Amazon fights with publisher Hachette over the price of ebooks – The Verge

Amazon inks deal with book publisher Simon & Schuster, gets ammo in Hachette fight

2014-10-21T11:09:36-04:00

Amazon continues to solidify its grip over books sales. As first reported yesterday by Business Insider, the online retail giant has signed a multi-year pact to sell new paper books and ebooks from CBS-owned Simon & Schuster, one of the largest publishing companies in the world. The full terms of the deal haven't been disclosed, but it puts an end to months of difficult negotiations and ensures that Simon & Schuster book titles will be prominently promoted on Amazon's website, according to The Wall Street Journal. Simon & Schuster touted the deal as a victory for its authors in a letter it sent them, noting that it preserves the authors' sha …

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Amazon wants readers to join ongoing dispute with publisher Hachette

2014-08-09T11:12:57-04:00

Amazon has fired its latest shot in what has become a protracted battle with book publisher Hachette. The retailer has published an open letter to readers admonishing Hachette for refusing to agree to a new contract. The letter, titled "Readers United," paints the publisher as a big business that's set in its old-fashioned ways, likening Hachette to the publishers of old that fought to suppress cheap paperback books in the '30s.

The online retailer is seeking new contract terms with Hachette that would see most ebooks sell for $9.99 or less. It also wants a 30 percent cut, an amount that the company says Hachette itself originally proposed …

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Stephen King, John Grisham, and nearly 900 other authors oppose Amazon’s Hachette tactics

2014-07-25T13:45:18-04:00

Nearly 900 writers, including Stephen King, John Grisham, Jennifer Egan, and Donna Tartt, have signed a letter objecting to the aggressive tactics that Amazon has been using to gain leverage over the book publisher Hachette, according to the Guardian. As part of what appears to be an attempt to renegotiate the split of revenue on ebook sales in its favor, Amazon has effectively begun discouraging its shoppers from buying Hachette books by not offering preorder options and by pushing their shipping times back by weeks in some cases. While this is clearly damaging to Hachette, it's also damaging to the authors, who might otherwise be seeing mo …

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Amazon offers Hachette authors 100 percent cut of ebook sales as fight continues

2014-07-08T14:14:22-04:00

For months, authors have complained about being caught in the middle of a very public spat between Amazon, the world's largest bookseller, and publisher Hachette. Amazon has aggressively worked to secure better contract terms with the publisher, and in the process has turned to controversial "negotiation tactics" like halting pre-orders for upcoming Hachette books, cutting down on physical inventory, and hitting customers with abnormally long shipping delays. But now the company is offering to reverse those decisions, which authors have roundly criticized as unfair and a glaring example of Amazon abusing its dominant market position.

Now, A …

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Amazon confirms its fight with publishing giant Hachette is real, and it’s far from over

2014-05-27T22:04:28-04:00

Amazon's spat with publishing conglomerate Hachette has been unofficial but well-documented, as the retail giant uses its considerable muscle to gain more favorable terms in a deal with one of its largest book partners. On Tuesday it swung its biggest hammer yet, saying formally that it's buying less inventory from Hachette and is no longer taking pre-orders on its books. That means that while you can still buy a Hachette book on Amazon, you can't do so ahead of its publication date, and the company will only buy the book from Hachette when you buy it from Amazon. That means slow shipping and no cheaper prices - none of the perks of being an …

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Authors complain of getting screwed over in Amazon’s fight with publisher Hachette

2014-05-23T11:54:44-04:00

The spat between Amazon and book publisher Hachette is starting to get ugly, leaving both authors and consumers to deal with the repercussions. The online retailer has been castigated in recent weeks for employing questionable tactics and irresponsibly wielding its tremendous influence as it looks to strike a new ebooks deal with Hachette. Many books from the publisher are experiencing long shipping delays - often between two and three weeks - even when Hachette insists that it's fulfilling Amazon's every order in a timely manner. And as The New York Times notes, the pre-order button has disappeared for some upcoming Hachette titles includin …

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