Barnes & Noble refuses to sell Amazon-published books
If Amazon and Barnes & Noble are adversaries then this, , is a 鈥渄eclaration of war.鈥�
Barnes & Noble won鈥檛 sell books from Amazon鈥檚 new print publisher in its brick-and-mortar stores, in an attempt to cut off access for the online books behemoth that it says 鈥渦ndermined the industry鈥� by signing exclusive agreements with publishers, agents, and authors.
鈥淏arnes & Noble has made a decision not to stock Amazon published titles in our store showrooms,鈥� Barnes & Noble鈥檚 chief merchandising officer, Jaime Carey, wrote in an email. 鈥淥ur decision is based on Amazon鈥檚 continued push for exclusivity with publishers, agents and the authors they represent.鈥�
鈥淭hese exclusives have prohibited us from offering certain eBooks to our customers. Their actions have undermined the industry as a whole and have prevented millions of customers from having access to content,鈥� Carey continued.
鈥淚t鈥檚 clear to us that Amazon has proven 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.鈥�
The battle between the two rivals is heating up on the heels of several strategic developments by Amazon. The online retail giant has been steadily expanding its publishing business by bringing on veteran publishing executive and former agent Laurence Kirshbaum to head a new New York publishing imprint and by signing exclusive deals with bestselling authors like Ian McEwan, Ron Paul, Timothy Ferris, and Stephen Covey.
鈥淏arnes & Noble's announcement comes only a week after Houghton Mifflin Harcourt agreed to publish and distribute the print titles of Amazon Publishing's East Coast Group through a new Houghton Mifflin Harcourt imprint called New Harvest,鈥� . Its forthcoming works include titles by Penny Marshall, Deepak Chopra, and James Franco. 鈥淏y denying Amazon's authors access to its vast network of consumer stores, Barnes & Noble is sending a signal to future authors, agents and publishers who may now be less tempted to sign such agreements,鈥� WSJ wrote.
Barnes & Noble has lost business to Amazon, which customers often turn to for its cheap prices and wide selection. In a fight to stay relevant and not face the fate of Borders, Barnes & Noble has invested heavily in its Nook e-readers and e-books, in a direct competition with Amazon鈥檚 Kindle 鈥� a strategy outlined in last Sunday鈥檚 鈥淭he Bookstore鈥檚 Last Stand.鈥�
Barnes & Noble said it will continue to make Amazon titles available on its website. But thanks to the traditional book retailer鈥檚 latest move, Amazon may struggle to get its books into anything but a virtual marketplace.
Husna Haq is a Monitor correspondent.
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