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Round-Down: Amazon Opens Amazon Books in Seattle

Round-Down: Amazon Opens Amazon Books in Seattle

Amazon Books, Amazon’s first brick-and-mortar bookstore, opened last week in Seattle’s University Village. The store is similar in appearance to many book retailers, though Amazon Books interestingly (and necessarily) does not note hard prices on its items in-store–the store has a commitment to its Amazon prices, which frequently change. Because of this, those browsing the…

Woman sorting papers in boxes in old publishing company

The Ploughshares Round-Down: Publishing Isn’t Dead

There’s an old joke in publishing about consultants, though it’s probably rooted in truth. A new executive hires a prestigious firm to spend months on an expensive deep dive, and they come back, excited, with one key insight: “You should publish more bestsellers, and fewer books that aren’t bestsellers.” Why didn’t we think of that?…