Amazon Isn't Killing Indies

Amazon announced a program this week whereby independent bookstores can sell Kindle devices and get a 10% cut of Kindle book sales. It's called Amazon Source.

The (published) reaction of indie stores is best summed up in this headline from Publishers Lunch:

ABA Opposes Amazon Source Because, Well, It's From Amazon

Now, I understand that most indies hate Amazon because Amazon sells books cheaper than they can, thereby capturing customers that they think might otherwise be theirs. And they can't mimic the value that indie stores bring to their communities.

In this day and age--given that Amazon's not going anywhere--I have to think that for one to be a part of the indie book selling landscape, one must a) love reading and b) value the needs of readers.

So this reaction to Amazon Source is baffling me.

I mean, nobody made a law that indie stores have to sell Kindles. At least, I'm pretty sure no such law is on the books, unless it's in the healthcare.gov website, which I still can't access (don't get me started).

The ABA did a deal with Kobo to give member stores the option to sell those devices and ebooks, and they seem to think Amazon's offering somehow damages that, but have you tried buying something through that program? I have. It was a terrible experience, and I won't be doing it again. That program did all the damage in the world to its own self with no help whatsoever from Amazon.

And getting back to readers: Amazon provides me, as a reader, a few benefits. For example, I like to have the option of buying and reading books published outside of the US. Amazon lets me do this. My local indies don't.

Amazon makes it easy for me to give books to other people. My local indies could do this too, but they choose not to. I'm sure they have good reasons for this choice, but it is just that--a choice.

Amazon doesn't judge me. Yes, I bought and read the new John Grisham book. I liked it quite a lot, too. And I didn't have to endure scornful looks from anyone in acquiring it. I'm not saying all indie stores are snooty about books--they absolutely are not--but if we're honest, some of them really are, right?

Amazon's website works the vast majority of the time. I wish I could say the same for indie store sites. Or Indiebound, for that matter. When I downloaded the Indiebound app...oh, wait. I didn't download their app. Because they don't have one. And looking up a book on their site works for me about 60% of the time. Maybe they use the same contractors as the government did for healthcare.gov.

To be clear: I don't want to see independent bookstores disappear. For that matter, I'd rather not see Barnes & Noble stores disappear either. I'm going to keep shopping at both. And I'm going to keep shopping at Amazon, too. I suspect I'm not alone in this. If I can support an indie store by having it get 10% of my kindle purchases, keeping in mind that these purchases are distinct from and in addition to those I make in indie stores, I fail to see the problem.

Comments

[Holly West]

Great post, Erin. As an author whose upcoming debut will be eBook only (at least initially), the more places a reader can buy my book, the better. I love indie bookstores but as a reader and an author, Amazon provides me with far more convenience (for me, convenience is more important that price). But if I could by books for my kindle from my local indie's website? That's the best of both worlds.

[Joelle Charbonneau]

I think several of the interviews I read have more to do with the terms being limited to only certain states (since Amazon hates paying sales tax) and that it will only be for a 2 year period....in which many bookstores feel Amazon will have captured their customer and will find no reason to continue the relationship. I have to admit, that if I was a bookstore owner, I'd be concerned at any contract that change on a dime. If the terms were longer and equal across all states, I think the reaction might have been more moderate. Of course, I like to think the glass is half full, so I could be wrong and the reaction could have been the same even then!

[Erin Mitchell]

I haven't seen discussion of the tax issue, but that's an interesting one. For the moment (and this will change very soon), I don't pay sales tax at Amazon. And the truth is that I'll likely purchase at least one Kindle before the end of the year. If I could purchase them at a local indie rather than from Amazon, I absolutely would. The thing is, I think the bookstore-customer relationship has evolved slowly and over time, but I don't think it readers are nearly as fickle--or, for that matter, price sensitive--as some stores seem to think they are!

[Thomas Pluck]

Erin, you had the grit to say what hurts SOME indies- snobby staff. I LOVE my local Watchung Booksellers, they do not judge. Another nearby store is like Championship Vinyl in High Fidelity, where they sneer at you and make comments. I asked for an F. Paul Wilson book and had to endure a rant about how he's no good anymore, and so on. Needless to say I don't shop there.
Amazon is not perfect. They are similar to Wal-Mart in many ways, and I do not like how they run their warehouses. But they do treat the customer well and the buying experience is positive. Unlike B&N on my Nook, where DRM has made me have to re-download books to it several times. What indie stores do great is curate a collection. I buy many books I'd never know about elsewhere, because it was showcased at a store. Neither indies nor Amazon is going away. I don't forget that B&N was the evil giant who slew Shakespeare & Co in NYC and many others. I hope they survive, but they seem to be flailing badly.
I don't hold it against indies if they don't like Amazon, but it's kind of like the craft beer bar hating the chains. You both offer very different experiences, and won't be disappearing any time soon.

[Erin Mitchell]

Absolutely--I don't hold their dislike for Amazon against them, but I also think it's unrealistic much of the time. And you're SO right--Amazon is far from perfect. Hell, I can't think of a single retailer of any stripe that IS perfect. I do get sad when I see indie stores being snotty about books on social media, just because I'm sad to see people discouraged from or judged for reading, no matter what their reading choice might be.