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Amazon.com buys North Charleston-based BookSurge
By Kim Chen Wiseman
Contributing Writer
Online book retail giant Amazon.com has purchased BookSurge, a North Charleston-based publishing company touted to be changing the way books are printed, sold and distributed.
Founded in 2000, BookSurge is an on-demand printing and fulfillment company with a catalog of thousands of book titles that buyers can print on demand, including foreign language and out-of-print books. The inventory-free system also provides emerging writers with a chance to self-publish their works and begin generating a profit with a relatively small number of sales.
“Print-on-demand has changed the economics of small-quantity printing, making it possible for books with low or uncertain demand to be profitably produced,” said Greg Greeley, vice president of media products for Amazon.com. “BookSurge makes it possible to print new books that appeal to targeted audiences, whether it’s one copy or 1,000. Our new relationship with BookSurge will provide Amazon customers an ever-expanding selection of titles that are not available through other channels.”
Spokespeople for both companies did not disclose BookSurge’s purchasing price or how long the deal had been in the making, but said that the sale will not alter BookSurge’s current operations. The company will maintain its headquarters in North Charleston and BookSurge executives, including company co-founders Robert Holt and Mitchell Davis, and staff are slated to remain with the company.
“We’re growing here,” said BookSurge spokeswoman Lisa Ryan, adding that the company is continuing to hire staff. “Amazon.com is one of the most customer-centric companies in the world and we’re proud to be a part of that family.”
“This is a way for us to expand book selections for our customers without having to take on additional inventory,” said Patty Smith, a spokeswoman for Amazon.com. “We have worked closely with BookSurge in the last year and know they have a great reputation in the publishing community.”
According to BookSurge, it is the only company that can profitably produce a single book and fulfill book orders within two business days. The company’s innovation lies in its software-based publishing program that can print small or large numbers of books in a short time, eliminating the need for book inventories. The company only prints and distributes what is ordered by book buyers and retailers. In 2004, BookSurge reported 60% growth in sales and the company has forged partnerships with retailers and distributors in more than a dozen countries.
Amazon.com is a Seattle-based Fortune 500 company with more than $6.9 billion in sales in 2004. The online retailer sells a wide range of new and used products, such as jewelry, beauty products, gourmet food, books and electronics.
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