Leading authors call for government probe of Amazon's 'damaging' power

Malcolm Gladwell and Ursula Le Guin lead call to US justice department to investigate its ‘monopoly as a seller of books’Authors including Malcolm Gladwell, Ursula Le Guin, Michael Chabon and Ann Patchett are putting their names to a letter attacking Amazon’s “abuse of its dominance in the world of books” and calling on the US justice department to investigate the retailer’s “power over the book market”.The letter, which is due to be submitted to the department later this month, is the latest initiative from the group of powerful authors calling themselves Authors United, which was set up in the wake of the dispute over terms between the internet shopping site and Hachette last year. Douglas Preston, who founded the group, said that signatories were “pouring in” for the letter this week, with “many hundreds” putting their name to the letter, including Sara Paretsky, Francis Fukuyama, Elizabeth George, Michael Lewis, Richard North Patterson, Luc Sante, Stuart Woods and Daniel Handler. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2015-07-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #latest initiative #authors united #douglas preston #michael lewis #daniel handler

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Leading authors call for government probe of Amazon's 'damaging' power'


Apple, States Settle E-book Damages

Plaintiff attorneys informed Judge Denise Cote on Monday that they had reached an agreement with Apple to settle monetary claims in the long-running ebook price-fixing case. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Authors on the Air June 17, 2014: Ray “Dr. BBQ” Lampe

Ray “Dr. BBQ” Lampe, author of "Pork Chop: 60 Recipes for Living High on the Hog" (Chronicle Books, 9781452113678) will appear on the CBS’s "The Talk" on Wednesday, June 18. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #chronicle books


Amazon Responsible for Huge Share of Hachette Ebook Sales

Amazon is responsible for 78% for Hachette ebook sales in the UK, and 60% in the United States — which makes the company especially vulnerable. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


#FreeTheNipple campaign leads to breastfeeding nipple-shot ban reversal by Facebook

Facebook comes under fire for all manner of things -- it's just part and parcel of being a social network. When users are not up in arms at the site's privacy policies, they are found voicing their disapproval at the types of content they're not allowed to publish on their timelines. There are... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2014-06-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #privacy policies #community standards


Stephen Colbert has a new way to 'really show Amazon'

When Colbert asked viewers to pre-order Hachette author Edan Lepucki's upcoming novel 'California,' the book shot to the top of independent bookstore Powell's sales list. Now Colbert asks fans to help him get the book on The New York Times bestseller list. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-06-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #stephen colbert


Authors on the Air Friday June 13, 2014: Rick Rinehart and Ron Deal

Taylor Trade’s editorial director, Rick Rinehart, will appear on "Weekend Edition Sunday" on Sunday, June 15, to discuss his grandmother, the mystery author Mary Roberts Rinehart. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


First It Was Books. Now Amazon Has Frozen Warner Bros. DVD Pre-Orders

Amazon's war on content providers has apparently opened up another front. While the online behemoth is still embroiled in a dispute with Hachette that has led to the removal of the ability to pre-order that publisher's titles on the site, it now seems upcoming DVD and Blu-ray releases from... Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2014-06-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #content providers #online behemoth


Tracking Amazon: '10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse' Bests 'Hard Choices'

After J.J. Smith's appearance on the "Steve Harvey Show," the author's "10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse," published in February, moved from #42 to #2 on Amazon's bestseller list, pushing Hillary Clinton's memoir down to #3. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tracking amazon #hard choices #bestseller list


Inside Amazon's Music Streaming Service For Prime Members

For $99, Prime members get a streaming video service, ebook lending library, free two-day shipping--and starting today, a music service.Amazon is rounding out its Prime membership with the addition of a streaming music service. On Thursday the e-commerce giant launched Prime Music with more than... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2014-06-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #inside amazon #music service #prime members #starting today #prime membership #additional cost


Brooklyn Book Festival Unveils 2014 Author Lineup

Authors Paul Pope, Colson Whitehead and Roz Chast are among more than 100 literary figures presenting at the 9th annual Brooklyn Book Festival, slated for September 21, 2014 at the Brooklyn Borough Hall and Plaza. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #colson whitehead #roz chast


Authors Guild Responds to Second Circuit Ruling

The Authors Guild released a statement in response to the Second Circuit's affirmation of Judge Harold Baer's October 2012 decision in the Authors Guild v. HathiTrust. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #circuit ruling #authors guild


Hachette reveals Amazon digital sales share

Amazon has a 78% market share of Hachette Livre ebook titles in the UK and a 60% share in the US... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Amazon pulls Warner Bros movies from sales as trade dispute expands

Already in fracas with publisher Hachette, retailer pulls pre-orders such as The Lego Movie to pressure the studio over pricingFirst they came for Harry Potter's author, and now they have come for your Lego. Amazon has expanded its trade dispute with publisher Hachette by adding Warner Bros to... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publisher hachette #harry potter #online retailer


PayPal's David Marcus Will Lead Mobile Messaging at Facebook

PayPal president David Marcus has left to steer mobile messaging at Facebook. Facebook claims that its standalone messaging app, called Messenger, is now used by more than 200 million people monthly. And the company's blog post today suggested that Marcus would lead that specific part of the... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2014-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #firm grip #run ads #financial details


Powers, The First TV Show Made Exclusively For PlayStation, Is About Superhero Detectives

The new series is based on a comic book and graphic novel imprint of the same name.At E3 yesterday, Sony announced a new TV show produced exclusively for the PlayStation Network. The new animated show, Powers, is "based on the comic book and graphic novel series of the same name," said its... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2014-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #comic book #detective duo


Authors on the Air June 9, 2014: Kenneth Turan

Kenneth Turan, author of "Not to be Missed: Fifty-Four Favorites from a Lifetime of Film" (PublicAffairs, 9781586483968 ) will appear on the "Diane Rehm Show" on Tuesday, June 10. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Colbert Declares War on Amazon: Watch the Clip

Our Clip of the Week comes to you in the form of two back-to-back segments from Wednesday night's "The Colbert Report," in which Stephen Colbert first outlines the ongoing battle between Amazon and the Hachette Book Group over ebook pricing, and then, together with his guest, National Book... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #wednesday night #ongoing battle #ebook pricing #hardball tactics #edan lepucki


Stephen Colbert has some choice words for Amazon (+video)

In a recent episode of his show, Colbert discussed the dispute between Amazon and publisher Hachette which has caused some books, including his own, to be delayed or unavailable to customers. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #stephen colbert #choice words #recent episode #colbert discussed #publisher hachette


Hachette lays off 3% of staff amid book prices row with Amazon

US publisher will cut staff as 'cost-saving initiative' while row with Amazon continues to hamper ability to sell booksHachette, the multinational book publisher embroiled in a public spat with Amazon, announced that it will be laying off about 3% of its staff on Thursday."Today, we had to make... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book publisher #changing marketplace #future growth


Stephen Colbert has some choice words for Amazon

In a recent episode of his show, Colbert discussed the dispute between Amazon and publisher Hachette which has caused some books, including his own, to be delayed or unavailable to customers. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #stephen colbert #choice words #recent episode #colbert discussed #publisher hachette