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Steve Wasserman: Amazon.com’s Takeover

As a bookseller, Amazon has left no corner of the publishing world untouched. What will happen as it ventures into publishing original content?  

The Nation

August 9, 2012

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As a bookseller, Amazon has left no corner of the publishing world untouched. What will happen as it ventures into publishing original content?

Amazon claims to be a democratizing force in the world of book distribution and production. In reality, however, it’s a monolith that, by dominating bookselling, is able to dictate increasingly exploitative and punitive terms, says Steve Wasserman, editor at large for Yale University Press, in this episode of Nation Conversations with Nation literary editor John Palattella. And as Amazon aims to expand into the world of publishing, its impact could be even more devastating.

Be sure to read Wasserman’s article “The Amazon Effect” for more.

Subscribe to Nation Conversations on iTunes for exclusive audio of Nation editors and writers digging into the topics and issues that shape the magazine. Check back for a new episode each Thursday.

Note: This episode was first published on June 1st. New episodes of Nation Conversations will return Thursday, August 23rd.

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