Navigating the rapids of book retail
This is a really interesting development. Coupled with Pearson’s takeover of RedGroup’s online retailing operations in Australia it would appear that while bricks and mortar retailing is providing much of the sound and fury, the strategic battleground market is, in fact, the online space. Amazon is clearly seeking to neutralise a competitor, that had been making a really strong incursion, especially in the antipodean neck of the woods, and Pearson looking to enter retail to bolster its route to market.
Much to digest here and I’ll try and post something more fulsome on it later. As ever, Mike Shatzkin has a view on both (and also on the fascinating Rowling/Little schism).
Update: An interesting critical view of the Pearson story from Peter Donoghue here.
Update 2: This from The Wheeler Centre website
Green Light 
you know, one wouldn’t think that publishing could be quite so harrowing and fraught with difficulties and major change.