Here we go again.
Everyone knows about the Amazon/Hachette dispute from last year in which it appeared the Big Five publisher was standing up to the internet giant. But the dispute was ultimately resolved when the sides reached a new agreement. One that Simon & Schuster and Macmillan also agreed to. But now HarperCollins comes along and thinks they’re different from everyone else.
In what world would it be a good idea to remove all of their books from Amazon? Maybe the CEO of Hachette left his position there and made the move to HarperCollins? Or maybe there are just some idiots running one of the biggest publishers in America who actually think this is a good business move. I have no idea.
Word on the street is that HarperCollins would try sending its readers to its own website that was made to decrease its dependency on Amazon. But how many people are buying books directly from publishers? I’m not and I don’t think I know anyone who does.
I don’t see this ever actually happening, but who knows? Crazier things have happened.
On this day in 2014 I published Coming up With the Perfect Title for Your Books is…Nearly Impossible.
Johnny Reads 
I can only see this ending badly for HC, and its authors. Will readers need some new kind of ereader, or is Amazon good enough to supply the hardware?
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It will. They have zero leverage here. I have no idea about the Kindle question, but I’m guessing we don’t reach that point.
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HC needs to realize they have less control than they think. If the pull their books from Amazon, do they not know people can easily obtain most of their titles for FREE to send to their Kindle anyway? Don’t rock the technology boat or you WILL lose business. Even people who choose not to pirate materials may rethink their stance if HC gets too high and mighty with Amazon. This goes along with a discussion in my current law class. If a business wants to be successful, they need to embrace technological advancements. Amazon is on top right now. Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face, right? (Long babble translation – I agree with you)
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They have no control. At the end of the day, Amazon wants to sell their books. But they definitely don’t NEED to. I don’t think HarperCollins would suddenly dissolve if they removed all if their titles from the site, but I think they’d be much more negatively affected than Amazon. Just think of their authors who sell thousands of books on the site each year. Maybe some of those sales would come from other channels, but not all of them.
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It strikes me as a desperate flailing maneuver of a company whose livelihood is being challenged. Namely: Their ability to extort money from authors is coming to an end. The industry is changing daily, and more and more power and control is shifting to the authors themselves. These big houses want new, fresh voices, but they don’t pour the resources into those authors that they once did. Authors are still expected to self-market, even with a large-house contract. So rather than trying to remain relevant, the houses are going after the distribution channels. Change comes as sure as the seasons… the publishers are just going to have to roll with it.
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Obviously I have nothing to add to what you said. Everything is spot on. What I don’t understand is why they’re doing this when it’s proven to NOT work. What did Hachette accomplish last year? Nothing. Besides making authors side with or against Amazon. And at the end of the day, it’s stupid for major authors to go against a company that helps them sell thousands of books. Like James Patterson. He’s over seven figures in terms of Kindle books sold, he should have nothing but high praise for the company. I just think that eventually a new deal will be inked and HarperCollins will try twisting it into some kind of victory….when it won’t be.
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Yeah, you’ll never find me railing against Amazon. Let’s see…. I push a file to their system. They double-check it for me to make sure it’s going to look ok on the eReaders…. for free. Then they set up a sales channel… for free. They handle all of the credit card transactions… for free. I don’t have to worry about PCI compliance. I don’t even have to bother with the ISBN registry. It’s all handled for me. And they take a percentage of sales… which pays for their systems and staff, shipping overhead and warehouses. Yeah, it’s a pretty slick deal. I’m just going to smile and nod and accept that one.
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Yes, ma’am. 👏👏👏
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If I were HarperCollins, I wouldn’t play games with Amazon by trying to remove their books. I’m pretty sure their sales will drop. I haven’t been to their website, but if they are already selling books from there, why not expand their sale platforms to other sellers? There are people who prefer buying from places that are convenient and serve as a one stop shop, such as Amazon.
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Of course their sale numbers will drop. But I will say that their website isn’t half bad. Decent pricing and free shipping on lots if titles. But obviously people go to Amazon for ALL their book purchases, I’m not sure anyone cares which publisher publishes their favorite author, until something like this happens.
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I agree with a lot of those who have commented. Why would you withdraw from Amazon? Amazon is a major company that gets a lot of business. You’re going to lose a lot of business if you go against Amazon.
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They’re a major company with 30% of the print market and something like 65% of the eBook market. Makes no sense when three other Big Five publishers have agreed to deals.
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It’s called running scared. The difference between the big five (sometimes referred to as the big 6) and Amazon is that Amazon deals directly with readers, whereas the majors, and many of the larger minors, have no idea who their readers are. The reason for this disconnect with readers is because these publishers don’t market or distribute differently to readers. Some publishers have their own distribution networks, whereas most deal through Ingram or Baker and Taylor, among others.. In turn, these distributors market and distribute to bookstores, both both brick and mortar and online, including Amazon. With this information, it’s easy see why Amazon has the upper hand in sales. Also, Amazon doesn’t have to depend on book sales to make their profit, whereas the majors derive the majority of their profits from book sales.
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Kind of went off on a tangent there. Big 6 is now incorrect. Which I’d expect you to know.
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I said SOMETIMES referred to as the big 6. Some people are not as knowledgeable as you and I, John. LOL
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Well we can both correct anyone who says it incorrectly.
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Buying books straight from the publisher? Isn’t that self-publishing in a nutshell? Harper Collins trying to be a “self-publisher” now? Weird…
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I see what you’re saying, but no. HarperCollins isn’t and never will be a self-publishing platform.
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I’ll be stymied if this actually happens. One of the reasons to buy from Amazon is because it’s cheaper. Buying direct from the published guarantees there will be no discount, and they’ll probably charge for shipping. Thanks to Amazon Prime, I never have to worry about shipping. Why would I pay more and pay shipping for the same thing? They’ll lose so much money if they pull their stock from Amazon. Idiots.
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When I first heard about this I thought the same thing. But their site isn’t too bad. Good prices AND free shipping on some titles. But it doesn’t matter when a huge chunk of their readers have no idea they’re the publisher of their favorite books. But the site is well done. Surprisingly.
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Hmm… I’ll have to check it out. Though I’m still an Amazon-lover.
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I don’t think they’ll ever be cheaper than Amazon, but I think it’s quite a bit better than Penguin’s site. I think.
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I haven’t been to either. Hmm… I sense an internet trip forthcoming.
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They’re no different from any book site. Just pricing and selection.
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Gotcha.
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