Amazonian logic

[Claudine]

Pixel of Ink, a Facebook page I like, compiles daily lists of freebies and specials. Today, a South African author, Roger Smith's book Dust Devils, is offered free. Except in the African region. I get that it is probably a publishing house issue as I have been told this before but the irony made me laugh.

[Andre Jute]

This is probably not Amazon's logic but the paper publisher's. They own the paper rights, Roger owns only the ebook rights, so there is no reason whatsoever for them to cooperate by relaxing the clause in their contract which states clearly that he will do nothing to undermine their sales or cut into their profits, i.e. give the book away free in their territory in another format. I'm surprised this clause isn't enforced more often against some of the trad-published writers dabbling in ebooks.

[Claudine]

It happens quite often Andre, certainly more than I like. Whenever I've queried it in the past Amazon have said it's because SA doesn't have ebook distribution rights which as a reader I find frustrating. In this case I laughed out loud because it's an SA author whose book isn't available in the region he himself lives and works in.

[Andre Jute]

That's bad state of affairs.

[Andre Jute]

Deja vu vu vu vu.

[Claudine]

LOL. stupid iPhone.

[J.L.]

I'm also having problems getting my print-on-demand book into Kenya, 'cause the retailers have to buy on-line like everyone else, and then of course they add on their bit. So the book is way too expensive.
Has anyone found a way through this maze?
And also there's the problem of downloading the e-book.
Is there a reason why a secondhand offer is at a price above the RRP, when Amazon are giving a 10% discount? It seems crazy to me: who would buy?

[Andre Jute]

Jane, have you published your book through Smashword? They also distribute as PDF, which anyone can read on a computer without a tablet, and EPUB which reads on other tablets than Kindle.

Second-hand books more expensive than new ones are simply dealers chancing their arm. Perhaps some customers fall for it.