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Thursday, October 28, 2010

Books Publisher Withdraws from Amazon-Sponsored Book Award

Posted by Paul Constant on Thu, Oct 28, 2010 at 4:09 PM

Citing Amazon.com's "predatory and thuggish practices," publisher Melville House, which won last year's Best Translated Book award for fiction, has withdrawn from the competition. Amazon.com recently donated a $25,000 grant to the award. From the scathing blog post by MHP publisher Dennis Johnson:

Which explains why we’re withdrawing from any future involvement with the Best Translated Book award. As publishers of 20 or more translated books a year — that’s more than Knopf or FSG — we mean to offer a much more genuine support to translation in America than taking part in a ruse leading to its further denigration. What’s more, we mean to make a more genuine statement of support for the independent publishing and bookseller community. After all, as America’s first great independent publisher said, “We must all hang together, or assuredly we will all hang separately.”

Here's the money shot: "Taking money from Amazon is akin to the medical researchers who take money from cigarette companies."

Comments (9) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

It seems many of their disagreements come from amazon refusing to charge $15 for an ebook. I have to say that 9.99 sounds much more reasonable to me. I think Amazon rightly put their customers before the profits of this group.

Posted by kemushi88 on October 28, 2010 at 4:33 PM

Damn Paul. You must have been hurting for some Amazon hate for awhile now. Feel the release! Ooooohhh yyyeeaaaahhh.

Posted by Paul Herp then Derp on October 28, 2010 at 4:49 PM

Fuck publishers. If you associated more with actual writers than lit-nerd wannabees, you'd hate the publishing industry too.

Posted by gulg on October 28, 2010 at 4:54 PM

Seriously, what the fuck do publishers even do these days? They don't edit, they don't promote for shit unless you wrote a cook book or some shit about how Obama is a socialist, and they sure as fuck don't pay authors shit. Fuck them, and fuck you for instinctively siding with their parasitic industry. Here's to ebooks and self publishing / indie publishing finally killing them off.

Posted by gulg on October 28, 2010 at 4:57 PM

a bloo bloo bloo Apple a bloo bloo bloo Publishing a bloo bloo bloo Amazon makes me saaaad

that is my Paul Constant impression

Posted by gulg on October 28, 2010 at 4:59 PM

What's the point of Amazon anymore now that it's all ebooks?

Anyone can put up a website and get a paypal account.

These publishers are right to fight back against the octopus.

Posted by Supreme Ruler Of The Universe

on October 28, 2010 at 5:07 PM

@4 Yeah its kind of like record companies. Their utility seems to be declining and so they lash out randomly at things they think are to blame, like Amazon or pirates, when in reality its technology itself that has fucked them over.

Posted by giffy on October 28, 2010 at 5:08 PM

@6 Go for it. Amazon, like any retailer, succeeds because it provides a pleasant and convenient way to acquire things. If someone can do better, then they should and they will succeed.

Posted by giffy on October 28, 2010 at 5:17 PM

Hey Dennis, your problem is that your business model is dead. Get a new one or get a new gig.

Posted by Sex and rockets on October 29, 2010 at 2:52 PM