Publisher’s Weekly reports a mixed “review” of what to do with authors and works published through Amazon.

After Borders’s final collapse in late July, things are slower in the publishing industry. Amid the summer calm, though, many are eyeing Amazon’s new publishing unit, Amazon Publishing, which was unveiled just before BEA and which has quietly, some might say secretively, been staffing up. While agents and booksellers are wary of the unit but not opposed to doing business with it, many industry insiders say it’s publishing houses that should really be concerned.

Agents PW spoke to, all of whom talked under the condition of anonymity, said their chief concern is selling a book to an untested entity. One agent said he would be particularly leery about taking a big author to Amazon. “As a matter of rule, I don’t like to test the waters with big authors. I’d rather deal with a firm that is well established.”

Although Amazon has said its publishing unit will have distribution through the key outlets—the chains and the independents—many agents are questioning whether this will actually happen. Jeff Belle, v-p of Amazon Publishing, said the company will handle distribution in-house, with Ingram and Baker & Taylor also providing fulfillment. It is still unclear, however, who will be selling Amazon’s titles (which include those under the Montlake and Thomas & Mercer imprints) to outside accounts.

For the complete article, go to http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/48259-all-eyes-on-amazon-publishing.html