Publishers can take on Amazon with their own online store

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 | By Suzanne Bearne

A digital publishing newsstand, involving Time Warner’s Time, Condé Nast, Hearst and Meredith, and now reportedly News Corp, if marketed widely, could shift consumers away buying such content from Amazon, which reportedly takes 70% of subscription revenues.

Publishers need to be smart and see this as an opportunity to make money through a central platform rather than let a disproportionate amount slip away through Amazon.

Before ereaders reach a wider audience in the UK, publishers here should join forces to investigate if a similar project would work to get ready for the predicted explosion of ereaders over here. And, for those whose US parents are involved, they should be having top-level conversations with the executives involved.

For such a platform to succeed, whichever side of the Atlantic, it needs more publishers on board. The initiative reminds me of online TV services like Hulu, which need a variety of broadcasters attached to become a success.

One online store with most newspaper and magazine content would be more useful for the consumer rather than having to trek to different sites. The Association of Online Publishers should discuss this at its next meeting and ask if this is something that could be replicated in the UK. 

Next year we can expect more collaboration between publishers as a positive outcome of the recession and falling ad revenues. A central platform would also be a positive outcome for consumers.

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