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

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Amazon, the greedy giant with small publishers in its grip'


Conde Nast, Other Publishers Look to Standardize Audience Metrics In Digital Editions

Digital editions, the oft-dubbed “Wild West” of the publishing world, may be charted in the near future. Many publishers are investing large amounts of time and resources to navigating user behavior in tablet editions of magazines, and this data is being used in a variety of ways. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-07-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #conde nast #digital editions #publishing world #tablet editions


Amazon UK launches Textbook Trade-In Programme

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 21/07/2011 - 09:08 Amazon.co.uk has launched a service allowing customers to trade in old textbooks in exchange for gift card credit on their Amazon account. The UK e-retailer is allowing customers to send textbooks to Amazon free-of-charge, but... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #amazon account #allowing customers


Natmag poaches Grazia publisher Ella Dolphin for Cosmo

Ella Dolphin, the publisher of Bauer Media title Grazia, is to join Cosmopolitan as publishing director. Continue reading at Media Week

[ Media Week | 2011-07-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ella dolphin


Amazon Kindle launches textbook rentals

Iniative would allow Kindle users to rent books with up to 80% offAmazon.com launched Kindle textbook rentals, promising "tens of thousands of textbooks" at discounts of as much as 80% less than purchase price on July 18. Continue reading at Baltimore Sun

[ Baltimore Sun | 2011-07-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle users #purchase price


Publishers Association plans second digital survey

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Tue, 19/07/2011 - 17:41 The Publishers Association is launching its second digital survey this year and could introduce a quarterly digital survey by 2012. The trade body said the survey came in response to the "significant growth" in digital sales,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishers association #trade body #significant growth #digital sales #ebook sales #urged publishers


Amazon Tries Taking the Kindle To School, Again, With Textbook Rentals

Amazon, which dominates the ebook market, has stayed out of the electronic textbook market. Until now: The company has opened up a textbook store for its Kindle platform, where it is renting "tens of thousands" of titles for the upcoming school year. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2011-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle platform #textbook rentals #ebook market


Amazon offers US students textbook rental

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Mon, 18/07/2011 - 15:22 Amazon.com is giving students the ability to rent textbooks on Kindle e-readers. The company said students can save up to 80% off textbook prices with the new initiative, which launched today. Kindle Textbook Rental will also... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #amazon offers #kindle e-readers #launched today #academic publishers


Publishers and E-Commerce: Perfect Together

E-commerce is a big opportunity for publishers. “If you talk to the people at Net-A-Porter or the people at Gilt, they say they’re increasingly commerce companies moving into content and I think what you’re going to find is content companies are going to move into commerce,” Hearst Magazines... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #content companies #big opportunity


E-textbooks are destroying the old publishing business model

By Tim Conneally, Betanews The business model behind textbooks is completely out of step with what the market today wants, according to the head of Nature Publishing's digital textbook initiatives. Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2011-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tim conneally #business model #market today


Children's publishing "haemorrhaging talent"

Written By: Caroline Horn Publication Date: Fri, 15/07/2011 - 08:46 The industry is "haemorrhaging talent" as authors and illustrators are finding it increasingly difficult to make a living in the children's sector. Agent Caroline Sheldon said that she estimated that fewer than half of the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #increasingly difficult #big things


Ebury to publish Armistice poetry collection

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 15/07/2011 - 14:29 Ebury is hoping to have unearthed the talents of a new generation of war poets as it publishes a collection of verses, selected by a panel including poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, to coincide with Armistice Day. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Amazon drops price of ad-supported Kindle

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 13/07/2011 - 15:32 Amazon.com has dropped the price of its advertising-heavy Amazon 3G Kindle to $139 (£86.91). Telecoms company AT&T is sponsoring the Kindle with Special Offers, which will include campaigns for customers and sponsored... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #special offers #jeff bezos


Amazon to open new fulfilment centre

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Mon, 11/07/2011 - 08:45 Amazon.co.uk is creating 900 jobs by opening its seventh fulfilment centre in Rugeley, Staffordshire. The 700,000 square foot centre will begin fulfilling orders from September and aims to employ more than 900 permanent and... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fulfilment centre #temporary workers


Publishers seek second half upturn to 2011

Written By: The Bookseller News Team Publication Date: Fri, 08/07/2011 - 14:19 Publishers are optimistic about the next six months, despite a number of big ­houses turning in their worst first half-year Nielsen BookScan TCM sales performances for years, with ebook growth already beginning to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishers seek #publishers put #ebook growth #james daunt


Lock, Stock, and Publisher

Booksellers have the industry connections to publish their books just about anywhere, but for some bookstore owners, self-publishing is preferable to going the traditional route. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bookstore owners


HarperCollins catches Amazon bestsellers

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Fri, 08/07/2011 - 08:27 HarperCollins has bought four books by Louise Voss and Mark Edwards, whose self-published novels have been Amazon bestsellers, in a six-figure, pre-empt deal. Commissioning editor Kate Bradley bought world rights from agent Sam... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #louise voss #mark edwards #self-published novels #pre-empt deal #coleridge white #physical edition


Cinchcast Launches Audio Platform Cloud Solution for Digital Publishers

Cinchcast, whose technology has been used by BlogTalkRadio since 2006, released a cloud-based audio solution for digital publishers. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital publishers


BA and PA set to oppose Amazon-Book Depository merger

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 07/07/2011 - 09:06 The Booksellers Association has announced it will formally oppose the merger of Amazon and The Book Depository, with the BA saying that Amazon already had a "de facto monopoly". Meanwhile, the PA is actively considering... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #booksellers association #formally oppose #book depository


BA opposes Amazon and Book Depository merger

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 07/07/2011 - 09:06 The Booksellers Association has announced it will formally oppose the merger of Amazon and The Book Depository, saying that Amazon already had a "de facto monopoly". read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #booksellers association #formally oppose #book depository


French publisher La Martinière joins the iBookstore.

Written By: Barbara Casassus Publication Date: Wed, 06/07/2011 - 07:32 La Martinière is the latest French publisher to sign up to sell ebooks through Apple’s iBookstore. About 150 La Martinière and Seuil titles are available so far, with another 300 expected to follow by the end of the summer,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sell ebooks #apples ibookstore #print versions