Amazon's Russ Grandinetti Tries to Brush Off Publishers' Concerns at Digital Book World Conference
Cader began the session with a tough question about the Amazon-Hachette contract dispute, which captured headlines for much of 2014, asking how Amazon plans to rebuild some of the trust the retailer lost with authors. The very public negotiations led many to conclude Amazon cared far more for profit than authors' interests. "From the beginning," countered Grandinetti, "helping authors has been a part of our craft at Amazon." Grandinetti argued that its effort to provide data analytics to authors is a perfect example. The retailer offers BookScan sales data to its authors free of charge so that they can break down their audience geographically. Likewise, its acquisition of Goodreads in 2013 was an effort to help its authors connect directly with their readers and build a platform for their brand.
Ellen Harvey is a freelance writer and editor who covers the latest technologies and strategies reshaping the publishing landscape. She previously served as the Senior Editor at Publishing Executive and Book Business.