When will publishers wake up to the challenge of Amazon?

The books industry still underestimates the disruptive power of Jeff Bezos's awesome ambitionSo Amazon are the bad guys, again. At least according to Harper's Magazine they are. For the former Amazon employee James Marcus, Brad Stone "drops the ball" in his biography of Jeff Bezos, The Everything Store, when he accepts "what is literally the company line – that these extorted dollars 'create the foundation on which everyday low prices become possible'." Marcus tells how some publishers are being "pressured" to pay "for the privilege of presenting their lists to [Amazon] marketing team and buyers" – a story denied in a footnote by an unnamed "Amazon spokesperson" – and goes on to assemble an impressive rap sheet of sharp practice:Of course it's legal. So is Amazon's control of an estimated 65 percent of the ebook market, a near monopoly that's apparently of no concern to the supine Department of Justice. So is its bare-bones price of $9.99 for popular ebooks, a loss-leading tactic that might be classified as predatory pricing if there weren't so many legal hurdles to making such a charge stick. So is the funneling of its British revenues through a subsidiary in Luxembourg ...... and on it goes. But Amazon's aggressive style of doing business is nothing new. What astonishes me is the continuing ability of publishers to underestimate how radically Amazon has changed the industry.Mike Shatzkin is one of those who have understood Amazon's disruptive power all along. But such... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2013-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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One of the largest book publishers in the world announces new publisher.

Andy Ward has been named a new vice president and publisher at Random House. Formerly editor in chief, Ward moves into the spot long held by the beloved Susan Kamil, who died in September. Ward has edited the likes of David Mitchell, George Saunders, and Imbolo Mbue, and will see his role as... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2019-11-19 15:22:43 UTC ]
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Publishers prepare for Work in Publishing Week

Publishers including And Other Stories, Cambridge University Press and HarperCollins are preparing to take part in Work in Publishing Week, a campaign to inspire young people aged 14–24 to pursue a career in publishing. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-13 04:20:22 UTC ]
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Morrison joins Echo Publishing as associate publisher

Bonnier Books' Sydney-based publisher Echo Publishing has appointed Tegan Morrison as associate publisher. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-11-11 20:32:57 UTC ]
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Damon Reiss Named V-P, Publisher of W Publishing

Thomas Nelson has appointed Damon Reiss to v-p, publisher of its W Publishing imprint, effective immediately. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-11-08 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Emirates Publishers Association Opens Educational Publishing Seminar

Grounded in discussions on supporting UAE-based education publishers, this two-day program includes road-mapping sessions to plan the next five years. The post Emirates Publishers Association Opens Educational Publishing Seminar appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-10-28 05:15:12 UTC ]
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Digiday Publishing Summit Event Briefing: Why publishers need to think like gyms to retain subscribers

At this week's Digiday Publishing Summit Europe in Budapest, Hungary, executives discussed how they are looking to diversify their sources of income and the inevitable pain points that come with that exercise. The post Digiday Publishing Summit Event Briefing: Why publishers need to think like... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2019-10-25 04:00:05 UTC ]
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Lego Publishing and Ameet to launch new publishing imprint Lego Books

Lego Publishing will launch a new imprint, Lego Books, in partnership with children's book publisher Ameet.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-10-04 12:07:17 UTC ]
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Amazon is opening a store across the street from Nashville’s Parnassus Books, because Amazon is bad.

Amazon, apparently intent on fostering the illest of will among book lovers, is opening a store directly across the street from Nashville’s Parnassus Books, an independent bookstore founded by Ann Patchett and Karen Hayes in 2011. (Full disclosure: I visited the store for the first time this... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2019-08-26 16:58:35 UTC ]
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The Very First Books Published by Some of Your Favorite Publishing Houses

One of the most interesting things about book publishing, as an industry, is the way imprints and publishing houses develop over time—shifting focus to keep up with public interest, taking on personalities along with personnel, changing hands ad nauseam and merging like no one’s watching.... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2019-08-15 09:36:09 UTC ]
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African publishers should publish more books in African languages, says Ngugi wa Thing’o

African publishers should publish more books in indigenous languages to stop their disappearance and to increase the awareness of African writers in their own countries, the celebrated Kenyan writer and activist Ngugi wa Thing’o told delegates at the second International Publishers Association... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-06-13 23:53:47 UTC ]
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New Publishing Director for Amberjack Publishing

Following the June 7 departure of publisher Dayna Anderson and managing editor Cassandra Farrin, the Eagle, Idaho-based company named Justin Mitson publishing director. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-06-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
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First PublisHer’s Dinner: Working to Support Women in Publishing

Working to build a global, supportive community of women in publishing, the first PublisHer's dinner brought together some 30 women making a difference in the book business. The post First PublisHer’s Dinner: Working to Support Women in Publishing appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-03-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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‘Scale itself isn’t that transformative’: Insights on sustainable publishing models from the Digiday Publishing Summit Europe

Publishers gathered in Milan, Italy, on March 5 – 7 to discuss revenue diversification and monetizing audiences overseas. The post ‘Scale itself isn’t that transformative’: Insights on sustainable publishing models from the Digiday Publishing Summit Europe appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2019-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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‘Retention is a key strategic element for all publishers’: European publishers focus on churn

A report from Axel Springer shows churn prevention is a higher priority this year while satisfaction with platform support has declined. The post ‘Retention is a key strategic element for all publishers’: European publishers focus on churn appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2019-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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At Sharjah Publishing City, the Emirates Publishers Association Opens a ‘One Stop Shop’

Assistance on licensing, printing permits, ISBNs for new titles, trade inquiries, and more are available now to publishers in the UAE at a centralized resource hub located at Sharjah Publishing City. The post At Sharjah Publishing City, the Emirates Publishers Association Opens a ‘One Stop Shop’... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The 2019 Publishers' Forum in Berlin will feature a programming partnership with the Frankfurter Buchmesse's THE ARTS+, while Publishing Scotland has issued its call for fellowship applications. The post Industry Notes: Germany’s Publishers’ Forum and THE ARTS+, Publishing Scotland Fellows... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-11-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishing in Québec 2018: Good Times for English-Language Publishing

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-09-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Canadian Publishing 2018: Is Diverse, Data-Driven Wattpad Publishing's Future?

The Canadian digital platform is using machine learning to discover what readers want. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-09-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As Traditional Publishing Fades Away, Publishers Need to Find New Means of Distribution and Monetization

Recently, I did some revenue forecasting for a client who is considering entering the digital news/content space. The product offering is pretty unique, but it will be entering a very saturated market with large, established competitors, traditional competitors like The New York Times and Wall... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2018-09-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers stop Facebook ad spending over policy that treats publishers as political advertisers

The Financial Times and New York Media suspended their paid media on Facebook over concerns about how news publishers are treated under its new ad policy. The post Publishers stop Facebook ad spending over policy that treats publishers as political advertisers appeared first on Digiday. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2018-05-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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