In addition to acquiring best-selling self-help author Timothy Ferriss, it also announced a distribution deal with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, which will publish “all of Amazon Publishing’s New York-based imprint’s adult titles in print and distribute them in North America and outside of the platform.”Īmazon and B&N have been squabbling for months now over Amazon’s exclusive deals with some of its authors. So far Amazon’s Publishing branch is still in its infancy, having produced only about 120 titles last fall. “And publishers are upset with Amazon for trying to cut them out of the process.” Michael Souers, an analyst at S&P’s Capital IQ, says he views the move as a way for B&N to firmly side with traditional publishers. “It’s kind of a symbolic gesture, one meant to ingratiate themselves with publishers,” Souers says. Their actions have undermined the industry as a whole and have prevented millions of customers from having access to content.” These exclusives have prohibited us from offering certain e-books to our customers. By publishing books in both print and e-book versions, Amazon is attempting to bypass traditional publishers, not just traditional booksellers.īut on Tuesday, B&N hit back. “Our decision is based on Amazon’s continued push for exclusivity with publishers, agents and the authors they represent.

Last week, B&N announced that it wouldn’t stock Amazon-published titles in its 700-odd stores. The massive Seattle-based e-tailer has been expanding its publishing arm and has accelerated efforts in the past several months. Follow & Noble’s most recent gambit, a refusal to sell books published by its rival Amazon, shows that the country’s largest bookstore isn’t backing down from the e-tail giant.

Barnes and noble the final gambit