Amazon Adventures: From Policy to Politics

By Sheyna Galyan, Yaldah Publishing

With the digital printing revolution, it was only a matter of time before someone declared war. This time the first move goes to Amazon.com and their subsidiary POD printer/publisher, BookSurge.

Amazon set new policy requiring that all publishers who have their books printed digitally must now use BookSurge to print their books or risk losing their “Buy” button on Amazon.com. Anyone not wishing to print through BookSurge could still use Amazon Marketplace or a third-party vendor, but would no longer be stocked by Amazon.

“Over the last year, BookSurge has been trying to cut into the market share of POD leader Lightning Source and is using the selling clout of Amazon to generate more business,” claimed Publishers Weekly on March 28, 2008.

Three days later, PW reported a response from Ingram, parent of BookSurge rival Lightning Source. “We all live in a world where decisions are made about insourcing and outsourcing, and free choice is important,” stated John Ingram, opposing Amazon’s policy that reduces POD choices to one.

IBPA—the Independent Book Publishers Association released a statement that read, in part:

“‘This policy imposes a significant financial burden on tens of thousands of small and independent publishers who can least afford it,’ points out Executive Director Terry Nathan. ‘Without the opportunity to benefit from competitive pricing, small publishers risk, at best, an expensive and needless overhaul of their manufacturing process, and at worst, the loss of their livelihood.

“On behalf of all the small and independent publishers whose businesses are in jeopardy, we urge Amazon to reconsider its position,” continues Nathan. “Over the years, Jeff Bezos and his company have given small and independent publishers a level playing field to compete with the largest of companies. Suddenly, this magnificent playing field has been converted into a ‘members only’ club, to the detriment of those very publishers who have contributed to Amazon’s success.’”

SPAN, the Small Publishers Association of North America, also spoke out in a three-page letter. You can read the full text at: www.spannet.org/Amazon-POD.htm.

Information, including links to news reports and original sources can be found at Writers Weekly. Visit http://www.writersweekly.com/amazon.php for more.