Amazon's long-running standoff with Hachette has been making headlines for months. Here's the whole story in PW coverage.
UPDATE: Amazon and Hachette jointly announced on November 13 that they had reached a new, multi-year agreement, ending a months-long standoff that drew national headlines, inspired editorials from major media outlets, and pitted industry members who supported Hachette against those who took Amazon’s side.
Amazon, Hachette Reach Deal on Sales Terms
After a long-running dispute that began this spring, Amazon and Hachette Book Group USA have reached a new, multi-year agreement for e-book and print sales in the U.S. With the deal, "Amazon and Hachette will resume normal trading, and Hachette books will be prominently featured in promotions."
Speculation Begins on Amazon, S&S Deal
With questions swirling about what the Amazon-S&S deal actually entails, insiders also begin questioning what this agreement will mean, if anything, for a possible Amazon-Hachette deal.
S&S, Amazon Agree on 'Version' of Agency Pricing
As the terms agreement between Amazon and Hachette remains in stalemate, Simon & Schuster makes headlines for striking a terms deal with the retailer.
NYT Public Editor Takes on Amazon-HBG Coverage
The paper of record's public editor criticizes her outlet's coverage of the dispute.
Authors United’s Next Move: DOJ
The group unveils plans to contact the DoJ, requesting that it mount an antitrust investigation into Amazon's business practices.
Amazon-Dissenting Authors Form 'Authors United'
Bestseller Douglas Preston oversees the formation of a group aimed at voicing authors' concerns over the Amazon-Hachette situation.
Authors Guild Weighs in on Amazon-Hachette Dispute
Although the Authors Guild hasn’t been shy in speaking up when it thinks Amazon is in the wrong, the organization has not released any official statement about the ongoing terms dispute between the e-tailer and Hachette. That changed on Thursday.
Amazon's Latest Proposal Rankles Hachette and Authors
On Tuesday, several news outlets reported that v-p of Kindle content at Amazon, David Naggar, sent a letter to various Hachette authors, literary agents and president of the Authors Guild, Roxana Robinson, proposing that the e-tailer and publisher forgo all revenue on e-books sold through Amazon and, instead, give them directly to the authors.
Authors Pen Open Letter to Amazon About Hachette Dispute
Two weeks ago bestselling author Douglas Preston began quietly circulating a to other writers that encourages readers to write to Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos. The letter, which calls on Amazon to "resolve its dispute with Hachette without hurting authors and without blocking or otherwise delaying the sale of books to its customers," is something Preston initially hoped a handful of other authors would sign. He wound up collecting hundreds of signatures.
Sedaris Tour Takes on New Significance In Shadow of Amazon/Hachette Dispute
As negotiations wend on between Hachette and Amazon, David Sedaris’s month-long U.S. tour for the paperback of Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls (Back Bay) is being held up, by some indie booksellers, as a comment on the value of bricks-and-mortar retail.
Tracking the Amazon-Hachette Response
The Amazon-Hachette dispute has dominated conversation in both the industry and the wider culture for the past month. What started as a disagreement between supplier and vendor over terms has mushroomed into an international news event, and while neither side has offered much in the way of comment, everyone else has something to say.
Is Amazon Really the Devil?
As the dispute between Amazon and the Hachette Book Group over new terms continues, most members of the book industry support Hachette and oppose what they call Amazon’s “bullying” negotiating tactics. But some book professionals and publishers take issue with the conventional wisdom that Amazon is the devil incarnate and is bent on destroying all of publishing and bookselling.
Hachette Says Amazon Needs to 'Value Appropriately' Authors, Publishers
Amazon has finally broken its silence over the dispute with Hachette, saying that while the two sides are working hard, Amazon is “not optimistic [the issue] will be resolved soon.” For its part, Hachette said it is holding its position. In a statement, the publisher said it will "spare no effort" to continue doing business with Amazon, "but under terms that value appropriately for the years ahead the author's unique role in creating books, and the publisher's role in editing, marketing, and distributing them."
Amazon Ramps Up War Against Hachette
Amazon has upped the ante in its battle with Hachette over sales terms. After news surfaced earlier this month that the online retailer was slow in fulfilling orders on the publisher's titles—with shipment delays reaching five weeks—Amazon has now removed preorder capabilities on many major forthcoming Hachette titles.
BAM Steps Into Amazon-Hachette Fray
While Amazon slow tracks Hachette Book Group’s titles during contract negotiations, Books-A-Million has stepped into the breach.
Much At Stake in Amazon-HBG Fight
After news surfaced last week that Amazon was slow in stocking and fulfilling orders on various titles published by Hachette Book Group, it became apparent that another major publisher was in tough negotiations with the retailer over sales terms. Among the issues on the table between Amazon and HBG are details of new e-book terms, sources familiar with the matter said. Industry insiders, however, see this latest fight as symptomatic of a larger, pressing issue: the ongoing battle to maintain a diverse retail marketplace.
Amazon, Hachette Scuffle Over Terms
In what seems to be becoming an annual rite of spring, a dispute between a major retailer and a major publisher over sales terms has gotten nasty, and gone public. The New York Times reported that Amazon is "discouraging" customers from buying books published by Hachette Book Group after what is, apparently, a dispute over retail terms.
This story has been updated to reflect new developments.
