Amazon to enact 70 percent revenue share for Kindle periodicals

[carld]

Magazine and newspaper publishers are about to get a larger piece of the Kindle pie -- 70 percent, to be exact. That's what Amazon's now offering, in an effort that's clearly aimed to attract more periodicals to the service.

Engadget link

[Ervserver]

who would turn down such a generous offer??

[wallcraft]

From Kindle Publishing for Periodicals

Coming Soon

Kindle newspapers and magazines will be available on Kindle reading apps for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch in the coming weeks, and on Kindle for Android and other apps in future.

I never understood the reason for limiting periodicals to physical devices. Now the FAQ says (Kindle apps are K4PC, K4Android etcetera):

Kindle Applications
Will all magazines and newspapers be available on Kindle applications?
All magazines and newspapers that provide the images included in a publication's print or digital editions will be available on Kindle applications.

Will blogs be available on Kindle applications?
Blogs will not be available on the Kindle applications at this time. We will look at including blogs on the Kindle applications in the future.

Do I have to own a Kindle device to buy a magazine or newspaper on a Kindle application?
No, customers will be able to purchase magazines or newspapers from either Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk or the application itself - no Kindle required. Visit the Kindle store to find out more.

This program starts on December 1st.

[Flub]

Does that mean from Sept 1st I'll be able to start subbing to magazines on my Kindle app for iPad?

[Thjan]

From December 1st, yes.

[Flub]

Oops. Not sure how I managed to get Sept in my post there

[kindlekitten]

and the rest of the story is... this will only be effective (the 70% deal) on publications that are available on; "all devices, in all locations." soooo, I wonder how many limitations that throws into the pot?

[Ken Irving]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

From Kindle Publishing for Periodicals I never understood the reason for limiting periodicals to physical devices. Now the FAQ says (Kindle apps are K4PC, K4Android etcetera):



This program starts on December 1st.

B&N, with its usual confusion compared to Amazon, says periodicals can be read on any device. However, when I did a test subscription to the New Yorker and tried to download it to one of B&N's PC readers, I got a friendly error message telling me it could not be downloaded to this device. It downloads automatically to the Nook, and I can sideload it to the PC reader, but no direct download to the latter.

Then I looked closely at their small stock of magazines, and they all have different parameters. Some say Nook only, some any B&N Reader, hardware or software, but no iPad or Android, etc. Some of this must have to do with the mag publishers trying to keep control over their content. In print, they love "pass along" readership, because it allows them to up the ad rate, but I notice that the New Yorker on the Nook (and I would think on the Kindle or any similar reading device) has no ads, so maybe that has something to do with the restrictions.

Or maybe things are just shaking out and no one knows precisely what to do or how to do it in respect to magazines. but if Amazon is offering 70% to publishers on magazines, so will everyone else, and publishers will start jumping in. The emagazine sellers who have their act together and offer a magazine on the most devices with the least fuss (Amazon most likely) will win the game, but anyone who wants a substantial piece of the action had better do the same.

[Kali Yuga]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

and the rest of the story is... this will only be effective (the 70% deal) on publications that are available on; "all devices, in all locations." soooo, I wonder how many limitations that throws into the pot?

My guess is that Amazon is going to tell the magazine publishers that "if you want 70%, we need to be able to put this content on every device with Kindle software." At least, that seems to be Amazon's tactics -- a little bit of carrot combined with a little bit of stick.

I wouldn't be terribly surprised if some of the restrictions are from the magazine publishers rather than Amazon. For example, why sell the New Yorker with substandard formatting through Amazon, and get a tiny slice of the revenues, when they can roll their own iPhone and iPad version, make it look the way they want, and collect all the revenues?