Newspaper publishing

FaerieFire · 04-09-2009, 02:25 PM

Does anyone have any insight into the newspaper publishing process on Kindle?
The paper I work for has put in a request to start publishing on Kindle, but it's been more than a month now and we haven't received back so much as an acknowledgment that we sent them the request.
Unlike the blog publishing area, there's no way to just start setting up an account and basically no information on things like formatting, the submission process for each new issue, etc. Everyone has been pretty enthusiastic about publishing on Kindle, so getting no response has been pretty frustrating. I'm hoping it won't end up killing the idea.
Anyone know an inside person I can e-mail who will actually respond and get us going, or otherwise have any insight?

Nate the great · 04-09-2009, 02:35 PM

Have you tried the following email address?
digitalpublications@amazon.com

kovidgoyal · 04-09-2009, 03:13 PM

You can "publish" your newspaper for the Kindle and a lot of other devices as well using calibre. And provided you have password protected access to your content, you will even get revenue from it, that you wont have to share with Amazon.

FaerieFire · 04-10-2009, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nate the great

Have you tried the following email address?
digitalpublications@amazon.com

Yes, this is the e-mail address we used and still have gotten no reply, after more than a month. I have now used my personal account to put in a customer service request on the issue, noting that I own a Kindle, but haven't received a reply to that yet (about 24 hours).

As for self-publishing -- thanks for reminding me that is an option. We'd like to go through the system, but that's a fallback.

FaerieFire · 05-06-2009, 12:26 PM

Just wanted to update and point out that I never got a response to this inquiry either. Seems like Amazon just doesn't want any papers but a select few to be published for Kindle... There's simply no way they're so far backlogged with requests for information that it takes a month or two to even reply.

sirbruce · 05-06-2009, 12:47 PM

These sorts of biz-dev deals are often not done via public email addresses. You want to call them up and say you want to speak to someone in business development, or the product manager for Kindle, etc.

CherokeeNation · 12-01-2009, 12:10 PM

Looking on information about newspaper publishing to the Kindle store as well. Have emailed digitalpublications@amazon.com and also digital-publication@amazon.com twice now with no response. I have also called the Kindle customer service and the rep only emailed them for me.

FaerieFire · 12-05-2009, 12:42 PM

I finally broke down and e-mailed the default Jeff Bezos e-mail address, and after a few days, I got a reply from someone higher up in Amazon's Kindle publishing structure. The news wasn't good.

It was basically (my words): we're so swamped right now we haven't even bothered to reply to requests for information on how to publish newspapers and it's going to be a long while before we're even answering those e-mails, let alone publishing anything that's not a big-circulation daily. (Don't call us. We'll call you...)

I find this pretty sad, as we are willing to put a lot of our own effort into formatting, etc., but right now there's not even a way for us to begin to publish on Kindle except as a blog, which we consider far from an ideal solution for us and our readers. I've had people coming to our office to see my Kindle, and I know some of them have purchased their own afterward, so we'd be a good test for a system that allows a smaller newspaper to get on Kindle directly.

But I'm not holding my breath. I expect it could be a year or more (three? five?) before we're at that point. Disappointing, but realistic. We'll be looking at other formats and stores in the meantime.

Connallmac · 12-05-2009, 07:53 PM

This does seem a bit disappointing, hopefully Amazon will make progress on this. It would be nice to download the occasional copy of my old home town newspapers. Or even my alma mater's school paper, heck I used to write the occasional article or editorial for the Lamron and it would be nice to catch up on my old stomping grounds!

CherokeeNation · 12-15-2009, 04:41 PM

After emailing the digital-publications@amazon.com and digitalpublications@amazon.com email address every day for a solid week I got a response back from a rep.

They instructed me to please visit http://kindlepublishing.amazon.com and register for a publishing account.

Once registered I needed to send my newly assigned rep my vender code and they would add the option for newspaper publishing to my new account.

The interface is still in a beta stage but it looks like Amazon is working on getting this setup for us.

Connallmac · 12-15-2009, 07:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CherokeeNation

After emailing the digital-publications@amazon.com and digitalpublications@amazon.com email address every day for a solid week I got a response back from a rep.

They instructed me to please visit http://kindlepublishing.amazon.com and register for a publishing account.

Once registered I needed to send my newly assigned rep my vender code and they would add the option for newspaper publishing to my new account.

The interface is still in a beta stage but it looks like Amazon is working on getting this setup for us.

Excellent! Karma to you for your persistence!

FaerieFire · 12-18-2009, 08:18 AM

Yes, thanks for letting the rest of us know, too!
I guess now we know that e-mailing monthly and talking to higher-ups doesn't get a response from them but e-mailing daily does...

FaerieFire · 12-18-2009, 08:27 AM

Wait a minute... That's the BLOG publishing interface, not a newspaper publishing interface, which is the same "solution" the Amazon higher-up offered me until they're ready for the rest of the newspapers to start publishing on Kindle.

So, are you saying they've set you up with a non-blog NEWSPAPER publishing account through some kind of special feature they've enabled on an account on the blog publishing system? Please clarify.

04-09-2009, 02:25 PM	#1
FaerieFire Member Posts: 15 Karma: 120 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle 2	Newspaper publishing Does anyone have any insight into the newspaper publishing process on Kindle? The paper I work for has put in a request to start publishing on Kindle, but it's been more than a month now and we haven't received back so much as an acknowledgment that we sent them the request. Unlike the blog publishing area, there's no way to just start setting up an account and basically no information on things like formatting, the submission process for each new issue, etc. Everyone has been pretty enthusiastic about publishing on Kindle, so getting no response has been pretty frustrating. I'm hoping it won't end up killing the idea. Anyone know an inside person I can e-mail who will actually respond and get us going, or otherwise have any insight?

12-15-2009, 04:41 PM	#10
CherokeeNation Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 30 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Kindle	Newspaper Publishing For Kindle After emailing the digital-publications@amazon.com and digitalpublications@amazon.com email address every day for a solid week I got a response back from a rep. They instructed me to please visit http://kindlepublishing.amazon.com and register for a publishing account. Once registered I needed to send my newly assigned rep my vender code and they would add the option for newspaper publishing to my new account. The interface is still in a beta stage but it looks like Amazon is working on getting this setup for us.

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04-09-2009, 02:35 PM	#2
Nate the great Sir Penguin of Edinburgh Posts: 12,375 Karma: 23555235 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: DC Metro area Device: Shake a stick plus 1	Have you tried the following email address? digitalpublications@amazon.com

04-09-2009, 03:13 PM	#3
kovidgoyal creator of calibre Posts: 45,170 Karma: 27110894 Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Mumbai, India Device: Various	You can "publish" your newspaper for the Kindle and a lot of other devices as well using calibre. And provided you have password protected access to your content, you will even get revenue from it, that you wont have to share with Amazon.

05-06-2009, 12:26 PM	#5
FaerieFire Member Posts: 15 Karma: 120 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle 2	Just wanted to update and point out that I never got a response to this inquiry either. Seems like Amazon just doesn't want any papers but a select few to be published for Kindle... There's simply no way they're so far backlogged with requests for information that it takes a month or two to even reply.

05-06-2009, 12:47 PM	#6
sirbruce Provocateur Posts: 1,859 Karma: 505847 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Columbus, OH Device: Kindle Touch, Kindle 2, Kindle DX, iPhone 3GS	These sorts of biz-dev deals are often not done via public email addresses. You want to call them up and say you want to speak to someone in business development, or the product manager for Kindle, etc.

12-01-2009, 12:10 PM	#7
CherokeeNation Junior Member Posts: 2 Karma: 30 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Kindle	Looking on information about newspaper publishing to the Kindle store as well. Have emailed digitalpublications@amazon.com and also digital-publication@amazon.com twice now with no response. I have also called the Kindle customer service and the rep only emailed them for me.

12-05-2009, 12:42 PM	#8
FaerieFire Member Posts: 15 Karma: 120 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle 2	I finally broke down and e-mailed the default Jeff Bezos e-mail address, and after a few days, I got a reply from someone higher up in Amazon's Kindle publishing structure. The news wasn't good. It was basically (my words): we're so swamped right now we haven't even bothered to reply to requests for information on how to publish newspapers and it's going to be a long while before we're even answering those e-mails, let alone publishing anything that's not a big-circulation daily. (Don't call us. We'll call you...) I find this pretty sad, as we are willing to put a lot of our own effort into formatting, etc., but right now there's not even a way for us to begin to publish on Kindle except as a blog, which we consider far from an ideal solution for us and our readers. I've had people coming to our office to see my Kindle, and I know some of them have purchased their own afterward, so we'd be a good test for a system that allows a smaller newspaper to get on Kindle directly. But I'm not holding my breath. I expect it could be a year or more (three? five?) before we're at that point. Disappointing, but realistic. We'll be looking at other formats and stores in the meantime.

12-05-2009, 07:53 PM	#9
Connallmac Transplanted NYer Posts: 455 Karma: 520286 Join Date: May 2009 Location: Eastern IN Device: Kindle Fire HD 8.9", Kindle Fire HD 7", Kindle Touch	This does seem a bit disappointing, hopefully Amazon will make progress on this. It would be nice to download the occasional copy of my old home town newspapers. Or even my alma mater's school paper, heck I used to write the occasional article or editorial for the Lamron and it would be nice to catch up on my old stomping grounds!

12-18-2009, 08:18 AM	#12
FaerieFire Member Posts: 15 Karma: 120 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle 2	Yes, thanks for letting the rest of us know, too! I guess now we know that e-mailing monthly and talking to higher-ups doesn't get a response from them but e-mailing daily does...

12-18-2009, 08:27 AM	#13
FaerieFire Member Posts: 15 Karma: 120 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: Kindle 2	Wait a minute... That's the BLOG publishing interface, not a newspaper publishing interface, which is the same "solution" the Amazon higher-up offered me until they're ready for the rest of the newspapers to start publishing on Kindle. So, are you saying they've set you up with a non-blog NEWSPAPER publishing account through some kind of special feature they've enabled on an account on the blog publishing system? Please clarify.

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