The Arduous Uphill Battle for Authors? Amazon Kindle Unlimited & Ebook Subscription Streaming
Before typing this blog post, I let out a huge sigh in frustration as I gather my thoughts. I take a sip of coffee weighing how to tackle this article with so many facets and yet as an author myself, I wonder where these big, conglomerate companies have left us as independent authors.
I've been told because of Scribd and Oyster most e-book retailers have had declining sales. And then there was KDP Select which made some authors happy, but annoyed me because they insisted on exclusivity. But the latest and out of nowhere change in the e-book business came overnight after Amazon launched Kindle Unlimited. In their quest to squash the competition and keep their reign as "King of the Mountain", they have launched their version of e-book streaming. What does this all mean for the average author out there trying to make a living? It means buckle up because this is going to be a bumpy ride.
I love Amazon, but there are some major problems with Kindle Unlimited: such as, if I understand correctly, payments are based on getting a small fraction of the total earnings that will hurt our royalties enormously. And, as authors we get sucked into this streaming segue, much the way music, movies and tv has gone. We are on the verge of losing any control over how our work is distributed and if we make any money for our hard and intense labor at all.
Are we lost in a maze of overwhelming obstacles and what can be done about it?
In my research, I've learned that we need to keep pushing ahead and writing on, diversifying distribution seems to be a key asset and think outside of the box when it comes to advertising and marketing. If we allow any big business to take our control and leave us powerless sucking us into their vortex, that could possibly break our hopes and dreams while big business just keeps dominating the industry and getting fat off our royalties.
With so many well-written e-books, we can figure out the best decisions for us as individuals running a business. As a writing community of authors, we all have similar goals and should pull together to help and support one another. After all, without us little authors producing these amazing works of literature there would be nothing left to fight for in the book publishing industry.
Stay connected to the author! Find out the latest gossip, news & events: https://lnkd.in/bBmmx2B
Leave a comment, voice an opinion and start a conversation.
I've been told because of Scribd and Oyster most e-book retailers have had declining sales. And then there was KDP Select which made some authors happy, but annoyed me because they insisted on exclusivity. But the latest and out of nowhere change in the e-book business came overnight after Amazon launched Kindle Unlimited. In their quest to squash the competition and keep their reign as "King of the Mountain", they have launched their version of e-book streaming. What does this all mean for the average author out there trying to make a living? It means buckle up because this is going to be a bumpy ride.
I love Amazon, but there are some major problems with Kindle Unlimited: such as, if I understand correctly, payments are based on getting a small fraction of the total earnings that will hurt our royalties enormously. And, as authors we get sucked into this streaming segue, much the way music, movies and tv has gone. We are on the verge of losing any control over how our work is distributed and if we make any money for our hard and intense labor at all.
Are we lost in a maze of overwhelming obstacles and what can be done about it?
In my research, I've learned that we need to keep pushing ahead and writing on, diversifying distribution seems to be a key asset and think outside of the box when it comes to advertising and marketing. If we allow any big business to take our control and leave us powerless sucking us into their vortex, that could possibly break our hopes and dreams while big business just keeps dominating the industry and getting fat off our royalties.
With so many well-written e-books, we can figure out the best decisions for us as individuals running a business. As a writing community of authors, we all have similar goals and should pull together to help and support one another. After all, without us little authors producing these amazing works of literature there would be nothing left to fight for in the book publishing industry.
Stay connected to the author! Find out the latest gossip, news & events: https://lnkd.in/bBmmx2B
Leave a comment, voice an opinion and start a conversation.
No comments have been added yet.
S.K. Thomas's Blog
- S.K. Thomas's profile
- 57 followers
S.K. Thomas isn't a Goodreads Author
(yet),
but they
do have a blog,
so here are some recent posts imported from
their feed.
