The Bezos Book Monopoly
By Sarah Kennelly (Arts and Lit)
I could spend hours cooped up in a small bookstore, eagerly searching for a novel that may be better than my last. I feel genuine excitement each time I open the creaky doors and see the colourful covers lining the shelves. It’s become my comfort ritual to stroll around until my neck aches from reading the spines of each title. To think my favourite places on earth are struggling to keep afloat is a thought that weighs heavily on my mind.
As a book lover, hearing that Amazon sales are putting booksellers out of business is heartbreaking. Community favourites like Chapters in Dublin have closed their doors despite being founded far before the economic giant. It has become increasingly difficult to keep up with the below-cost pricing of Amazon’s books which makes it near impossible to turn a profit. This issue is only going to be exacerbated by rising energy prices, putting more book havens in danger of closing.
Unbeknownst to most, Amazon began as an online bookseller. Jeff Bezos and his two-time novelist wife, MacKenzie Scott, saw a gap in the market and filled it. What neither could predict at the time, was that in 20 years, their business would ravage the book industry as a whole. Today, the company fails to recognise the roots of its beginnings, capitalising on the downfall of businesses that came before them.
In Amazon’s relatively short lifespan, it has achieved a near-total monopolisation of the literary market. They have slashed the prices of books in order to devalue them and drive competitors out. This predatory pricing has allowed them to gain control of over 50% of the industry. It is proving impossible to slow this growth due to weak antitrust laws that have made these multinational companies so powerful. If their rise continues, it is believed they will own up to 80% by 2025. This total domination of the industry means that most authors will essentially be employed by one company.
Some writers have welcomed this change, believing that Amazon provides a friendly platform to independent novelists. This is true for the fact that it allows anyone to self-publish a book in exchange for a portion of the profit. However, these agreements almost always line Amazon’s pockets at the expense of the writer. The ease of self-publication comes at the cost of both the authors and booksellers losing out on a fair share.
Many have argued that this disadvantage is compensated by the company’s promotion scheme which can be more effective than traditional advertisements. Some authors have even enjoyed unexpected revivals through Amazon’s book market. Despite this, the advertisements of their novels are driven by an algorithm that uplifts a few while stifling the rest. It recommends novels depending on how much traffic is coming to their webpage, valuing clicks over content.
This has removed the human element of book recommendations. Instead of your local bookstore lining the “vital titles” shelf with their personal favourites, a computer will decide what you read. This new style of publishing ignores the brilliant expertise of booksellers in their own field. Every individual shopkeeper has a unique taste in books that they have fine-tuned through their years as literary fanatics. Their guidance opens readers up to titles that could become lifelong staples in their libraries. In contrast, Amazon regurgitates lists of similar books to entice you into buying more.
When Amazon puts the most popular titles on a pedestal, it makes it extremely difficult for new authors to make a name for themselves. The issue is even worse for marginalised identities who are discriminated against by algorithms that have been historically biased towards race, gender, and class. This adds yet another obstacle to literary success for those who are already fighting on an unequal playing field.
The narrow preferences of Amazon’s data means that these struggling authors will be forced to alter their narratives to suit the algorithm. The plot of any good book should come from deep within the author, a reflection of their greatest fears and lessons. If we allow tech giants to influence our storylines, the authenticity of the author’s written word will be lost.
Although book sales generate a huge sum of money for Amazon, they are nowhere near their most lucrative sector. Their monopolisation of the book industry is a part of a larger scheme to control all consumer behaviour online. The big idea is to become a one-stop shop for everything you could possibly need. If they increase the range of products they sell, you are more likely to buy them all in one place. The ease at which we can buy our groceries, clothes, and books on Amazon aids them in their goal of shutting down all other competition.
This accessibility is precisely the reason why it is so hard to avoid Amazon products. The company makes reading more accessible for many people. Their books are cheap and come straight to your door which is a lot easier for people struggling with money or disabilities. Often, there is no better option for these people who are entitled to buy from a retailer that makes their life that little bit easier.
However, it does not mean we shouldn’t make a conscious effort to give back to our booksellers. In the words of Andy Hunter, bookstores are akin to activists who help to educate and morally develop our community. It is within their walls that book clubs are formed, children share books, and where we can all re-discover our love for reading. They have an invaluable role in promoting books that will help to enrich our culture and we should give them the credit they deserve.
If it does not financially or physically strain you, please buy your next read in one of the many wonderful bookstores in your area. Not only could you discover a title you would have never found online, but you could support a small business that needs it. Shopping ethically can help shape the world we live in, making it more hospitable for the most important figures in our community.
My personal favourites in Cork are Vibes and Scribes, Rebel Reads, and if you ever pay a visit to Dingle, the Dingle Bookshop. These cultural institutions need our help and we should stop turning a blind eye to their struggle simply because it’s the easy option.