Amazon
Readers Respond: Counterfeits, Copies, and Fakes
Tips, caveats, and a look at how counterfeit authors skirt the rules to get ahead.
Book Counterfeits and Piracy: What Are the Remedies?
Definitively proving counterfeiting and piracy to the platforms that may benefit from it is neither straightforward nor easy.
ACX/Audible rolls out new AI narration program
Narrators who work with clients through ACX can have their voices replicated by AI to audition for jobs or to narrate entire audiobooks.
Amazon and OverDrive now limit book summaries and workbooks
Publishers Lunch reported that Amazon and ebook distributor OverDrive are limiting summary titles in their online catalogs.
The Romance Boom: What’s Selling on Amazon Kindle?
The hottest subcategory is still romantasy. Markets that are growing: later-in-life romance and small-town romance.
Amazon adds identify verification to KDP (finally)
As of this month, some authors who publish via Amazon’s KDP will be prompted to complete an identity verification process.
Authors complain of glitch in Amazon rankings
Word has spread of a glitch on Amazon that affects not just Amazon sales rank but also Amazon ad impressions for authors running ads.
Amazon Trend Report: Sports Romance & Historical Fiction
Sports romance steams up; interest in historical fiction varies by subcategory.
Audible offers a new pooling payment option in the US market—but is this development meaningful?
Amazon’s Audible has announced that it is “rolling out a new royalty model that prioritizes equity, flexibility, and insight for creators.”
Kindle device sales are growing among the BookTok demographic
Sales of Kindles have grown in the double-digit percentages for the past two years, with under-45s representing the fastest-growing segment.
A rare look into book sales on Amazon
Business Insider somehow obtained a confidential document that includes data about Amazon’s book retail business for most of 2022.
New class action lawsuit against Amazon over audiobooks
Romance author CD Reiss has filed suit, claiming that Audible/ACX terms have eliminated competition and hurt self-published authors’ earnings.
Amazon testing “book trends data” on product detail page
Some authors have expressed anger and frustration that what they consider private information is now being made public by Amazon.
Changes to Amazon’s Kindle Vella program
Kindle Vella is Amazon’s serialization platform where readers must pay to keep reading new installments.
Amazon Advantage opens again to new applications
After being closed for more than three years to new suppliers, Amazon Advantage has opened up again to applications.
Bestselling author David Goggins sues Amazon over counterfeit sales
Self-publishing author David Goggins—who has sold millions of copies of his books—has filed a lawsuit against Amazon to recoup damages.
Amazon Trend Report: Reader Interest Shifts Toward Fantasy Romance
Readers seek out dark romance and fantasy romance more than paranormal.
Amazon sues publishing services that claim an affiliation with Amazon
Amazon has filed suit against 20 individuals who run publishing services that deceive authors into thinking they are endorsed by Amazon.
Goodreads tackles review bombing
Amazon-owned Goodreads has announced that it will now try to combat review bombing, where books are barraged with negative reviews.
Amazon KDP finally allows you to schedule your print release
Amazon KDP now allows authors to decide when their print book’s detail page becomes available to readers.
Amazon KDP limits how many books can be uploaded per day
In an indication that Amazon is attempting to limit abuse by AI-driven accounts, it has instituted a three-book-a-day limit for new titles.
Amazon expands Kindle book sharing
Readers can now share their Kindle content on iOS, Android, and Fire tablets with Amazon Household.
Amazon issues new AI guidelines for KDP
Amazon permits authors and publishers to sell AI-generated books, but that fact must now be disclosed when uploading work to Amazon KDP.
Overlooked: Kindle Unlimited increases monthly subscription price by $2
In May 2023, Amazon raised prices on Kindle Unlimited from $9.99 per month to $11.99 per month for readers.
IMHO: What Remedies Do Authors Have When Fraudulent Work Appears on Amazon?
Authors ultimately need Amazon’s cooperation to remove fraudulent titles, yet its current systems fall short.