Each year, we look back at the data we have from Amazon and assess what our readers bought via our links. (We only see purchased books that were purchased directly after clicking on our site–this thus isn’t necessarily all the books our readers bought on our recommendation.) This year, we sold just under twenty-two thousand books. The majority of the books were sold were ebooks although audio books were up this year. […]
In the battle between Hachette and Amazon, Hachette and those who support it have based their argument upon two simple “facts”. The first is that Amazon is too big. A retailer that large is dangerously close to being a monopoly (or so they say). The second is that Amazon, with their (evil) devotion to pleasing the costumer will destroy the quality of books. […]
I am no Amazon fangirl. In April 2013 I blogged about my concerns when they took over Goodreads. On the other hand I have what is probably an unhealthy attachment to my Kindle and I visit their site several times a week vis-à-vis books. Amazon seems to be one of the few companies aware that the book world is changing and certainly acts interested in helping readers navigate that world. They not only provide new books cheap but help you get old books and books from overseas. While I may not want Amazon to take over the book world, I certainly want them to be a large part of it. […]
** I’d noticed recently that Avon redesigned its website, and it has also now announced the launch of Share Your Book, a place for aspiring writers to post writing samples and receive feedback from readers, editors, and other authors. It reminds me somewhat of the First Page feature at Dear Author, but since this one is sponsored by a publishing house, I suspect there will be more of a presence from editors giving comments and hopefully finding new talent. Avon has had similar features in the past, including the FanLit contest that brought us Tessa Dare, Courtney Milan, Manda Collins, Elyssa Patrick, and several other authors. I’ll be curious to see what new voices emerge from this new feature. More than a few writers have emerged from the self-publishing world recently, and it looks like Avon is trying to bring some of that talent on board.
I have been a loyal Amazon customer. If I am going to buy a book, new chances are Amazon will either be shipping it to me or sending it to my Kindle. I am also a member of the Goodreads community. My primary reason for being a member is simple: Their online listing of books I’ve read or want to read via shelves I can create for myself is far superior to my former methodology of keeping a list on a word document. Since I like both companies I shouldn’t feel at all threatened by the recent buyout, right? Wrong. […]
Just when you think you’ve learned the latest news about Amazon acquiring another company, something new will pop up on-line. In June, we learned that Amazon was acquiring Avalon Books, a “clean” publisher that mostly sells to libraries. The latest news is that Amazon is bidding on the assets of Dorchester Publishing. By assets, this means books. Lots and lots of books. The Digital Book World post includes this wording from Amazon: […]
Unless you’re a librarian, or a reader who checks out lots of genre fiction from your library, Avalon Books has probably flown under your radar. Avalon is a niche publisher specializing in the library market, selling hardcover genre fiction to libraries. Founded in 1950, they publish 60 books a year — romances, mysteries, and Westerns. The books range from 50,000 to 70,000 words, so they’re quite short — about the length of a category romance, although shorter than the average Harlequin Historical. In today’s world of publishing conglomerates, Avalon is — or was — a rarity, a family-owned publishing house. Also, until now, Avalon’s titles have not been available in eBook format, not even though libraries with digital lending system.
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You know, after the Department of Justice filed suit against Apple and Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin, and Simon & Schuster, I imagined Jeff Bezos is doing a victory dance around his office like Hugh Grant in the clip below.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUm2K6eDuMU […]
I must have been living under a rock. Until the advent of agency pricing, I didn’t realize the contentiousness and longevity of the thirty years’ book wars. Oh, I do remember talking with one of my favorite book sellers – a retired teacher that opened a book store in Memphis. She shared that she was having a difficult time competing with Waldenbooks. And I remember her talking in dismay about the proposed purchase of Ingram Book Group Inc. by Barnes and Noble. And sure I watched the 1998 comedy, “You’ve Got Mail” with Tom Hanks’s Fox & Sons Books putting out of business Meg Ryan’s Shop Around the Corner. However I moved away to a smaller town, and became cocooned against the bookstore closings. Then in the spring of 2010, agency pricing got […]
We’ve been following Connie Brockway’s Adventures in Publishing for some months now and – ta da! – the wait is almost over. One week from today The Other Guy’s Bride, her eBook of the sequel to As You Desire will be available from Amazon, with the print edition following one month later.
But, for five lucky readers the wait might not be that long. AAR and Amazon are giving away five copies of The Other Guy’s Bride. And, just to make sure everybody is happy, winners can choose whether or not they want the eBook edition or a print copy. Those who choose the eBook will get their prize right away. Winners who choose the print book will have to wait until early December to receive their copy.
To enter for your chance to win, simply leave a comment to this post by Thursday, November 17th at 11:59 […]