Amazon Breaks Embargo of 'TheTestament' - Various Sources

Panzer was eating his lunch when his food bowl began shaking from all the screaming and shouting coming from the Catosphere. Getting into the Panzermobile, he discovered the noise was coming from different directions. Our busy kitty visited the Publishers Weekly site and The Guardian site and discovered both have posts about Amazon and The Testament embargo. Panzer told you yesterday about Amazon breaking the embargo on Margaret Atwood's new book.

According to the Publishers Weekly post by Claire Kirch, the American Booksellers Association (ABA) has been trying to convince the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission to investigate Amazon for violating antitrust laws. The ABA now wants to use Amazon's shipment of Margaret Atwood's new novel before the embargo conclusion as new fuel in that argument.

It was an accident.

According to The Guardian's post by Alison Flood, Amazon shipped 800 pre-ordered copies of the novel to buyers by accident. The post includes a quote from Amazon which says "a technical error" caused the books to be shipped early. A quote from Atwood's publisher Penguin Random House says the error "has now been rectified."

Panzer says, "Looks like this kerfuffle* will be around for a while."

Note: These are large posts. Panzer hopes you still have that RV you borrowed for yesterday's posts, because you'll need it and its cooking and sleeping facilities for today's reading selections.

To read the Publishers Weekly post tootle over to ABA
To read The Guardian post tootle over to Amazon
To read Panzer's previous post tootle over to Booksellers

* Yes, it's a word. Google it. Tee hee hee

Indie Booksellers Incensed as Amazon Breaks 'Testament' Embargo - Publishers Weekly

Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere today, when the Panzermobile was buffeted and shaken by crying and screaming and gnashing of teeth. Following all the noise took our brave kitty boy to the Publishers Weekly site. There he found a post about online book retailer Amazon's latest mess with bricks and mortar bookstores.

 According to Claire Kirch's post, Margaret Atwood's new novel The Testament, the sequel to The Handmaiden's Tale, is scheduled to go on sale September 10. Publisher Penguin Random House (PRH) required bookstores to sign an embargo contract agreeing not to sell the book before that date. It turns out, as soon as Amazon got the books delivered to their warehouse they began mailing copies to their customers who pre-ordered it. Bricks and mortar bookstores immediately complained to PRH. As soon as Amazon realized what had happened, the company stopped the book deliveries.

I bet somebody is looking for a new job.

Panzer says, "Umm ... Were they all sent from just one warehouse? ... If so ... Then ... Maybe it was a mistake."

Note: This is a medium length post. Bring a cup of tea and a muffin for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Amazon