Engine Punk

More has emerged from the Amazon pod publishing spat that kicked off last week. Many small publishers in the US have indeed lost their buy now buttons for their titles on Amazon. They are still available from third party sellers but presumably at a greater discount i.e. less income for the author/publisher. Meanwhile, in the UK, Amazon has expressed its fury in an article in The Times about competition from Waterstones and Borders since these high street chains are under cutting Amazon's prices AND stepping up their internet marketing campaigns. Penguin and Bloomsbury are also undercutting Amazon's prices. Amazon may retaliate by regarding a publisher’s online price as the recommended retail price and applying its trading terms to that. So it's not just with the little people that Amazon is crossing swords. The Horsepower Whisperer is still listed on Amazon as in stock. Buy it now while you still can! In the US, it is out of stock. It should be shown as in stock thanks to ...

Don't worry it's nothing weird, just a Fiesta that's been got at by Ed Holloway After all the shock horror stories in the publishing world this week (see my Anarchadia book blog on the right if you're interested) let's have another Vintage Thing. This is another device from that affable automotive anarchist Ed Holloway. I was already familiar with his work having seen the Weeny Leaper in action - see VT 11 - when the Tryagain Trycycle hove into view while I was spectating on the Land's End Trial a few years ago. (I'm sorry - I can't find relevant programme in the Boogie Wundaland archives. Er, that's where I live. Maybe someone out there can advise me?) Of course, it had to be Ed. The Tryagain Trycycle cleared the section but provoked a round of tut-tutting and disapproving remarks from the marshals and spectators. It seems that this such sort of thing shouldn't be allowed and could bring the sport of trialling into disrepute although n...