Authors United Declares Victory Over Amazon, Announces "Merger" With The Authors Guild - The Digital Reader

Today's trip into the Catosphere was another short one. Panzer went to The Digital Reader site. There our traveling kitty found a post about the Authors United group.

Think they'll go away now?

According to the post by site owner Nate Hoffelder, bestselling author Douglas Preston has announced his group Authors United is "merging" (joining?) the Authors Guild. In case you don't remember, Authors United is a group Mr. Preston started a couple of years ago during the contract dispute between Amazon and the Hachette publishing group. Since the Hachette publishing group no longer had a contract with the company, Amazon stopped selling and/or promoting Hachette books. This is when Authors United was formed. There is a link included in this post to a longer post about Mr. Preston's announcement at The Bookseller site.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... Unlike cats, humans have to justify their existence somehow."

Note: This is a short post. If you plan to only read the original post, bring a cup of tea for today's reading selection; but, if you plan to read the second post as well, you'll also need a muffin.

To read the post, tootle over to  Authors United

WI11: Richard Russo, Douglas Preston on Amazon - Shelf-Awareness

Panzer is fighting a kitty cold, so today's trip into the Catosphere was very quick. Our sniffling, coughing Panzermobile pilot stopped in at the Shelf-Awareness site to get more information on the Winter Institute 11 (WI11).

At the ShelfAwareness site in between achoos our sick kitty traveler found a post about Authors United founder and author Douglas Preston, American Booksellers Association CEO Oren Teicher, and Authors Guild Vice-president and author Richard Russo's round table assault on Amazon. Panzer already posted on January 26 about the WI11 and the American Book Sellers report that told about Amazon's $1 Billion Tax Gap created by retail businesses not opening and not hiring employees. Apparently the round table discussion was a rehash of Mr. Preston and Authors United's push to get the Department of Justice to investigate Amazon as a monopoly.

There are better uses of my time.

Panzer says, "Maybe they need a new hobby ... like writing books. Just a suggestion. I'm writing a new book and there's no time for me to obsess about Amazon."

Note: You'll need a cup of tea and a muffin to read the Shelf-Awareness post. If you plan to read Panzer's first post about WI11, you'll need another cup of tea.

To read the Shelf-Awareness post, tootle over to Winter Institute 11

To read the post about the American Booksellers Association report on Amazon, tootle over to Amazon report

At Authors United Event, a Call to Bust Amazon "Monopoly" - Publishers' Weekly (PW)

As soon as Panzer hit the Catosphere today his tender little kitty ears were buffeted by moaning and groaning. He followed the noise over to the Publishers' Weekly site today. It didn't take any digging at all to find the source of all the cries.

A monopoly?

According to a post by Bethanne Patrick, Douglas Preston's Authors United group held an event in Washington, D.C. on January 27 titled Amazon's Book Monopoly - A Threat to Freedom of Expression. Also participating in the event were the American Booksellers Association, the Association of Authors' Representatives, and the Authors Guild. It's not surprising that the event focused on the push to get the Department of Justice (DoJ) to investigate Authors United's antitrust allegations against Amazon. Panels discussed the legal possibilities of the antitrust allegations against Amazon, that Amazon is destroying book publishing and other topics.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... Amazon is a monopoly? ... What about: Smashwords, Kobo, Barnes and Noble?"

Note: A cup of tea and cookie for today's reading.

To read the post, tootle over to Amazon

Foes want probe, but antitrust law favors Amazon

Doesn't look bad to me.

Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere and he found a post he missed a couple of days ago.

According to Jay Greene at The Seattle Times newspaper site, it may be harder to prove Amazon is a monopoly than The New Republic magazine's Franklin Foer and Authors United's Douglas Preston might think. Mr. Greene addresses two salient points against Mr. Foer and Mr. Preston's assertion that Amazon is a monopoly. First: there is no argument that Amazon is the biggest dog in the pen ... but ... there are other dogs in there too. Second: the argument that Amazon causes harm to consumers is refuted by the fact Amazon wants to lower the prices of ebooks to the consumers.

Panzer says, "Lower prices makes sense to me."

To read the full post, tootle over to Foes want probe, but antitrust law favors Amazon | Business & Technology | The Seattle Times

Who's Afraid Of The Big Bad Amazon? Not German Publishers.

I saw it coming. Did you?

Panzer was doing his usual search in the Catosphere for the latest news today. My big, bad, black kitty stopped in at the Biz Community blog. He found a post about Amazon in Germany.

According to the post, Heinrich Riethmueller, President, German Publishers and Booksellers Assn., says German publishers are well-positioned to withstand an Amazon invasion. Publishers have had a year to watch Amazon's movements in Germany. Not only is Amazon dealing with tax issues there, but in August German authors started a petition similar to Douglas Preston's Authors United petition.

Panzer says, "Is Amazon sending a representative to Frankfurt, Germany, for the International Book Fair? Why? It sounds like they're not welcome."

To read the full post, tootle over to German publishers

Literary Agent Asks Clients To Join Authors United

Today Panzer was cruising in the Catosphere when he felt a thump. The Panzermobile got caught in a tractor beam and pulled over to the New York Times site. There my bad boy found it was a post by David Streitfeld that caught him.

My tummy hurts I have no literary merit

Turns out Authors United has a new standard bearer. Literary agent Andrew Wylie has sent a letter to all of his clients asking them to join bestselling author Douglas Preston's Authors United group and quite a few of them have agreed to join. According to Mr. Streitfeld's post, Mr. Wylie says Amazon's lack of marketing some books will lead to the "end of literary culture in America."

Panzer says, "But ... wait. Does that mean my books sold now on Amazon don't contribute to the literary culture? Don't my books have literary merit?"

Warning: You'll need a very b-i-g cup of tea. This is a very l-o-n-g post because it has quotes from not only Mr. Wylie but some of his clients as well.

To read the whole post, tootle over to more Authors United

Douglas Preston-Authors United-Hachette vs. Amazon

Are we FOR us or AGAINST us?

Panzer is doing a little clean-up work in the Catosphere today. Last week he told you about bestselling author, Douglas Preston's email to all his Authors United friends. Mr. Preston was alerting all of them to be ready for his next foray into Hachette's contract dispute with Amazon.

Well, my bad boy has the latest for you.

Mr. Preston and his cadre of knights on their white steeds are ready to do battle. They have sent a letter to each of the ten members of the Amazon Board of Directors telling them to pick sides in the dispute. According to these gallant knights, surely the Board of Directors will agree with them and pick the right side. Either the Board of Directors agree with Amazon's right to not carry certain merchandise during the contract dispute or the Board of Directors disagrees with Amazon's right to not carry merchandise and orders them to carry the merchandise during the contract dispute.

Panzer say, "Pick a sides? Okay, Amazon Board of Directors. Are you on the side for yourself? Or are you on the side against yourself? You are the Board of Directors. Come on. Pick a side."

To read the full letter, tootle over to Authors United letter