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Archive for Amazon
The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Is Down to the Final Six
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Amazon.com’s annual awards for new authors, the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards, have been carefully whittled away from the thousands of entries in each of the two categories—fiction and young adult fiction—to come to a final six submissions. Three authors from each of the two fields received word today that their entries had been selected for the final phase of the competition.
Initially, the entries were selected for advancement based on what amounts to the pitch, much like an author would use to attempt to hook an agent or publisher. After the first round, books were reviewed by professional reviewers before being chosen to go forward in the competition.
At this stage in the contest, which is sponsored by Amazon, CreateSpace, and Penguin Group, the three finalists from each category will be judged and voted upon by Amazon readers while a panel of experts in the fields will weigh in on the books, people whose own credentials include literary agents and widely recognized bestselling authors. The two winners chosen by the voters will each receive a publishing contract from Penguin and a $15,000 advance on sales.
“This year’s ABNA contest saw thousands of submissions from talented writers around the world,” said Nader Kabbani, Director of Independent Publishing, Amazon, in a press release today. “According to the judges and editors, the quality of the entries continues to climb, making the contest more competitive each year. The finalists this year are among the best yet and Amazon.com customers will have a challenge picking a favorite.”
The nominees for the finalists spots are as follows: The Beautiful Land by Alan Averill, Grace Humiston and the Vanishing by Charles Kelly, A Chant of Love and Lamentation by Brian Reeves, Dreamcatchers by Cassandra Griffin, Out of Nowhere by Rebecca Phillips, and On Little Wings by Regina Sirois.
Rumor: Amazon to Build 10.1 Inch Kindle Fire Variant, Ad Supported Kindle Fire Coming
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Amazon, it seems is more keen to take on the iPad than anything else. At least, that is how industry experts are explaining the latest rumors claiming the online retail giant is more eager to proceed with the development of a 10.1 inch sibling of the Kindle Fire than an 8.9 inch sized device. The Kindle Fire was launched amid much fanfare in the middle of November. The 7 inch device has not disappointed Amazon, as the tablet went on to become the highest selling Android tablet (though its sales figures never could match up to the iPad). Kindle Fire sales have since dwindled, which means Amazon has to do something special to ensure it remains in the tablet race. A 10.1 inch sized Kindle Fire variant, along with a spruced up 7 inch version that we already know is in the making, might just be it.
Another method of increasing sales of the Kindle Fire is to introduce an ad supported Kindle Fire. This would entail lowering the price even more for a device that is believed to already have been subsidized to keep initial costs low. Amazon is already reported to have initiated talks with a number of advertising agencies to get them on-board to support a Kindle Fire that would display their ads. Sources following developments on this claim Amazon is asking for $600,000 for ads that will be displayed on the home screen of the Kindle Fire, while for a million dollars advertisers can have the welcome screen along with enhanced ad inventory. Plus the advertiser will also be included in Amazon’s public-relations push.
Amazon isn’t revealing how many devices will be allowed to carry the ads, though for advertisers, the prospect of having their wares displayed on a device that has already reached millions of users might be too tempting to ignore. Then again, Amazon hasn’t yet stated whether the move is applicable to the Kindle Fire’s already sold or for the upcoming lot of Kindle Fires. The latter seems more likely as existing users of the Kindle Fire have already paid the full amount for the tablet and a reduced price structure for an ad supported version can’t be made applicable to them. Another model Amazon can approach is to upgrade to a better speced Kindle Fire while continuing to offer the present version with ads displayed at a reduced cost.
Amazon has already tasted success with that a formula on a version of it’s Kindle e-reader and is hoping to replicate the same with the Kindle Fire. For the Kindle e-reader, the ads appear as a screen saver when you are not reading any books and don’t appear to the users when they are actually reading ebooks. What remains to be seen is how the model is emulated on the Kindle Fire, which is more of a tablet device.
via adage
Amazon Createspace Launches in Europe
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Amazon has just launched their seminal self-publishing service Createspace in the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe today. This will allow authors to publish their books and have them distributed all over Europe and North America.
Amazon Creatspace has been running since 2007 and allows you to make your book available to millions of potential customers by distributing through the Amazon ecosystem and your own eStore, and the Expanded Distribution Channel. Set your book’s list price and earn royalties. Upload completed book files, or use our free tools to prepare your content for publication. On-demand production of your book means you’ll never worry about inventory or minimum orders. The big draw on their program is the “Print on Demand” feature. It basically prints the tangible version of the book as people order it. So instead of buying 1000 copies of your book in printed format and hope it sells, Createspace will only print the books as people buy it
UK and European authors can now publish on Createspace and they can have their books, audiobooks and digital content all distribution in many different countries. This is a huge benefit for the local self-publishing scene and now makes digital publishing a bit easier. If you have any questions, check out our Amazon Europe frequently asked questions or contact Member Support.
Apple’s Motion to Dismiss eBook Price Fixing Lawsuit Denied
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Photo courtesy of tablet-news.com
In the ongoing legal battle with Apple, one that has even been taken up by the U.S. Department of Justice, the first major motion of the proceedings was handed down today and ultimately denied. Apple filed a motion to dismiss that class-action suit brought by Seattle-based law firm Hagens Berman, but that motion was denied by Judge Denise Cote.
Apple’s motion was essentially filed on the grounds that the plaintiffs didn’t have evidence of their misconduct when they allegedly conspired with five of the Big Six publishers to set ebook prices artificially high. The lawsuit claims that this was done with the specific intent of forcing Amazon’s hand and causing the online retailer to raise the prices of its ebooks.
This ruling is in regard only to the civil suit filed on behalf of consumers. The DoJ has its own investigations and proceedings underway, as do several state governments. Three of the publishers named in the case have already signed deals with those states.
According to Judge Cote’s decision, Apple’s motion was denied under the Sherman Act; this ruling specifically addresses the alleged collusion that stemmed from Apple and the publishers working together to set the prices on ebooks. Due to the fact that parties involved in secret collaborations rarely put everything in writing, then inferences are allowed based on the actions and outcomes.
“We look forward to uncovering additional evidence in the discovery phase of this litigation,” said Berman in a press release about the motion today. “We litigated this case because we strongly believe that consumers were harmed by Apple and the publishers’ tactics and we will not settle without an effective plan to repay consumers for their losses.”
The purpose of the class-action suit is to recover some of the estimated $250 million that consumers overpaid following the supposed secret dealings between Apple and the publishers.
“Fortunately for the publishers, Apple was also terrified of Amazon’s pricing and the popularity of its Kindle device,” said Berman. “Rather than compete on merit, price and convenience, we intend to prove that the cabal simply tried to game the system.”
Amazon to Release New Glow in the Dark Kindle in July
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Amazon has been working on a glow in the dark device will before Barnes and Noble ever released their Glowlight e-reader earlier this month. Anonymous sources in the company told Reuters today that Amazon is working on an e-Reader with glow in the dark function that is set for a July release, and a new version of the Kindle Fire for the holiday season.
“I do see demand for a front-lit Kindle,” said Jennifer Colegrove, Vice President of Emerging Display Technologies at DisplaySearch, an NPD Group company, which monitors trends in the display sector. There is a trade-off, she said: “Front-lit will consume battery power and [it will] run out… quicker.”
Last year Amazon acquired a Seattle based company Oy Modilis that prides itself as a world leader in light-guide technology. The reason Amazon was a bit late to the game is because they tend to patent all of their technologies before a commercial release is possible. It normally takes six months to a year for patent applications to be approved and finalized, which is why their new device has taken so long to hit the market.
All signs are pointing to a July release using the same e-ink Pearl display that their previous models have used. It is also said to be six inches and feature a fully interactive touchscreen display.
Apple Might Release 7 Inch iPad By Oct, Price Around $200-$250
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When Steve Jobs had ruled out a 7 inch sized iPad, there were plenty of tablets in the 7 inch segment. Though none had gone on to make sales history compared to the iPad. After Amazon’s Kindle Fire became so popular, however, Apple has been prompted to re-think its stand so far as a 7 inch iPad is concerned. The idea of a smaller iPad with a 7 inch display has been doing the rounds for quite some time now, and it appears that it might become a reality after all. Experts are guessing it could reach markets by October.
While this is welcome news, the biggest surprise with the smaller iPad is that it is still expected to come with the retina display, which happens to be the biggest USP of the new iPad 3. What this means is that with 2048 x 1536 pixels crammed into a 7 inch frame, a pixel density of around 326 ppi will endow the new iPad with almost the same clarity as the iPhone 4S. That said, the best thing with the new iPad could still be its price, which is likely to be around the $200 – $250 mark.
Apple’s intentions are extremely clear, it simply does not want any room for its competitors and the above mentioned price point is vital for that strategy. Lately there have been a lot of tablet or e-reader/tablet hybrids entering that price bracket. These include the B&N Nook Color, Kindle Fire, the Kobo Vox, and many others. These devices settled down around the $200 price bracket, allowing Apple and others the premium segment. Now with Apple seemingly readying a 7 inch iPad, the budget tablet segment could become non-existent the way all other MP3 players went extinct after the advent of the iPod.
Sources with imore also claim everything else with the new iPad will be just the same as the 9.7 inch version, which means Apple might have a killer device up its sleeve. Bad news for all other tablets.
Amazon Kindle Users in Ireland Forced to Buy eBooks from the USA
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Amazon customers in Ireland are being forced to do business with the Kindle store in the USA instead of the UK . This results in dramatically high prices and many customers are irate that they are paying close to 3X more on their digital books.
The Amazon Kindle e-reader is enjoying popularity in Europe and the UK. The low cost device is a siren call to budget conscious users who want to buy more books for less. Unfortunately, the way Amazon has their store set up hinders Irish users so they cannot buy ebooks from the Amazon.uk website, but they can buy non-kindle content.
The Independent in Ireland recently wrote a report on this very subject and it has picked up a massive amount of political attention. The Consumers Association of Ireland (CAI) has called on the EU to investigate the price gap for electronic books. Chief executive of the CAI Dermott Jewell said he would raise the matter with European Consumer Group BEUC this week. “It makes no sense to be charging readers in Ireland more than readers in Britain as there should be no difference in the cost of delivery,” he said.
Pottermore Sells Nearly $5Million in eBooks in the First Month
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Digital reading fans have clearly spoken about their love of the wizarding world. Pottermore, the site dedicated to all things Harry Potter, apparently has sold almost $5 million worth of the eBook editions of the seven-book series in its first month of sales.
The eBooks which are available in English, Spanish, French, Italian, and German, are available exclusively through Pottermore, although Kindle and Nook users can access the titles through a dedicated portal on the Amazon and Barnes&Noble sites. That portal takes consumers to the Pottermore site for purchase then, through an agreement with the retailers, the eBooks are sent directly to consumers’ devices without having to download them via cable.
Laura Hazard Owen of paidContent.org came up with a figure for total sales based on an average of the prices. Allowing that the first three books amount to $7.99 each, with the remaining four books in the series priced at $9.99 each, the article asserts that sales likely fall into the realm of about 525,000+ titles sold.
Her article goes on to discuss some very interesting information concerning two key issues that critics of digital reading contend. First, sales of the print editions have increased in the time that the eBooks have been available through Pottermore, most likely asserting that digital does not actually mean the death of print books. But even more interestingly, despite the eBooks’ status as DRM-free and in spite of some initial piracy, it would appear that piracy of the books has actually gone down now that the books have been made available and that they are easily transferable to readers’ devices. Supporters of DRM-free content may actually have Pottermore to thank for giving such a clear and successful example of what they have maintained for some time, that readers simply value good content and they will rise to the occasion to read.
Amazon Kindle Fire Shipments Plummet in Q1 2012
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The Amazon Kindle Fire enjoyed copiously robust sales in the last quarter of 2012 that propelled it into one of the most sought after Android devices. Around 4.8 million Fire tablets were sold in the last few months of 2011 and things have not been the same since. In the first quarter of 2012 shipments have dramatically decreased to only 728k tablets shipped.
Research firm IDC recently issued a report on the current landscape of tablet computers and some of the results are fairly interesting. There is no surprise that the Apple iPad line of tablets continue to dominate and retain the number one position.Due to the decline in Amazon sales, Samsung has usurped its position to being the second most popular tablet company in the world.
Amazon currently has shipped 17.4 million Kindle Fire tablets since it was released last year. In the few months when it first came out it controlled 16.8% of the entire tablet segment. With rivals such as Barnes and Noble and Kobo pushing hard, Amazon only has a paltry 4% of the entire market.
Amazon has recently lost a major distribution partner, in the form of Target during this last week. You will no longer be able to purchase any Amazon tablet or e-reader after May 17th. This strikes a blow towards the Seattle company and should see its sales plummet even further.
There May Be No Class Action Suit Against Publishers in eBook Price Fixing Case
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Image courtesy of utne.com
What began life as a class action lawsuit filed by Seattle-based law firm Hagen Bermans on behalf of consumers quickly became a Department of Justice investigation against Apple and five of the Big Six publishers. The investigation was to determine whether or not those involved had acted illegally when they instituted an “agency pricing” model for ebook sales to retailers. Abroad, several other international entities also began their own investigations into claims that Apple and the publishers made an illegal closed-door agreement to arrange the pricing on ebooks specifically in order to edge out Amazon.
Now, thanks to that investigation, the original class action suit which sought to return some of the $250 million that some estimates claim consumers overpaid may fall by the wayside as three of the publishers involved are working to reach a settlement with all fifty individual state governments. If a settlement is reached with the state governments that would trump the class action suit, by order of the judge on the federal court case, Justice Deborah Cote.
Hagen Bermans is planning to continue the suit against two of the publishers, Macmillan and Penguin Group, as those two are holding out in the case and refusing to settle, as is Apple. It is still estimated that even in the settlements the publishers will pay compensation amounting in the millions, but it would mean that there would be no jury trial which could result in a larger payout.
Joshua Graham on eBook Promotion
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GoodeReader featured author Joshua Graham several months ago, and to highly favorable response from readers. Graham’s most recent title, Darkroom, launches today but for a well-respected author, that wouldn’t necessarily make headlines. It is Graham’s creativity when it comes to utilizing online resources and social media to accomplish the things that authors used to have to work at in face-to-face settings that sets him apart.
“[Social media] is all about building community,” explained Graham to GoodeReader. “Thanks to the internet, we can have parties with friends, new and old, from all over the world. I love to engage my fans in healthy banter, levity, and sometimes heartfelt sharing. I believe my fans are as excited about the release of my new book Darkroom as I am. As much as I would love to fly all over the world to celebrate with each one of them in person, it’s just not feasible. But this is possibly the next best thing. And I hope that the unveiling of the cinematic book trailer will be exciting. Also, I’m excited for the lucky people who will leave the party with some very nice gifts–like a Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet (winner’s choice), autographed books, and ebooks.”
Graham will be taking advantage of another online opportunity for this release, an online book launch party on Tuesday, May 1st, at 9pm Eastern/6pm Pacific. With an international fan base, it would appear to be the only way to invite literally anyone who wished to attend and spend time with the author in order to discuss his writing. Authors who are looking for ever-increasing fan bases have more choices than ever before in presenting their work to potential readers, as is the case with a live streaming event such as this. As for authors who wish to take advantage of the tools at their disposal, Graham had some positive things to say about the lack of limitations that an online presence affords.
“Definitely, have a blog. In addition, engage your fans on Facebook with a fan page, but don’t just spam them with ads. Chat with them in the comments, answer questions, ask questions, and once in a while share with them about your books and some exciting news. There are many great sites from which you can do sponsorships to promote your books. Some that come to the top of my mind are EreaderNewsToday.com and Ebookswag.com. There are many others as well. Reach out to them, and see if you can promote with them.
“But truly, the biggest thing you can do for promotion is write a book that people will talk about and recommend to their friends. Encourage discussion among your fans (with you included sometimes) and don’t be afraid to ask if they will do you a favor and write a review for you, if they enjoyed your book.”
Amazon Inks New Sales Tax Agreement with Texas
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Photo courtesy of rvanews.com
Amazon has fought a never-ending battle on a state-by-state basis over varying sales tax concerns. The online retailer has been following a 1992 US Supreme Court decision concerning the collection of sales tax from customers if the retailer has a physical presence in that state, but in light of the firestorm of opportunity that swept the country when different states saw a veritable cash cow from the nation’s largest online retailer, Amazon has had to get creative with different states.
The latest deal involves Texas, the now-future-home of a large distribution center and the promise of over 2,000 new jobs. In order to avoid paying back sales taxes along the lines of $269 million, Amazon agreed to build the new facility and therefore (in accordance with the ruling) begin collecting sales tax from Texas customers. This deal is set to go into effect July 1st and follows closely on an agreement with Nevada recently.
All along, Amazon has maintained that it would cooperate with, and even support, a national sales tax ruling for online retailers. However, it was the forced adaptation to fifty different states’ laws that the retailer took issue with. As of yet, a national sales tax law has not come up for a vote in Congress.
While some states simply saw the so-called “Amazon Tax” as a way to bring much needed revenue to their states in a bad economy, there has been loud support from organizations that support brick-and-mortar bookstores, as well as some major chain book retailers who compete with Amazon for consumers’ dollars. While some would agree that it does seem vindictive for the competition to be such staunch supporters of new tax laws meant to include online retailers, others could easily argue that it is simply leveling the playing field in some small way.
Kindle Still Reigns Supreme in Amazon’s Quarterly Report
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Amazon’s first quarter figures are in and the clear winner is the Kindle. While the online retail platform posted a 19% increase in its media sales, the Kindle still won out as its top seller. While net sales increased 34% in this quarter, largely thanks to Amazon’s current bestselling item in the new Kindle Fire tablet, profits actually fell by 35% as Amazon invested in other projects, including the building of distribution centers and possibly the rumored Amazon brick-and-mortar stores. There have also been rumors of a new Kindle e-reader device in development.
On its publishing front, Kindle Direct Publishing continues to do well for the ebook retailer. Sixteen of the top 100 titles in the Kindle store are published through KDP, a strong push for self-publishing. Internationally, ebook sales were up 31% for the first three months. Amazon revealed that self-published ebook titles enrolled in its exclusive KDP Select program would share a portion of the $600,000 total for March sales, and sales are faring well enough that April will also have an additional cumulative $600,000 for authors.
