The Authors Guild, John Sargent, and a number of independent booksellers, have all expressed their dismay over the Wylie Agency's decision to sell its forthcoming e-books from Odyssey Editions exclusively through Amazon. But what do the two biggest bricks and mortar retailers think? No comment. Both Barnes & Noble and Borders told PW they will not offer an official statement about the Wylie Agency's new business venture and, in particular, the uproar it's caused for the exclusive retailing aspect of the deal.
At least one bookseller, though, is doing more than just speaking out. The Oxford, Miss.-based Square Books has mounted a boycott, of sorts, of Wylie authors. The store, which blogged about its campaign, set up a window display of books by Wylie authors with a sign saying the titles are "not for sale." The campaign, Bank Square hopes, will "encourage you to think about the ramifications of this effort to vertically integrate the book industry and limit or exclude access to information and free expression."
