Naver’s US$600 million acquisition of Wattpad is completed as potential competition arrives from Amazon’s new Kindle Vella and Seoul’s Kakao.
AAP Honors Amy Klobuchar With Its 2021 Distinguished Public Service Award
Amy Klobuchar is the first woman to have been elected to the US Senate from Minnesota. Her new book ‘Antitrust’ was released in April.
Canada’s Wattpad Has First Film Project With Netflix
A day after Amazon announces its Kindle Vella serialization platform, the 90-million-user Wattpad arrives with its first serial-based film deal with Netflix.
Amazon Announces Its Wattpad-Style ‘Kindle Vella’ Platform
Opening a new route to self-publishing, Amazon’s Kindle Vella capitalizes on the popularity of online serialized storytelling.
Amazon Crossing Kids’ Marilyn Brigham on Children’s Books in Translation
Books on Amazon Crossing Kids’ list this year include titles from Asia for the first time, as the imprint’s range expands.
Amazon Pulls Book, Saying It ‘Frames LGBTQ+ Identity as a Mental Illness’
Responding to requests from four US senators, Amazon has removed a book by Ryan T. Anderson, saying the retailer ‘reserve[s] the right not to sell certain content.’
Three Authors’ Associations Address Status of Audible.com Talks
A coalition of author organizations in the US and UK calls for more transparency from Audible to give authors ‘a true picture of how their income is being calculated.’
International Authors’ Groups Not Satisfied in #Audiblegate Dispute
Under the transatlantic pressure of writers’ associations and unions, Audible offers a concession. And the authors say it’s not enough.
France’s Intermarché Offers Bookstores Its E-Commerce Network
French booksellers get digital help from Intermarché, as they struggle without an ‘essential business’ exemption during the pandemic.
Charkin To Bezos: ‘Our Industry Should Salute You, and Kick Back’
In his column today, Richard Charkin’s ‘Dear Jeff’ letter captures the publishing industry’s perennially conflicted viewpoints on Amazon.