Amazon Buys 1,000 Dorchester Book Contracts at Auction, Pays Full Back Royalties to Authors

Posted on August 31, 2012

Amazon Publishing announced that it has purchased more than 1,000 book contracts from Dorchester Publishing. Amazon offered each author a choice of getting their rights back, or joining Amazon and being paid full back royalties.

Approximately 225 authors chose to go their own way, the rest seemed happy to have a new home and a check for past due royalties. Philip Patrick, Business Development Director at Amazon Publishing, said in a statement: "Working with the Dorchester author community during this auction process has been a tremendous experience for all of us. We are happy to be able to pay their back royalties and we’re thrilled to welcome them to the Amazon Publishing family."

Tracy Madison, author of the Gypsy Magic series, said "Amazon Publishing is breathing new life into my series, and I’m very excited to see what the future holds." Deborah MacGillivray, author and agent of the late Dawn Thompson, author of The Ravening, had this to say: "I am excited beyond words about being offered this chance to join Amazon Publishing. I cannot thank them enough for stepping in and giving former Dorchester authors the chance to move ahead. Dawn literally lived for her writing."

Gregg Loomis, author of The Bonaparte Secret, said "This new relationship will enable the works of countless talented fiction writers to serve their established readers and reach new ones across the globe."

The authors that joined Amazon will find their titles published under the appropriate Amazon Publishing imprints: Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror titles to 47North; Romance titles to Montlake Romance; Mystery and Thriller titles to Thomas & Mercer; Westerns and other titles to AmazonEncore. Amazon says that the titles will be available as Kindle ebooks and in print.