France says non to Amazon -

T

tay

Hall of Fame Member
May 20, 2012
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Amazon is the biggest threat to independent booksellers and it's a huge threat. It offers deals on books the indies often can't match and usually throws in free shipping to boot. Why that should matter to all of us is that excessive domination of the market by a mega-seller reduces competition and, ultimately, choice. It's bad for readers, it's bad for booksellers and their employees and it's worse for writers.



France has approved a bill to support independent bookstores against competition from online retailers.The new laws will restrict companies like Amazon from combining offers of five percent discounts with free deliveries.France's 3,000 independent bookshops have complained that they can't compete with the cut-price offers online.The opposition right-wing party UMP proposed the bill, but it also has the support of the left.It has been approved by the lower house and will now be sent to the Senate.The BBC's Paris correspondent Christian Fraser said the bill "might be seen as payback" for Amazon's practices of reporting European sales through a Luxembourg holding company, to take advantage of comparatively low corporate tax rates.


BBC News - Amazon says France's new bill is 'discrimination'



By the way, if you're looking for a deal on books and you want to support independent booksellers, try Abe Books (abebooks.com) where you can find just about any title, new or used, from booksellers around North America, Ireland and the U.K. It's a great alternative to Amazon.


AbeBooks: Browse
 
taxslave

taxslave

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 25, 2008
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Amazon is also the only way most people can get a book published. It costs next to nothing since they print by order so would be writers don't have to dig up $$$$$$ and then try to sell the copies. Unfortunately getting your book noticed is difficult.
 
damngrumpy

damngrumpy

Executive Branch Member
Mar 16, 2005
9,949
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kelowna bc
The world has changed and helping independents is alright
however attempting to keep Amazon out of the market is
counter productive. Both options have their benefits for
consumers. Writers do benefit from publishing and the
independents also promote authors. Give people choice
at the same time it is good to ensure that there is exposure
for all players in the market.
 
Retired_Can_Soldier

Retired_Can_Soldier

The End of the Dog is Coming!
Mar 19, 2006
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Tecumsehsbones said:
I absolutely support France in its fight to ensure that only publishing-house approved authors can get their books read.
Click to expand...

Dinosaur thinking. The publishing companies along with book carriers fleece writers unless your Tom Clancy or Stephen King and have your own brand. This new venue offers aspiring writers an opportunity to get their work to the public, who should be the judge of what is good and what is not. To have my book carried in bookstores (which it has been) I carry full cost for damage, theft, delivery, and they pay as little as a buck a book on return. which works out to about 5%. Amazon pays 70%, prints on demand, and offers a virtual bookstore.

It really is about supporting the art for me, there are plenty of books that don't make the grade, but the public should have the option to choose what they want to read and not allow a government body or a closed group to decide that.

Protectionism limits choice and stifles creative access.

By the way there is a book coming out in November called: Canopic Jars: Tales of Mummies and Mummification. Featuring stories by: HP Lovecraft, MJ Preston, Lawrence Santoro and others. I'll keep you posted.
 
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