Wylie threatens broad digital expansion

Andrew Wylie, the literary agent whose exclusive deal with Amazon last week stunned the publishing world, has threatened a broad expansion of his digital publishing business to include up to 2,000 titles if traditional publishers refuse to improve digital royalties. Wylie has established a digital publishing company called Odyssey Editions and struck a deal with Amazon, giving the online bookseller exclusive access to 20 classics including John Updike's Rabbit series and Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man for a two-year period. Random House, which owns the book rights to many titles on Wylie's list, has suspended dealings with his agency because it contests whether he holds these e-book rights. Wylie said he preferred to negotiate a deal with publishers that combined the print and digital rights, but had failed to reach a satisfactory compromise after nine months of discussions with all large publishing houses.