Amazon May Be Considering a ‘Netflix for Books’

  • Share
  • Read Later

Imagine a Netflix… for books. Wait – isn’t my Netflix subscription ending soon? What will I do without it? Is it time to stop watching the boob tube and start reading? Luckily for me, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that Amazon, Lord of the Kindles, may be in talks with book publishers to launch a monthly book subscription service.

It’s not the first time that a company has looked into launching a similar service for books, but it is the first time that a major behemoth like Amazon had expressed interest. The company would be in a strong position to launch such a product, especially with its Kindle dominance in the e-reader market. The supposed details of the proposal state that the service may also be available to Amazon Prime customers, who already pay $79 a year for unlimited two-day shipping and access to a bevy of multimedia.

(MORE: Why I Already Miss Physical Media)

According to the newspaper’s sources, Amazon would offer publishers a substantial fee if they choose to participate. It’s unclear what kind of traction the talks might already have, but some publishers have apparently already expressed concern. One unnamed executive was worried that it would “downgrade the value of the book business.“ The subscription service would most likely be U.S.-only.

Of course, the success of the proposal would heavily depend on what kind of deals Amazon is able to secure from publishers, and if they are able to secure exclusivity to popular titles. How about picking up some of those Bella and Edward fans, eh? Should Amazon be able to cast some of its magic to get some Harry Potter love onboard, it would also bode well for the online retailer. But in the meantime, I’ve got a bunch of Dexter episodes to watch.

(MORE: Store Letting People Trade Kindles For Physical Books)

[via Wall Street Journal]

Erica Ho is a reporter at TIME. Find her on Twitter at @ericamho and Google+. You can also continue the discussion on TIME’s Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME.