Amazon

Publishers and authors can still produce books that will differ from the Amazon edition and be desired in the marketplace. The Amazon POD editions will be the mass market paperbacks of the new publishing era. There will remain a healthy market for other editions. The publishers can capitalize on this by offering their own editions that might include extra material much like the movie studios do.

Does being on the Colbert Show really provide a bump—a critical leap that vaults a writer, or a politician to superstardom? The answer: That looks like a bump, Conan. In fact, being on the Colbert Report increases sales by 10 times on average. That bump doesn't last forever, but, let's face it, what does?

In an open letter to the industry, Amazon sugar coats…er…clarifies its intentions with regard to its demand that self-published authors use their POD, BookSurge, if they want to be listed on the world’s largest book retailing site. Ah yes, it’s all about the customer experience. It’s all clear to me now.

Click through for the actual letter.

“Are you buying a crippled license to intellectual property when you download, or are you buying an honest-to-God book?” Good question. The answer is no…and yes.

Amazon announced today that it will be acquiring Audible, Inc. the country’s largest provider of digital downloads of spokenword audio to expand its reach in digital audio content. Audible, Inc. has over 80,000 programs, which include digital audio editions of books, newspapers and magazines, original programming, and TV and radio subscriptions. Very interesting.

And where does he live? Why, on Amazon, of course, where the grungy underworld of customer reviewers moves via machinations unknown to mortal book lovers. Here is one author’s disillusioning encounter with the top dogs of the lower circles.

Amazon.com is the hands-down leader in the online bookselling marketplace. And—although it’s notoriously difficult to speak with a living, breathing human being—Amazon prides itself on meeting its customers’ needs. What’s the easiest way to drive sales for your book on Amazon?

That’s what Cory Doctorow wants to know. He asks some pretty good questions concerning why Amazon’s e-book and music download policies are so draconian, while the company is so good about respecting consumer rights where physical merchandise is concerned.

It seems the release of the Kindle has put an end to Amazon’s discounts on mass market paperbacks. Besos says it’s an effort to balance the low-margin and high-volumes sales. “If Kindle success rises or falls on the backs of the mass market purchasers, this is going to be ugly.”

Outsider Writers, and the people signing this petition, urge Amazon.com to add an “Alternative” literature listing under its “Books” pull-down menu. Alternative Literature needs a room of its own.

I’m just the messenger; do we really need an alternative category?