Barnes and Noble soliciting indies- RSVP only

This news is a week old already having appeared first (to my knowledge) on Steve Weber's blog.
A few facts:
1. The program is beta testing now
2. Participation is by invitation only
3. Booksellers applying without solicitation receive a "Thanks, don't call us; we'll call you."
4. Alibris states it is not ending its partnership with BN-
The following appeared on the Alibris sellers' discussion board several days after the topic was first broached on a thread:

"Alibris and the Barnes & Noble BookQuest (BNBQ) program will continue to expand their relationship in ways that help sell more of your books to BN.com customers.

BN.com has decided to work directly with a very small group of sellers to test a new platform. They are doing this to expand their selection and ensure that they are not reliant on a single supplier.

BN.com continues to partner with Alibris because of the value we provide in helping sellers and BN.com manage inventory and orders efficiently and effectively. Alibris and BN.com are also working together to bring new benefits to Alibris sellers:

Remove the 5% markup. Today, your books on BN.com are priced 5% above your list price. This markup will be eliminated by the holiday season.

UK expansion. The current BNBQ program is restricted to US and Canadian sellers. Alibris and BN.com have plans to allow UK seller participation. The program will not include UK seller in-print US ISBN inventory, but broader UK-based selections would be made available to BN.com US and Canadian customers.

As always, we remain committed to helping independent sellers succeed by managing inventory and orders across all Alibris sales channels and business partnerships and providing top-notch seller support. We will keep you informed about the launch of new BNBQ programs targeted to benefit sellers.

Thank you for your continuing participation with Alibris.

Sincerely,..."

If you take the time to read the seller terms, BN intends to be very selective. Good for them. Good for the good booksellers.

Back to being summer lazy here and working at the books later.

Listening to the Howard Stern show west coast replay- streaming!!!!

Reading Fatu Hiva by Thor Heyerdahl (finally) which you can find at your local independent bookstore or by searching by author and/or title at Bookfinder or ADDALL.

Time to head out to my garden club's potluck. Buh bye!