Just as Engadget was hitting publish on its first posts, I was putting a freshly minted English degree to use working at an indie bookshop in Los Angeles. In seemingly unrelated news, Amazon had just reported its first profitable year after switching from selling books to selling “everything” four years before. (It still sold a lot of books.) Our bookstore did a good job keeping shelves stocked with a balance of the more worthy popular hits and smaller, better fare. But we couldn’t have every book a customer might want, so we offered to order any in-print title. If a distributor had it, it’d take about a week to get in, longer if we had to go through the publisher. That seemed fine for most customers. But sometimes “about a week” was too long. A few people came right out and said, “Nah, I’ll order it on Amazon.” In 2005, Amazon launched Prime, the membership program that, for $79 a year, gave customers unlimited two-day shipping on most orders. At launch, CEO Jeff Bezos called it “‘all-you-can-eat’ express shipping.” No one knew at the time how hungry the world was for Amazon’s brand of convenience. And now, nearly two decades later, we’ve seen the shifts that accommodate that buffet — in labor, retail and the entire customer experience. Prime wasn’t an overnight success. It’s estimated that six years after launch, just four million households paid for the service. But 10 years later, in 2021, Bezos claimed it had accrued 200 million members worldwide. Outside of that... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2024-03-08 14:15:57 UTC ]
Book Aid International has teamed up with 20 stars of the children’s book world to celebrate the 20th anniversary of World Book Day (WBD). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-02-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bloomsbury will publish new editions of J K Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone this June to celebrate the book’s 20th anniversary. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Like other ex-presidents, Obama is now freer to enjoy the great pleasure of a good book. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2017-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In the year that academic publisher Policy Press celebrates its 20th anniversary, it has secured “major investment” from the University of Bristol to create a new university press. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-12-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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On Small Business Saturday, Josie Leavitt and Elizabeth Bluemle celebrated the 20th anniversary of The Flying Pig Bookstore. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-12-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperVoyager has released an enhanced edition of the first book in George R R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, which will include an excerpt from the upcoming sixth book, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the title. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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To properly celebrate the 20th anniversary of George R. R. Martin's best-selling A Game of Thrones, there's a new iBooks edition of the series that offers features to help you keep up with all of the action. The first installment is officially called... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2016-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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To mark the 20th anniversary of the release of the first book in George R.R. Martin's Song of Fire and Ice series, 'A Game of Thrones,' Penguin Random House has released an enhanced ebook edition of the title featuring additional content. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A Game of Thrones: Enhanced Edition, available through Apple from Thursday, promises ‘a world of additional content’ including sigils, family trees and glossariesGeorge RR Martin has hailed “an amazing next step in the world of books” as he announced publication of a new digital edition of A... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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With a chill in the air, it's the perfect time to head back into the house and curl up under a blanket with a good book. Looking for a captivating novel? Intriguing nonfiction? You're sure to find something that suits your interests on this list of the 10 best books to be released this month,... Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2016-09-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Introducing Nouwen to a new generation of readers, books by and about the influential Catholic priest are releasing this fall, which marks the 20th anniversary of his death. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-08-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Twenty years after the publication of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, 2017 show promises ‘a journey to the heart’ of JK Rowling’s storiesIdeally positioned in King’s Cross, just a stone’s throw from the mythical beginning of the journey to Hogwarts on Platform 9 3/4, the British... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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An exhibition to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first Harry Potter book is to open next year at the British Library. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2016-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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An illustrated edition of A Game of Thrones, the first book in George R R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, will be published to mark the 20th anniversary of the book. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-08-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bookseller who transformed the perception of sports writing and set up the William Hill Sports Book awardJohn Gaustad, who has died aged 68, was a quietly spoken New Zealander who revolutionised the British sports books industry. In 1985 he opened Sportspages, a small shop in Caxton Walk, off... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-06-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Pura Belpré Award for children and young adult books, which honors Latino writers and illustrators whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino experience, will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the 2016 ALA annual conference. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nothing says summer like lying on a beach and getting stuck into a good book. But what to read? A 19th century classic, or perhaps Murakami's latest surrealist tale? What about the fascinating story of how mobile provider EE came to be? Well, look no... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2016-05-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The addition of 46 titles to Penguin’s Little Black Classics, from Jane Austen to the suffragettes, gives cause for renewed celebrationThe people at Penguin might be overstating things when they insist that their Little Black Classics “sparked a reading revolution”. All the same, sales of these... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jacqueline Wilson and Melvyn Bragg are among the names to speak at this year's FT Weekend Oxford Literary Festival. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the literary event and will bring together an array of speakers including authors David Baddiel, Liz Pichon, Prince Asfa-Wossen Asserate... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-01-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Days before Amazon celebrates its 20th anniversary, Authors United is asking authors to sign a letter to the DoJ for an investigation of Amazon, and ABA submitted a similar request on Monday. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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