Friday 15 August 2014

The Digital Reader

The Digital Reader


Amazon Responds to Criticism from German Authors

Posted: 15 Aug 2014 07:34 AM PDT

moretoys2[1]In response to yesterday’s open letter from German authors, Amazon reiterated today that it is fighting with German publishers over the terms and conditions of its ebook contracts.

I do not yet have an English language statement from Amazon, but from what Buch Report is reporting Amazon’s response is largely the same as the statement it released in relation to the antitrust complaint which was filed in June.

Amazon is reportedly pushing for contract terms for ebooks that are similar to the terms for paper books. Pointing out that ebooks have no printing, returns, inventory, and delivery costs (a disingenuous statement), Amazon argues that ebooks can and should be offered cheaper than print books.

On a related note, I was recently reminded that Amazon charges KDP authors for delivery costs for Kindle ebooks, and they also deduct for returned ebooks.  No returns or delivery costs, hmm?

Amazon has been in dispute with Bonnier since May 2014. With both the industry leaks and Amazon’s statements saying that the contract renegotiation is stuck on the point of ebook prices, this is a very different fight from the ongoing disagreement with Hachette. The latter situation came as a result of an expired contract (or so Amazon says) and may cover more than simply the price and terms for ebooks published by Hachette Book Group.

The situation in German has also grown to include an antitrust complaint, and as of yesterday an open letter which, at last count, has been signed by nearly 600 authors.

I am currently awaiting a response from Amazon. For more details on the latest issue in Germany, check out my post from yesterday.

The post Amazon Responds to Criticism from German Authors appeared first on The Digital Reader.

B&N Builds Buzz for New Galaxy Tab Nook with Promo Video

Posted: 15 Aug 2014 06:29 AM PDT

Galaxy-Tab-4-NOOK_25[1]It looks like Barnes & Noble is taking a leaf from Amazon’s playbook.

Early this morning the retailer sent out an email to their customers, but rather than pitch ebook deals the email touts a new promo video for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 Nook. B&N is widely expected to launch the new tablet next Wednesday, and for once they decided to start promoting the new hardware before it officially launches.

The video regrettably doesn’t share any new details on price or specs, and instead focuses on reactions to the new device (in much the same way that Amazon has used reactions to a new Kindle as part of their launch events). But in spite of the lack of interesting or useful info, this is a good sign for industry watchers. It tells us that B&N isn’t just going through the motions when launching the new hardware; they want it to succeed.

Now if only they could have released a new tablet which had a better screen and performance that the Nook HD, that would be awesome. As it stands, the new Galaxy Tab 4 Nook doesn’t exactly offer a compelling reason to upgrade.

I had a Galaxy Tab 3, and was underwhelmed by the performance, and I also know several Nook HD owners who don’t see why they would want to downgrade their screens.

Still, B&N has had close to two years since their last tablet launch to work on their software; perhaps they will blow us away on Wednesday. We’ll have to wait and see.

 

 

The post B&N Builds Buzz for New Galaxy Tab Nook with Promo Video appeared first on The Digital Reader.

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