Amazon Tries to Drive Wedge Between Hachette and Its Authors

Amazon.com Inc. is offering authors caught up in its dispute with Hachette Book Group all proceeds from the sale of any digital book, seeking to bypass the publisher and appeal directly to writers.Amazon sent a letter to authors, including Douglas Preston, proposing to extract them from the spat by giving them all ebook revenue, Mr. Preston said in an interview. Mr. Preston, co-author of the Pendergast series of books, led an effort to rally writers and readers to petition Amazon to end the dispute.The world's largest online retailer blocked pre-orders for some of Hachette's books earlier this year, including "The Silkworm," a new novel by J.K. Rowling, writing under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. Amazon and Hachette are each seeking a greater share of ebook income. While physical book sales in the U.S. are projected to fall to $19.5 billion this year from $26 billion in 2010, ebook revenue is anticipated to jump more than eightfold to $8.7 billion, according to Forrester Research. The growth is being spurred by the increasing consumer use of tablets and smartphones, through which people read ebooks. Continue reading at AdAge.com Continue reading at 'Advertising Age'

[ Advertising Age | 2014-07-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #digital book #appeal directly #ebook revenue #greater share #forrester research

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Dyslexic author wins book prize

Sally Gardner, a dyslexic author once branded "unteachable" at school, wins the prestigious Carnegie Medal for her book Maggot Moon. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2013-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Vice Magazine's controversial images of female authors committing suicide are taken down

Vice Magazine's newest fashion spread depicted models dressed like Virginia Woolf, Sylvia Plath, and others in the act of committing suicide. The photos were taken down after a public outcry. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sheffield authors triumph at Northern Writers' Awards

Twenty-two published and unpublished authors last night (18th) shared the £40,000 prize... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fostering Literary Respect for Underrepresented Regions, Authors

The relaunched Commonwealth Book Prize continues to be a key conduit of exchange between underrepresented countries and regions to the UK publishing community. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Father's Day drives sales to 2013 high

Sales of Dan Brown's Inferno (Bantam Press) rocketed 48% week on week last week, sending the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple, Amazon and the Disgruntled Publishers

“They had a relationship that was not positive. You heard a lot of negative things from them.” – Apple media boss Eddy Cue, testifying during the DOJ antitrust trial Monday, describing the way book publishers viewed Amazon, circa 2009 Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2013-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A Leadership Book Author On Why You're Better Off Reading Fiction For Lasting Lessons

Craig Chappelow has written about how leaders can be more successful. But he'd crack One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest before the latest business book any day. Here's why he thinks you should, too. Read any good leadership books lately? Me either. It seems like popular books about leadership... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Philip Pullman Calls for UK Authors to Be Paid for Digital Library Loans

In the UK, authors are paid by the government when their physical books are borrowed (around 6p per loan), but digital titles are not yet a part of that agreement. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-06-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Duffy hails 'happy night' of Authors Awards

Writers Grace McLeen, Anne Somerset and Alison Moore were among the 24 authors given Society of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-06-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Philip Pullman argues that authors are being shortchanged on ebook loans

Few people understand the magic of libraries better than Philip Pullman, author of His Dark Materials, but all is not well when it comes to digital lending. As the soon-to-be president of the Society of Authors, Pullman is leading the charge against publishing houses that may be shortchanging... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Survey Shows Amazon Leads Japan in Ebook Sales, Apple Already Second

A new survey in Japan shows that Amazon's Kindle is leading the market for ebook sales, with Apple (launched in March) second, followed by Kinokuniya's Kinoppy, Sony's Reader Store and Kobo. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon's bringing its Kindle Fire HD 7, 8.9 to India on June 27th

Having recently rebranded its operations in India under the Amazon name, the retailer announced today that it's launching the Kindle Fire HD 7 and 8.9 there later this month. Due on June 27th, the two tablets will ship for 15,999 ($275) and 21,999 ($380) rupees with access to a reported 1.9... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Scarlett Johansson Sues French Author for Using Her Name in a Novel

It is "so American": actress Scarlett Johansson is suing French author Gregoire Delacourt for describing a character in his novel as her "doppleganger" -- or exact double. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ether for Authors: Are Publishing Firefights Hurting the Mission?

Porter Anderson takes on the distraction of publishing non-controversies, a new guide for self-publishing, BEA chief Steve Rosato's response to last week's critique of BEA and more. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Indie publishers debate Amazon and IP

  The dominance of Amazon and the importance of copyright were two key themes of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon launches Kindle tablet and e-reader in China

After remaining quiet on the hardware front for years, Amazon.com's China business has finally brought the company's Kindle tablet and Kindle e-reader to the country. On Friday, both the Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Paperwhite went on sale through the company's site in the country. The Kindle... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2013-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon's Kindle comes to China: Paperwhite for $138, Fire HD for $244 (16GB) or $293 (32GB)

Amazon launched its Kindle ebook platform into China last Christmas, but locals looking to get their mitts on the company's hardware had to look, ahem, elsewhere. Fortunately for everyone but grey market importers, Amazon has released the non-cellular Paperwhite and the two 7-inch Kindle Fire HD... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon's E-Book Deals Were Just as Tough as Apple's

It turns out that Apple isn't the only major ebook retailer that demands "most favored nation" agreements from publishers. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2013-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Is Amazon asking independent bookstores to sell Kindles?

Some independent booksellers say they've received calls from someone claiming to be an Amazon staff member, asking if they'd be interested in selling Kindle e-readers. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Godfray renews government plea on Amazon

Bookseller Association c.e.o Tim Godfray has renewed his calls to the British government to take... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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