Barnes & Noble Won’t Sell Books From Amazon Publishing

In a sharp answer to Amazon and its expanding publishing efforts, Barnes & Noble said on Tuesday that it would not sell books released by Amazon Publishing in its bookstores.

The ban includes books released by New Harvest, a new imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt that recently struck a deal to publish and distribute books released by Amazon Publishing’s unit based in New York.

“Barnes & Noble has made a decision not to stock Amazon published titles in our store showrooms,” Jaime Carey, the company’s chief merchandising officer, said in a statement. “Our decision is based on Amazon’s continued push for exclusivity with publishers, agents and the authors they represent. These exclusives have prohibited us from offering certain e-books to our customers. Their actions have undermined the industry as a whole and have prevented millions of customers from having access to content. It’s clear to us that Amazon has proven they would not be a good publishing partner to Barnes & Noble as they continue to pull content off the market for their own self interest.”

The decision is the latest in a series of skirmishes between the nation’s largest bookstore chain and Amazon, the powerful online retailer that has moved aggressively into the publishing arena. And it signals clearly that Barnes & Noble has no intention of helping its largest competitor sell books. A representative for Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The move could undermine Amazon’s efforts to sign authors who expect their books to be sold in Barnes & Noble’s 703 stores across the country, crucial real estate for sales of many titles.

Barnes & Noble will sell Amazon-published books on bn.com, though exclusive deals mean that some will not be available.

Barnes & Noble has chafed at deals that prevent it from selling the digital versions of books even as it is expected to market the books by displaying the print versions in stores. In August, the company said it would not sell print books published by Amazon unless it could also sell the e-book versions, in an objection to Amazon’s deals to publish authors’ work exclusively. In October, it removed from its stores all the physical copies of graphic novels from DC Comics because of a deal that allowed Amazon exclusive digital rights to them.

Amazon Publishing’s New York unit, headed by the longtime publishing executive Laurence Kirshbaum, has made a string of acquisitions since last summer, including a book by the self-help author Timothy Ferriss, and a memoir by the actress and director Penny Marshall. Amazon, based in Seattle, has a number of imprints in a range of genres and published dozens of books last year.

The deal with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, announced last week, was intended to broaden the distribution of Amazon print books.

Barnes & Noble’s decision on Tuesday could change the equation for authors who are deciding between Amazon and a traditional publisher. There are still many consumers who prefer to buy their books in person, whether at Barnes & Noble or at other brick-and-mortar retailers like Walmart.

“I can’t see that most authors who want a print publication would welcome the idea of not being carried in Barnes & Noble and depend on Amazon for their sales,” said Elyse Cheney, a literary agent. “If you’re doing a print book, you kind of have to be in Barnes & Noble.”

It also seemed unlikely that many of the 1,900 independent bookstores in the United States would be willing to stock Amazon books.

“There are no circumstances under which we would do that, none,” said Vivien Jennings, owner of Rainy Day Books in Fairway, Kan. “If Amazon wants to publish books, let Amazon sell them. And I think that’s what they’re going to have to do.”