Can a one-size-fits-all, low-price, consumer-dominated sales model support a diverse, innovative, challenging literary output?It is either an existential threat to intellectual freedom or a rustbelt media industry meeting its comeuppance at the hands of disruptive technology. The battle between the multibillion-dollar publisher Hachette (and now the Scandinavian publisher Bonnier) and the even more multibillion-dollar Amazon is usually discussed in high-minded tones, particularly by publishers and their authors. But at heart, it is merely another collision between producers and consumers that has a particular significance only if you ascribe a value to books as cultural artefacts. It is perfectly possible, instead of Hachette and Amazon, and the 900 writers who took out a two-page ad in the New York Times to protest, to substitute supermarkets, dairy farmers and the price of milk.Although books account for only 7% of the sales of the Everything store, Amazon sells a lot of them. In particular it has 60% of the ebook market. It believes a flat-rate sales price for new books and bestsellers delivers higher sales and bigger profits. Hachette disagrees. Amazon is forcing the issue by disadvantaging Hachette books (no buy button, no discounts and so on). Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2014-08-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon has finally broken its silence over the dispute with Hachette, saying that while the two sides are working hard, the company is “not optimistic [the issue] will be resolved soon.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hachette Book Group in the US has said it is doing “everything in our power to find a... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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If you're hoping to pre-order books by J.K. Rowling, Michael Connelly and other Hachette Book Group authors, you'll have to go somewhere besides Amazon.com. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2014-05-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hachette author Jeffery Deaver among those speaking out against Amazon's decision to stop selling certain Hachette titlesStray punches in a corporate slugfest knocked spectacles from authors noses and left readers with black eyes this week, after Amazon, the online retailer, stopped selling... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2014-05-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon has now removed the preorder capabilities for many major forthcoming Hachette titles. The publisher said that it is "doing everything in our power to find a solution to this difficult situation." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In a letter sent by the AAR to Amazon, which PW has obtained, the organization says it "deplores any attempt by any party that would seek to injure and punish innocent authors...in order to pursue its position in a business dispute." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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While Amazon slow-tracks HBG titles, at least one chain is stepping up HBG's presence. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Guardian Faber has acquired a new book by actor and comedian David Mitchell. Commissioning... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-04-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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We can't say we know all that many people who routinely digest articles posted through Medium's social publishing platform. However, the readership is bound to go up now that the service has released an iPhone app. The mobile client is more of a... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2014-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It was just more than a year ago that Ev Williams and Biz Stone created the publishing platform Medium. The Internet officially met the site in August 2012, and since then, Medium’s popularity has grown enough for even the most ske ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-10-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Glenn Greenwald, the journalist who first reported on a trove of classified documents leaked by Edward J. Snowden, will write a book about National Security Agency surveillance, his publisher announced on Wednesday. Mr. Greenwald’s articles ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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If you're still balking at the cost of download-to-own ebooks, and would rather stick to the tried-and-true library lending system, then this Hachette news is for you. Come next Wednesday, the entirety of Hachette's ebook catalog -- over 5,000 titles -- will be made available to nonprofit... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-05-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Egyptian journalist and bestselling author Ibrahim Issa believes the Arab Spring has added religious oppression to the existing political hardships of the region. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-04-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon's got a new Kindle promotion vehicle, thanks to the National PTA, which wants to boost kids' reading with their families. Amazon's Kindle is the exclusive sponsor of the new Family Reading Experience program that the National PTA wants to roll out across the U.S. to boost kids' reading... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2013-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Newspapers’ books coverage is even less profitable than newspapers overall, and many book review sections are shrinking or disappearing completely. In an attempt to subsidize such coverage, the Guardian has partnered with the Amazon-owned d ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Indian consumers haven't been cut off from Amazon's world of ebook goodies, but their experience is about to get a lot more native with the launch of a local Kindle Store. The prices of over a million books are now available in rupees, and if you're in need of hardware, the latest bare-bones... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2012-08-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Religion, bathroom routines and politics are three things you should never, ever discuss at the dinner table. However, if you're curious about your neighbors' political reading habits, then you should check out Amazon's Election Heat Map. The bookseller rated the top 250 books with a "clear... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2012-08-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hachette Ireland has promoted commissioning editor Ciara Doorley to the position of editorial... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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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 ]
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The v-p and chief diversity officer at Hachette Book Group has been promoted to senior v-p of culture and diversity, equity, and inclusion at both HBG and Hachette UK, effective immediately. She will report to HBG and HUK CEO David Shelley. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-04-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
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