Amazon Launches Publishing Program (AmazonEncore)

[sirbruce]

This is a few days old, but I hadn't seen any mention of it here yet, and I think it has relevance to the future of publishing and ebooks.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/arti...?desc=topstory

In its most significant foray into publishing, Amazon has acquired world English rights to a self-published novel by a midwestern teenager called Legacy. The acquisition is the first for the e-tailer's newly launched publishing banner, AmazonEncore. Amazon is re-releasing the fantasy title, in hardcover, in August. The book, by Cayla Kluver, is part of a planned a trilogy--it was published under the banner Forsooth Books, founded by Kluver and her mother--and, according to Amazon, is the first in a currently unknown number of titles from AmazonEncore.

Jeff Belle, v-p of books at Amazon, said the new publishing program, while focused on self-published books with promise, could also target out-of-print titles from major houses. Belle was vague about both the criteria used in the selection of Legacy and the terms of the deal with Kluver. (Kluver does have an agent, but Belle would not disclose any details about the nature of the deal Amazon struck with her.)

In terms of the criteria used to select Kulver's title, and future AmazonEncore titles, Belle said the company is relying on a combination of sales data and customer feedback. When asked what feedback was used, in addition to the customer reviews on the site, Belle said "customers have many ways of interacting with us" and would not elaborate. And, when asked about the validity of the customer reviews, which in the past had come under question with certain customers (or authors) submitting multiple reviews, Belle said "certain controls are built into the process for customer reviews." (Kluver currently has 15 customer reviews for Legacy, 12 of which are five-star reviews.)

Belle said that Legacy was one title on a lengthy list of potential AmazonEncore books, although he declined to say how many books Amazon may release annually, noting the list will be decided by "how many great books we can identify." As for the editorial process used by AmazonEncore, Belle said a "team of editors" read a number of manuscripts on the list and their literary judgement were taken into consideration along with "what they think the incremental sales opportunity might be."

In addition to the hardcover, Amazon will release Legacy as an audiobook (through Audible) and as an e-book (as a Kindle edition). Belle said the company will make a decision about a first printing--the company's using an offset printer for the title--based on pre-order information and other data. And, moving forward, print runs will be made on a title-by-title basis. Amazon will also work with wholesalers to get the title into bookstores.

When asked if he thought publishers might be leery of the industry's most dominant online retailer moving into what looks like traditional publishing, Belle said he doesn't see why AmazonEncore would make anyone fearful. "I wouldn't say this is a new model; there are other examples in the marketplace of retailers who've done similar things," he said. He then added that a number of publishers he spoke to about the program gave positive feedback, noting that "publishers want to see how we could work together on this model," returning to the example of AmazonEncore bringing back into print a publisher's oop title.

[Elfwreck]

It certainly looks interesting. In an "interesting times" kind of way. I can think of ways in which this is not a monopolistic disaster in the making; I'm not coming up with any ways in which this is a good creative venture that I'd like to support.

Fiction Circus is not happy about it: Amazon Unleashes Final Piece of the Puzzle and is Now the World's Biggest Publisher (And Everything Else)

This is Amazon's equivalent of a "slush pile." They are still profiting from the slush pile, because to read one of their titles in consideration, you have to buy it.

The difference between Amazon's slush pile and the slush pile of every other publishing house is that while publishing houses make unpaid interns read their unlikely manuscripts, Amazon will be charging people to read them, and taking a cut. People's unsolicited reviews will somehow dictate which books get earmarked for the "Encore" program.

[zerospinboson]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

It certainly looks interesting. In an "interesting times" kind of way. I can think of ways in which this is not a monopolistic disaster in the making; I'm not coming up with any ways in which this is a good creative venture that I'd like to support.

Fiction Circus is not happy about it: Amazon Unleashes Final Piece of the Puzzle and is Now the World's Biggest Publisher (And Everything Else)

They sound disgruntled all right. Not very substantive, but hey.

[wallcraft]

The "slush pile" analogy is exactly right. Amazon has unpaid reviews but also actual sales numbers to weed out the dreck. I don't see this as a "bad Amazon" story, but rather a "clueless publishing industry" story. After all, every single publishing house in the world will have months to years to recognize the marketability of each AmazonEncore book before Amazon does. What they don't have is a system that allows them to do this.

[Ankh]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

What they don't have is a system that allows them to do this.

Amazon's virtual world is also a potent promotional channel. How much is place in the "customers who bought this item also bought..." list for bestsellers worth for previously unknown author?