SEATTLE (AP) — Amazon.com says it’s offering authors and publishers a bigger cut of sales on its Kindle e-reader — with strings attached aimed at keeping prices customers pay low.
Starting in June, it will offer royalties on book sales of 70 percent after delivery costs. With those costs equaling less than 6 cents per book, Amazon says authors will be able to earn $6.25 per copy on a book selling for $8.99, rather than the old rate of $3.15.
Seattle-based Amazon.com Inc. is setting several criteria for the new rate. List prices must be between $2.99 and $9.99, and at least 20 percent below the lowest price of the physical edition of the book. It also has to sell for the same price, or less than it does with competing book sellers.
