SciFi and Fantasy eBook Club discussion
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Amazon's dirty(?) tactics.....
Since one of the examples is a book with a $30 list price, I don't care one way or the other. I won't even pay over $5 for a book from my favorite authors.OTOH, the major publishing houses have been keeping prices up for years. Maybe I'll root for Amazon and WalMart working to get prices down.
For me, it's about the same as hearing about a restaurant that sells a hamburger for $20 (or more). They can keep it.
It's just the usual big company trying to screw down the prices it pays its suppliers to increase its margins. Supermarkets do it all the time, the one winner is the supermarket, they might pass a little bit on to the customer,but mainly it just goes into their pockets
Corporations exist for one reason and only one reason....profit. It's the basis for capitalism and there is nothing criminal about it as long as there is nothing illegal taking place. Consumers have a lot of power to control this by taking their business elsewhere but they often don't for one reason or another (almost always it's price). To my knowledge there is no shortage of outlets where consumers can buy books in all formats and places where writers can contract and get published. The free market still exists and consumers vote with dollars. These giants only become giant because of consumer behavior. People bash Walmart every day for crushing the little guy and then on their way home they shop there.
I am not defending Amazon and I am not bashing Walmart but simply stating that they are a product of consumer habit. They maximize their profit based on consumer behavior. Until people change and stand up for their beliefs instead of migrating to the lowest prices these corporations will continue to do what they do.
Consumers have a ton of power in this nation and it has always perplexed me that they don't exercise it. If a company lays off 10,000 people to make a few thousand more dollars at the end of their fiscal year I wish consumers would take it to heart and refuse to buy their products...but they don't.
So very true. Books and other products are available everywhere but we shop where convenience rules. Why hunt for something when you can find it all at one stop. As long as we shop this way, it will remain the same.
The other factor here is the laziness and hypocrisy of politicians. Governments are the only organisations in a position to curtail the anti-social activities of large corporations, yet they often pass the buck. In the UK we have a prominent politician telling us we ought not to shop at Amazon because Amazon "don't pay enough tax". Yet as I understand it, Amazon in the UK are simply organising their tax affairs within the law to minimise their tax bill, which everyone has a right to do. This politician would do better to stop urging us to shop elsewhere, and instead get together with her colleagues to redraft the tax laws so they're fit for the 21st century.
I am not an author, publisher nor in anyway have any skin in the game except that I do love a good book. So for me and me alone its about the delay in getting a book when Amazon uses this tactic of delaying the release on Amazon by weeks/months in order to sway these publishers to lower their prices to Amazon. This is good for us, the consumer but not good for the author. This is the stick in the mud drawing the line for me!
I know how large megazilla corporations do business and in doing so only hurt us in the end. There has to be a better way to do business than this as I see it!
I feel for all those authors who have worked long hard hours to furnish us with their work only to have to face the problems they face with such as this from the Amazons of the world. All I see coming from this is the Amazons forcing all the publishers to shut down or the Amazons gobbling them up....I do not see this a good thing at all!
Personally I would love to see the self publishing business take off but there seems to be a huge marketing problem with it at this point. I know there are other issues with self publishing but the marketing seems to at the top of the list.
We know what the solution to authors being published in a timely manner and paid their worth, publishers and retailers making and decent profit and the consumers getting a good deal as well...but we all know its not going to happen in our lifetime!
I know how large megazilla corporations do business and in doing so only hurt us in the end. There has to be a better way to do business than this as I see it!
I feel for all those authors who have worked long hard hours to furnish us with their work only to have to face the problems they face with such as this from the Amazons of the world. All I see coming from this is the Amazons forcing all the publishers to shut down or the Amazons gobbling them up....I do not see this a good thing at all!
Personally I would love to see the self publishing business take off but there seems to be a huge marketing problem with it at this point. I know there are other issues with self publishing but the marketing seems to at the top of the list.
We know what the solution to authors being published in a timely manner and paid their worth, publishers and retailers making and decent profit and the consumers getting a good deal as well...but we all know its not going to happen in our lifetime!
I buy 30 plus e-books a month (on average) and the majority of them are direct from the e-publishers!! (b/c I want the authors to get their fair royalites).I also buy 5-10 Kindle books per month - usually only those which are published by the Big 5, or very small printing houses, or self-pubbed only on Kindle.
In essence, I try not to buy Kindle and support Amazon that way, b/c I know the %age they reap in. However, I'm a repeat, heavy buyer of paper books (tho' this has reduced lately - purely by my keeping to "must buy fave authors").
However, the Hachette Group contains my most bought publishing houses: Headline; Hodder & Stoughton; Orion; Little Brown, etc etc - and I'm not going to deprive myself of these books (like Brent Weeks!)
Fine, I'm in a good position in that I have enough money to pay for my obsession; but I'm not going to subsidize Amazon and their strong-arm tactics. There are ways and means (although not cheap) of getting Hachette Group books elsewhere, and that's what I'll probably do.
At the moment, this appears to be happening in the US only, but if/when it affects UK sales, then I'll be doing my best to take my custom AWAY from Amazon.
This is not a simple matter.Price fixing has been an issue in the online sales world for several years.
Personally, I WILL pay a high price for quality printings of an author I like. Even into the hundreds of dollars, or more. But that is regarding physical books.
With respect to e-books, I feel they should be included free with purchase of a physical book, or at reduced cost compared with physical books when sold alone. The book industry needs to look to the movie industry for guidance on how to adapt to technological advances in delivery format. I never buy e-books, but if I did, I would only buy those that had the same level of quality as I expect from a pristine hardcover, and only at a reasonable price.
All of that said, Amazon is one of my go-to sources for online purchases. I'm aware of their feud with publishers. It doesn't faze me. I also buy a lot of books from independent shops through Biblio. I buy electronics from Amazon, because their prices are much better than physical stores. Crying foul is one thing, but expecting your enemies to line up as the red coats did in 1776 or Europe did against Genghis Khan will have predictable results. One has to adapt to keep playing the game.
Mostly in terms of big name imprints, I tend to support Orbit, Nightshade, Tor, Spectra, HMH. Just because their printings tend to be of good quality, with nice cover art, and of authors I enjoy.
Danny said it well. An author wants a grand release in as many markets as possible. If one market "Amazon" drags if feet for any reason, it causes a stutter in the whole show. The self publisher often doesn't have the resources or skills to market completely. So as readers, we can and should lend a hand by posting reviews. We can also tell everyone via social media about the books. Grassroots advertising does work.
Authors can help themselves by monitoring their reviews and offering incentives directly to readers who do post reviews. I've reviewed several books after being approached by the authors. None were big names - yet. I do hope that they will be some day.
I see a change in the wind. E-books replaced paper leading to the closing of many book stores. Initially, e-books only came from publishers including amazon. There was no real change for the self published. That has changed. Today you can publish at home and sell in numerous ways. You can even publish in paper via create space. The problem is advertising, the publishing houses are very very good at it, and have the resources. As a small timer, we have to work smarter and use what we have. The biggest one is our fans. If they like it they tell their friends. If they love it they tell the world.
So you readers, TELL everyone about the great books you've read. And authors, look for creative ways to advertise.
Thomas wrote: "An author wants a grand release in as many markets as possible."No. Marketed to as many potential customers as possible. Amazon may provide a much wider customer base than many other markets.
Thomas you are right about the helping the author by spreading the word on all the social media and I do that everyday. However...there is nothing that beats the world wide exposure that Amazon provides along with the ease of purchase. I love this connect to such quick and easy shopping for my next read. But I would be just as quick to give my love to each and every individual author at his/her site or an alternate site if they had this kind of set up.
There is nothing that takes the place of a printed copy when there are photos, diagrams and the likes to view but when it comes to reading...for me there is nothing that beats my Kindle experience. That is for "ME" only that I feel this way..I do not speak for others. So for me Amazon is the near perfect solution for my reading enjoyment at this time but it does not mean that I like the way they are doing business altogether.
If Amazon has its way...and it looks good for them now...the printed book will not be around by the end of this decade or at least by the middle of the next decade with the exception of a few very small firms that cater to a very select market. Of course Amazon along with the big boys of the tech industry will control just about all facets of the digital process and will make it very hard for authors to flourish in the self publish business as they will gobble up all the software, marketing and delivery venues...which sucks but that is just the way it is.
Randy...that is right about the marketing to as many potential customers as possible....which is what Amazon does so well and makes it hard to succeed with out them. Sadly!
There is nothing that takes the place of a printed copy when there are photos, diagrams and the likes to view but when it comes to reading...for me there is nothing that beats my Kindle experience. That is for "ME" only that I feel this way..I do not speak for others. So for me Amazon is the near perfect solution for my reading enjoyment at this time but it does not mean that I like the way they are doing business altogether.
If Amazon has its way...and it looks good for them now...the printed book will not be around by the end of this decade or at least by the middle of the next decade with the exception of a few very small firms that cater to a very select market. Of course Amazon along with the big boys of the tech industry will control just about all facets of the digital process and will make it very hard for authors to flourish in the self publish business as they will gobble up all the software, marketing and delivery venues...which sucks but that is just the way it is.
Randy...that is right about the marketing to as many potential customers as possible....which is what Amazon does so well and makes it hard to succeed with out them. Sadly!
You're right. Amazon is the elephant in the room and we currently need them to provide easy access to worldwide markets and customers. Sadly hey are a necessary evil. Think of it, they own create space and goodreads.
That said, you can shop there but buy though another means. I understand that authors get a higher percentage of the sale at places like smashwords.
As a government employee, we use a special site to purchase supplies from different vendors. It fails as a research site. So I often find the product I want on commercial sites the. Go back and use the model number to get it on the government site.
Print books, I feels will always have a place. At least until we have the personal tech that Tony Stark has. ;) that said the time of the ebook has arrived. I find it difficult to flip back to the world map in a fantasy novel or to those pesky diagrams in other books on my reader. There is something to be said for holding a book in your hand. Now my teenager who enjoys reading prefers ebooks. She's grown up in a world where most things are electronic. In one of the Star Trek movies, McCoy gives Kirk a paper book. A discussion enthuse about reading and media. rather interesting.
Good points Thomas..and I would love to break with Amazon to help the authors but as of now its just not a very easy thing to do....for me anyway. Maybe it will come to pass soon though.
I just can not see the printing process staying around much longer for general printing...the cost of printing and the benefits of Emedia will over take and push out the printing process just as digital has done with 35mm film and film and the wet darkroom. I just see it happening in the next decade.
It would not surprise me to see Amazon have in place laws that would prevent the purchase of any book/magazine/periodical's etc. without going through them. Just say'n!!
I just can not see the printing process staying around much longer for general printing...the cost of printing and the benefits of Emedia will over take and push out the printing process just as digital has done with 35mm film and film and the wet darkroom. I just see it happening in the next decade.
It would not surprise me to see Amazon have in place laws that would prevent the purchase of any book/magazine/periodical's etc. without going through them. Just say'n!!
I can only comment from a newcomers perspective, i have recently finished my first book (INSOLITUS) and after repeated refusals from publishing houses i went down the amazon route, i found the process of getting my book into e book and paperback formats easy, I have made some sales and got good reviews, I can only say that as its my first book something of something is better than nothing of nothing,
Stephen wrote: "I can only comment from a newcomers perspective, i have recently finished my first book (INSOLITUS) and after repeated refusals from publishing houses i went down the amazon route, i found the proc..."
That is good news to hear Stephen. I am glad you found some success with Amazon.
What we are looking at as we speak is what I so love about the technology of ebooks and Amazon or any provider...I just purchased your book and can be reading it as soon as I post this comment which is good for business as I see it. Now is there a downside to this....not as I see it!!
I'll post a review as soon as I finish the read Stephen!! I'll pass the word along!
Thanks for your contribution!!
That is good news to hear Stephen. I am glad you found some success with Amazon.
What we are looking at as we speak is what I so love about the technology of ebooks and Amazon or any provider...I just purchased your book and can be reading it as soon as I post this comment which is good for business as I see it. Now is there a downside to this....not as I see it!!
I'll post a review as soon as I finish the read Stephen!! I'll pass the word along!
Thanks for your contribution!!
Danny wrote: "Good points Thomas..and I would love to break with Amazon to help the authors but as of now its just not a very easy thing to do....for me anyway. Maybe it will come to pass soon though.I just c..."
Not a chance on paper being phased out.
Consider that music recording as a history of about 100 years. And that film video recording is about the same.
Consider that the written word has existed for thousands, in various forms, adopting paper early on and existing in the current form more or less for centuries, especially following the invention of movable type.
With the technology, boom, we see the format of video and audio changing rapidly to accommodate higher storage capacities - driven by a desire for higher fidelity. Ironically in audio, this digital craze seeks to best approximate analog waveforms using greater and greater sample sizes. It is an asymptote of irony. In video, the threshold of approximating the fidelity of film has been reached, and surpassed, because the technology was a chemical one and flawed to begin with.
Now back to books. Can anyone really say that e-books will supplant the physical copy? I think not. Certainly they have their uses, and the convenience factor is critical to their development. But the concept of what a book is, and does, is not driven by technology, or increased fidelity, or storage capacity. The only "progress" that is occurring is convenience-driven. And that's okay. But it means that it is a subjective development beneficial to certain sub markets of the whole, and will not really be an all-or-nothing replacement of attrition as with CD, DVD, etc.
Back to Amazon, they are a store. They sell e-books, and physical books, and myriad other things. They are not going away any time soon.
Yep, in ten years all your e-books will be on a different platform and you'll have to buy them all again :-)Amazon has its business model well sewn up ;-)
I don't own a Kindle - I have a Kobo Touch - so I have never bought an e-book through Amazon. I have used the Kobo Store and Smashwords and other small distributors/direct publishers. The most important things to me is that those ebooks are usually DRM-free, and ePub format (which is a free and open standard). That means they'll be ok even if those stores go down. Proprietary formats like Kindle makes me feel I depend on the provider of this format. Same problem with online DRM.When it comes to physical books, I mostly buy from a local bookstore I love to support them (brand-new books) or AbeBooks for second-hand books (mostly SF Masterworks).
I am not really surprised that Amazon tries to use their position to force their ideas on publishers. I don't think it's right. Distributors should have a say on distribution but just one of them shouldn't be able to force their view upon others.
I hope publishers will find a work around Amazon. Obviously it's a really bad thing that they are so dependant on it. It's hard to imagine what can be done about it though.
Stephen wrote: "I can only comment from a newcomers perspective, i have recently finished my first book (INSOLITUS) and after repeated refusals from publishing houses i went down the amazon route, i found the proc..."It's worth adding your book to other sites such as Smashwords, as well as other formats. Opens it up to other audiences.
I have a friend that had listed a book as free on other sites, but it took forever for Amazon to drop the price. They have a habit of not keeping up with the other sites. Makes any planned discouting, such as the arrival of a second book, difficult.
Remember Amazon is a business and is just trying to make as much money as they can. They are the Walmart of the internet. Anything you want at a low price. This model is designed to kill the little guy who can't use economy of scale in purchasing and selling.Back when I bought books (made of paper), I would shop at all the book stores. Now the only one left is B&N. Amazon is smart, they are making the kindle format the default format by making kindle apps available for any device. Think of VHS, MP3, and Blueray. These technologies are part of all our lives, why, because they are the defacto standards. Even though there were better formats available at the time, they survived, simply because they were open to any manufacturer. Kindle and Kindle apps is doing the same thing.
Things are definitely changing. I agree that Amazon is a corporation and can fairly be expected to try to make money but now they are the biggest player around, they are acting as if they are a monopoly. That's dangerous - for them. What happens is their EMPLOYEES start to act like gods. I am sure Jeff Bezos is a nice guy but listen to this:I recently had all my book descriptions reverted to old versions by Amazon. I emailed them and they accepted that it was their fault. They said it was a technical issue they were aware of and were trying to fix. BUT, it has happened to me twice before and I wasn't sure it was them, then. This time I was. It took me three days to recreate all my descriptions because I hadn't saved them somwhere. I asked them for compensation and what did they do? The next day they banned one of my books, saying it broke their content guidelines. The book has been live on Amazon since 2009 and hasn't been changed at all. In case you are interested, it includes the word 'incest' in the description because it is set in 17th Century Central Asia, where such things were common. I never tried to hide the fact and there are far worse books which blatantly advertises themselves to be about incest and they are pure erotic or pornographic books! I don't like to tell you what I think Amazon is trying to do but threat is not the best way to answer requests for help. It smacks of bullying.
Yeah, but what happens if and when Adobe decides to get in the game and get all the books in .pdf format? Truthfully, I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet.
I use libraries alot. I read too much to actually buy books unless I really want them. Otherwise, I would start competing with the local library. With their digital content, it comes in a funky PDF, I don't remember the extention. It basically includes DRM and time of use, but it required another adobe product (that was free). It was just tedious to have to have another program to read them. Also, not available on my old kindle or iphone, talk about limited availablity. After trying to read it on the computer, I gave up and put a hold on the paper copy. Adobe, is good, but older readers and apple products have issues with them, unless they stripped off any special features (such as no, print or no copy). My kindle will do PDF's but you can't manipulate font size. You can only zoom. Not very conducive to reading.
I don't see a need for a new format, especially with epub and mobi being so cross device accessible. I love mobi on my kindle (it doesn't do epub). That won't stop adobe, but I hope they just don't bother trying to get into the market. I'd love to see apple and nook and kindle decide that an open format is better than closed. They could focus on the functions of their devices and quality of presentation over the sale of devices. I never upgraded from e-ink Kindle, because I didn't like the glossy (reflective) screens on the Fire. I am looking at the paper white as a replacement. Personnally, I want a reader and not a tablet. After 8 hours at work on a computer, when I get home, I don't want email, browser or any of that. I want to read on reader, or play games on my PlayStation. Without the distractions. My wife has an iPad, and she is constantly distracted by other apps.
There are still eBooks made out of PDF? :DI thought that was in the old times, or only for not-really-legal copies of technical books like programming books.
Anyway, ePub clearly won the battle. I use Adobe Digital Editions to deal with the library's ebooks (that are all available in ePub format) and it looks like it is kind of the reference (as a software). Amazon and Kindle reminds me of Apple/iTunes and the AAC format: they wanted something proprietary so you're locked in. A bit later the pressure from customers gets too high and they had to make some changes. Nowadays iTunes works on most platforms (even Windows yoohoo!) and it supports various formats. Also, you can convert AAC to MP3 rather easily.
I think Amazon Kindle will have the same fate. Look: ePub is free and open, it means that it doesn't cost you anything to use it as a technology. You can distribute ePubs without requiring authorization (technology-wise). Gutenberg Projet is using ePub, lots of libraries use ePub, Humble Bundle uses ePub, most online distributors are using ePub.
Considering Kindle is proprietary, eReader builders won't support the Kindle format (why would they pay for that?). It means readers using anything else than a Kindle eReader can't read Amazon ebooks, except if they read on a computer or a devise with a kindle app (which is a big no for me, it kills my eyes).
I would be very surprised if Kindle format last long. Just like any other standards in the computer world, it takes a while to settle and some people really don't want to admit they lost. JPG won the internet image-format battle, MP3 won the music format battle, and I think ePub will nail it at some point.
I'm with Angelique on the long term ebook format. .azw is only around because amazon controls so much of the ebook market. But, they've already lost the battle on what will be the universal ebook format; they just haven't acknowledged their loss.
True. ePub is more versitile and capable when compared to kindle and adobe formats for eReaders. The problem is Amazon was first to market with the Kindle and has done the Microsoft path. By sure market volume, they make themselves heard. Windows is far from the best operating system, Office is one of the worst suites, yet Microsoft has a good 80% market share (government, schools, business, home). New software comes out for Windows first, exception being apple software, which no one cares about. Amazon is using this model. You can have a kindle reader on your apple product, on your windows product, on your Droid product. Amazon keeps track of your purchases so you can use them on multiple devices, you can upload your own documents (pdf, Doc, etc) and then make them available across devices. even though it's proprietary and less capable (except for DRM), they have made inroads everywhere, with a goal of being hard to get around or get rid of. Think about it, do you still have a VHS player at home? Even though DVD replaced it and Blueray replaced DVD. Just a thought.
I am a proponent of open format. I prefer Open Office over MS Office. I like mp3 for my music (about 60 gb at this time). I like mp4 for my video. That said, sometimes a product is so prevelent that it becomes the technology. Think of making xerox copies. We even use it as a verb. I'm going to xerox this report. Even though I don't have a xerox copier, but another brand.
BTW other than tablets, the only other main stream ereader is the nook, which has an app for Kindle books. If you can't beat them, join them. You will be assimilated. ;)
danny thanks for the buy i hope you enjoy it, also thanks for spreading the word, i really enjoyed writing it and the whole process of sorting the plotlines to the editing, spent many a sleepless night towards the end thinking is it good enough, but i had to get it out there at sometime, i have just started lot for book two,
Stephen wrote: "I can only comment from a newcomers perspective, i have recently finished my first book (INSOLITUS) and after repeated refusals from publishing houses i went down the amazon route, i found the proc..."Congratulations on finishing your novella, Stephen. Looks interesting. I'd recommend a longer synopsis and description to attract more readers. I'm nearly finished with my first novel as well (hard sci-fi). 10 years in the works. When I started it, the self-pub market didn't really exist except via disreputable vanity publishers (whom I loathe). I'm going to stick with the traditional route via a literary agency, but have gave self-pub via Amazon a lot of thought recently during my last revision. It's a wonderful opportunity for authors!
Unfortunately, Amazon's review system is becoming less than useful due to widespread review fraud that Amazon seems to encourage (a sale is a sale is a sale). That shattered my impression of the company, tbh. I trusted Amazon reviews but a little personal research revealed that there are scores of fake accounts being used to write one-off reviews of new products. This partially influenced my decision to seek an agent instead of self-pub.
Why doesn't Amazon stop it? To write a fake review, one still has to make a purchase. So, most fake accts show a 99 cent purchase just before posting the 5-star review of a product--and that's all there is to their history. And a sale is a sale...
Thomas wrote: Think about it, do you still have a VHS player at home?
Good God no.
Good God no.
Jon wrote: "Stephen wrote: "I can only comment from a newcomers perspective, i have recently finished my first book (INSOLITUS) and after repeated refusals from publishing houses i went down the amazon route, ..."Actually, you don't even need to purchase the item, just have an account. I have received copies of books direct from the author (free for an honest review). I posted the review and Amazon accepted it, even though the book came by email attachment.
Cool, huh.
What's even better, is if an author posts a negative (subjective term) of a book in the same genre that they write in, Amazon may remove it. There's a lot of subjectiveness here. What is considered negative; low stars, comment on poor grammar. (ie. loved the book, but it really needed a pass through a proofreader). is that negative? I don't know. Then the issue of same genre. Does a steampunk writer's review of a space opera count as same genre since they both fall under the category of scifi/fantasy. How about their review of a urban paranormal romance, which is categorized as fantasy due to the paranormal spin. If so, than most authors (of any fantasy scifi) can't post a less than flattering review of another fantasy scifi book. Thou shall not criticize the competition.
This really limits what authors can say about books they read. Personnally, if Stephen King said my book was an ok read and gave it 3 or 4 stars, I'd celebrate and want to keep the review. Why, because he actually read it. Of course I'd like a better review, but, it is King.
:)
Chris wrote: "Thomas wrote: Think about it, do you still have a VHS player at home? Good God no."
I still have one. I'm converting old home video to digital. Takes a VCR and time. Plus I have hundreds of movies on VHS.
Well, I don't know if you can compare VHS/DVD (which are support) and Kindle/ePub (which are format).Amazon didn't invent the support (Kindle eReader) and it's not even better than other eReaders. It did create its own format, which only make them annoying :D
I don't know how it's going to evolve but I'm pretty sure Amazon is going to open up to epub at some point. Outside of US, the Kindle is not always the most sold eReader. Last time I checked, Kobo was first in Canada and France for instance.
Thomas wrote:
I still have one. I'm converting old home video to digital. Takes a VCR and time.
Tell me about it. The worst thing about new technology is that adapting to it wastes so much of your time. We have allowed ourselves to become slaves of the machines just so that rich corporations can get richer.
Grab your sabots, citizens, let's smash the ereaders and go back to books made from dead trees. :P
I still have one. I'm converting old home video to digital. Takes a VCR and time.
Tell me about it. The worst thing about new technology is that adapting to it wastes so much of your time. We have allowed ourselves to become slaves of the machines just so that rich corporations can get richer.
Grab your sabots, citizens, let's smash the ereaders and go back to books made from dead trees. :P
In one of the star trek movies, McCoy gives Kirk an actual paper book. There was a whold scene about books.Really interesting.
I have apps on my iphone for nook, kindle, epub, etc. I'd love one universal format for books (including graphic novels). I'd even allow for DRM and time to live (to support libraries and loaning).
My wife is threatening to get me a tablet (wifi only) to replace my kindle. I don't know. I like the non reflective screen.
;)
I still love a real book, but every publisher i sent mine to refused it on the grounds they were not taking submissions, i know I’m not a very experienced author but hopefully will be soon :-) It was lovely when the very first copy of my book landed on the mat, all thanks to amazon
I'm not sure ePub can win the format wars until DRM is out of the picture. I don't see the day coming when Amazon will pay Adobe to do the job; nor do I see both of them playing nice together. Maybe if DRM was dropped on all platforms ePub could become the one standard.
In the real world it will be Amazon and ePub for some time. That just business.
In the real world it will be Amazon and ePub for some time. That just business.
As a self-publisher, having to produce a .mobi and ePub version for sale is the least of my concerns. Formatting a pdf for print on demand is more of a hassle, actually. Regardless, live it or live with it.Print will endure, just as vinyl recordings have. At a premium price point. This has nothing to do with retailers, but everything to do with consumers. If you don't like Amazon or WallyMart, shop elsewhere.
In any case.., buy my book. (Shameful plug to illustrate the self-publisher's major impediment to success.) :}
Angélique (MapleBooks) wrote: "What is that?"I'm guessing here, but I think you're asking what the "major impediment" is. Am I right?
I'll assume so. The answer, then, is that dirtiest of words (to most creators)...."Marketing". Nobody buys something they don't know exists. Amazon will sell your book, but they don't advertise it for you. Unless you have a very large pre-existing audience and some promotional "mojo" behind you. Not many do.
Retailers provide "shelf-space" for a cut. Pepsi--by virtue of their sales volume due to "brand" building--gets a better deal than Billi-Bob's Goat Tinkle Cola. So did Hachette. Until now. Doesn't effect me personally, I'm cranking out Goat Tinkle Cola.
It's their store. They can run it the way they want.
Anyway, buy my......... :}
Check's in the mail, Danny. (Nod nod, wink wink!) :}
E.D. wrote: "Check's in the mail, Danny. (Nod nod, wink wink!) :}"
Hahaha...to late...its already docked on my Kindles and ready for reading!! I'll pick up the tab this time!!
Hahaha...to late...its already docked on my Kindles and ready for reading!! I'll pick up the tab this time!!
You've given me a fine end to a long night-into-morning, kind sir. Now, sleep will come easy. Thanks! :}
Actually, you don't even need to purchase the item, just have an account. I have received copies of books direct from the author (free for an honest review). I posted the review and Amazon accepted it, even though the book came by email attachment.You don't have to purchase THE ITEM, just any item, in order to write your first review for a new Amazon account. The fraud reviews are posted by accounts with a 99 cent purchase.
Thomas wrote: True. ePub is more versitile and capable when compared to kindle and adobe formats for eReaders. The problem is Amazon was first to market with the Kindle and has done the Microsoft path. By sure market volume, they make themselves heard. Windows is far from the best operating system, Office is one of the worst suites, yet Microsoft has a good 80% market share (government, schools, business, home). New software comes out for Windows first, exception being apple software, which no one cares about. Amazon is using this model. You can have a kindle reader on your apple product, on your windows product, on your Droid product. Amazon keeps track of your purchases so you can use them on multiple devices, you can upload your own documents (pdf, Doc, etc) and then make them available across devices. That's just your opinion and not the absolute truth as you portray it. I found Office 2003 to be excellent. 2007 was a mess. 2010 is excellent. 2012 is a mess. Microsoft seems to miss every other release but you don't have to upgrade.
OpenOffice and WordPerfect Office simply do not work properly with the standards publishers expect in a manuscript so I couldn't use them. I tried for a couple years, and they mangle style templates. Now they hardly matter in the business market. Microsoft has market share because it creates excellent software. If you just don't happen to like it, that's a personal thing.
I personally found Outlook 2012 completely unusable, and did not like Word or Excel either, so I went back to 2010. But I would almost rather use Outlook 2012 instead of Thunderbird. You see there just is no alternative for corporate use. And most IT depts are intelligent--they don't always upgrade if the new version is stupid (like 2012).
IMO, if you don't like Office, the best alternative is to switch to Mac. I would guess most writers in this group use a Mac already.
Jon wrote: "I found Office 2003 to be excellent. 2007 was a mess. "EXCEL 2007 crashes a lot less than EXCEL 2003 used to.
E.D. wrote: "You've given me a fine end to a long night-into-morning, kind sir. Now, sleep will come easy. Thanks! :}"
With a little help of a couple of shots of Johnny Walker Black or Glenfiddich ....and I'm sure the nights will come much easier!!
Perhaps we can toast in celebration of a fine read after I savor your fine offering to the literary world!! Cheers!!
With a little help of a couple of shots of Johnny Walker Black or Glenfiddich ....and I'm sure the nights will come much easier!!
Perhaps we can toast in celebration of a fine read after I savor your fine offering to the literary world!! Cheers!!
SciFi and Fantasy eBook Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Postapoc (other topics)The Ocean at the End of the Lane (other topics)
Medicine Walk (other topics)
The Dragon Masters (other topics)
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