Why Apple Backed Down in Fight With Publishers

Maybe Apple isn’t so untouchable after all. The device maker, which has been locked in a battle with publishers, made a surprise concession recently, dropping a pricing requirement for its App Store that irked publishers. Before, publishers couldn't undercut the subscription price they offered in the App Store—the new guidelines do away with that requirement. The previous guidelines, issued in February, seemed aimed at ensuring Apple had a pricing advantage. They also presented a complication for publishers who are used to testing various price points to hook new subscribers and reward existing ones. Apple doesn’t say a lot about why it does what it does. But while it had gotten a few big publishers to agree to its subscription terms, it’s had pushback from companies over its terms, including the 30 percent it skims off App Store purchases and its refusal to share customer data, and it's likely this move is related to that. Other devices are coming to market, presenting new competition for Apple, and loosening the stranglehold that the company has had over content producers to this point. Plus, publishers are exploring browser-based apps that would skirt the App Store altogether. This week, The Financial Times made waves when it did just that after having rejected Apple’s subscription terms. Outsell’s Ken Doctor believes other publishers, like The New York Times and Wall Street Journal, marquee brands that are important to Apple, see the FT as a potential model to imitate... Continue reading at 'AdWeek'

[ AdWeek | 2011-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]

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The New York Times, The Daily and New Yorker Top Performing Titles on Apple’s Newsstand

In 2011, one phrase defined the magazine industry: digital editions. Whether publishers were deciding to take the leap into digitizing their publications, or deciding on what app to develop next, digital was top of mind for publishers of all kinds. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2012-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hearst Magazines Hires Two New Senior Executives for U.S. Magazine Division

Today, Hearst Magazines announced that two new senior executives would be joining its U.S. magazine division. Debi Chirichella, former chief operating officer at Condé Nast Digital, will join as senior vice president, chief financial officer; while Grant Whitmore, former chief operating officer... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-10-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Survey: Professionals Not Replacing Print With Digital?

This week alone, Ziff Davis Enterprise announced it will replace its three remaining print magazines with digital editions in 2012 and Hanley Wood president and CEO Frank Anton indicated that more magazine closures are likely in his organization, yet a new study from Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-10-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Magazine Publishers Look to Where Digital is Booming: The Book Business

After the initial flurry of excitement surrounding the release of their digital editions, magazine publishers are now beginning to focus on the strategies behind the products. In addition to complete digital editions, many are seeking other avenues to repackage and sell digital content. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-10-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ziff Davis Enterprise To Go All-Digital In 2012

Ziff Davis Enterprise has launched a new strategy called OmniDigital that will take the company all-digital with emphasis in four keys areas--traditional websites, mobile websites, tablets and digital editions. The company will convert its remaining three magazines--Baseline, CIO Insight and... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-10-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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First enhanced ebook from Short Books

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Mon, 24/10/2011 - 08:10 Short Books has produced its first enhanced ebook for the digital version of Birdwatching with your Eyes Closed (3rd November), the new book from Simon Barnes, author of How to be a Bad Birdwatcher. The book explores the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authonomy launches digital imprint

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 12/10/2011 - 13:30 Authonomy, HarperCollins' writing community for unpublished authors, is launching a new imprint with plans to publish 12 titles per year as digital editions. The imprint will be headed by Scott Pack, who runs Authonomy and is... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pan Mac reignites Curtis Brown backlist with Bello

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Wed, 12/10/2011 - 09:02 Pan Macmillan has teamed up with Curtis Brown to release hundreds of out-of-print titles from the agency's list as digital editions. Macmillan Bello will launch 120 titles next month, with a further 400 in 2012. The... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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OUP creates group strategy post

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Mon, 26/09/2011 - 08:50 Oxford University Press has appointed Casper Grathwohl to the newly-created role of senior vice-president, group strategy. Grathwohl, who is currently vice president of reference and digital publishing within OUP's... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Random House Moving to Digital Catalogues in 2012

Random House is the latest publisher to replace paper catalogues with digital editions. Random will begin the transition with its Random House Children's Books division's summer 2012 list which reps will start selling in January. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-09-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Yahoo, Gannett Expand Local Ad Tie-In

Embattled media companies Yahoo and Gannett are getting even cozier. Facing revenue declines, the Internet giant and the country’s biggest newspaper publisher are hoping they can boost their bottom lines with an expanded local advertising partnership. The companies initially launched a tie-in... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2011-08-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Survey: Interactive Ads “Highly Engaging”

Publishers may not be overwhelmed with the sheer numbers of digital readers to this point (in announcing its highest North American circulation ever, The Economist revealed it has about 5,000 subscribers to its digital editions), but those readers are highly engaged with interactive magazine... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Will New Apple Chief Mean Shift for Publishers?

Apple, its products adored by consumers all over, has nonetheless had a complicated relationship with publishers, who have battled with the tech giant over its intractable position involving the sale of content on its devices. But those who have railed against Apple's hard-headedness are... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2011-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Berger to retire from S&S US

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Wed, 10/08/2011 - 10:39 Marcella Berger is retiring from Simon & Schuster US from her position as vice president, director of subsidiary rights, after 35 years with the publisher. Among the titles and authors Berger sold rights to are journalist... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Borders 'terminates' president and c.f.o.

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 05/08/2011 - 08:20 Borders US has "terminated" the employment of its president Michael J Edwards and executive vice president and chief financial officer Scott D Henry. The company's senior vice president, restructuring, Holly Felder Etlin... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Time Inc. Launches New Tablet Strategy

Time Inc. is making it easier for readers to access its magazines in digital form—the company announced Wednesday that it will make all 21 of its U.S. titles available on the iPad and other tablets by the end of the year. But consumers still won’t be able to buy subscriptions through a key sales... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2011-08-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Flipboard Partners with Condé to Launch Ads

Social reading app Flipboard has struck a deal with Condé Nast to display full-page ads in several of the publisher’s titles. Starting today, readers of the New Yorker on Flipboard’s iPad app will begin seeing branded content from American Express throughout the virtual magazine. In October, a... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2011-07-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hearst, Bonnier Agree to MediaVest Demand for Tablet Data

Today brought two steps forward for transparency when it comes to readership of tablet media. With the tablet market still in its infancy, media buyers have been reluctant to put ad dollars towards an unproven platform where there’s little consumer data. One prominent buyer, MediaVest’s Robin... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2011-07-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Conde Nast, Other Publishers Look to Standardize Audience Metrics In Digital Editions

Digital editions, the oft-dubbed “Wild West” of the publishing world, may be charted in the near future. Many publishers are investing large amounts of time and resources to navigating user behavior in tablet editions of magazines, and this data is being used in a variety of ways. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-07-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon to acquire The Book Depository

Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Mon, 04/07/2011 - 12:29 Amazon.com has reached an agreement to acquire The Book Depository, the fast-growing online retailer founded by Andrew Crawford in 2004. Greg Greeley, Amazon's vice president of European Retail, said: "Customers in more... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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