Barnes & Noble Stores Will Not Stock Books Published By Amazon

[MrsJoseph]

So, what can they do in this case? Amazon takes away the option of B&N offering the ebook. No dice there.

So, what's B&N's option? It can't be to just suck it up. That would be like writing their own obituary.

[jocampo]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

Amazon is trying to push Kindle sales by buying up authors and not sharing the electronic versions with other sellers. This is not healthy for the consumer.

But is not Amazon's fault either.

If publishers went that route, is because Amazon is providing an online platform, price or deal, that B&N can't or does not want to offer.

If you like to do groceries on an specific market but you can get lower prices on the new and bigger store across the street ... where would you go? ... you care about your family and budget ultimately, not the store. Is the same with books and publishers, even readers.

[jocampo]

B&N needs to reinvent itself.

The digital world and Internet changed how you do business now.

Supporting a brick and mortar store requires money. So if you can't afford to keep so many open, do something about it! Or ... use it for your own advantage.

There are hundreds of ways to use B&N locations as an advantage against Amazon. People still socialize, they go there, drink coffee, etc. They just need to think about different ways to integrate that to their existing business model.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by jocampo

But is not Amazon's fault either.

If publishers went that route, is because Amazon is providing an online platform, price or deal, that B&N can't or does not want to offer.

This is not a question of traditional publishers who publish exclusively with Amazon. We are talking about Amazon Encore.

This is what Amazon Encore does: They take an established indie author on B&N/Amazon/Smashwords. They hire the indie author. Amazon re-publishes the book. (Hence "Encore".) The book becomes a Kindle exclusive and people can henceforth only get it from Amazon.

Konrath was, iirc, the first person to sign a book with Encore that wasn't an "encore", i.e., previously sold at B&N nook store and then pulled.

This is a very serious problem for consumers. B&N is right to push back against it.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by jocampo

But is not Amazon's fault either.

If publishers went that route, is because Amazon is providing an online platform, price or deal, that B&N can't or does not want to offer.

If you like to do groceries on an specific market but you can get lower prices on the new and bigger store across the street ... where would you go? ... you care about your family and budget ultimately, not the store. Is the same with books and publishers, even readers.

Originally Posted by jocampo

B&N needs to reinvent itself.

The digital world and Internet changed how you do business now.

Supporting a brick and mortar store requires money. So if you can't afford to keep so many open, do something about it! Or ... use it for your own advantage.

There are hundreds of ways to use B&N locations as an advantage against Amazon. People still socialize, they go there, drink coffee, etc. They just need to think about different ways to integrate that to their existing business model.

That makes no sense. "It's not Amazon's fault." Where would you get that from. This is EXACTLY Amazon's fault.

It's not about "lower prices" it's about availability and Amazon not providing it.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

This is what Amazon Encore does: They take an established indie author on B&N/Amazon/Smashwords. They hire the indie author. Amazon re-publishes the book. (Hence "Encore".) The book becomes a Kindle exclusive and people can henceforth only get it from Amazon.

Konrath was, iirc, the first person to sign a book with Encore that wasn't an "encore", i.e., previously sold at B&N nook store and then pulled.

This is a very serious problem for consumers. B&N is right to push back against it.

The lion's share of the blame here goes to the authors who take the bait.

Time to boycott these authors.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Time to boycott these authors.

I only buy indies from B&N now, to be honest.

[frahse]

I can see people are upset. Some are forecasting cataclysmic events because of Amazon's actions and B&N's reactions.

Personally I believe that most of this is an over-reaction. It is too early to tell what is going to happen. Furious plans to boycott book sellers and authors are premature and could be damaging and self defeating.

A little watchful patience should be the general tenor of the day.

[jocampo]

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

That makes no sense. "It's not Amazon's fault." Where would you get that from. This is EXACTLY Amazon's fault.

It's not about "lower prices" it's about availability and Amazon not providing it.

Can you tell me why ? Amazon did not force publishers or anyone to seal deals.

It may sounds harsh or bad for other companies, but again, it's business, it's about money. Same goes for B&N. They are no ones friend, they just want your money to do business.

Someway this remind me Walmart. Yeah, small markets got affected but I'm sure people like Walmarts price.

Going back to the main topic. Not selling books published or promoted by Amazon won't help at long term, is bad for you and me and whoever buy books from B&N stores. Will force people to buy elsewhere if they need those titles.

[jocampo]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

This is what Amazon Encore does: They take an established indie author on B&N/Amazon/Smashwords. They hire the indie author. Amazon re-publishes the book. (Hence "Encore".) The book becomes a Kindle exclusive and people can henceforth only get it from Amazon.

And why that guy was hired ... no one forced him to do it or sign a deal.

I mean, he probably has a mortgage, car payment, a daughter in college. He writes for money. Is taking a nice deal that maybe B&N can't offer.

I guess that the sad part (depending of your side) is that Amazon has the capital or cash to make such type of deals. But Amazon was a small company too. It's an advantage that big companies get over the time.

By the way, and for the records. I want B&N in business . I visit B&N every weekend, but If they want to stay in business , they will have to play smart, because Amazon has more capital to force and keep pushing those type of deals.

[ProfCrash]

Or Publishers could rethink their contracts and start offering larger royalties. If Authors are moving to Amazon Encore because they are getting a larger piece of the pie then the traditional Publishers need to change how they do business.

Maybe the traditional Publishers need to focus on ebook only lines that are less expensive to produce, focus less on signing bonuses, and offer larger royalties. They don't have to match Amazon's rate. If they offer something larger then what they currently offer, say 50%, for e-books and those books will be sold in all the major stores then indie authors might be more willing to sign with the traditional Publisher.

Amazon is acting in its best interest. It is a business, that is what businesses do. Barnes and Nobles and Borders did the same thing when they employed business practices that hurt independent bookstores. It is time that the Publishers did the same thing. Develop deals that benefit them and the authors and entice them away from Amazon Encore.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by ProfCrash

Or Publishers could rethink their contracts and start offering larger royalties. If Authors are moving to Amazon Encore because they are getting a larger piece of the pie then the traditional Publishers need to change how they do business.

Maybe the traditional Publishers need to focus on ebook only lines that are less expensive to produce, focus less on signing bonuses, and offer larger royalties. They don't have to match Amazon's rate. If they offer something larger then what they currently offer, say 50%, for e-books and those books will be sold in all the major stores then indie authors might be more willing to sign with the traditional Publisher.

Amazon is acting in its best interest. It is a business, that is what businesses do. Barnes and Nobles and Borders did the same thing when they employed business practices that hurt independent bookstores. It is time that the Publishers did the same thing. Develop deals that benefit them and the authors and entice them away from Amazon Encore.

I think that a big part of the traditional publishing and authoring business is the Advance!.

I see authors so tied into the "advance" system that they do whatever the publisher wants. Even if they make a good bit of money, they come down to the wire (really starting to work on the next book) and they have run out of money and they need that advance just to pay bills. It is a "hand to mouth" trap where the money goes from the publisher's hand to the mouth of the author. The publishers really work this angle. I believe they would prefer not to deal with authors who don't need the money so much. All publishers like that advantage.

I talked to a couple once who worked as a writing team and had a proven track record. They had just gotten a nice payday and I was nearby and came over to help them celebrate. The man and I had been friends for years. The couple had just paid off all their bills, and short term loans, and had a fair amount of money left. They were planning to leave for Antigua in 3 days, for a month of sailing, diving, and the like.

Then they were coming back to get their next advance and start working on their next project.

I asked why not just skip the month's vacation, get to work on the book for 4 to 6 months or so (at home where it is cheaper and the rent is being paid anyway) and get ahead of the curve. Perhaps they could even get a better deal.

There was an air of incredulity, even bordering slightly on hostility from the wife. "You just don't understand!. You have a business. You don't really have to write. We are writers. This is how it works. We need some time off in the sun."

I let it go, poured a little more wine into the toasting flute from their wedding a few years earlier, and said that they were right of course, and it was all smiles and pleasantries again.

I was reminded of the old song about coal mining. "You load 16 tons, and what do you get? Another day over and deeper in debt." The two sides, the publishers and the authors were actually comfortable in their relationship. It was what they knew.

Now a new player and a new medium are disturbing the old equilibrium. When the music stops, a few players will not have a chair anymore.

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by frahse

There was an air of incredulity, even bordering slightly on hostility from the wife. "You just don't understand!. You have a business. You don't really have to write. We are writers. This is how it works. We need some time off in the sun."

Ah, the self-justification of the artiste

[Blue Tyson]

I know what I call a bookshop that won't/can't get what I want.

Somewhere I never go again.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by Blue Tyson

I know what I call a bookshop that won't/can't get what I want.

Somewhere I never go again.

Why go to a bookshop if you know what you want? I go to bookshops to buy books I did not know I wanted. Books I know that I want I buy from Amazon or other net book sellers.