Speaking of pet peeves….

I’m not sure actually that this is a pet peeve. It may just be a peeve, but for me, it’s a big one. Amazon has announced it will soon be bringing out the Kindle 2, an updated version of their electronic book reader. Now, I don’t object to the Kindle in general. I will probably never use one because I like to see, feel, and smell books too much to give the actual thing up, but I understand the desire to be able to carry around many books without carrying the actual books. What I do object to is that books for the Kindle are only available from Amazon. Why isn’t this restraint of trade? Why do publishers go along with this? Why does Indie Next (the independent bookstore wing of the American Booksellers Association) not bring their collective weight to bear on publishers about this? We can sell regular e-books from our website, why not Kindle format titles? AND NOW, on top of this, Stephen King has agreed to write a short story that will be available only in Kindle format for the launch of the new Kindle. How could he?? Apparently he doesn’t remember what it was like to be an unknown. Only a few writers ever become a commercial success and of those, rarely does one ever become known because of Amazon. They become known because people who work in independent bookstores read their books, like them and get them in the hands of other readers. After all that, then they might end up being a good deal on Amazon.

Okay, I’m done. Not a big rant, but I haven’t had enough caffeine and I have lots of returns to do. Tempted though I may be, I won’t send back all of our Stephen King....