Home Device Security be Smarter?

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[ PC World | 2020-08-25 16:57:00 UTC ]
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Avon takes two more Amanda Robson thrillers

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[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-25 09:13:08 UTC ]
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Publishing Leaders Issuing Warning over Amazon’s Market Power

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-08-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
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US publishing bodies protest against Amazon tactics

Key trade bodies in the US – the Association of American Publishers, the Authors Guild and the American Booksellers Association – have sent a letter to Capitol Hill to protest against "anti-competitive tactics" which they say give Amazon "extraordinary" market dominance in the digital books market. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-17 13:53:48 UTC ]
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Audible Charts: Midnight Sun strikes the top

Stephenie Meyer's Midnight Sun (Hachette) has scored a hat-trick across formats in the UK, adding an Audible number one to its print and e-book chart top spots. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-13 13:07:33 UTC ]
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Bookstat charts: Twilight dawns on e-book fans

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[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-13 05:27:15 UTC ]
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Bookstat chart: Third week at the top for Rankin's House of Lies

Ian Rankin's In a House of Lies (Orion) has spent a third week running as the Bookstat e-book number one. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-30 06:45:44 UTC ]
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Bookstat chart: Rankin's House party continues

Ian Rankin’s In a House of Lies (Orion) has taken out a mortgage in the Bookstat e-book chart number one spot, reigning for a second week running. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-22 19:28:58 UTC ]
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Bookstat chart: Rankin ranks in number one

Ian Rankin’s In a House of Lies (Orion) hit the roof of the Bookstat e-book chart, flying straight into the number one spot for the week ending 11th July. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-15 18:28:01 UTC ]
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May Publishing Sales Fell 12.1%

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-07-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
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