tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post7466149367350089231..comments2024-03-18T06:16:18.802-05:00Comments on A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: Amazon SpeaksJA Konrathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comBlogger171125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-82154035500469715622014-06-01T15:26:57.089-05:002014-06-01T15:26:57.089-05:00Anonymous,
I guess it comes down to personal pref...Anonymous,<br /><br />I guess it comes down to personal preference. I like the Smashwords website and find it easy to navigate. Having said that, there are definite improvements that can be made, I agree.<br /><br />I don't need the also-boughts or recommendations (as a reader), but it would be good to have those (from an author perspective).<br /><br />The formatting can't be compared to Amazon's because you're formatting for multiple platforms. It's worth the extra time up front to then be distributable to many different storefronts. (As I said, I sell more books through Smashwords than Amazon.)<br /><br />The ISBN is an extra click and free. Not a big deal.<br /><br />It would be nice if Smashwords paid monthly, I agree with that, too.<br /><br />As I said, I suppose it comes down to personal preference. I feel limited in other areas on Amazon. I don't like that I can't control sampling, that's a big one for me. You can't have reviews from authors in your genre on Amazon which, I understand why they did it, but I don't agree with the decision at all.<br /><br />I guess I'm looking at Smashwords through the rose-colored glasses of 'potential'. If Smashwords suddenly went "viral", those improvements and more would be made, I believe that. I'm hoping, waiting for it. I just like them far better than Amazon.Jennifer Oberthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14008884547045029128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-77797369765759291052014-06-01T12:08:30.538-05:002014-06-01T12:08:30.538-05:00Jennifer- as a reader I can say that Smashwords ju...Jennifer- as a reader I can say that Smashwords just looks terrible. Their website is so utilitarian that it looks like someone created it in the late 90's and then just never bothered to update it.<br /><br />Is there a lend feature? I didn't see one. No also-boughts, no reccommendations for other titles based on what I normally buy and rate highly.<br /><br />Speaking as a writer, ye gods. The formatting issue is a complete nightmare. I can whip something out in Word, upload it to Amazon, and voila, it's selling within hours of hitting publish. On Smashwords? No. <br /><br />I have to format it. Then it might not be good enough to get it into the Premium Catalog, then you go to upload it? Oh wait you need an ISBN.<br /><br />Also, Amazon pays monthly whereas Smashwords is only quarterly. So I think it's a two-fold explanation being that fewer authors use Smashwords because it's not as user-friendly as Amazon and not as many readers use it because <b> their </b> interface isn't as user friendly, either. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-29470786552438923972014-06-01T11:39:53.447-05:002014-06-01T11:39:53.447-05:00It is surprising for Amazon to tell customers to g...It is surprising for Amazon to tell customers to go elsewhere for Hatchette titles. I'm not sure how I feel about that one.Gary Dobbs/Jack Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10935686140719743351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-16167933085629175472014-06-01T11:33:47.415-05:002014-06-01T11:33:47.415-05:00Marcel - do you mean reviews of the books? There a...Marcel - do you mean reviews of the books? There are many reviews. I think it's a numbers game - Smashwords is not as popular as Amazon so there are less readers reviewing there. If Smashwords was as popular, the reviews would probably be the same.<br /><br />There is great sampling of books on Smashwords and even better for the author/publisher, you can pick how much sampling you want to offer. Again, I find it better as a consumer and an author than Amazon.<br /><br />So I still don't know why Smashwords isn't giving Amazon a run for its money in regards to book sales/popularity.Jennifer Oberthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14008884547045029128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-76369938142309632302014-06-01T10:49:43.610-05:002014-06-01T10:49:43.610-05:00If you haven't seen it yet, Hugh ha an epic po...If you haven't seen it yet, Hugh ha an epic post on his blog about winning at Monopoly and rampant anti-Amazon group think, from inside his foxhole at BEA. Great stuff.<br /><br />http://www.hughhowey.com/winning-at-monopoly/David L. Shutterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08357694121376734716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-49965657446714424102014-05-31T16:55:01.716-05:002014-05-31T16:55:01.716-05:00"How is that not so competitive that Smashwor..."How is that not so competitive that Smashwords isn't a much, much bigger player?"<br /><br />No reviews that I can find and no sampling.Marcelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13951354231483245521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-2468078836721789762014-05-31T13:43:48.789-05:002014-05-31T13:43:48.789-05:00Two more points:
If Amazon is throwing its weight...Two more points:<br /><br />If Amazon is throwing its weight around and being a bully by taking the pre-order button away and buying less stock, then it isn’t working. You would assume they’d do it to make Hachette’s customers (authors) lean on Hachette to come to a deal with Amazon. All Hachette and its authors are doing is blaming Amazon. So, it’s either not true that Amazon did that as a tactic or it backfired.<br /><br />--------------<br /><br />“Amazon's dominance is a problem for indie authors too. As it stands, Amazon is the bulk of your market.”<br /><br />Just to make a counterpoint, Amazon is NOT the bulk of my market. Smashwords is, specifically Barnes and Noble. That’s where the bulk of my sales come from.<br /><br />I wanted to point this out because anonymous 5:41 complained about someone making blanket statements that didn't fit him/her and this is a blanket statement that doesn't fit all self-published persons.<br /><br />“What if they decide they need to make more out of you? If they are the dominant force in your market, who do you turn to when they want 50% of your price?”<br /><br />Smashwords.<br /><br />I don’t understand why Smashwords isn’t as big or bigger for readers/authors than Amazon (or B&N or Apple...). Amazon has made themselves less attractive by pushing for exclusivity. For authors/publishers, they're pushing KDP Select. With customers by not using epub.<br /><br />As a customer, I buy as many books as I can from Smashwords over any other retailer because my tastes can be fickle. Today, I own a Nook. Tomorrow, I might want to buy another ereader - if I buy ebooks through Amazon, I'm stuck with also buying their ereaders - forever. If I buy through Smashwords, I can buy whatever ereader I want (one that hasn't even been invented yet) and still read what I've already purchased. How is that not so competitive that Smashwords isn't a much, much bigger player?Jennifer Oberthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14008884547045029128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-36035911696332496272014-05-31T13:32:41.328-05:002014-05-31T13:32:41.328-05:00In regards to pre-orders, couldn’t Amazon have a s...In regards to pre-orders, couldn’t Amazon have a statement that if you (buyer) pre-order, the publisher (meaning TP or self) is responsible for delivering the book at the stated publish date? That way, Amazon doesn’t have to worry that they’ll be blamed for not delivering – it’s on the publisher to do so. Customers pre-buying the book would know that it’s up to the seller (publisher) to provide the goods. Amazon is simply the cashier. If the customer doesn’t trust that the book will be published (or delivered on the date specified), then don’t pre-order. That’s what I’d do if I were Amazon.<br /><br />It’s like Kickstarter and eBay.Jennifer Oberthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14008884547045029128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-21880899274389380342014-05-30T03:51:19.541-05:002014-05-30T03:51:19.541-05:00As a writer, I find the argument that literature a...As a writer, I find the argument that literature and culture will suffer if publishers die off personally insulting. And I'm notoriously difficult to insult.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14026730564338917571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-86504048760231229152014-05-30T03:18:28.230-05:002014-05-30T03:18:28.230-05:00Amazon can do that because their contract with Hat...Amazon can do that because their contract with Hatchette, that Hatchette agreed to, allows them to. (Or so Amazon says in their statement, anyway, but I suspect its true or there'd be breach of contract lawsuits threatened, I'm sure).Is Hatchette not in the habit of taking advantage of things in their contracts when they see it in their interests? It's the same principle. I tend to look at root causes of things in business matters. Yes, Amazon took this action but Hatchette allowed it to happen by not negotiating any protections against it. I've been screwed in the past by places I've signed contracts with, in ways that didn't violate the contract, but I didn't blame them. I signed the contract. I just didn't do business with them anymore after that contract was up and was more vigilant about contract terms in the future. Whatever someone else's actions, so long as they don't actually violate the contract, I put myself in that position and the responsibility for the consequences falls squarely on me. I look at Hatchette saying "it's not my fault" and I can't help but think it's terribly unprofessional and more than a little disingenuous. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14026730564338917571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-86313264934380757172014-05-30T00:48:23.258-05:002014-05-30T00:48:23.258-05:00Hairhead,
Sure, feel free to repost.
Maia,
:)
...Hairhead,<br /><br />Sure, feel free to repost.<br /><br />Maia,<br /><br />:) <br /><br />~anonymous @ 5:42pm.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-17530786052022950422014-05-29T18:57:31.384-05:002014-05-29T18:57:31.384-05:00Anonymous Home Depot guy/gal, I think I'm in l...Anonymous Home Depot guy/gal, I think I'm in love with you. <br /><br />Maiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11985372745671378240noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-8539837589965142582014-05-29T18:47:57.714-05:002014-05-29T18:47:57.714-05:00To anonymous @ 5:42pm.
Thank you very much for e...To anonymous @ 5:42pm. <br /><br />Thank you very much for explaining, in crystal-clear terms, what large-scale purchasing and retailing is like. I knew all this, having worked in retail, and as a writer done business plans, but I didn't take the time to put it all down so clearly. <br /><br />Good for you, and do you mind if I cut-and-paste your post and put it up on Saint's and the SF writer's blogs? <br /><br />I'll wait for your permission. And if I get it, and do this, I'll report whether or not they post it, and if so what comments they get. Hairheadnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-74925550090833717902014-05-29T18:10:18.122-05:002014-05-29T18:10:18.122-05:00Boy, the factual inaccuracies in that Patterson qu...Boy, the factual inaccuracies in that Patterson quote are alarming. And the hyperbole! It's like watching Fox News. I'm surprised people don't run out to their local bookstore with guns and defend it against Jeff Bezos all Bunkerville-style!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-48922667492099496832014-05-29T18:05:36.802-05:002014-05-29T18:05:36.802-05:00It’s crazy that they didn’t jump at Amazon’s offer...<i>It’s crazy that they didn’t jump at Amazon’s offer to share a pool. Free money for the vendor’s suppliers? Any real-world vendor would have to pick their jaw up off the floor before they quickly accepted that offer.</i><br /><br />Good example, and I agree. <br /><br />I have a few answers why publishers didn't jump at Amazon's offer.<br /><br />First, because publishers once had all the power. They were a cartel that controlled distribution. If you were an author and wanted to get into bookstores, you had to go through them. If you wanted to sell books to customers, you had to go through them (or their distributor). They had contracts that were the same among all authors and vendors, except for minor differences (like advance amount or bulk discounting). It didn't matter if you were dealing with Hachette or Macmillan or Random House, they all played by the same rules.<br /><br />After decades of this, publishers began to feel entitled to their fortunes and their power. They were gatekeepers, making dreams happen for a few lucky writers.<br /><br />Now they aren't needed anymore. They used to be in control, now Amazon is controlling them. And they hate it and won't accept it. Not only does Amazon control the paper market--which publishers used to have a quasi-monopoly on, Amazon also invented the modern popular ebook market, which means they call the shots.<br /><br />On top of all the feelings of anger and loss of control, publishers have never respected authors. They've treated them like replaceable cogs in a machine. They don't mind playing the "look at our poor authors" card for the media, but actually give authors money out of pocket? Unheard of!<br /><br />And since authors continue to submit to them (with all meanings of the word "submit"), publishers see no need to treat authors any better. And the stupid authors continue to suck up to publishers.<br /><br />Publishers had their run. It's over. And they can hate it, and bitch and moan, and cry unfair, and it doesn't model. The old way is dying. A new alpha predator has arrived, and it's eating their market up. And publishing folks continue to be in denial. They've ignored me for five years, and the threat I've repeated--a threat which now has widespread data to confirm it.<br /><br />Authors don't need publishers anymore. And many aren't bothering with them. And those numbers will increase. <br /><br />B&N will close. The midlist will crumple. And publishers will have a handful of bestselling authors supporting their entire infrastructure.<br />JA Konrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-11864830333175145532014-05-29T17:58:27.806-05:002014-05-29T17:58:27.806-05:00http://www.vulture.com/2014/05/james-patterson-cal...http://www.vulture.com/2014/05/james-patterson-calls-out-amazon-at-book-expo.html<br /><br />Check out that link. Today, at the BEA, Patterson told his audience (publishers and editors) that if Amazon gains too much control over publishers, art and literature and culture will suffer. <br /><br />Bezos says gatekeepers hinder culture. <br />The gatekeepers think they preserve culture.<br /><br />So you have an added problem right there. I don't think big publishers take kindly to being told they are hindering culture. They genuinely believe Amazon is hindering culture. <br /><br />What makes this interesting is that personal element which isn't present in the hardware store example. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-71322794040037513852014-05-29T17:42:20.858-05:002014-05-29T17:42:20.858-05:00Continued from part one...
I don’t recall anyone ...Continued from part one...<br /><br />I don’t recall anyone rising up in arms, claiming Depot was destroying America. It didn’t make the NYT or The Daily Beast. Suppliers to the vendor didn’t claim Depot was the villain – if they blamed anyone, they blamed the vendor for not pitching or pricing right. Most suppliers to the vendor didn’t care, since they already got paid – the vendor was the one caught in the middle. But many suppliers became as dependent on the vendor as the vendor was on Depot. <br /><br />Depot had every right to choose what it wanted to sell, and if a vendor didn’t like it, they could take a hike. It really pissed off some businesses that weren't smart enough to not put all of their eggs in one basket. It also made many of them huge and rich.<br /><br />Why did Depot put the screws to vendors this way? Because they were in competition with other hardware stores, and they knew that their customers would buy items at a lower price elsewhere, if they didn’t keep their prices down. No one gives a shit if the widget came from Depot or Lowes or Ace, they just care how much they paid for it.<br /><br />Now I know books are not a necessity of life, even though at times I feel like I need them to live. They don’t taste good, and choosing to live under them to shelter myself from the elements might work in some climates, but it would be a bad idea here in Seattle.<br /><br />Are books different than some widget you get at the hardware store? Sure. BUT THE MECHANISM THEY SELL THROUGH IS EXACTLY THE SAME. It’s the same free market capitalism, the same big retailer structure, the same supplier/vendor relationship, the same shareholders of the retailer demanding growth and profits. <br /><br />So I’m a little amused by those who seem to think Amazon should be acting as though it is NOT part of corporate America. Because it’s selling books, they seem to think, the rules should be different: if what you’re selling has cultural significance, Amazon should forego its responsibility to shareholders and bend over whenever a vendor requires them to. Depot doesn’t have to, Lowes doesn’t have to, Walmart doesn’t have to, but Amazon does, because of what the product it’s selling? Huh?<br /><br />It’s naïve and seems like something only people who don’t know how wholesale/retail sales really work would entertain. I see some authors say they prefer traditional publishing so they can just focus on writing. OK, then shut up when the business side of it rears its ugly head. Go take shelter until the crisis is over, or take the time to learn how things work in the real world. Neither side is a villain; Amazon simply holds better cards than the publishers do. Both sides have every right to try and improve their terms and agreements. But PLEASE don’t whine on and on about it being unfair or that laws should be passed that would disadvantage retailers and create special rules for a particular industry. You just sound like someone who has their head in the sand, unaware of how things really work.<br /><br />And I guarantee you NO hardware retailer would EVER create a fund to help suppliers of vendors for the hardship caused by the retailer choosing not to carry the vendor’s products. It’s bizarre to even consider because it’s so far removed from the norm. But it tells you how “special” the traditional publishing industry views itself. It’s crazy that they didn’t jump at Amazon’s offer to share a pool. Free money for the vendor’s suppliers? Any real-world vendor would have to pick their jaw up off the floor before they quickly accepted that offer.<br /><br />This kind of “specialness” breeds delusion, and it’s often deadly in business, like when Dish bought Blockbuster in 2011. Perhaps that’s why they didn’t take Amazon up on the pool; some delusion on their end that they have a winning hand. I’m reminded of Saddam Hussein’s press secretary declaring that they were winning the war.<br /><br />Hope this detour into the world of hardware sales wasn't too boring. Sometimes the real world is.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-56222295950910164702014-05-29T17:41:59.835-05:002014-05-29T17:41:59.835-05:00Perhaps an example from outside this industry migh...Perhaps an example from outside this industry might be entertaining. Or not, you be the judge. It's a little long, so I'm chopping it into two parts. At least it’ll offer some comparisons.<br /><br />Before self-publishing, I used to work for a company that made things sold to consumers through hardware stores, like Home Depot, Lowes, Ace Hardware, etc. Think widgets.<br /><br />I don’t know how familiar you are with how the process works, but bear with me as I try to describe it: Everyone who makes widgets wants to sell as many as they can. Getting their products into Home Depot or Lowes is the way to sell the most, because of their large customer base. But to sell your products at retailers like Depot, Lowes, or even Walmart, you don't just list your product somewhere and expect Depot to pick it up and sell it on their website, or stock it in their stores. You have to make a "pitch" to a Depot buyer. For my company it was an annual event, a big presentation everyone prepared for, where a lead salesperson described in detail to the Depot “buyer” why your product was superior, why Depot customers would consider it value-added, and why you were a reliable vendor who would fill orders without delays or hassles. You had to agree to onerous return policies that clearly favored Depot. But most of all, you had to price it to Depot correctly. If you priced it too high, they would simply decline to carry your product. If you priced it too low, you'd lose a lot of money at the volumes Depot would deliver. Sometimes the lowest price you could offer and make a small profit was still more than Depot was willing to tolerate. In these cases, you simply didn't receive orders from Depot. They'd go with someone else, or just not carry your product at all. There was no weeping, wailing, or gnashing of teeth if it didn’t work out. No public whining about Depot. You just tried again next year. Maybe you’d fire the salesperson who presented to Depot, so you could send in a fresh face next year. Maybe Depot didn’t like their hair, or their breath. (I am not shitting you – these things would be considered.)<br /><br />And it worked exactly the same way at Lowes, Ace, True Value, all of the major hardware stores. Pitch, price, and hope they took you. HOPE. They didn’t have to.<br /><br />These hardware store chains weren't stupid. They’d keep an eye on each vendor, and figure out what percentage of the vendor’s overall profits came from sales through their chains. This told them how much leverage they had over each vendor as they did more and more business with them. When a company makes 50% of their profit through sales to Depot, guess who controls pricing? The annual “pitch” meeting turned into a very short meeting where Depot simply handed you a sheet, telling you what your products would be priced at for the next year.<br /><br />Unethical? Hardly. If you think it is, you don’t know how business really works. He who controls the profits controls everything. Short -sighted companies enjoyed making tons of dough selling through these chains, right up until the time they realized Depot now controlled the pricing, and could raise and lower it at whim. They found themselves Depot’s (or Lowe’s, or Walmart’s) bitch. I saw it happen several times. They didn’t like being Depot’s bitch, but they did like the cash flow, so they learned how to deal with it.<br /><br />And Depot would take it further. Play one vendor off another, so they all tried to underbid the other. Require vendors to attend mandatory “humiliation camps” where they’d subject them to ridiculous meetings and embarrassing team-building events that were designed to reinforce to the vendor that Depot was in charge. At the time (early 2000’s) Depot felt it was in their interest to beat up on vendors. It kept them compliant. I don’t know if they still do this, but they certainly used to.<br /><br />Continued in part two...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-27405449203613942014-05-29T16:48:43.161-05:002014-05-29T16:48:43.161-05:00Oh man, that shouldn't have been a difficult o...Oh man, that shouldn't have been a difficult one! Thank you. hollis shilohhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04585509044252127013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-60148448757913710342014-05-29T15:38:18.902-05:002014-05-29T15:38:18.902-05:00IP means Intellectual Property.IP means Intellectual Property.Talinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00897787346805103073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-24279776589312648102014-05-29T15:38:04.392-05:002014-05-29T15:38:04.392-05:00Intellectual Property.Intellectual Property.JA Konrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-79029599058565871192014-05-29T15:27:56.311-05:002014-05-29T15:27:56.311-05:00I admit to pre-ordering some titles. But sometime...I admit to pre-ordering some titles. But sometimes I regret it and wish I'd read a sample first. There are a few indie authors I'd definitely pre-order from, but they're likely to get my dollars either way, and if it doesn't increase their ranking anyway...<br /><br />This is a very interesting conversation to me, perhaps most of all because I don't have a dog in the fight so I can just sit back and listen and learn. <br /><br />I've still never figured out what IP stands for, though. IPs apparently means the stories you write and sell. But I've never figured out what the letters stand for.hollis shilohhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04585509044252127013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-11321654926536624632014-05-29T15:06:46.250-05:002014-05-29T15:06:46.250-05:00Whenever I read a comment about "what if Amaz...<i>Whenever I read a comment about "what if Amazon does x to self-publishers" I'm thrown off. </i><br /><br />What if all the major publishers agreed on the exact same royalty rate and prices for books? Authors couldn't get better rates no matter where they went, and all refailers could be forced to sell books for the same price, eliminating competition via discounting? Does that sound fair to authors or retailers?<br /><br />Oh... wait. <br /><br />If one company does that, it's legal. But when all companies in an industry do it...JA Konrathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-8872022527047214282014-05-29T15:06:05.960-05:002014-05-29T15:06:05.960-05:00There's so much anonymous flying around here, ...There's so much anonymous flying around here, i feel like I'm at a 12 Step meeting of AA (Authors Anonymous).<br /><br />But one anon really helped me understand what the agency model is all about <br /><br /><i>Anonymous Anonymous said...<br />(Anon TP)<br /><br />Scott, here is an explanation of agency:</i><br /><br />That was lucid and very helpful. Thank you, Anonymous.<br /><br />Good blog. A lot for Newbies like me to absorb.John Ellsworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10253978941460283164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-40854190743323922442014-05-29T14:28:30.463-05:002014-05-29T14:28:30.463-05:00Whenever I read a comment about "what if Amaz...Whenever I read a comment about "what if Amazon does x to self-publishers" I'm thrown off. Are people laboring under the illusion that self-publishers have signed off their IP to Amazon? <br /><br />Worst case scenario, the market would go into a period of flux with more competitors coming to the fore. Maybe fewer sales as the market adjusts, but never anything as impact-ful as selling your IP to a third party for life.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com