How Amazon's bid to bury Hachette has backfired

Amazon's suggestion that the ebook and paperback revolutions are comparable has sparked scorn, satire and indigationWhen Amazon published their rather extraordinary "Message from the Amazon Books Team" at readersunited.com last week, they got a few things right and a few things wrong. Alongside a realistic analysis of ebook pricing and a rather aggressive plea to bombard the CEO of Hachette with threatening emails, the letter noted that "Just ahead of World War II, there was a radical invention that shook the foundations of book publishing". This was the paperback, and apparently it was opposed by publishers who "dug in and circled the wagons". Which is a bit odd, as the person most widely credited with the popularisation of the paperback (but not its invention) was Allen Lane, who, as founder of Penguin Books, introduced paperback classics to the British public.Amazon's other bizarre decision, alongside the somewhat unnecessary second world war reference, was to quote George Orwell selectively on the subject and accuse him of "collusion". In fact, Orwell was making a sarcastic dig in favour of the paperback, and Amazon has been accused of doublespeak by the Orwell estate. The parody page booksunited.org, created by online writer Dan Hon in the voice of the books themselves, smartly notes that "We are not fighting for our existence. We know that as long as you humans exist, you will write, and you will read." Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2014-08-24 00:00:00 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "How Amazon's bid to bury Hachette has backfired"


Allen Lane gets two on $75k Cundill Prize shortlist

A controversial thesis on inequality, a "myth-shattering" history of Vietnam, and a study of Siberian exile under the Tsars are the finalists for this year's $75,000 (£56,680) Cundill History Prize. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-10-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Call to Action for Publishers at Frankfurt’s Opening Press Conference

Speakers at the opening press conference of the 2017 Frankfurt Book Fair stressed the importance of book publishing and freedom to publish, as well as the need to focus on tomorrow's readers. The post Call to Action for Publishers at Frankfurt’s Opening Press Conference appeared first on... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The Good Immigrant's editor plans new journal and agency for writers of colour

Nikesh Shukla and literary agent Julia Kingsford have launched Kickstarter appeal to fund The Good Journal, with further plans for an affiliated agencyAfter selling more than 50,000 copies and being named the British public’s favourite book of 2016, the success of anthology The Good Immigrant... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Chakrabarti takes on global gender injustice in new book

Human rights campaigner Shami Chakrabarti is publishing a new book with Allen Lane this October, Of Women, making the case for "radical positive action in every sphere of life to promote the vindication of the rights of women worldwide". Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-08-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


How a Small Press Landed a Big Fish in Naomi Klein

After being tapped by the activist and author to handle the U.S. edition of her anti-Trump book 'No Is Not Enough,' Chicago's Haymarket Books collaborated with Knopf Canada and the U.K.'s Allen Lane to crash the title, which hit shelves this month. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The Incredible Shrinking BookExpo: A 2017 Recap From An Indie Publisher's Perspective

I’ve attended BookExpo (formerly BEA) ten to twelve times since I started working in book publishing in 2000. I always go Continue reading at HuffPost

[ HuffPost | 2017-06-04 15:22:33 UTC ]
More news stories like this


WORKING Challenges in Children’s Books in the Middle East

Teaser text IMAGE Editor’s note. — Porter Anderson By Dennis Abrams | @DennisAbrams2 Subhed XXXX The challenges facing children’s book publishing in the Middle East was the topic of a panel discussion held this week at the Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival. Among those addressing the topic was... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-04-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Is Book Publishing Too Liberal?

With the country more politically polarized than ever, some are wondering if the business is adequately prepared to hear, and publish, voices on the right. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-04-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Why We Need Women-Only Spaces

Last week I got the kind of email I’ve come to anticipate, having worked in women’s book publishing for the past 13 years Continue reading at HuffPost

[ HuffPost | 2017-03-20 21:56:58 UTC ]
More news stories like this


When a Niche-Audience Tabloid Takes Off in the UK, Is It News to Book Publishing?

As a case of 'pop-up publishing' takes hold in the news sector—and print sells—not everyone agrees there's a takeaway here for books. The post When a Niche-Audience Tabloid Takes Off in the UK, Is It News to Book Publishing? appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


DBW 2017 Opening Themes: The Trade, Its Resilience, and Its Data

The 2017 Digital Book World conference opened with calls for more data-driven decision-making, despite the inherently subjective nature of book publishing. The post DBW 2017 Opening Themes: The Trade, Its Resilience, and Its Data appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The Good Immigrant crowned Britain's favourite book of 2016

The Good Immigrant has been voted as the British public’s favourite book of 2016 at the Books Are My Bag Readers Awards. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2016-11-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


'Cursed Child' Drives Big Gains in Scholastic's Trade Group

Sales of 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' helped add almost $70 million to Scholastic’s trade division in the quarter ended August 31, and drove a 104% jump in revenue in the company’s children’s book publishing and distribution group. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Global Publishing Leaders 2016: HarperCollins

HarperCollins is a subsidiary of News Corp, a global media and information services company comprised of businesses across a range of media, including news and information services, cable network programming in Australia, digital real estate services, book publishing, digital education, and... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Why A West Coast Software Company is Getting into Book Publishing

NationalBuilder, a software company whose products are popular with political organizations, is starting a publishing business with a focus on stories about "people doing really remarkable things." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


What Brexit Means for Book Publishing

The editor of the London-based book trade BookBrunch, Neill Denny, offers his take on the implications of the historic vote that just wrapped in the U.K. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-06-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Tim Berners-Lee on the Future of Book Publishing

How might Web technology change the publishing industry? Ask the inventor of the World Wide Web. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-05-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


At Authors United Event, a Call to Bust Amazon 'Monopoly'

If Amazon’s business practices continue unchecked the result could be a “nuclear winter” for book publishing, said Smashwords founder Mark Coker during a Jan. 27 event called Amazon’s Book Monopoly—A Threat to Freedom of Expression? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


'The Affair' and the Top Five Hollywood Takes on Book Publishing

The Showtime series, which ended its second season on Sunday night, has become a favorite topic of water cooler chat among book industry types. With so many delighting in the travails of Brooklyn-high-school-English-teacher-turned-successful-novelist Noah Solloway, we dug up five of our favorite... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-12-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Global Kids Connect Conference and China Deep Dive Resources

Resources and coverage from the Global Kids Connect conference, a convergence of innovative minds focused on children’s book publishing and the changing children’s book business in China. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-12-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this