Over the last several years, the book world has seen its real estate contract, as much a result of the loss of bookstore chains and the rise of e-retailers as consolidation moves among publishers.
In such a world grown small, any move by one player impacts many others. A war for online book sales, for example, may push print sales higher elsewhere.
“Following release of quarterly financials from Barnes & Noble, executives suggested that the e-book pricing dispute between Amazon and Hachette had helped to lift sales, although that was not quantified,” reports Andrew Albanese, Publishers Weekly senior writer.
Also this week, dramatic announcements from Apple seemed to prompt an underhanded response from Amazon – or not?
“On the same morning Apple was debuting its new devices, Amazon emailed Kindle customers a court-mandated notice of Apple’s recent deal to settle damages in its e-book price-fixing case,” Albanese tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally. “Now, I know, it looks like a dirty trick, but in fairness, the notice was expected. According to Judge Denise Cote’s preliminary settlement approval, such notice is equired by September 15, and while the notice was sent by Amazon, it actually was overseen by the court.”
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Every Friday, CCC’s “Beyond the Book” speaks with the editors and reporters of “Publishers Weekly” for an early look at the news that publishers, editors, authors, agents and librarians will be talking about when they return to work on Monday.