President of the second-largestindependent book distributor Independent Publishers Group (IPG) Mark Suchomelsaid in an e-mail alert yesterday, "I am disappointed to report thatAmazon.com has failed to renew its agreement with IPG to sell Kindletitles." As of yesterday, Suchomel says, Amazon has taken down all IPGebooks from its site, though they continue to sell print books from thedistributor's clients. (Our own check confirms that Kindle editions are missingfor IPG titles, complete with the standard box to "tell thepublisher!" you would like to read this book on Kindle. Individual Kindlehyperlinks now result in error messages.)
Suchomel writes: "Amazon.com is putting pressure on publishers anddistributors to change their terms for electronic and print books to be morefavorable toward Amazon. Our electronic book agreement recently came up forrenewal, and Amazon took the opportunity to propose new terms for electronicand print purchases that would have substantially changed your revenue from thesale of both. It's obvious that publishers can't continue to agree to termsthat increasingly reduce already narrow margins. I have spoken directly withmany of our clients and every one of them agrees that we need to hold firm withthe terms we now offer. I'm not sure what has changed at Amazon over the lastfew months that they now find it unacceptable to buy from IPG at terms that areacceptable to our other customers." Suchomel reiterated to us that thecompany's terms of sale for ebooks have not changed.
Suchomel suggests to clients that they help spread the word to consumers anddirect ebook customers to the accounts that still sell the titles. "Thereis no better way to show our valued customers how much we appreciate doingbusiness with them than to send orders their way."
He suggests that other accounts should be reminded of their "favorablecompetitive position on our electronic titles." And he reminds accounts to"practice what you preach. Support accounts that support your business.Ask the organizations you support to do the same." Also "remindfamily and friends of the value to our society of independent voices and ideas,and that independent publishers and bookstores need to be supported or theywill go away."
At the same time, Suchomel writes: "Remember that Amazon continues to bean important account that sells a lot of units. This is a business decision onAmazon's part, and hopefully they will soon decide to reverse it and buy at ourstandard terms."
In the meantime, here are links to Nook versions of a few titles that IPG sayson their website are among their digitalbestsellers:
BoardwalkEmpire, by Nelson Johnson
ChernobylMurders: Book One in the Lazlo Horvath Thriller Series, by Michael Beres
I'mwith the Band, by Pamela Des Barres
AllIn: From Refugee Camp to Poker Champ, by Jerry Yang
SnowBlind: Book Four in the PI Julie Collins series, by Lori Armstrong
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar