Following the Thursday announcement that Nook will sell co-branded Samsung tablets through Barnes & Noble, the bookseller indicated in an SEC filing they have made a “minimum purchase commitment during the first twelve months…of 1 million devices.” If “certain sales thresholds” are not met by December 31, that term is extended to 15 months. Samsung has also “agreed to fund a marketing fund,” and the overall commercial agreement between the two parties last for two years. Barnes & Noble ceo Mike Huseby has a lengthy phone interview posted with Geekwire. “It’s important to understand these are co-branded devices,” he says. “They’re customized […]
eNews
Europe’s Anti-Trust Authorities “Looking Into” Hachette/Amazon Dispute
EU investigations are generally slow, even by government standards, but in the case of disputes between publishers and Amazon over terms, the Competition Commission is taking a rare lead, at least in terms of inquiry. Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia told reporters in London in an aside that “we are trying to understand what’s going on there. We are looking into this and trying to understand.” The short Reuters piece focuses on Amazon and French-based Hachette/Lagardere, but if they are looking into steps taken by Amazon to influence terms negotiations, it’s logical that they might talk to Bonnier about their experiences in Germany […]
Barnes & Noble’s New Digital Strategy: Co-Branded Tablets with Samsung, Nook Exits Palo Alto Offices
For months, Barnes & Noble has promised investors and the press that a new digital strategy was in the works as its Nook operations continued to decline in revenues and lose money. That strategy, announced Thursday, is a partnership with Samsung to create co-branded Galaxy 4 tablets powered by Nook software. The 7-inch tablet is expected to be available for sale in August and will be sold at BN’s stores, where they will be “prominently displayed” alongside the e-Ink Nook Glowlight. BN ceo Michael Huseby said in a statement that working with Samsung on the tablet “will allow [Barnes & Noble] to reduce its […]
Amazon Has A Powerful New Angle for the Media: June 18 Device Launch
Talking about books as “demand-weighted units” and telling customers they “encourage you to purchase …from one of our competitors” hasn’t played too well on the editorial pages for Amazon in their standoff with Hachette Book Group over terms, but on Wednesday the company floated a more positive story to change the narrative in the media. CEO Jeff Bezos will convene “a new device launch” in Seattle on June 18. A teaser video shows delighted people looking down at something they say is amazing, reaffirming longstanding rumors that Amazon has a 3-D cellphone on the way.
Byliner Admits to Authors It’s Seeking A Sale
Further to our own report from last week that Byliner has been looking for a buyer (and has strongly suggested that it will not be able to continue business for long without a sale or new investment), the company sent an email to authors on Tuesday. “As for our own story, it’s undergoing some changes,” it says in a letter signed The Byliner Team. “We’ve struggled to reach the level of growth we’d been hoping for the business, and thus we’ve begun conversations with possible partners about the future of Byliner. We’re working to find a good home for our […]
Open Road Buys Another List, from Premier Digital
Shortly after acquiring the E-Reads ebook list of approximately 1,200 titles in April, Open Road is bulking up more with the acquisition of Premier Digital Publishing‘s list of over 300 ebooks. Open Road will take over publication of those titles, “a majority of which” are in the mystery, science fiction, and fantasy categories, in July. The acquisitions puts Open Road at over 6,000 titles in all. Premier Digital Publishing, founded in Los Angeles and now with offices in Toronto and New York, had attracted authors with a reported 80 percent royalty. A spokesperson for Open Road tells us that going forward […]