Amazon gets away with Dan Brown novel

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Credit: Amazon
Credit: Amazon

Dan Brown’s newest book, The Lost Symbol, is available in hardcover version in Amazon and users can preorder the book. It is slated for release on September 15.

Users however, also have the option to buy the Kindle version of the book on the same date. Random House, the book’s publisher, didn’t agree with this arrangement…at first.

The publishing company feared that with the Kindle version priced only at $9.99, it might cannibalize the sales of the hardcover version which is currently offered for $16.17.

This issue could have been a big battle between Amazon and Random House. And with Dan Brown’s book promising to be a bestseller upon its release, Random House might just win the battle.

But after some through discussions going on between the two Random House eventually announced last week that they had approved a Kindle version of the book.

“Now that all of our security and logistical issues surrounding the e-book of ‘The Lost Symbol’ have been resolved, the e-book will be released simultaneously with the hardcover on September 15,” the publisher announced.

This week, Amazon also followed up with their confirmation which is a bit interesting. CNet reports that Amazon’s writing their own press release to announce the availability of the book’s version underlies “the importance of Brown’s book and perhaps of Amazon’s desire to show other publishers that Random House is allowing one of the biggest books of the year to hit the Kindle at a reduced price on the same day it’s offered as a hardcover in stores.”

LOL, I can just imagine Amazon wiping its forehead and exclaiming “Whew!”, coz this could have been a major battle that they had just managed to wiggle out of. 😉

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-10314670-17.html