Amazon is to launch a publishing operation in the UK as it looks to fend off competition in the ebook market.
The etailer is to shorten its supply chain by cutting out publishing houses whose books it retails online, The Telegraph reported.
Amazon is planning to buy the rights of archive titles and new books in a bid to boost its margins.
The move comes as Amazon looks to stave off competition from the Kobo which WHSmith last week revealed plans for in-store Kobo training zones while Appleās iPad continues to increase in popularity.
Amazon last week bought the US rights to Ian Flemingās James Bond novels representing its first publishing venture.
Former Time Warner Publishing chief executive Larry Kirshbaum has been appointed to establish its US publishing business.
Kirshbaum described Amazon as a āstart-upā publisher with 20-25 staff in the division. He said: āDespite the fact that Amazon is a very large company on the retail side ā¦ weāre really a very small publisher.ā
An Amazon source said: āAll we care about is the Kindle. Strategically, it is the number one priority, and the number two and three.ā
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