After a protracted disagreement over terms between Barnes & Noble and Simon & Schuster that left the retailer's stock of titles from the publisher diminshed, the companies have announced that they have settled their dispute.

While both companies spoke in oblique terms about the nature of dispute--Simon & Schuster would only say that it wanted the widest distribution possible for its authors, while B&N said it supported "publishers who support our bookstores"--insiders said that the issue was causing a noticeable cutback in the number of S&S titles the bookseller had on its shelves.

But a statement from a Barnes & Noble spokesperson on Monday said that both companies have "resolved their outstanding business issues." The statement also noted that B&N "looks forward to promoting great books by Simon & Schuster authors."