B&N not selling Amazon published titles!

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Torgo

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Handbags.

ETA: Or possibly a dire omen presaging the fragmentation of the book market. Either, really.
 

ios

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Read this article. Thoughts?

In relation to self-e-publishers, at first, I thought it meant that I can't have a version on B&N and Amazon both. But I don't think it means that. I think it means if I had a book published by Amazon itself through its new publishing branch, I can't also self-e-publish it on B&N. Or at least, that's what I think it means. It's wording is not distinct. But anyway, I didn't think Amazon allowed anyone but itself to publish its own works in its own publishing arm (which is distinct from its distributor platflorm).

Or am I reading this all wrong? Because if I am, that means its not just self-e-publishers affected, but that anyone who distributes through Amazon cannot distribute through B&N too. Which means even the Big NY houses would have to choose.

Hmmm. Would love to hear more thoughts on this.

Jodi
 
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Torgo

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You say that like it isn't fragmented already.

Eh, there's a huge Amazon-shaped crack in it, but most trade-published books still end up in all the stores (pretty much) simultaneously. Although for how much longer, I don't know.
 

Torgo

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In relation to self-e-publishers, at first, I thought it meant that I can't have a version on B&N and Amazon both. But I don't think it means that. I think it means if I had a book published by Amazon itself through its new publishing branch, I can't also self-e-publish it on B&N. Or at least, that's what I think it means. It's wording is not distinct. But anyway, I didn't think Amazon allowed anyone but itself to publish its own works in its own publishing arm (which is distinct from its distributor platflorm).

Or am I reading this all wrong? Because if I am, that means its not just self-e-publishers affected, but that anyone who distributes through Amazon cannot distribute through B&N too. Which means even the Big NY houses would have to choose.

Hmmm. Would love to hear more thoughts on this.

Jodi

Amazon publish ebooks but withhold them from B&N's Nook service. So now that Amazon is getting into print publishing, B&N will refuse to carry their print books.

If you sign a publishing deal with Amazon, however that works, you already won't see your ebook in B&N's ebook store. Now there's no chance you'd see your print book on their physical shelves either, should Amazon decide they want to publish one.

What it won't mean is Amazon refusing to carry your ebook just because you have a print edition on a shelf at B&N, published by a third party.
 

swvaughn

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Handbags.

ETA: Or possibly a dire omen presaging the fragmentation of the book market. Either, really.

Handbags, for sure.

I'm on B&N's side.

I think I am, too. Can't say that unequivocally, but my first reaction when I read this thread title was, "Well, DUH."

I read the article, and that's kind of still my reaction.

But I can't think straight right now.

And now... we all sit back and anticipate Konrath weighing in mightily on the matter (on his blog, of course -- not here :tongue)
 

kuwisdelu

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Eh, there's a huge Amazon-shaped crack in it, but most trade-published books still end up in all the stores (pretty much) simultaneously. Although for how much longer, I don't know.

Yeah, but the fact that the stores are incompatible with each other is bad enough. Maybe if there's more fragmentation, they'll realize we need a solution that is not "Amazon takes over the world."
 

Torgo

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Yeah, but the fact that the stores are incompatible with each other is bad enough. Maybe if there's more fragmentation, they'll realize we need a solution that is not "Amazon takes over the world."

I hope so. The incompatibility is a thorny problem. Neither publishers nor consumers want it, but it's central to the business models of the stores.
 

EngineerTiger

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Wonder how that affects eBooks published simultaneously through Smashwords and Amazon? Interesting to see how this plays out.
 

ios

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Yeah, but the fact that the stores are incompatible with each other is bad enough. Maybe if there's more fragmentation, they'll realize we need a solution that is not "Amazon takes over the world."

Are you talking about ebooks and an universal format? If so, that would be nice on one hand, but unpleasant on another if your current ereader device won't read the universal format.

Jodi
 

kuwisdelu

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I hope so. The incompatibility is a thorny problem. Neither publishers nor consumers want it, but it's central to the business models of the stores.

The format incompatibility is surely the stores' faults, but as I understand it, it's the (big) publishers that insist on DRM.
 

Torgo

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Wonder how that affects eBooks published simultaneously through Smashwords and Amazon? Interesting to see how this plays out.

This is only affecting books where Amazon is acting as a publisher. If you're publishing something yourself, using the self-publishing services of Amazon and Smashwords, that wouldn't be the case.
 

Torgo

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The format incompatibility is surely the stores' faults, but as I understand it, it's the (big) publishers that insist on DRM.

I think it's more complicated than that. The publishers insist on DRM even though they know it does nothing to secure their books from piracy. You could explain that a number of ways, but I think a big part of it is pressure from the stores. I mean, with Kindle, we just send Amazon the unprotected EPUB, and they convert it to their DRM format. They wouldn't want it to be DRM free even if we offered to waive protection.
 

PorterStarrByrd

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I'm a little new ...

Can you publish a real book and then e-publish it yourself anywhere with violating a contract?
 

Torgo

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I'm a little new ...

Can you publish a real book and then e-publish it yourself anywhere with violating a contract?

Depends: did you retain ebook publishing rights?

You can sell print publishing rights to a publisher, have them produce a physical book, and then having retained ebook rights, self-publish an ebook; in theory. In practice, most publishers won't buy your print rights if you don't also sell them digital rights.
 

Sheryl Nantus

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Whatever Konrath says, it'll be the Amazon party line.

Well, he *is* one of their authors.

Funny how he doesn't regard Amazon as a "bad" publisher when he's busy ranting about how 'orrible all commercial publishers are, eh?

;)
 

ios

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Funny how he doesn't regard Amazon as a "bad" publisher when he's busy ranting about how 'orrible all commercial publishers are, eh?

;)

There is a link where they talk about their reasons for going with Amazon publishing.

The link: http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2011/06/ebooks-and-self-publishing-part-3-yet.html

And a couple quotes by Eisler, but I think Konrath agrees in general with him.

The gist of it is, it’s the best of both worlds, legacy and indie. The advance and marketing muscle you (might) get in a legacy contract; the kind of digital royalties, creative control, and time-to-market you get with indie.

Also by Eisler in that post:

And what could lure me back is precisely what I've never been able to get from any legacy publisher--not the two who have published me; none that I've negotiated with, either. Specifically:

1) A much more equitable digital royalty split.
2) Full creative control (packaging, pricing, timing).
3) Immediate digital release, followed by paper release when the paper is ready (no more slaving the digital release to the paper release).

This post is well worth reading to see why they went with Amazon Publishing.

Jodi
 

ios

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Whatever Konrath says, it'll be the Amazon party line.

But isn't it the same with most people? If you (general you) like your terms and relationship with your agent/editor/publisher, aren't you going to be spouting the party line for it too? Most people promote the ones that do well by them and do the opposite by the others.

Jodi
 

gothicangel

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Well, Duh! I'm pretty sure that we predicted this on AW months ago.

It would be like trying to buy a BK Whopper from McD's.
 

Terie

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NEWS FLASH!!!!!

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SAFEWAY DOESN'T SELL VONS BRAND GROCERIES!!!!

T-MOBILE DOESN'T SELL VIRGIN BRAND PHONES!!!!!

B&N DOESN'T SELL AMAZON BRAND BOOKS!!!!!!

OMG!! THE SKY IS FALLING!!!!!!!

oh wait.
 
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