Apple App Store subscription plan gouges publishers, eats their young

By Joe Wilcox, Betanews Somebody call the cops -- eh, antitrust authorities. Apple's subscription plan is here, and it's as bad for many, if not most, publishers as rumored. The first of several key sentences from Apple's press announcement: "Publishers may no longer provide links in their apps (to a website, for example) which allow the customer to purchase content or subscriptions outside of the app." That means you Amazon Kindle; before the announcement, all Kindle transactions took place outside the app in a web browser. This change applies to any content, but it's nestled in the subscriptions announcement.Another piece of nastiness: "Apple does require that if a publisher chooses to sell a digital subscription separately outside of the app, that same subscription offer must be made available, at the same price or less, to customers who wish to subscribe from within the app." That rule conceptually would prevent some publishers from extending to existing customers the benefits of a free iPad subscription."So, Apple doesn't prohibit publishers from selling subscriptions outside the app -- how could it and get anyone to offer content? But the company does fix prices. So if publisher A charges 50 bucks a year and wants to offer a holiday or school graduation promotion from its website, the deal must be offered for app subscriptions, too. Remember, Apple collects 30 percent from publishers.No one should misunderstand other terms, as stated in Apple's press release:... Continue reading at 'Betanews'

[ Betanews | 2011-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]

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Barnes & Noble fires its CEO Parneros without severance pay

Barnes & Noble has fired CEO Demos Parneros for violating company policies and said he'll exit the post without severance.A spokeswoman declined to say why he'd been terminated. It was "not due to any disagreement with the company regarding its financial reporting, policies or practices or... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2018-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fight or flight

Philip Jones reacts to David Leonhardt's piece on the "death of Barnes & Noble".  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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AT&T wants to buy Time Warner to 'weaponize' its content, government says at start of antitrust trial

The biggest U.S. antitrust case of this century kicked into high gear on Thursday as a government lawyer warned that AT&T Inc. wants to buy media giant Time Warner Inc. to “weaponize” its must-have content — a move that would raise prices for consumers and hinder innovation. “Time Warner... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-03-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In Second Full Week, Macmillan’s ‘Fire and Fury’ Sales Roar to a Bonfire

Taking all formats together, Macmillan's Henry Holt & Company is reporting 1.7 million copies of Michael Wolff's book sold, sparks flying as the book leaps to No. 1 on the lists. The post In Second Full Week, Macmillan’s ‘Fire and Fury’ Sales Roar to a Bonfire appeared first on Publishing... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-01-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Print Sales Up Again in 2017

Although no new book sold more than one million print copies last year,, unit sales of print books were still 10.8% higher last year than in 2013. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-01-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A Record Year for Publishing Stocks—With a Caveat

A year that found four of the 10 companies on the PW Stock Index seeing double-digit stock price increases also saw Barnes & Noble and other big names struggle. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-01-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble’s best-selling books of 2017 are just so 2017

What do The Handmaid’s Tale, 1984, Rupi Kaur’s stories of survival, and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck have in common? They are all some of 2017’s best-selling books, according to Barnes & Noble. The bookseller has just released its top-selling fiction and nonfiction titles, and the... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2017-12-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Riggio Ups B&N Stake

Following Barnes & Noble's disappointing financial performance for the second quarter ended October 28, 2017, company chairman Len Riggio bought 1 million shares of company stock, raising his stake in B&N to 19.3%. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-12-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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US Industry Eyes Canadian Retailer Indigo’s Plan To Open American Bookstores

Canada’s top bookstore chain, Indigo, confirms plans to open bookstores in the US in 2018. Some believe Indigo is in a better position to compete with Amazon than Barnes & Noble. The post US Industry Eyes Canadian Retailer Indigo’s Plan To Open American Bookstores appeared first on... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-11-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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B&N Unveils New Apps and New Holiday Sales Strategy

Barnes & Noble's holiday sales strategies rest on new interactive apps, a new Nook model, special edition titles, and a streamlined approach to toys and gifts. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-11-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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B&N Has a Plan for the Future: More Stores

Barnes & Noble has been closing stores steadily for years, but CEO Demos Parneros said, during a conference call yesterday, that his goal is to position the company for "net store expansion" in fiscal 2019. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-09-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Investor Urges B&N To Find a Buyer

Sandell Asset Management Corp, which said it has a "meaningful" stake in Barnes & Noble, sent a letter to the retailer's board of directors urging the company try to sell itself. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-07-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Huseby to Succeed Roberts at B&N Education

Michael Huseby, who served as CEO of Barnes & Noble, Inc. and then executive chairman of B&N Education when that company was spun-off from B&N Inc., has been named to succeed Max Roberts as head of B&N Education. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-07-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hearst's Pioneer Woman Magazine Expands in Second Outing

The Pioneer Woman Magazine is increasing its distribution to 500,000 copies and moving past its Walmart-only distribution strategy for its second issue, which will be released in September.The Hearst Magazines publication, a joint venture with Scripps Networks Interactive, features Ree Drummond,... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2017-07-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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B&N's New CEO Must Step Up Its Sales

As the new head of Barnes & Noble, Demos Parneros knows his top priority is to stop the sales slide that has plagued the company’s retail stores. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-04-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Microsoft Unveils Digital Bookstore

Microsoft, which was Barnes & Noble's original partner on the Nook (before ending the relationship in 2014), is now back in the digital book market. According to reports, the tech giant's new online bookstore will sell hundred of thousands of frontlist and backlist titles. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-03-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bookstore News: February 2, 2017

A store in northern Maine wins a cash prize; college students petition for a Barnes & Noble; Houston gets a new Latino bookstore; and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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WI12: Indie Booksellers Talk Shop, Discussion of Diversity Dominates

The overall message coming out of Winter Institute is that independent bookselling is thriving, particularly in light of the decline in ebook sales, Barnes & Noble’s continuing stumbles, and growing opportunities for community engagement. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Riggio Reaffirms Commitment to Bricks-and-Mortar

Despite weak holiday sales at Barnes & Noble, CEO Len Riggio said there are no plans to accelerate store closings and that he expects the retailer to be "store positive" in the fiscal year ending in April 2018. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-01-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The adult coloring book fad may be over

Barnes & Noble Inc. posted its first decline in holiday sales in three years, hurt by a downturn in the coloring-book category, bringing another sign that the Christmas season wasn't kind to retailers. Same-store sales sank 9.1 percent for the nine-week holiday period, the New York-based... Continue reading at Baltimore Sun

[ Baltimore Sun | 2017-01-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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