No, this isn't an April Fools joke.
Despite everything, Amazon apparently is continuing to try to work with indie bookstores, advertising for a senior manager, bookstore programs, whose main responsibility is "developing relationships with new and existing brick-and-mortar bookstores, learning about their (and their customers') needs, and designing solutions that bring the best of what Amazon has to offer to a brick-and-mortar environment." The ad called the position part of "a start-up environment, which means lots of hard work, constant change, and great fun."
The effort may in part be following up on Amazon Source, its program introduced last fall that encouraged indies and other retailers to sell the Kindle and, in some cases, receive a percentage of sales of e-books bought on the devices. A pilot for Source was done with at least two bookstores near Amazon headquarters in Seattle.
The ad continued: "This leadership position requires the best of product management, vendor relations, and executive customer service skills. The ideal candidate is well-rounded and will be as adept at articulating business requirements for new technology as they are talking shop with an owner of a small bookstore or presenting a vision to a senior leadership team. You will be able to think strategically about business, product, and technical challenges and map the intersection of partner needs and Amazon priorities."
Perhaps in an acknowledgement of the daunting task facing an Amazon employee trying to convince indies to work with it, the ad noted that "being able to deal with and embrace ambiguity is an absolute must as is a good sense of humor and a passion for books."
"Preferred qualifications" include "established relationships in the bookselling community" and "small business, brick-and-mortar retail, or sales experience."