Bullying: The New Way to do Business on the Web
(JACKSONVILLE, Fla.) – In another absurd development in the publishing world, Amazon.com has now threatened any and all Publish On Demand publishers with “punitive action” for offering customers a direct discount on their own websites. While not exactly surprising in light of recent events it is still ridiculous and not getting enough mainstream press. Tactics like this amount to nothing more than a schoolyard bully beating up kids for their milk money when the teacher is looking the other way.
Publishers are baffled (not to mention appalled) as to how Amazon could even have the gall to tell a publisher what price they could sell their own book for on their own website. Amazon has not given specifics on what “punitive action” would mean but it has a lot of people scratching their heads as to what the online retail giant is thinking in the first place.
Much to the dismay of numerous publishers and authors, Amazon is holding strong in their Gestapo-like tactics to strong-arm POD companies and small publishers to agree to their terms. Amazon is not asking but telling every single POD publisher that they have to let Amazon’s company, BookSurge, not only print their books but ship them as well. If they fail to comply they will lose the ability to sell books on Amazon.com.
Many of the larger POD companies (Lulu, iUniverse) have already given in and signed a contract with Amazon – one whose details seem shrouded in secrecy. Though Lulu has not said anything officially and seems reluctant to communicate with their customers.
What is clear is the fact that Amazon.com has managed to anger quite a few well-respected organizations, a plethora of authors and publishers, stockholders and most importantly, customers. But will this matter in the long run?
The American Society of Journalists and Authors has denounced what Amazon is doing and The Author’s Guild is in talks about the implications of antitrust and legalities of what Amazon has done thus far. The Small Publishers Association of North America issued a letter to the Amazon.com board of directors, detailing their dissatisfaction with the decision and listing in great detail why the decision is ridiculous. There is also an unofficial boycott of the site underway much thanks to the power of the blogosphere.
The bottom line is this: no one is going to want to sell their books through Amazon if this continues. The reported quality that BookSurge provides is said to be extremely poor. No one wants to buy books with pages missing or covers off center. Many authors and publishers (including BSP) have already pulled their sales links to the site, in effect, beating Amazon to the punch. Who wants to do business with a bully anyway?
© S. Joaquin Rivera, Broken Sword Publications, LLC. All Rights Reserved
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- In response to the Amazon.com blitzkrieg, Broken Sword Publications is no longer encouraging sales through their site. Broken Sword Publications does not condone the business practices of Amazon.com nor does BSP approve of the quality of books that Amazon now provides. You may buy our titles directly from BSP at a lower cost with free shipping and an autograph. Visit our site or more details. http://brokenswordpublications.com
There’s Something About Amazon
S. Joaquin Rivera
Broken Sword Publications, LLC.
(JACKSONVILLE, Fla) – The Wall Street Journal as well as numerous other media sources, including Publisher’s Weekly, are reporting that Amazon.com, the on-line retail juggernaut is forcing many Publish On Demand (POD) publishers to use the recently acquired POD service, BookSurge or else.
According to the reports, if a publisher fails to comply with Amazon’s demands to use their service they will lose the ability to sell their books directly on Amazon’s website, leaving Amazon resellers as the only option for consumers to buy their titles.
There is wide speculation on the issue and its validity. BookSurge is not popular with many authors due to its high costs and quality of their products. Various bloggers have initiated petitions in response to Amazon’s bold move but it is unclear where this will leave many publishers and authors who use POD services like LuLu, iUniverse and Lightning Source. The dust has yet to settle but many POD publishers have already had their “Buy” buttons removed.
The news has sent the independent publishing world into a frenzy of speculation and disgust but most mainstream news outlets seem uninterested thus far. Message boards on various writing and publishing Websites are rife with different opinions on the topic but no one seems to know if the decision is final, legal or if it will last for very long.
Many POD authors and publishers turn to Amazon as a book marketplace that has a history of credibility and offers incentives like free shipping. Slowly over the course of the past few years Amazon has broadened its reach into the publishing world by not only acquiring its own manufacturing service but offering other features like Amazon Shorts and Kindle to authors.
The jury is still out on whether or not having a title listed on Amazon is essential to a book’s success. The publishing world has changed drastically in the past few years with virtually anyone being able to publish for a reasonable fee. Publishing is already a cut-throat business and just because you can publish a book doesn’t necessarily mean you can sell it without the right kind of connections. Amazon is well aware of this.
However, as the industry moves forward, amidst the blood and carnage of chain book stores putting mom & pop bookstores out of business, and more people using POD services, Amazon seems intent on trying to bully their way to the top of the online book retail food chain. And so far, they are getting away with it.
Already it seems that many publishers are ready to turn elsewhere to sell their books. Amazon.com is far from the only bookstore on the web and while it may have 15-percent of the online book market its competitors are not far behind. Who is to say that the others will not follow suit? It wouldn’t be a shock if Barnes & Noble or any of the other major book retailers purchased their own manufacturing company and pulled the same kind of stunt.
© S. Joaquin Rivera, Broken Sword Publications, LLC. All Rights Reserved
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