The dark lesson of a $24 million Amazon book

This is what happens when algorithms call the shots. I can still recall my surprise when a book by evolutionary biologist Peter Lawrence entitled The Making of a Fly came to be priced on Amazon at $23,698,655.93 (plus $3.99 shipping). While my colleagues around the world must have become rather depressed that an academic book could achieve such a feat, the steep price was actually the result of algorithms feeding off each other and spiraling out of control. It turns out, it wasn’t just sales staff being creative: Algorithms were calling the shots.Read Full Story Continue reading at 'Fast Company'

[ Fast Company | 2019-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #academic book #steep price #sales staff

Other Publishing stories related to: 'The dark lesson of a $24 million Amazon book'


Hodder buys official Lady Gaga photo book

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Tue, 13/09/2011 - 09:05 Hodder & Stoughton will publish the first official book by Lady Gaga this November after signing a deal for a book of photographs by fashion photographer Terry Richardson. Editorial director Fenella Bates bought British and... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #official book #lady gaga #pop star #everyday life


Authors Guild Sues Universities Over Google Book Scanning

The Authors Guild has sued five universities and a library partnership organization alleging copyright infringement over their use of certain digitized copies of... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-09-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #authors guild #digitized copies


Sales surge for Man Booker shortlist books

Written By: Tom Tivnan Publication Date: Tue, 13/09/2011 - 16:30 A D Miller and Carol Birch's novels are the big winners of the Man Booker Prize shortlist so far, with sales across the six books surging 290% by volume on last week. The six books on the list shifted 18,496 copies for the week... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sales surge #carol birch #big winners


E-Book Prices Prop Up Print Siblings

Even as readers grow more comfortable with digital books, some continue to question why so many of the most popular new ebooks are priced so high. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2011-09-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital books


Virgin buys Palin book

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 09/09/2011 - 11:17 Virgin Books has acquired a title about US political firebrand Sarah Palin, written by Joe McGinniss. Publishing director Ed Faulkner bought UK and Commonwealth rights from Crown Publishers in the US to The Rogue, with... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #crown publishers #personal life


French Publishers Drop Lawsuits Against Google Book Scanning

Three French publishers have dropped lawsuits against Google alleging that the company infringed their copyright. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-09-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #french publishers


Amazon to launch collection lockers

Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Thu, 08/09/2011 - 08:56 Amazon customers based in London may soon be able to collect their orders from shopping centre-based lockers as opposed to waiting at home for deliveries. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Natalie Portman trainer book to Vermilion

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 08/09/2011 - 08:40 Vermilion has acquired a fitness book from the trainer who worked with Natalie Portman to make her body mimic a ballerina's for her Oscar-winning role in "Black Swan". Editor Louise Coe bought UK and Commonwealth rights,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fitness book #natalie portman #black swan #isabelle bleecker


BRC says August book sales "tough"

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Tue, 06/09/2011 - 09:00 Book sales throughout the UK in August have remained "tough" according to the British Retail Consortium, as it reported general retail sales were down by 0.6% compared to last year on a like-for-like basis. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #6% compared


Book tells of Evening Standard's Dispossessed campaign

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Mon, 05/09/2011 - 08:00 The London Evening Standard will launch Calling London, a book about its recent Dispossessed campaign, on 7th September. The book, by chief features writer David Cohen, will tell how a conversation between Cohen and Evening... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book tells #evening standard #7th september


Physical book sales slump 4% month-on-month

Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Mon, 05/09/2011 - 14:05 Spending on printed books slumped 4% in August, with sales plummeting to a seven-year low for the month, according to Nielsen BookScan data. A total of £107.5m spent on physical books at UK booksellers in the four weeks to 27th... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #27th august #physical books #uk booksellers #6m year-on-year


Fig Tree aquires Nell Leyshon book

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Mon, 05/09/2011 - 11:19 Fig Tree publishing director Juliet Annan has bought world rights in a new book by playwright and novelist Nell Leyshon. The deal was done at auction through Anna Webber at United Agents. The Colour of Milk is told in the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #anna webber #united agents #high price #fig tree


Huntingdon tops Amazon's 'most well-read' list

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Mon, 05/09/2011 - 08:10 People in Huntingdon and Cambridge buy the most books of any town or city in the UK, according to a list compiled by Amazon from its print and Kindle sales since the start of the year. Towns in Kent, Wiltshire and West Sussex... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kindle sales


VIDEO: Amazon merger opposed

The Booksellers Association has formally opposed Amazon's attempts to merge with The Book Depository. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2011-09-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #booksellers association #book depository


Dawn Porter to write for Hodder Children's Books

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Thu, 01/09/2011 - 14:45 Hodder Children's Books has bought two teen titles from journalist and presenter Dawn Porter. Publisher Emily Thomas did the deal directly with Porter for a "sizeable" sum. The books are described as "epic stories of an... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #dawn porter #hodder children #teen titles #deal directly


Sony offers first Harry Potter book free with new reader

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Thu, 01/09/2011 - 08:51 Readers will be able to download the ebook of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone for free with the limited edition model of the new Sony Reader. Further details have emerged about the Reader, which is set to go on sale in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sony reader #harry potter


Dark week for indies as four close

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Fri, 02/09/2011 - 07:53 Four independent bookshops with a combined total of 175 years on the high street have announced their closure within a week, blaming their downfall on high rates, competition from internet retailers and supermarkets, ebooks... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #independent bookshops #combined total #high street


Galaxy National Book Awards coverage shake-up

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 02/09/2011 - 07:55 The Galaxy National Book Awards ceremony will not be broadcast in full this year, instead being showcased in a six-part series on More4, with submissions for the awards closing on 16th September. The six-part series,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #six-part series #16th september #12th november


Penguin to offer personalised kids books with new app

Written By: Caroline Horn Publication Date: Wed, 31/08/2011 - 08:05 Penguin is aiming to bring traditional family storytelling into the digital arena with a new picture book reader app, Me Books, which enables parents and carers to personalise stories by selecting parts they want to record... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ipod touch


Edinburgh Book Festival to publish story collection

Written By: Katie Allen Publication Date: Wed, 31/08/2011 - 14:45 The Edinburgh International Book Festival, Scottish indie Cargo and US publisher McSweeney's are to team up on a four-volume collection of stories from authors including Roddy Doyle and Ali Smith. Fifty authors are to take part... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ali smith #alan warner #jackie kay #michel faber