The publishing industry could be turned onto its head with a recent revelation that Amazon is in talks with big 5 publisher Simon and Schuster. No one seems to know what the discussions are about, whether it has to do with eBook pricing or if they are talking about an acquisition. If Amazon were to purchase S&S it would give Amazon major distribution to physical bookstores … [Read more...] about Report: Amazon to Purchase Simon and Schuster
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Amazon Offer Rejected by Hachette, Authors’ Organization
In a semi-olive branch move, Amazon offered last week to extend 100% of the sales price of Hachette titles to the authors themselves, in a conciliatory move meant to eradicate fears that Amazon's alleged "sanctions" against Hachette have hurt their authors. In an effort to avoid dragging the children into this while the grown-ups fight, Amazon offered to give the entire … [Read more...] about Amazon Offer Rejected by Hachette, Authors’ Organization
Advice to Indie Authors: Don’t Overlook Kobo
When Amazon introduced KDP Select, the exclusive program that offered indie authors extra benefits for only selling the ebook through their platform, critics argued that Amazon was encouraging authors to forfeit the ability to sell their books in other locations, thus hurting their overall careers. In exchange for incentives such as paid royalties when Kindle owners borrowed … [Read more...] about Advice to Indie Authors: Don’t Overlook Kobo
Amazon Circumvents French Ban Free Shipping for Books
Amazon has found itself in hot water in France, as government authorities were ready to hit the company with hefty fines. This stems from a new law that was signed by France's ruling Socialist Party and the opposition UMP Party that banned online retailers from shipping discounted books for free. It comes in the form of an amendment to a 32-year-old law that sets the value of … [Read more...] about Amazon Circumvents French Ban Free Shipping for Books
Amazon Sued by the FTC for in-app Purchases
The US Federal Trade Commission is suing Amazon for not having enough safeguards in place to prevent children from racking up millions of dollars worth of virtual currency and in-app purchases.FTC chair Edith Ramirez said in a statement: “Amazon's in-app system allowed children to incur unlimited charges on their parents' accounts without permission. Even Amazon's own … [Read more...] about Amazon Sued by the FTC for in-app Purchases
Author Rejects Award Due to Amazon Backing
The ultimate in low class and poor breeding has occurred in the book world as an author turned down a major award due to its association with Amazon. UK-based children's book author Allan Ahlberg declined the Booktrust Best Book Awards‘ Lifetime Achievement Award because the £5,000 prize money had been donated by Amazon.Unlike vocal protests from other authors lately, … [Read more...] about Author Rejects Award Due to Amazon Backing
Forbes: Amazon Dispute Not About Money
Despite the hordes of critics who have verbally assaulted Amazon for its greed in the Hachette dispute, an article for Forbes today demonstrated the outcome of the current contract negotiation holds a certain percentage of Amazon's revenue in the balance. How much is that revenue? Around eleven million dollars.As in, 0.014% of its total $78billion business.Apple was … [Read more...] about Forbes: Amazon Dispute Not About Money
Amazon to Forfeit Royalties, Offers Hachette Authors 100% of Sales
In another twist in the ongoing fight between Amazon and publisher Hachette, Amazon has either demonstrated its true spirit of support for authors and readers, or made the best PR move in the history of book publishing. Yesterday, in a King Solomon-like letter that has not been sent to the publisher but was sent to various experts and author organizations for feedback and … [Read more...] about Amazon to Forfeit Royalties, Offers Hachette Authors 100% of Sales
Five ABNA Category Winners Annouced
The end is almost near for this year's Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards, hosted by Amazon and CreateSpace. A contest that began in January with 10,000 entries from authors across a spectrum of genres has now been whittled away to just five finalists. At each stage in the contest, the field of entries is narrowed dramatically, leading up to today's announcement of the five … [Read more...] about Five ABNA Category Winners Annouced
Hugh Howey on Writers’ Unions: Who Really Speaks for Authors?
There are a few groups out there that claim to be the voice of advocacy and support for authors. Chief among them is the Author's Guild, an organization that actively works to block self-published authors from its inner sanctum by imposing hefty sales requirements before indie authors can join, thus making them a retailer's guild, rather than an author's guild. There's also the … [Read more...] about Hugh Howey on Writers’ Unions: Who Really Speaks for Authors?
eBook Review: The Silkworm by Robert Gilbraith
Verdict: 5 StarsRowling/Gilbraith has done it again, and this one may be even better than the first in her Cormoran Strike series.It was both sad and amazing when JK Rowling returned to fiction writing after closing the covers on her Harry Potter series. As she transitioned into becoming the head of the worldwide wizarding empire that has seen a movie franchise, … [Read more...] about eBook Review: The Silkworm by Robert Gilbraith
Big Five Back in Court over eBook Pricing
When the dust finally settled from the Department of Justice lawsuit against Apple and five of the then-Big Six publishers for illegally colluding to inflate the price of ebooks, essentially bilking consumers out of hundreds of millions of dollars in an effort to grab some more market share away from Amazon, the terms of the judge's ruling included a caveat. That statement was … [Read more...] about Big Five Back in Court over eBook Pricing
Light Up Your Fourth with Amazon’s Best Books of July
As the Independence Day festivities carry over for many people due to the long weekend, it's time to load up the e-reader with Amazon's list of best books for July. The titles are selected by the editorial team at Amazon Books, and just as with every other list the group produces for months or holidays, they're not based on book sales or ranking, but rather on the human input … [Read more...] about Light Up Your Fourth with Amazon’s Best Books of July
Authors Rally Behind Amazon in Publisher Dispute
Despite the letter circulated by some well-known authors that urged Amazon to behave itself in its ongoing dispute with Hachette, a new open letter and petition has surfaced. This time, nearly thirty indie authors signed the letter thanking Amazon for its service to the reading public and to authors in particular. The authors include the usual suspects, such as Joe Konrath, … [Read more...] about Authors Rally Behind Amazon in Publisher Dispute