Barnes & Noble Acquires Fictionwise

NEW YORK, Mar 05, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
BKS | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world's largest
bookseller, announced today that it has acquired Fictionwise, a leader
in the e-book marketplace, for $15.7 million in cash. Barnes & Noble
said it plans to use Fictionwise as part of its overall digital
strategy, which includes the launch of an e-Bookstore later this year.
In addition to the closing purchase price, Fictionwise may receive earn
out payments for achieving certain performance targets over the next two
years.

Headquartered in New Jersey, Fictionwise was founded in 2000 by Steve
and Scott Pendergrast. Barnes & Noble intends to keep Fictionwise as a
separate business unit and the founders will continue to operate the
business.

ABOUT BARNES & NOBLE, INC.

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world's largest bookseller and a
Fortune 500 company, operates 799 bookstores in 50 states. Barnes &
Noble is also the nation's top bookseller in quality, and for the fifth
year in a row, the top bookseller brand, as determined by a combination
of the brand's performance on familiarity, quality, and purchase intent,
according to the EquiTrend(R) Brand Study by Harris Interactive(R). Barnes &
Noble conducts its online business through Barnes & Noble.com (www.bn.com),
one of the Web's largest e-commerce sites.

General information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be obtained via the
Internet by visiting the company's corporate website: www.barnesandnobleinc.com.

SAFE HARBOR

This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Barnes & Noble
is including this statement for the express purpose of availing itself
of the protections of the safe harbor provided by the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to all such forward-looking
statements. These forward-looking statements are based on currently
available information and represent the beliefs of the management of the
company. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that
could cause actual results to differ materially. These risks include,
but are not limited to, general economic and market conditions,
decreased consumer demand for the company's products, possible
disruptions in the company's computer or telephone systems, possible
risks associated with data privacy and information security, possible
work stoppages or increases in labor costs, possible increases in
shipping rates or interruptions in shipping service, effects of
competition, possible disruptions or delays in the opening of new stores
or the inability to obtain suitable sites for new stores, higher than
anticipated store closing or relocation costs, higher interest rates,
the performance of the company's online and other initiatives, the
performance and successful integration of acquired businesses, the
success of the company's strategic investments, unanticipated increases
in merchandise or occupancy costs, unanticipated adverse litigation
results or effects, the results or effects of any governmental review of
the company's stock option practices, product shortages, and other
factors which may be outside of the company's control. Please refer to
the company's annual, quarterly and periodic reports on file with the
SEC for a more detailed discussion of these and other risks that could
cause results to differ materially.

SOURCE: Barnes & Noble, Inc.

Mary Ellen Keating 
Senior Vice President 
Corporate Communications 
Barnes & Noble, Inc. 
(212) 633-3323 
mkeating@bn.com

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