Amazon - the end of the book world as we know it.

I couldn't believe it - Perfect People by Peter James, a five hundred plus page book. from the pen of one of Britain's finest thriller writers for 20p. Of course I bought it immediately, but afterwards I felt a little bad about the purchase. The book was dirt cheap, almost a giveaway but had I, in being seduced by predatory publishing, helped hasten the demise of the bookshops and in the long term traditional publishing as we know it?

Perfect People is published by Macmillan, who are one of the big six publishers hotly contesting the US DOJ price fixing case - and other books from the same publishers are being sold on Amazon for the same price.

So is this, I wonder, Amazon showing their strength by devaluing Macmillan stock?

The Bookseller recently published an article that makes for disturbing reading to anyone who loves books - they reveal that these 20p bestsellers are a result of a war between Amazon and Sony. A war where all of publishing could go down as collateral damage.

Apparently Amazon are matching Sony's prices which makes for some bargains for readers, but it's just so wrong. You know I'm against price fixing in principle but this is just so wrong and no matter what the likes of Amazon and Sony say it is devaluing the book.

Check out the Bookseller story HERE

Those titles currently on the 20p cut-price list come from three major publishers—Quercus, Pan Macmillan, and Canongate.And according to the BOOKSELLER, Amazon are training readers to search for the lowest price. It is already hard enough for most writers to make a living without this nonsense going on.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - Amazon are a great company with brilliant customer service - but this predatory pricing should leave a bad taste with book lovers.