tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post5084640542726527164..comments2024-03-28T02:00:11.260-05:00Comments on A Newbie's Guide to Publishing: Guest Post by Selena Kitt Part 2JA Konrathhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08778324558755151986noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-63356459065255031352011-01-27T03:51:49.633-06:002011-01-27T03:51:49.633-06:00Hey very nice blog!! Man .. Beautiful .. Amazing ....Hey very nice blog!! Man .. Beautiful .. Amazing .. I will bookmark your blog and take the feeds also... Big thanks for the <br /><br />useful info i found on Comentari de categoria nova.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.2ticketguys.com/Events/Kenny-Chesney-Tickets.aspx" rel="nofollow">Kenny Chesney Tickets</a>Kenny Chesney Ticketshttp://www.2ticketguys.com/Events/Kenny-Chesney-Tickets.aspxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-75901019758193781792011-01-25T13:24:42.459-06:002011-01-25T13:24:42.459-06:00I found your website perfect for my needs. It cont...I found your website perfect for my needs. It contains wonderful and helpful posts. I have read most of them and got a lot from them. To me, you are doing the great work.san diego divorce lawyerhttp://www.antonyanlaw.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-28061834034856588202011-01-20T21:40:34.969-06:002011-01-20T21:40:34.969-06:00Authors: This post and some of these replies tell ...Authors: This post and some of these replies tell the tale: Amazon is the 800 lb gorilla. It's now sitting on some authors, it seems. <br /><br />But fear not, change is around the corner. When traditional publishing becomes extinct like the woolly mammoth, guess what? The 800 lb gorilla will be the new king of the jungle. <br /><br />Try not to poke him too much with a stick. He's going to eat all your food, as he'll get hungrier and hungrier. But don't get under his skin or Mr. 800lb gorilla will toss you, the author, around like an organ grinder's monkey. And your livelihood with it.Coolkayaker1https://www.blogger.com/profile/16480679419271233314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-3652222673946187532011-01-18T18:42:59.540-06:002011-01-18T18:42:59.540-06:00"And when they did transfer my titles, it did...<i>"And when they did transfer my titles, it didn’t work. I lost a considerable amount of rankings due to their technical glitch, and my books dropped from being in the top ten in erotica to the top twenty-five or fifty, and they still haven’t recovered. Ouch."</i><br /><br />Selena, this also just happended to me on the 18th January 2011, after Amazon migrated my books from Mobipocket to DTP. Amazon assured me I would not lose my sales rank. Well guess what, I did lose all my e-books sales rank and I'm not happy.Errolnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-43480024256034804992011-01-18T00:41:31.890-06:002011-01-18T00:41:31.890-06:00"Yes, we added that last guideline recently, ..."Yes, we added that last guideline recently, thanks to Amazon’s ham-handed censorship tactics. We have caved and self-censored in anticipation of Amazon’s rejection of future work."<br /><br />Why not sell the incest erotica elsewhere, and just not send it to Amazon?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-51520697158501380742011-01-17T08:11:37.322-06:002011-01-17T08:11:37.322-06:00Joe, hopefully you can make use of the improvement...Joe, hopefully you can make use of the improvements at smashwords: they have lengthened the amount of characters available for describing your books.Noel Bodenmillerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14752529392946007578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-66542658190272215432011-01-17T04:40:54.737-06:002011-01-17T04:40:54.737-06:00selena said:
> Not necessarily.
> You&#...selena said:<br />> Not necessarily. <br />> You're forgetting about <br />> rankings on Amazon.<br /><br />that's value that amazon adds...<br /><br />it's worth something. might even<br />be worth the 30% they charge,<br />when added to everything else<br />they give. but now suddenly the<br />equation isn't so lopsided, is it?<br /><br />amazon does _a_lot_ to ensure<br />that its customers return to it...<br /><br />are you doing as much to ensure<br />your customers return to you?<br /><br />that's what you should consider.<br /><br /><br />> I do expect a company<br />> to treat its customers and <br />> vendors professionally, and <br />> if they don't, those customers <br />> and vendors have every right <br />> to complain.<br /><br />as i said above, you and i have <br />"every right to complain", and<br />nobody's trying to take it away.<br /><br />and i would submit that if/when<br />amazon unshelves books because<br />some of its customers complain,<br />that _is_ acting "professionally".<br /><br />i'd further submit that if/when<br />they decide that they will _only_<br />unshelve the specific books that<br />are receiving complaints, _not_<br />all books that might be "similar",<br />so as not to give the complaints<br />more power than they deserve,<br />that's also a case where amazon<br />is acting "professionally", even if<br />the action displeases some of us<br />as being "inconsistent", because<br />the world at large is complex...<br /><br />like someone wise said, it'd be<br />like arguing with 13-year-olds.<br /><br />***<br /><br />ellen said:<br />> As a reader, I don't care <br />> how much the author gets <br />> out of what I pay. <br /><br />maybe a reader shouldn't care.<br />that's why amazon is a success.<br /><br /><br />> I want the book I want, <br />> and I want to get it easily <br />> and at a reasonable price.<br /><br />as do most customers. well-put.<br />that's why amazon is a success.<br /><br /><br />> I have a Kindle. <br />> I go to Amazon.<br /><br />yet another example of the ways<br />amazon adds value for readers...<br /><br /><br />> I've passed on free books <br />> from authors who <br />> had them on their websites <br />> in formats I'd have had to <br />> make an effort to convert. <br /><br />what a hassle. amazon solves it.<br />more added value for customers.<br /><br /><br />> I've passed on free books <br />> when it meant going to <br />> some obscure website <br />> and it wasn't a book <br />> I was dying to read anyway.<br /><br />many readers will pass on that.<br /><br />so... you have identified here<br />a number of author-obstacles.<br /><br />as a reader/customer, you want<br />things to be _convenient_... ok!<br />that's why amazon is a success.<br /><br />but none of that applies to fans.<br />because fans are _dedicated_...<br />fans will go to extreme lengths.<br />that's _why_ we call them "fans",<br />since "fan" is short for "fanatic".<br /><br />and i'm talking about _fans_...<br /><br /><br />> The idea that any indie author <br />> is going to sell more, as many,<br />> or close to as many books <br />> on his/her own website <br />> as through Amazon <br />> strikes me as pie in the sky.<br /><br />well, good, then i am glad i said<br />you'd never be able to do that...<br /><br />but if you try, you can sell more<br />to fans directly, from your site.<br /><br />because your _fans_ want _you_<br />to have the money, not amazon.<br /><br />but i dunno, maybe none of you<br />_have_ any fans. what a shame.<br />all those customers, but no fans.<br />all those readers, but no fans...<br /><br /><br />> As an author, giving Amazon<br />> 30% for access to their site <br />> strikes me as a rare bargain<br /><br />that's part of this exercise, is to<br />get you to understand just that.<br /><br />and to factor it into bellyaching.<br /><br />-bowerbirdbowerbirdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05962115094107919533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-423943779281215702011-01-16T20:33:40.836-06:002011-01-16T20:33:40.836-06:00Selena, do you know if the take down was the resul...Selena, do you know if the take down was the result of complaints about your titles? <br /><br />It seems to me that this must have happened and Amazon "caved in" to a minority opinion instead issuing a refund with apology and leaving your titles alone. It wouldn't surprise me if the complaint came from an Amazon exec's family.Paul Skeldinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13136800622638027076noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-58481207787442687222011-01-16T19:47:34.668-06:002011-01-16T19:47:34.668-06:00Maybe Jeff Bezos took it down!Maybe Jeff Bezos took it down!Coolkayaker1https://www.blogger.com/profile/16480679419271233314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-78206026845153025712011-01-16T19:20:21.579-06:002011-01-16T19:20:21.579-06:00Selena's site just got hacked!!!Selena's site just got hacked!!!Ana Buculenciunoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-47856252769549484462011-01-16T19:14:07.474-06:002011-01-16T19:14:07.474-06:00"but paying a 30% surcharge on sales where yo...<i>"but paying a 30% surcharge on sales where you could get 100%,"</i><br /><br />Perhaps I shouldn't admit this on a blog frequented mostly by authors, since I'm an indie author myself, but I'm going to. As a reader, I don't care how much the author gets out of what I pay. Until I published myself that thought never even crossed my mind.<br />I want the book I want, and I want to get it easily and at a reasonable price.<br /><br />So the fact is I'm not going around to a bunch of author websites to get the books I want. I have a Kindle. I go to Amazon. I've passed on free books from authors who had them on their websites in formats I'd have had to make an effort to convert. I've passed on free books when it meant going to some obscure website and it wasn't a book I was dying to read anyway.<br /><br />The biggest effort I make for books is putting a hold at the library on ones unavailable for the Kindle or that I consider overpriced. I swing by and pick them up when I'm in town.<br /><br />Maybe I'm unique in this, but I suspect not. The idea that any indie author is going to sell more, as many, or close to as many books on his/her own website as through Amazon strikes me as pie in the sky.<br /><br />As an author, giving Amazon 30% for access to their site strikes me as a rare bargain.Ellen O'Connellhttp://www.oconnellauthor.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-29652041173500212212011-01-16T19:01:01.573-06:002011-01-16T19:01:01.573-06:00@Guy:"What is an agenda tangent?"
The a...@Guy:<i>"What is an agenda tangent?"</i><br /><br />The author has a political viewpoint/agenda that turns the whole novel. Ironically, the author was less direct in the first novel and that book was quite entertaining. <br /><br />My point was that the reviews on Amazon provide a value. Quite a number of Kindle owners (or Nook) are not likely to buy straight from the author due to the lack of reviews. <br /><br />Neilwannabuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04297458705683991405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-11932780179949694792011-01-16T18:32:03.147-06:002011-01-16T18:32:03.147-06:00but paying a 30% surcharge on sales where you coul...<i>but paying a 30% surcharge on sales where you could get 100%, where your fans would _rather_ have you receive all the money and _not_ split it with amazon, well, that's just bad business...</i><br /><br />Not necessarily. You're forgetting about rankings on Amazon. The higher your ranking, the more visibility, the more "new" people who aren't fans (yet) find you. So if your fan base buys your book from Amazon and shoots it up in the rankings, more people are going to find you there than on your own site.<br /><br />Once you get enough fans, this equation ceases to matter. But when you have THAT many fans, you probably already have a gazillion dollar deal with one of the big six ala Stephen King or Nora Roberts and you don't care anyway.<br /><br /><i>and when, on top of all of that, you start _complaining_ about the way that amazon treats you, well, i hope you will understand if i don't have much sympathy...</i><br /><br />I don't care if I have your sympathy, but I do expect a company to treat its customers and vendors professionally, and if they don't, those customers and vendors have every right to complain.Selena Kitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17783685215421352626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-76922290687373087242011-01-16T17:50:34.691-06:002011-01-16T17:50:34.691-06:00hope said:
> We give Amazon 30% because
>...hope said:<br />> We give Amazon 30% because <br />> we know that the people that <br />> have that awesome new Kindle <br />> or Nook or Sony or iPad <br />> aren't going to go look for <br />> "Hope Welsh", they are going <br />> to go to Amazon, and B&N and <br />> type in "paranormal romance"<br /><br />those are _amazon_customers_.<br />so it's only fair that amazon gets<br />30% of the take if you're gonna<br />use _their_ customers like that.<br /><br />i'm talking about _your_fans_.<br /><br />people who know they like you,<br />and look specifically for you, yet<br />buy your book from amazon, so<br />amazon still takes a 30% cut...<br /><br />why are you letting that happen?<br /><br />***<br /><br />selena said:<br />> Bowerbird makes it sound <br />> easier than it is.<br /><br />if you look back at my comment,<br />you'll see i specifically called it<br />"work", so i'm under no illusions<br />it is "easy". on the other hand,<br />though, it's not all that difficult.<br /><br />if you look back at my comment,<br />you'll see i suggest incentives...<br /><br />it's simple to give fans something<br />a little "extra" for coming direct.<br />it's a reward for being your fan!<br />it's "pay" for connecting directly;<br />make it worth their while to go<br />out of their way just a little bit.<br /><br />and no, of course you'll _never_<br />get as many fans as amazon has.<br />you'll always have to stay there,<br />to make use of their customers,<br />and convert them into your fans.<br /><br />but paying a 30% surcharge on<br />sales where you could get 100%,<br />where your fans would _rather_<br />have you receive all the money<br />and _not_ split it with amazon,<br />well, that's just bad business...<br /><br />and when, on top of all of that,<br />you start _complaining_ about<br />the way that amazon treats you,<br />well, i hope you will understand<br />if i don't have much sympathy...<br /><br />just obtain your independence.<br /><br />***<br /><br />asrai said:<br />> Most people are too lazy to go <br />> out and search for new fiction.<br /><br />go shmoe with "most people"...<br />i'm talking about _your_fans_,<br />and your not _rewarding_ 'em.<br /><br />you're the ones being lazy here,<br />letting amazon do all the work;<br />then you whine when amazon<br />protects its business interests,<br />and it affects you adversely...<br /><br />that's what you get for being<br />dependent on someone bigger.<br /><br />make your fans offers that are<br />too good for them to refuse...<br /><br />-bowerbirdbowerbirdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05962115094107919533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-57100803397603403442011-01-16T17:15:03.779-06:002011-01-16T17:15:03.779-06:00Selena, I would suspect Amazon is constantly adjus...Selena, I would suspect Amazon is constantly adjusting policies and procedures. In fact, they clearly are. Sometimes it will be a policy change brought by internal efficiencies, other times by market decisions (such as threat of boycott by a powerful group?) or even a decision of convenience--"Would I rather be continually pestered by a small, rabid group complaining about incest erotica or would I rather lose some spare change (to me) by dropping a few books?"<br /><br />It's easy to foresee how no one can foresee all the issues of throwing open a wide publishing gate for everybody with an idea. Would they publish Mein Kampf today if it were a living document inspiring a movement actively leading to genocide rather than a piece of history? Would it be "responsible" of them to do so?<br /><br />Those are tough choices, and Amazon is not a government, and smart businesses (and writers) are constantly adjusting to deal with reality instead of ideals.<br /><br />Scott Nicholson<br />http://www.hauntedcomputer.comAuthor Scott Nicholsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09778999586794284457noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-60086561008277871292011-01-16T15:24:25.899-06:002011-01-16T15:24:25.899-06:00What is an agenda tangent?What is an agenda tangent?Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09903015431055074342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-76803560290687204102011-01-16T14:45:03.788-06:002011-01-16T14:45:03.788-06:00@asrai:"People are lazy and cheap. "
An...@asrai:<i>"People are lazy and cheap. </i>"<br /><br />And time is money. <br /><br />For any alternate site to have the impact of Amazon/B&N they need a believable system of ranking and reviews. I've posted before how I was burned by pre-buying in 2010. <br /><br />e.g., one of my new 'favorite Indie authors' took an 'agenda tangent' with his #3 book on Kindle. The reviews paid off.<br /><br />Neilwannabuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04297458705683991405noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-7901050573564202011-01-16T13:50:48.429-06:002011-01-16T13:50:48.429-06:00@Bowerbird
Most people are too lazy to go out and...@Bowerbird <br />Most people are too lazy to go out and search for new fiction. They would rather go to amazon and have it reccommended to them at the bottom of the page for each item they look at. It's even better if you can get on the kindle ranking pages. <br /><br />One of the worst things I've ever written is given away for free on smashwords and has FAR more downloads then my better written, better edited 1.99 title. I bet more than half of those downloads are never read.<br /><br />Most of my sales from Amazon and people who buy on a whim. <br /><br />People are lazy and cheap. <br /><br />How do I market to people who aren't looking outside amazon? People who want their fiction fed to them.<br /><br />They might find me on amazon THEN look elsewhere for me. <br /><br />I bet if Amazon shut down tomorrow a lot of people would just stop reading. At least for a time, because they got used to having amazon on demand and fed to them.<br /><br />It doesn't matter how many promotions I run if no one has ever heard of me and can't see me. Becuase Amazon is the best way for a new author to get seen.asraihttp://comingalive.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-26986203558340090912011-01-16T13:44:00.812-06:002011-01-16T13:44:00.812-06:00We give Amazon 30% because we know that the people...<i>We give Amazon 30% because we know that the people that have that awesome new Kindle or Nook or Sony or iPad aren't going to go look for "Hope Welsh", they are going to go to Amazon, and B&N and type in "paranormal romance"</i><br /><br />Yep. And Bowerbird makes it sound easier than it is. I get 100% of the sales from my site. But I only sell about $3000 a quarter directly. Which is a nice little supplemental income, but not enough for my family to live on. I would LOVE to sell the volume of books I do directly from my own site, sure. I just don't have the traffic Amazon has, and no amount of incentives is going to gain me that kind of audience. So I'll give Amazon 1/3 of my income to get that audience, because it's financially worth it. Heck, up until last month, I was giving Amazon 65% of my income and it was STILL worth it.Selena Kitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17783685215421352626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-83808755867775398582011-01-16T13:18:55.736-06:002011-01-16T13:18:55.736-06:00@bowerbird We give Amazon 30% because we know tha...@bowerbird We give Amazon 30% because we know that the people that have that awesome new Kindle or Nook or Sony or iPad aren't going to go look for "Hope Welsh", they are going to go to Amazon, and B&N and type in "paranormal romance"Hope Welshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04007282596035816113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-33656391851273286972011-01-16T12:44:55.476-06:002011-01-16T12:44:55.476-06:00@Hope
Allow me to clarify (and remind me to read ...@Hope<br /><br />Allow me to clarify (and remind me to read my comments over more than twice before posting).<br /><br /><br />I believe true pedophilia to be harmful, because it seems to begin when the child is very young and has no frame of reference to make any decisions - not that m/any are actually <b>given</b> choice.<br /><br />But I do know of cases where men have been tagged pedophiles and forced to register as sex offenders due to a girl lying about her age and having consensual sex with them.<br /><br />A fifteen year old who looks & behaves older, hanging out in a place where IDs are required, that agrees to have sex with a 21 year old isn't being harmed.<br /><br />If the 21 yr old is then accused of rape or whatever by the 15 year old, or her parents who are horrified that their daughter is sexually active, and has his life pretty much destroyed over a mistake, then he's the victim, though society will see him as a pedophile.<br /><br />Which is why some states allow 'Mistake of Age' defenses.<br /><br />But a pair with a couple of years difference in age, having consensual sex even though one is under the age of consent; the older half is technically a pedophile - but they're not harming each other.<br /><br />That's why some states have Age Gap clauses.<br /><br />And that type of relationship is none of my business.Scathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11501466608432059406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-66859042364989225522011-01-16T12:21:09.724-06:002011-01-16T12:21:09.724-06:00all you people saying that
"amazon has the ri...all you people saying that<br />"amazon has the right<br />to decide what they sell"<br />need to be reminded that<br />we have the right to _yell_ <br />if we don't like the decision.<br />so no, we won't be quiet...<br />this is pressure-politics and<br />both sides can play the game.<br />deal with it.<br /><br />all you people saying that<br />"amazon must be consistent",<br />watch out what you wish for.<br />it's _much_ better for them to<br />be "inconsistent" and remove<br />the occasional book that gets<br />complained about rather than<br />_every_other_ "similar" book,<br />now and forever more. really.<br />deal with it.<br /><br />all you people saying that<br />"it's a good thing that we<br />now have multiple vendors"<br />are just fooling yourselves.<br />every one of these retailers<br />is a huge corporation that<br />will act exactly like amazon,<br />once they get complaints,<br />and they will get complaints,<br />from the same small minds.<br />deal with it.<br /><br />all you people saying that<br />"americans are prudish"<br />are totally correct, of course.<br />but let us also remember<br />that lots of children were<br />_victims_of_sexual_abuse_<br />by members of their own<br />family and/or household,<br />and now carry deep scars,<br />so they will react to stories<br />about incest in a way that<br />will never be fully rational.<br />and we cannot blame them;<br />that'd add insult to injury;<br />so we have to understand.<br />deal with it.<br /><br />there are no easy answers...<br />these are difficult questions,<br />with lots of conflicting forces.<br />deal with it.<br /><br />there is, however, one thing<br />you can do that will help you<br />to better ensure your future,<br />and that is to get your fans<br />to come _directly_ to you,<br />instead of going through<br />those middlemen retailers...<br />how many of you are now<br />offering incentives, so as to<br />encourage fans to do that?<br />too few of you, as far as i see.<br />you need to make it happen.<br />do that work to _guarantee_<br />you are not at the mercy of<br />others who care not for you.<br /><br />why are you giving amazon<br />1/3 of your money anyway?<br /><br />-bowerbirdbowerbirdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05962115094107919533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-80590947014201525072011-01-16T11:57:15.370-06:002011-01-16T11:57:15.370-06:00"Incest/pedophilia doesn't float my perso..."Incest/pedophilia doesn't float my personal boat, but then again, if it's consensual and no one's being forced/harmed, I don't believe it's any of my business either."<br /><br />I was pretty much on board til I got to this paragraph.<br /><br />Pedophilia DOES harm--and it's everyone's business. Protecting those with no voice--children--has to be the concern of all adults.Hope Welshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04007282596035816113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-66008523593621950552011-01-15T18:24:28.096-06:002011-01-15T18:24:28.096-06:00Your experience, Selena, is a vivid example of two...Your experience, Selena, is a vivid example of two concepts: (1) Censorship, like it or not, reigns in USA (you’ve given many clear examples, including Wal-mart), and the individual is essentially powerless—even in a legal forum—to stop it. Like racism, death and taxes, it’s one of those things we just have to take a big deep gulp and accept. Any arguments for first amendment right to write on any subject matter are quickly countered by first amendment right for a store owner to not sell what he feels is offensive. (2) The existence and survival of multiple publishing and book distribution platforms (traditional print, big box stores, mom and pop bookshops, e-books, all of it) helps the author. It is in no way harmful. Without the “old school” ways of publishing, which are admittedly “on the ropes” now, the author will have absolutely no choice but to accept the censorship and eventual low author payments. That’s right—wait until Amazon is the only game in town for all things published: authors can get ready for payout percentages dropping from 70% to 20% , slowly, like the death of a witch being stoned in Salem. <br /><br />Your blog article presages the inevitable , and I thank you for flicking on the flashing red “warning” sign, Selena.Coolkayaker1https://www.blogger.com/profile/16480679419271233314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11291165.post-77453484509196652412011-01-15T17:06:53.230-06:002011-01-15T17:06:53.230-06:00All publicity is good publicityAll publicity is good publicityAmos Kepplerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09653402099981546288noreply@blogger.com