6 ms·

i don't get it. how is amazon threatening the bookshops' livelihood when it was the traditional publishers who didn't pick up the book? shouldn't bookshop owner

by kbar13 8y ago

i don't get it. how is amazon threatening the bookshops' livelihood when it was the traditional publishers who didn't pick up the book? shouldn't bookshop owners be upset that publishers aren't able to scale properly?

Aissen 8y ago
Self-publishing isn't really an issue here. The fact that it's self-published (through Amazon services) and is available exclusively at Amazon is what pisses off this syndicate. Which I find weird because they'd expect the author to handle shipment to the 3000+ bookshops all by himself ? I've heard some self-published authors do that, but this is madness.
- kbar13 8y ago
  right. i understand why booksellers would be upset that they aren't able to stock a bestselling book. but i don't understand why they're mad at amazon and not at publishers for not working with the author.
  - kevin_thibedeau 8y ago
    > they aren't able to stock a bestselling book They are able. They just don't want to.
    - kristianp 8y ago
      Not really. If they purchase the book from Amazon and resell in their shops, they would be making a loss due to French price restrictions.
      - PHGamer 8y ago
        lol what? im kinda curious what the french price restrictions are
        vatueil 8y ago
        From the article: > France is highly supportive of its independent booksellers: it has fixed book prices, and caps discounts at 5%, passing a bill in 2013 to stop retailers such as Amazon from combining the 5% discount with free delivery. > https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/15/france-online-books-fixed-price-system https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/15/france-online-...
      - JumpCrisscross 8y ago
        > they would be making a loss due to French price restrictions Which they lobbied for.
      - kevin_thibedeau 8y ago
        Createspace authors get a discount and can drop ship bulk orders anywhere. The bookstores just have to purchase through him.
- gojomo 8y ago
  Further: the Amazon 'CreateSpace' self-publishing contract is apparently non-exclusive. If any traditional publisher wanted to offer an edition of this book – which is now award-nominated! – they could make the author an offer. These bookshops thus have a sort of 'Stockholm Syndrome', identifying with the traditional publishers on whom they have become overly-dependent, and whose disinterest in this apparently-meritorious book has created the problem for the bookshops.
DEADBEEFC0FFEE 8y ago
Also note how the bookshop claim France have a penchant for paper books, yet they need legislation to protect them. Personally I like physical books, but they cost quite a lot.
vkou 8y ago
They are, but they have no leverage against the publishers, and they can't really direct public opinion against them, either.
rosege 8y ago
I'd guess its because usually whichever book wins the prize results in lots of sales for them. In this case they wont be getting any sales.

by kbar13 8y ago

Aissen 8y ago

Self-publishing isn't really an issue here. The fact that it's self-published (through Amazon services) and is available exclusively at Amazon is what pisses off this syndicate. Which I find weird because they'd expect the author to handle shipment to the 3000+ bookshops all by himself ? I've heard some self-published authors do that, but this is madness.

kbar13 8y ago
right. i understand why booksellers would be upset that they aren't able to stock a bestselling book. but i don't understand why they're mad at amazon and not at publishers for not working with the author.
- kevin_thibedeau 8y ago
  > they aren't able to stock a bestselling book They are able. They just don't want to.
  - kristianp 8y ago
    Not really. If they purchase the book from Amazon and resell in their shops, they would be making a loss due to French price restrictions.
    - PHGamer 8y ago
      lol what? im kinda curious what the french price restrictions are
      - vatueil 8y ago
        From the article: > France is highly supportive of its independent booksellers: it has fixed book prices, and caps discounts at 5%, passing a bill in 2013 to stop retailers such as Amazon from combining the 5% discount with free delivery. > https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/15/france-online-books-fixed-price-system https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/15/france-online-...
    - JumpCrisscross 8y ago
      > they would be making a loss due to French price restrictions Which they lobbied for.
    - kevin_thibedeau 8y ago
      Createspace authors get a discount and can drop ship bulk orders anywhere. The bookstores just have to purchase through him.
gojomo 8y ago
Further: the Amazon 'CreateSpace' self-publishing contract is apparently non-exclusive. If any traditional publisher wanted to offer an edition of this book – which is now award-nominated! – they could make the author an offer. These bookshops thus have a sort of 'Stockholm Syndrome', identifying with the traditional publishers on whom they have become overly-dependent, and whose disinterest in this apparently-meritorious book has created the problem for the bookshops.

DEADBEEFC0FFEE 8y ago

Also note how the bookshop claim France have a penchant for paper books, yet they need legislation to protect them. Personally I like physical books, but they cost quite a lot.

vkou 8y ago

They are, but they have no leverage against the publishers, and they can't really direct public opinion against them, either.

rosege 8y ago

I'd guess its because usually whichever book wins the prize results in lots of sales for them. In this case they wont be getting any sales.