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Search Inside for Faber alliance

12.08.08 Graeme Neill

Faber's Independent Alliance of publishers has signed up to Amazon.co.uk's Search Inside programme, which allows customers to browse inside their titles. The retailer has a dedicated page showcasing more than 130 titles by the ten publishers in the Alliance at www.amazon.co.uk/independentalliance. Customers can now read a selection of pages from Alliance titles and search results will also include text from inside these books.

Will Atkinson, sales director at Faber, described the move as a "landmark project" for the Independent Alliance. Search Inside is a key tool for stimulating purchase online [and] having consulted widely it is now time to commit consistently across the group," he said.

The Independent Alliance was formed in July 2005 and its members are Atlantic Books, Canongate Books, Faber and Faber, Granta Books, Icon Books, Portobello Books, Profile Books, Quercus Publishing, Serpent's Tail and Short Books.

Jamie Byng, managing director of Canongate, described Search Inside as a "fantastic sales tool". "As a publisher, I'm a big advocate of Search Inside! not least because it encourages sales and increases the visibility of writers whose books we believe in," he said.

Chris North, vice president of media at Amazon.co.uk, said: "The members of the Independent Alliance have been responsible for some of the most exciting and influential publishing of recent times and we are delighted that our customers will have the opportunity to discover more of their titles through the Search Inside programme."

Amazon.co.uk Faber Graeme Neill Home Search Inside

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By Red Wheelbarrow Bookstore

Why Amazon.co.uk? I am extremely disappointed with what could have been something intelligent started by a vital group of great publishers - why not do an independent site - with links to real bookshops ? Why support the machine which was invented by someone who has the philosophy that books can now at the beginning of our century be compared to horses at the beginning of the last century - in other words a network that ultimately believes books are a thing of the past .Think of the long-term consequences! Booksense in the United States links to real bookstores.

13 Aug 08 04:45

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By Clive Keeble

For all their talk about caring about independent booksellers the harsh reality is that Faber Independent Alliance only really care about the bottom line of the participating publishers.Profile's website has, for websales, always linked to Amazon, who obviously are their natural web bedfellows. Faber's Independent Alliance has never convinced me that they could offer an independent bookseller any real long-term benefits as many of the featured titles get heavily discounted on-line and with the mega-sellers. One lesson I learnt many moons ago is that I will run out of money before the world runs out of suitable available stock ; I have therefore joined no buying groups, however, my truly independent (non BA) bookshop is daily commended upon its electic stock selection. I can also beat Amazon hands down, but that secret is retained within the shop walls !!!

13 Aug 08 05:54

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By JULIAN RIVERS

Actually BookRabbit would have been the perfect partner site linking indie stock and adding value . Shame it was overlooked . As far as a buying" club "is concerned I think the two wholesalers do the best job overall, on terms, range and flexibility. Amazon have the momentum and dominance in the book trade and when Kindle gets going for them , watch the transition to e-books expode .

13 Aug 08 09:29

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