We reported yesterday that many ebooks by Hachette and HarperCollins were spotted selling for way less than normal on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other retailers. Today it was officially announced by HarperCollins that the company has officially reached a new agreement with major ebook retailers.
It is a savvy business move by HarperCollins to be the first company to reach a new agreement with many retailers. It may see increased sales in the time it takes other companies to iron out their own plans of action. The main gist is that under the mandate of the courts, HarperCollins will provide a list price, but it will be under the discretion of ebook retailers to discount it.
Erin Crum, a spokeswoman for HarperCollins, told the New York Times in an email that the publisher “has reached agreements with our e-retailers that are consistent with the final judgment,” or settlement. “Dynamic pricing and experimentation will continue to be a priority for us as we move forward,” she said. The company officially released a statement that said “HarperCollins has reached agreements with our e-retailers that are consistent with the final judgment. Dynamic pricing and experimentation will continue to be a priority for us as we move forward.”
Sarah Gelman, a spokeswoman for Amazon, said in an email, “We are happy to again be lowering prices on a broad assortment of HarperCollins titles.” She declined to comment on any other publisher negotiations.
Barnes and Noble has not commented yet on the new agreements inked with HarperCollins, but its selection of book titles has reflected the new discounts.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
