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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Durham Stepping Down at Amazon Publishing

Daphne Durham, publisher of adult trade and children's at Amazon Publishing, will be leaving the company on January 16, and will be succeeded by Mikyla Bruder, current head of global marketing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-12-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Resolves Dispute With Top-Five Publisher Hachette Over Book Sales

After months of bitter fighting, Hachette and Amazon announced on Thursday morning that they have settled their differences and reached a new multi-year agreement for ebook and print book sales. The post Amazon Resolves Dispute With Top-Five Publisher Hachette Over Book Sales appeared first on... Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2014-11-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Wylie praises 'end to publishers cowering to Amazon'

Literary agent Andrew Wylie has said he believes the era of publishers cowering and giving in to Amazon is at an end, comparing the online retail giant to terror group ISIS. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-10-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon’s Impact on Publishing? It’s Complicated

An industry panel on Amazon and its business tactics elicited a range of often contradictory responses. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers React to Amazon's Pop-Up Stores

Recent news that Amazon is getting into bricks and mortar retail, with plans for two California pop-up stores, has gotten people in publishing talking. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Frankfurt Book Fair 2014: Paulo Coelho Tells Publishers "Don't Be Greedy"

At a standing room only session at the Frankfurt Book Fair, bestselling Brazilian author Paula Coelho had a message for publishers: Embrace change. And, lower your ebook prices. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Announces Crowdsourced Publishing Program

There’s a new crowdsourced publishing program from Amazon “which is so new that it doesn’t yet have a launch day, URL, or even a name." Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-10-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Shares Details on Crowdsourced Publishing Program

In an email to authors, Amazon officials shared more details on its recently announced American Idol-style crowdsourced publishing platform. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Publishing Taps Myers

Dominic Myers, previously managing director of Waterstones in the U.K., became head of Amazon Publishing in Europe effective September 22. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-10-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Launching New Crowdsourcing Publishing Program

After rumblings surfaced that Amazon is creating a new crowd-sourcing publishing platform, the e-tailer has confirmed that the new program is "in the works." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What you need to know about Amazon's fight with ebook publishers

Unless you've been living in a book-free cave, you may have heard that retail giant Amazon and book publisher Hachette are having a little tiff. It's all about digital versions of books -- so-called ebooks -- and it boils down to this: Amazon wants... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2014-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon and Hachette feud could rewrite the book on publishing

The Ebook price row has the potential to create irreversible changes to the literary world and its business modelsThe battle between Amazon and the French publisher Hachette is not just a spat about the price of books. Their row over ebook prices, which led to the online retailer freezing out... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Waterstones stocks Amazon Publishing's Sherratt

Paperback editions of books by Amazon Publishing UK author Mel Sherratt are being stocked locally... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-08-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon vs Hachette: readers and authors take sides in publishing dispute

The tussle between Amazon and the publishing conglomerate has been raging since spring. Heres an update on the fightA corporate boxing match broke from the ring and swelled into all-out rumpus last weekend, as readers and authors took sides in Amazon and Hachettes fight over the publishing... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-08-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Publishing Expands

Amazon has made new additions to its publishing teams in the company's New York and London offices. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Eoin Purcell to head Amazon Publishing UK

Eoin Purcell, formerly editorial director of New Island Books in Dublin, has been appointed to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon speaks – finally – about its dispute with publisher Hachette

Amazon senior vice president of Kindle content Russ Grandinetti told The Wall Street Journal that Amazon is acting 'in the long term interest of our customers.' Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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EIBF backs German publishers in Amazon complaint

The European and International Booksellers Federation has supported the German Publishers... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ireland’s Publishing Strength is in Tradition, Small Presses

Vanessa Fox O’Loughlin, the chair of Irish PEN, outlines how Ireland continues to punch above its weight in the literary world. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As Amazon slugs it out with the big publishers, authors are left cowering | Adam Fletcher & Paul Hawkins

And whoever comes out on top, you can bet the poor old writer won't be any better offA few weeks ago, we published a book called Denglisch for Better Knowers, a (hopefully) humorous book about how the English language could be improved by taking new words and concepts from German. Like "ear... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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