Andrew Zack plays devil’s advocate in the Huffington Post with an article entitled, The Beginning of the End…of paper books. This was an article that slipped under the radar for me, but it does pose some intriguing possibilities for publishers who pursue the ‘agency model’ when negotiating contracts and terms with booksellers. To recap, the ‘agency model’ is…
E-book Wars: Beyond The Book Live Podcast
If you want to listen to the view and opinions of the industries leading journalists and analysts on the recent issues in the e-book word then you won’t go to far wrong by tuning into a Beyond The Book special report live on Blog Talk Radio this Wednesday, February 10th, at 2 – 3pm (US…
Is it All Fear And Loathing in The Publishing World?
There has been quite a lot of discussion over the weekend about Amazon’s positioning in the publishing world in the light of the resolved dispute with Macmillan. The words threat and fear are in ample supply from Henry Porter in the Guardian UK, Eoin Purcell on Green Lamp Media’s blog, and again in a piece…
Return Of The Mac!
Macmillan print and e-book titles have begun to return with first-party buy buttons on Amazon’s site. No formal details have been released yet by either parties to indicate the end of their dispute, but the New York Times reports that an agreement has been reached. The Independent Publishing Magazine | TIPM Media
Are The Sleeping Giants of Publishing Waking Up?
Are the sleeping giants of the publishing world finally waking up to realize someone stole their blanket overnight and they want it back? Macmillan and Hachette Livre seem to think so. There is a new buzz word in publishing. It will not be the first this year, nor the last, but it might be the most significant…
Second Response From Macmillan’s CEO
Macmillan CEO John Sargent has issued a second communication using Publishers Lunch today to update ‘Authors and Illustrators’ on discussions with Amazon over Macmillan’s new agency model for e-book pricing. It is now six days since buy buttons were removed from the publisher’s listings on Amazon, and while Sargent expresses his respect for the e-tailer,…
SFWA Remove Amazon Links
The Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) announced late yesterday that it was removing all links to Amazon on its website in light of the recent Macmillan dispute. Amazon removed the buy buttons from all Macmillan titles last Saturday following Macmillan’s presentation of new e-book terms to the e-tailer last week. Amazon sell most of their…
Amazon Sulk & Eat Touchco While Macmillan Wait
While Amazon behave like the sulking teenager and continue to drag their feet and delay the return of buy buttons to Macmillan’s listed catalogue, the Amazon corporate and development moguls are not letting the grass grow under their feet. Following the media glare last week on Apple’s new iPad, the New York Times technology section…
Amazon Concede To Macmillan on Ebook Dispute
From New Publishing Express… Amazon has responded to John Sargent’s open letter on Publishers Marketplace and conceded the ground to Macmillan allowing them to price e-books on Amazon at $14.99 to $12.99. However it is still unclear when Amazon will restore the buy buttons on Macmillan’s catalogue that were ‘temporarily’ removed over the weekend. In a statement Amazon said:…
Patience May Be A Virtue For Arrival of UK Apple iPad
Following the initial fanfare for Apple’s iPad media party on Wednesday and considerable review and discussion on the tablet device, more sobering reflection and comment is beginning to emerge. Much focus has been made of Apple’s mirror sites globally and the fact that iBooks, the device’s dedicated store platform for e-books will only be available in the United…