I told you so, but most of you would not listen. Amazon has tossed an entire publishing company off its site (hat tip: H.G.) because that company would not comply with Amazon's universally imposed Kindle edition pricing strategy. That places Amazon at the decision making table where the publishers and the market (the buyers of books) usually sits, and not just as a stakeholder but as the holder of everyone else's nuts. (And when I say nuts, I'm talking chestnuts, so don't get any ideas.) Amazon is not a book store. It is a public utility that delivers a wide range of products (including books) between a wide range of retailers to a wide range of customers.
I hold no truck for the publishers, and there are plenty of things I like about Amazon. But this latest dispute is clearly evidence that something I blogged about in April but that many of my dear readers thought absurd is in fact coming to pass. ( I was right about Amazon.com, just like I'll be proven right about the super bowl!!! You'll see soon enough!!!)
So, to set things straight, I'll repost the original, with minor revisions:
Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post...
More...
I hold no truck for the publishers, and there are plenty of things I like about Amazon. But this latest dispute is clearly evidence that something I blogged about in April but that many of my dear readers thought absurd is in fact coming to pass. ( I was right about Amazon.com, just like I'll be proven right about the super bowl!!! You'll see soon enough!!!)
So, to set things straight, I'll repost the original, with minor revisions:
Read the rest of this post... | Read the comments on this post...
More...