WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 19, 2006--Amazon.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMZN) and BookSurge LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc., today announced a new Print-on-Demand (POD) program designed to help book publishers sell lower volume book titles through a more economical supply chain. The new POD program removes the upfront economic barriers associated with traditional book publishing while making those titles available to the tens of millions of active Amazon.com customers. Books are printed as they are ordered, providing publishers an easy and economical way to bring back out-of-print titles and introduce new, lower-volume titles, offering Amazon.com customers a dramatically expanded selection of books to purchase.
For a limited time, BookSurge will provide discounted book scanning services with no upfront investment to the publisher and free setup for titles with POD-ready digital files. BookSurge is also offering competitive manufacturing rates as part of a comprehensive solution. Publishers participating in POD will also be provided the option to enroll these titles into Amazon's Search Inside the Book and Amazon Upgrade programs at no additional cost. Further, these titles will receive the same retail treatment as other book titles on Amazon.com and are eligible for both the Super Saver Shipping and Amazon Prime programs.
"Publishers have told us they are looking for ways to serve lower-volume book markets more effectively," said Greg Greeley, vice president of worldwide media at Amazon.com. "This program offers our customers increased choice and selection while providing publishers quick and efficient distribution of previously unavailable titles without exposure to the risk and expense of traditional methods."
Proprietary print-on-demand technology allows BookSurge to economically print and ship a single book in response to an Amazon.com customer order. This technology eliminates the need for inventory making it efficient for publishers to supply customers more lower-volume titles through Amazon.com's catalog. Even books in print with existing physical inventory would benefit from the POD program to absorb unexpected demand spikes and ensure continuous availability.
For more information, pricing and details on the Print-on-Demand program, please visit www.booksurgepublisherservices.com or www.amazon.com/booksurge.
About BookSurge
BookSurge, an Amazon.com company, is a leader in print-on-demand solutions for publishers. BookSurge Publisher Services offers comprehensive, customizable programs that allow publishers to increase sales, reduce costs and increase their profit margins through inventory-free fulfillment.
About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc., (Nasdaq:AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth's Biggest Selection. Amazon.com seeks to be Earth's most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as beauty, health and personal care, jewelry and watches, gourmet food, sports and outdoors, apparel and accessories, books, music, DVDs, electronics and office, toys and baby, and home and garden.
Amazon.com and its affiliates operate seven Web sites: www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.ca, and www.joyo.com.
As used herein, "Amazon.com," "we," "our" and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.
Forward Looking Statement
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management's expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, significant amount of indebtedness, inventory, limited operating history, government regulation and taxation, payments, fraud, consumer trends, and new business areas. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com's financial results is included in Amazon.com's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005, and all subsequent filings.
CONTACT:
Amazon.com
Amazon Media Hotline, 206-266-7180, www.amazon.com/pr
or
BookSurge
Lisa Ryan, 843-200-6277
SOURCE:
Amazon.com, Inc.