Educational Development Corporation, publisher of Usborne and Kane Miller books in the U.S., has announced that, effective immediately, the company will no longer sell any of its books on Amazon or to any entities that resell to Amazon. This follows a 2009 decision to stop selling the Kane Miller list via Amazon and now, by adding the Usborne line, it will include a full list of more than 1,500 titles. Total online revenue amounts to about 13% of EDC's annual sales.
According to EDC president Randall White, the decision comes in response to moves by Amazon to “gain control of publishing and other industries by making it impossible for other retailers to compete effectively,” and he cited last week's decision by Amazon to stop selling e-books from IPG after the distributor refused to up its sales discount as the impetus for his decision to leave Amazon.
“I see this as critical to the long-term growth of EDC, and a way to demonstrate our support of the local booksellers, museum shops, gift stores, and others who sell our books to consumers. We also have an incredibly devoted direct sales force of independent sales consultants who make their living selling our books at home parties, to schools & libraries and via the Internet at www.usbornebooksandmore.com,” said White. “We want to support them in every way we can, and we’ve seen how, working together, not only can we survive without Amazon, but we can thrive.”
White reports that net sales of the Kane Miller books have increased more than 33% since 2009 when the list was pulled from Amazon. In discussing the decision, Kane Miller Publisher Kira Lynn says, “From my point of view as an editor and publisher, this is also about supporting the connection between booksellers and book buyers. Hand selling has always been a necessary, integral part of the business, particularly with children's books. And it's still the hand selling, the independent booksellers and word of mouth that can create a best seller. Amazon might sell them, but independent booksellers are the ones who create them.”
