Amazon Buying Abe Books

This from today's Publisher's Lunch newsletter...

"Amazon can lay ever-bigger claim to being the largest independent bookseller in the world with today's news that the etailer has agreed to acquire AbeBooks. The online marketplace says it offers "over 110 million primarily used, rare and out-of-print books listed for sale by thousands of independent booksellers from around the world."

I've quoted only a little here to stay within fair use guidelines. You can find more information here:

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and with the Amazon press release here:
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Malcolm

Hey Malcolm,
My books are my books. Sorry, I thought you meant Abe's books.

Oh, you mean you don't own Abe books?????

I was curious about Abe Books that advertises old and out of print books, so just for the heck of it I got on the site and looked me up. I did find some of the magazine-type newsstand books from the '70s on which I'm listed as editor, but all my current books, those not even remotely out of print, are available there too. A surprise was a volume of short stories that I homeprinted in a very limited quantity under the expectant marque of "Gnu Press," complete with a rampant wildebeest, this before I used one of those copies to sell the collection to a real publisher that same year.

Jim Woods
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Out of print and used bookstores are always a treat. Online you can lose track of everything just browsing. But it is in the real-life shops themselves that the uncanny steals in and I get that tingle of I just may be happening upon the unexpected, either treasure or dire tome (The Necronomicon--don't open it; don't read it; and never chant anything from it). It's no wonder they lend the perfect amosphere and setting to so many mystery, horror and fantasy stories. I think everyone must have a favorite used bookshop. Mine was in uptown Whittier. It was cozy, crowded with volumes and had narrow stairs to an open loft. The stairs creaked but in an appropriately hushed manner.

Probably not a good thing.

I thought Abe owned them too, Malcolm. Anyone who lives within walking distance of a castle should own a publishing company.

I like the way you think, Brenda. But if I owned a publishing company, would I be seeking a publisher?

Abe the secret millionaire book publisher

You know how it is. When you're dreaming of the whimsical, you can't let little things like logic interfere.

Hey Abe can't you sue them for name infringement?

Now you thinking like an American. Do you remember the program where one of the character's occupation was as a "sewer." It wasn't the canal under the street but his occupation was sewing people. Same thing I guess,eh?

Abe F. March wrote:

Now you thinking like an American. Do you
remember the program where one of the character's occupation was as a
"sewer." It wasn't the canal under the street but his occupation was
sewing people. Same thing I guess,eh?

Oh Nooooo but I suppose some american characteristics get into me by
osmosis or something and did the sewer have tham all in stitches?

Alibris has a deal with Barnes & Noble, so now Amazon buys ABE Books. Alibris and ABE Books are the two big used/rare online retailers. Both also sell all other types of books since they pull their data from the same feed that Amazon does. It's an online consolidation, so I don't think it will impact us very much - as long as you have an ISBN you book will be listed.