Amazon, the greedy giant with small publishers in its grip

To sell online, indie publishers must use Amazon. But its methods leave them out of pocket – or out of sight, paying hidden charges, says the founder of Linen Press Indie publishers need transparency and support from online companies that sell their books. Amazon fails such publishers on both counts. Ostensibly, it offers two ways of selling, but only one – the costly Amazon Advantage – does the job. So, in effect, Amazon offers no choice at all, since the successful sales method is financially prohibitive. The cheaper, more confusing marketing option disadvantages small publishers by making them less visible on Amazon and landing them with hidden problems and costs. Related: Amazon's profits are small publishers' losses Related: Amazon is not the small publisher's enemy We’re down to a profit of 60p. But after the author's royalty, we're in minus figures Related: My week as an Amazon insider Our authors expect us to sell on Amazon, but they don't always know the full and hidden story Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2015-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #small publishers #indie publishers #online companies #small publisher

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Competition or Cooperation? News Publishers Turn to Their Neighbors

Participants at the African Media Leaders Forum in Dakar, Senegal, today heard how twinning partnerships between African newspapers, and newspapers elsewhere, are leading the way to developing successful business strategies and strengthening financia ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-11-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A True Princess of the Publishing Industry

Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi founded the Emirates Publishers Association and pushed for it to become a full member of the IPA. Here, she explains it was so important. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2012-11-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishing industry


A Small World: The Global E-Book Market Expands

The rise of easy-to-use ebook publishing platforms that distribute globally, the inherent speed of digital publishing, and the low cost and ever-rising demand for ebooks in both the developing world, as well as from developed but remote economies like Australia, offer the potential of vibrant... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-11-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital publishing #low cost #developing world #revenue streams


November Top BlueInk Reviews of Self Published Books

This month's starred reviews of self-published books includes a SF mystery set in dystopia where people live in domed cities and a memoir of Mexican immigration to the US. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2012-11-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #published books #starred reviews #people live


Can Bricks-and-Mortar Bookstores Win a Price War with Amazon?

Australia's Bookworld has guaranteed that it will beat Amazon and other online competitors' prices by 10%. But are they risking losing too much profit? Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2012-11-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #beat amazon #price war #online competitors


Amazon Kindle Paperwhite update optimizes your Manga mania, offers quicker settings

Amazon is on the cusp of launching the complete Kindle line in Japan, so it's only right that the online retailer fine-tune its firmware for local reading habits. A new version 5.3.0 update for the Kindle Paperwhite puts much of that focus on Manga, introducing options to fit the stylized comics... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-11-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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DC selling digital comics through Apple, Amazon, Barnes & Noble

In a move that could provide a boost to the small but growing digital comic book business, DC Comics has signed deals to sell comics through online stores owned by Apple, Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-11-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Cuts Japanese Kindle Price; Sony’s eBookstore Again on iOS

Amazon lowered the price of its Japanese Kindle Paperwhite to 100 dollars, matching the price of the recently announced Kobo Glo, while Sony's ebookstore is again on iOS. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2012-11-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Maurice Sendak: “Publishing Is Such an Outrageously Stupid Profession”

The Believer has published an interview with author Maurice Sendak, in which Sendak doesn't hold back his thoughts on the publishing business. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2012-11-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon to win ebook tussle with Apple

European Union regulators are to end a US antitrust probe into ebook prices by accepting an offer by Apple and four publishers to ease price restrictions on Amazon, two sources said on Tuesday. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2012-11-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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EU regulators to accept Apple and book publishers' offer of cheaper ebooks

According to Reuters, EU regulators look likely to accept an offer from Apple and a handful of publishers, including Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Hachette Livre and Macmillan. The assembled publishers propose that they will allow retailers (including Amazon) to sell ebooks cheaper than... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-11-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Prime flaunts a monthly price tag, now offers streaming and two day shipping for $7.99 per month

Amazon Prime's trifecta of two-day shipping, instant media streaming and monthly Kindle book rentals just became a little more consumer friendly at a slightly higher price. As a Hacking Netflix reader recently noticed, Amazon is now inviting users to buy into Prime for $7.99 a month, bringing... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-11-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kobo Mini review: does the world need a small e-reader?

More Info Hands-on with Kobo's Glo and Mini e-readers (video) Kobo Glo review: another illuminated e-reader lights up the market Amazon Kindle Paperwhite review While tablet and smartphone manufacturers battled it out over screen sizes, e-reader makers seem to have settled on an... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2012-11-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Independent booksellers refuse to stock Amazon titles

First Barnes & Noble, then Indigo Books and Music and Books-A-Million – now some indie bookstores are choosing not to add Amazon-published titles to their bookshelves. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-11-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Carlos Fuentes’s Last Novel to be Published Posthumously

Spanish publishing house Alfaguara will publish Mexican author Carlos Fuentes's last novel, Federico en Su Balcon, posthumously later this week. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2012-11-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In Japan, Kindle May Finally Push Publishers Into E-books

Like Kobo, Amazon's Japan ebookstore is hampered by limited title selection, but the recent launch will motivate publishers to finally digitize their catalogs. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2012-11-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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FastStats: Publishing Industry Statistics You Can Use

There's No Place Like Home The great promise of mobile is that it is… mobile, which is why we hear so much about the potential for reaching audiences anytime and anywhere with stuff like location-based advertising. According to... Continue reading at Publishing Executive

[ Publishing Executive | 2012-11-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Korea’s Moglue Offers Interactive Publishing Tools for Kids Books

By Dennis Abrams Want to create and publish an interactive children’s book but don’t have a lot of technical expertise?  Now there’s help. New York  ...  Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2012-11-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon targeted in ethics campaign

A consumer campaign targeting Amazon for “abusing” its power as a market leader is... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-11-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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UK publishers caught up in Sandy chaos

American publishers say they are "carrying on" despite the devastation wreaked by... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-10-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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