Amazon vs. Publishers

Bloomberg Businessweek Editor Brad Stone looks at Amazon’s transformation from selling books to making books.

I’m not sure what to think about this. If Amazon wins the day on publishing I think it will make it much more difficult for new talent to be discovered. Amazon has always been focused on making money and nothing else. They could care less about indy bookstores, Barnes & Noble, etc. All they care about is ruling the market - like Wal-Mart (who has put hundreds of other businesses out of business).

The reason I think new talent could get lost in all this is the very fact that Amazon is in it to make money. Therefore, they will be focused only on those writers who are already established, leaving new talent to find its own way to “make it.” 

Moreover, look what happened to the music industry after Napster and Apple got through with it. New talent is much more difficult to find than it used to be, and the search has been reduced to reality television shows such as X-Factor or American Idol.

I could be wrong, and I hope I am. But this quest by Amazon makes me nervous for the book and publishing industry. Things like book signings and bookstores may, in the near future, be a thing of the past.