By Barney Jopson in New York
Book retailers have struck back at Amazon, the online retailer posing a threat to their businesses, by refusing to sell books from its nascent publishing arm, including an upcoming title from the Indian self-help guru Deepak Chopra.
Barnes & Noble, the US?s biggest bookseller by sales, is refusing to stock books published by Amazon in its stores in retaliation for the online retailer?s aggressive moves to gain a foothold in publishing. Indigo Books & Music, a large Canadian chain, has followed suit.
The book chains object specifically to Amazon?s push to sign exclusive deals with authors that prevent other retailers from selling digital versions of their books, a move that they say unfairly restricts access for customers.
If Amazon becomes a force in publishing, such exclusive deals could harm those retailers? own ebook sales. Amazon Publishing is a more direct threat to publishers and agents, but their position is complicated by their reliance on its website to sell books.
Amazon?s push into publishing is an attempt to cut out the intermediaries between producers and consumers – in this case writers and readers – and fits within a broader diversification strategy that has already led to it providing logistics and cloud computing services.
In protest at Amazon?s ebook exclusives, IndieCommerce, an ecommerce platform that is used by independent book stores and run by the American Booksellers Association, has removed all Amazon ebooks – about 300 titles – from its service.
Barnes & Noble said it had sought to ?put a stake in the ground? by hitting back at Amazon. Its ban has the potential to limit Amazon?s sales and its recruitment of new authors.
?We?ve got to push back and make the case that they have ulterior motives that are not in the best interests of the book industry,? said Oren Teicher, chief executive of the American Booksellers Association. ?Amazon?s long-term objective is to convert these book buyers on to a lot of other commodities.?
Announcing the Amazon ban last month, Jaime Carey, Barnes & Noble?s chief merchandising officer, said: ?Their actions have undermined the industry as a whole . . . It?s clear to us that Amazon has proved they would not be a good publishing partner to Barnes & Noble as they continue to pull content off the market for their own self- interest.? Amazon did not respond to a request for comment.
To avoid being sidelined in ebooks, Barnes & Noble has created its own ereaders and a digital bookstore under its Nook brand.
In addition to Mr Chopra, Amazon has signed deals for new books from James Franco, an actor, Penny Marshall, an actress and director, and Bob Knight, a feted college basketball coach. The terms of the deals have not been disclosed.
Scott Waxman, a literary agent for Mr Knight, said of Barnes & Noble?s decision: ?They?re basically penalising their customers.?
? The Financial Times Limited 2012