As previously reported, My Little Pony publications are no longer available for pre-order on Amazon. Previous speculation has been confirmed, as on May 27 Amazon released a statement regarding their longstanding dispute with Hachette, one of the western world's largest publishing conglomerates.
In their statement, the Amazon book team described the two companies as being "unable to reach mutually acceptable agreement on terms." The release paints a picture of respectful and good faith negotiations on behalf of both parties, but nevertheless takes a very pessimistic tone with regards to conflict resolution, warning customers that this is likely to be a protracted battle as each company seeks to secure the most beneficial terms for itself.
"...we regret the inconvenience and encourage you to purchase a new or used version from one of our third-party sellers or from one of our competitors."
Amazon's position seems very secure. As one of the largest online retailers in the world, they would seem to hold unprecedented power over manufacturers, and are using that power in very interesting ways. To actively encourage customers to seek out competitors is virtually unprecedented. This is a very heavy hammer to swing and hints that Amazon believes its position to be unassailable, which means (among other things) a very protracted negotiation. The immediate effect of this is that anybody looking to purchase a Hachette publication via Amazon (which includes titles like The Journal of the Two Sisters and the Daring Do series) should expect the slowest of shipping options and a higher upfront cost. Since Amazon won't keep much stock from non-featured publishers, it may also be more difficult to tell exactly how long of a delay there will be between your purchase and arrival.
The world of online publication and retail is constantly shifting, and it's difficult to tell what the long term impact of these negotiations will be. This has the potential to create a major shift in the power structure of retailers in general, and Amazon specifically. With how ubiquitous Amazon has become in many of our lives, it's hard to tell how it's going to affect all of us, positively or negatively. Equestria Daily extends its sincerest hopes that the effect on the authors of these stories will be as small as possible. In the meantime, those of you looking to pick up pony books should check out retailers like Barnes and Noble for quickest access.
