An update for Amazon customers: Changes in Bloomsbury print and Kindle availability

This article has been updated to reflect new details since it was originally published at 5.51 p.m. on 23 January.

UPDATE: As of 10.30 p.m. on 23 January, an agreement in principle has been reached between Amazon and Bloomsbury, and Bloomsbury books continue to be available for our customers.

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Amazon has always placed access to reading at the heart of our bookselling mission, working with tens of thousands of publishers and millions of authors worldwide to provide the best possible selection and value to readers. We go to great lengths to avoid impacting that selection.

Our contract to sell Bloomsbury titles was scheduled to expire last year. We extended the contract under its current terms several times in an effort to reach an agreement, but despite our best efforts over the last seven months, Bloomsbury has refused to engage in a good faith negotiation to discuss a new contract to sell their titles in our store. Unfortunately, the latest extension expires at midnight on the 23^rd of January and after that time, Amazon will no longer be able to sell Bloomsbury print books in the UK, Europe, and Australia, or Bloomsbury Kindle books worldwide.

Amazon customers will still be able to purchase Bloomsbury print books on our site from our independent selling partners. Bloomsbury print book availability in Amazon’s U.S. store is unaffected.

Our expired terms with Bloomsbury were far out of sync with other publishers who sell books through our store. Unlike other UK publishers, with whom we’ve successfully negotiated in recent years, Bloomsbury has refused to recognize our continued investments in bringing books in all formats to readers. Among other investments, we have built comprehensive distribution throughout the UK and EU post-Brexit, added innovations in digital reading, and expanded our printing network and capacity, all of which have benefited readers and authors, and proved profitable for publishers.

Publishers in every country have many options through which they can sell their books, and that includes Bloomsbury titles in the UK. Nevertheless, we deeply regret the impact this impasse with Bloomsbury will have on authors and Amazon customers. We hope to swiftly come to an agreement with Bloomsbury that would allow us to offer their books to Amazon customers as soon as possible.