As reported here yesterday, a CreateSpace self-published title made it through to the shortlist for the prestigious French literary award the Prix Renaudot.
Amazon’s CreateSpace goes out with a bang – cracks shortlist for prestigious French literary award
Today comes news some French bookstore owners are now boycotting not just the CreateSpace title but the entire Prix Renaudot list.
The Independent Booksellers of Lorraine, an umbrella group bringing together the booksellers of northern France, conducted a mass return of all the Prix Renaudot shortlisted titles they had stocked
Another bookseller, Mélanie Le Saux, ten year owner of the Neverland bookstore at Acheres in Yvelines, wrote an open letter savaging the Prix Renaudot jury.
Ladies and gentlemen, it was with amazement, disbelief at first, indignation afterwards that I discovered that you had chosen to select a self-published book at Amazon.
If this book wins the prize, even if it does not prevail elsewhere, the booksellers will be forced to order it from their most fierce competitor, that prides itself on eradicating all the bookstores, then the publishers, to have the monopoly of the book circuit.
Thank you, therefore, to you President Frédéric Beigbeder, to Patrick Besson in particular, who brought and defended the book in question, and to others. Thank you Mrs Bona, Messrs Giudicelli, Giesbert, Chateaureynaud, Le Clézio, Pancrazi, Gardel and Garcin for having created this precedent, for having opened the door wide to the beast.
…I cannot believe for a moment that you are unaware of the scope of your act, that you do not realise that booksellers will now have to buy from, and hand money to the very one who wants their end. I cannot believe either that you seriously thought, like the author, that Amazon can guarantee the pluralism that we all cherish (and make no mistake about a battle this is not a fight against self-publishing but against the American giant…).
Ladies and gentlemen, I only have to hope that the other members of the literary juries will not follow your hateful example.
For the full letter and further details, head over to Actualitté.
Stay tuned to TNPS for further developments.
