Fantasy author accuses the online giant of using its market dominance ‘to control what we write and what we read’The grande dame of fantasy Ursula K Le Guin has weighed in forcefully to the debate about Amazon’s role in publishing. In a blogpost on the site Book View Cafe, entitled “Up the Amazon with the BS Machine, or Why I Keep Asking You Not to Buy Books from Amazon”, the American author has spoken out against what she describes as the company’s increasing influence not only on the bookselling market but also on which books get published, promoted and read. Her fierce conclusion is: “Every book purchase made from Amazon is a vote for a culture without content and without contentment.”After an analysis of how the “Best Seller Machine” has worked in the last decades, Le Guin writes that the online retailer is changing the culture of publishing. The Amazon model, she writes, is “easy salability, heavy marketing, super-competitive pricing, then trash and replace”. The ideal book, under this template, is “a safe commodity, a commercial product written to the specifications of the current market, that will hit the BS list, get to the top, and vanish. Sell it fast, sell it cheap, dump it, sell the next thing.” Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2015-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon, which has been blamed in part for the decline of independent bookstores, said it has a new program called Amazon Source to allow them and other retailers to resell Kindle devices and accessories, and also give them 10 percent on every ebook bought on them for two years. "With Amazon... Continue reading at AllThingsD
[ AllThingsD | 2013-11-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon.com has launched two new initiatives for its US customers – a digital literary... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-10-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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And even better, Amazon's Whispersync technology picks up where you left off no matter whether you're reading, listening, or mixing the two. Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2013-10-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Looks like Amazon is making good use of its Goodreads acquisition. When it debuted the latest Kindle e–reader Tuesday, among the features and specs touted––faster processor, higher–contrast screen, next–gen light––was Goodreads integration, giving readers a built–in community of 20 million to... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2013-09-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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When Amazon launched AutoRip, we looked at our bookshelves and wished that us readers would get something similar. Fortunately, the company had the same idea, and is now announcing Kindle Matchbook. In short, if you've bought one of 10,000 selected titles from Amazon, you'll be entitled to snag... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-09-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon has launched the Kindle store in Mexico with over 70,000 Spanish language ebooks. The e-... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-08-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Condé Nast and Amazon have struck a deal in which the online giant will begin managing print and digital subscriptions for Condé titles, the companies said on Tuesday.The program, called All Access, is meant to simplify the subscription process by sending potential subscribers from the... Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2013-08-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon Publishing has revealed a new imprint dedicated to comics and graphic novels, called Jet... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-07-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon.com's Kindle e-reader has dominated the competition in Japan since its launch last year, according to new research, showing the company's low pricing and powerful brand may have overcome its late entrance into the market. The Kindle accounted for 38.3 percent of the e-reader market in... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2013-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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After remaining quiet on the hardware front for years, Amazon.com's China business has finally brought the company's Kindle tablet and Kindle e-reader to the country. On Friday, both the Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Paperwhite went on sale through the company's site in the country. The Kindle... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2013-06-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Some independent booksellers say they've received calls from someone claiming to be an Amazon staff member, asking if they'd be interested in selling Kindle e-readers. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon has unveiled a dedicated website for its Amazon Publishing platform, www.apub.com. The... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The digital publishing platform will let fans write, publish, and sell the stories they've written based on popular books, TV shows, and more. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-05-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon's taken a number of steps to bring different types of content to the Kindle Store, and it's now venturing into an area that has a long history with the internet: fan fiction. The company's today announced Kindle Worlds, a new publishing platform that promises to pay writers royalties for... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-05-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon let its world domination plans be known last month when it asked developers to start submitting apps to line its virtual displays in more countries. While China was notably absent from immediate expansion plans, Amazon launched its Appstore there during the weekend, opening the doors to... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-05-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon is fleshing out its international empire. The company has already conquered the US, Japan, UK and Canada, and has even launched an ebook assault on the Chinese mainland. Now it looks like the online giant has settled on its next target: Russia. According to a report in the Russian edition... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-04-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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An old cliché goes: You can have it good, fast or cheap, pick any two. But all three? When it comes to ebooks, new tools might be able to deliver all three. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-04-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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German Thalia, Weltbild, Hugendubel, as well as Bertelsmann and Deutsche Telekom, have launched Tolino, a new ebook platform to compete with Amazon. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon has patented a technology that allows customers to sell their previously read ebooks, audiobooks, music and movies in the same way that they can now sell print books, DVDs, and CDs. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon today (24th January) launches its Kindle range in Canada, the e-reading heartland of... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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