The Guardian reports on a UK Amazon contract they have seen that seeks to account for 20 percent VAT before calculating the publisher’s share of digital list price–even though Amazon sells ebooks via their Luxembourg subsidiary and only pays 3 percent VAT at the moment. (That said, by 2015 EU law will change and the loophole will be closed–VAT will be applied based on where the purchaser resides, rather than the country pretending to sell the goods.) Former IT director of the Book Depository Will Jones is launching another independent online bookseller, Wordery, with titles supplied by Bertrams. The platform […]
eNews
International: Bertelsmann Drops Gruner + Jahr Buyout Plan; UK Kindle Lending; Casual Vacancy Passes A Million
Gruner + Jahr said in a statement Friday that, contrary to earlier indications from August, Bertelsmann will not buy up the remaining 25.1 percent in the company not already under its control. “In our intensive and constructive talks with Bertelsmann, we came to the conclusion that the challenges ahead for G&J can best be mastered together,” Jahr managing director Winfried Steeger, managing director of Jahr Holding said in the statement obtained by Bloomberg. Bertelsmann ceo Thomas Rabe added: “Bertelsmann will continue its more than 40 year long, successful relationship with the Jahr family. We are in a strong position to […]
People
Hodder & Stoughton announced a reorganization that creates two divisions within the group, “designed to strengthen the appeal and focus of its publishing and to take advantage of structural changes in the publishing industry.” The new division, called John Murray Press, will comprise John Murray, Hodder Faith, Consumer Learning, Two Roads and Saltyard Books–to be run by former Hodder & Stoughton publisher Nick Davies, who is rejoining the company in January as managing director from his current post as Canongate publisher. The Hodder & Stoughton division, comprising Hodder & Stoughton general fiction and non-fiction, Coronet and Sceptre, will have Carolyn Mays […]
Avon’s New Facebook App Doubles as Experiment in DRM-Free Purchasing; Amazon’s Whispercast For Bulk Kindle Distribution
Avon launched a Facebook app, Avon Social Reader, which excerpts up to 20 percent of approximately 30 titles and gives Facebook users the ability to share a given book, once browsed, in their News Feed or timeline. The app doubles as an experiment in DRM-free purchasing, allowing users to click through to buy the selected titles at AllRomance.com (though they can also choose to purchase DRM-enabled versions of the books at other online retailers.) The DRM-free editions will be delivered as secure Adobe ePub files. Avon vp, publisher Liate Stehlik said in a statement the DRM-free experiment was “a publishing […]
June AAP Trade eBook and Paperback Numbers Stay 50 Shades Strong
The AAP reported strong trade sales again for the month of June, as you can see the big contribution of the 50 Shades series (which was in its second month of republication in June) and the diminishing sales boost from The Hunger Games. eBook sales remained at their highest levels yet, at $137.6 million–though month-to-month that was only $3.6 million higher than June, and children’s ebooks went from $27.7 million in May to $17.7 million (probably due to Hunger Games). With Random House having sold 9.6 million EL James ebooks in the first three months on sale, 50 Shades is […]
WIMPY KID Goes Digital, With eBooks Available on October 30
The first six books in Jeff Kinney’s DIARY OF A WIMPY KID series, which have sold more than 75 million copies worldwide, will finally be available in ebook format as of October 30, while the newly arriving seventh volume, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE THIRD WHEEL, will be published simultaneously in print and digital on November 13. “The decision came after a lot of thought and deliberation,” Kinney told the AP. “I am very excited about this. It feels like the time is right.” Published under a new banner of Wimp-E-Books, the digital editions will list for $13.95, at […]