SAN FRANCISCO - Sears is joining the battle to win book sales, saying on Tuesday that it will give shoppers a credit toward a future purchase if they buy select books on its website or those of Target Corp, Amazon.com and Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

Sears Holdings Corp said shoppers need to buy an eligible book on Sears.com, Target.com, Amazon.com or Walmart.com. After emailing Sears the receipt, shoppers will then receive an online credit of up to $9 to use toward a purchase of $45 or more on Sears.com.

The move comes as Walmart.com, Amazon and Target.com in recent days have slashed the price of highly anticipated hardcover books like Breathless by Dean Koontz or Sarah Palin's Going Rogue: An American Life to $9 and below. The steep price cuts represent discounts of nearly 60 percent or more off the cover price. (Reporting by Nicole Maestri; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)

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