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 ]

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Allen Lane and YUP bag double Wolfson History Prize shortlistings

Allen Lane and Yale University Press (YUP) both have two books apiece on the £40,000 Wolfson History Prize 2018 shortlist, which recognises and celebrates books which combine excellence in historical research with readability for a general audience. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Comey book leaks ahead of publication

Former FBI director James Comey likens Donald Trump to a mafia boss and his presidency to a "forest fire" in his new book publishing next week. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Download the Spring 2018 Publishing Perspectives Magazine

Get a digital copy of the Spring 2018 Publishing Perspectives Magazine, out in print at the London Book Fair next week. This issue puts a focus on diversity in book publishing. The post Download the Spring 2018 Publishing Perspectives Magazine appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A Reimagined BookExpo is Unveiled

After an extensive listening tour in which BookExpo executives met with a range of industry members, the organizers of book publishing’s largest trade show have added new elements to the event aimed at adding more value for booksellers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-02-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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YouTube Boosts the ISNI Identifier: Creators Standing Out From the Crowd

While YouTube's newly announced partnership with the ISNI isn't directly related to book publishing, it can greatly strengthen the identifier's role in naming intellectual property's creators. The post YouTube Boosts the ISNI Identifier: Creators Standing Out From the Crowd appeared first on... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fire and Fury pipped to No 1 in UK book charts by Lose Weight for Good

Booksellers hail strong sales for Donald Trump exposé, but Tom Kerridge’s diet book sets the most British tills ringingAlmost 60,000 print copies of Michael Wolff’s Donald Trump exposé Fire and Fury were sold in the UK last week, but the British public’s New Year’s resolutions meant the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2018-01-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Allen Lane to publish Gates Foundation advisor's debut

Allen Lane is publishing a book on "global nationalism" by Hassan Damluji, who leads the Middle East team at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-12-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amelia Edwards obituary

Founding art director of Walker Books who oversaw some of the company’s great children’s classics including We’re Going on a Bear HuntAmelia Edwards, who has died aged 77, was the art director of Walker Books and one of the most important influences on children’s book publishing in the 20th... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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With Amazon Kindle Now Turning 10, David Naggar Says Content Is Prime

On the 10th anniversary of Kindle, VP of Kindle content David Naggar looks back on the development and impact of Amazon's ebook ecosystem on book publishing. The post With Amazon Kindle Now Turning 10, David Naggar Says Content Is Prime appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-11-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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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 ]
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