Monday, December 19, 2011

The Amazon Workaround

I've been suggesting to friends / self-publishers recently that they not put all their dependence on Amazon for sales.  While that's where many customers want to shop, not all shop there.  Look for diverse markets.  Here's a great article from Publisher's Weekly on the topic.

The best way to blunt the e-tailer’s clout is to support a diverse marketplace


Fear that Amazon will come to dominate the bookselling market is nothing new in the publishing industry. But last week, as booksellers continued to decry the company’s price check app (which could be used to access prices on booksellers’ sideline items, like toys and DVDs) and as information about Amazon’s aggressive demands to publishers regarding co-op and retail discounts surfaced (PW Daily, “Is Amazon Pushing Publishers to Brink on Terms, Co-op?” Dec. 15), some insiders began suggesting that the time had come to actively explore ways to lessen publishers’ dependence on the e-tailer. With this in mind, PW asked a number of people in the industry what the best course of action would be. The consensus was that developing and supporting initiatives that would create a more level the playing field would be the best approach to ensure a diverse marketplace.

Read the rest of the article here.

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