Amazon and its Kindle lending tricks

[Larry]

Had an interesting chat with a head librarian today. It seems that when someone takes out an EBook from a library, the library pays the Kindle Select rental fee to Amazon. The libraries don't own the books. Then, of course, the person renting the book has already paid amazon $79 bucks to be part of the program. It should be called the: Let's Make Amazon Richer, Quicker program. Authors and libraries take it on the chin while Amazon rakes it in. I also was told smaller libraries are NOT opting into the program because costs are too high. In addition, this enables Amazon to circumvent its own contract stipulation that an EBook can only be leant once for a single two-week period. Interesting is it not?

[Breeana]

I think the lending from a public library is different than Kindle Select or Prime. I'm sure Amazon is raking it in, and it's always been expensive for libraries to loan out e-books, Kindle or otherwise, but it doesn't make any sense that someone would by paying the $79 AND then going to the library to borrow a Select title when the whole Select library is available right on their own Kindle device without ever involving the library.

Also, Kindle lending for the one two-week period is a completely different thing than Kindle Select, and that's how Amazon gets around it.

Basically Kindle Select is a whole different animal than EITHER Kindle lending OR library lending of Kindle titles. Members don't pay anything to use Kindle lending. If they go to a private source -- say, borrowing a Kindle title from a friend, or using one of the several lending sites out there, nobody pays anyone anything for the loan (but a book can only be loaned out once, ever for two weeks).

Library lending is its own thing, with licensing fees paid to Amazon.

Kindle Select is a completely different option where Prime members pay the $79 and can borrow one Select title per month, plus they get the streaming video, and the unlimited 2-day shipping from anything Amazon sells that's marked as Prime. Authors are compensated for having their books in this program out of a pool, so nobody yet knows how well they'll be paid.

[Larry]

Breeana wrote: "I think the lending from a public library is different than Kindle Select or Prime. I'm sure Amazon is raking it in, and it's always been expensive for libraries to loan out e-books, Kindle or oth..."

I didn't say the library renter was the same person, but would they otherwise be eligible to borrow the book? The point is that while enrolled authors may be getting a token royalty, something I just heard, Amazon is still the big winner.

[Arthur]

I'm guessing this is the same as when anyone borrows a loaned book off a shelf because a royalty is paid for each time a book gets its self signed out on a borrow purpose. It's all very interesting but real. I don't imagine a lot of people like considering the money involved with libraries. The may not pay for a book at first then pay a agreed amount of money to the author every-time the book is borrowed to equal the sales if the book was bought everyone of those time would put a lot of people off when the considering of what they may like to read is concerned but the library is promoting literacy and same things go for the epub or kindle. A book bought is owned by the buyer for personal use but a book isn’t recycled or rots into dust once it’s read once. Some people like to share thoughts and ideas, and books are getting expensive, that some individuals look for cheaper ways for the entertainment from books and its industry.

I like some of the free digital books available online websites. There are a few with really good books if you just want something. A library specializes in a quality of books per say. There are cheaper books that don't cost nearly as much than a library book available out there at sites like Amazon. Personally I use a library for ebooks or just books. But an elibrary uses for ebooks are 1 loan copies simultaneously which is slow for waiting for a ebook when other persons have it out for two three weeks.

[Terry]

What kind of royalty do authors get when their books are checked out of a library? I wasn't aware of that practice.

[Arthur]

Arthur wrote: "I'm guessing this is the same as when anyone borrows a loaned book off a shelf because a royalty is paid for each time a book gets its self signed out on a borrow purpose. It's all very interesting..."

My knowledge is from Wiki which I read some time ago. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_L...

[Jade]

@Terry to my knowledge, none. And every book doesn't get placed in the library automatically, either. You have to lobby for it and work to do it; what works best is actually knowing someone in the system already. I found out how difficult it can be to get books placed at the library when I was print publishing in a different life. When libraries are done with books, they often sell them at a discounted rate and I don't believe authors make a royalty on that, either. Authors get royalties when their books are purchased in traditional print publishing, and only when their books are purchased through traditional standards. When a friend or a library or a bookstore re-sells it, no one gets a piece of that. But this may not be true for all books and all authors and all publishing houses.

[RLB]

Arthur, are you thinking of DIGITAL libraries? Authors might get a pittance when those files are "checked out" by readers, but except for a small rental fee on new books for a week or two, traditional brick and mortar libraries NEVER have and NEVER will pay an author anything when the writer's books are checked out. If that is what you meant, where did you get such an idea?

[Elizabeth]

Libraries most certainly do not pay a royalty every time a book is checked out, and I think authors should not resent this as "lost revenue." Libraries are good for authors. If you get your book into a library, and lots of people check out your book, then you are getting a following, and you are getting name recognition, and maybe people are talking about your book, and when you publish another book, you will have a fan base that knows you and may be willing to buy your future books.

I have books in my local library, and from time to time I look them up in the catalog. When they are checked out, I dance a little happy dance.

[Libbie Hawker]

Authors do receive royalties from libraries when their books are PURCHASED as part of the library's inventory, but absolutely not when books are checked out by library patrons.

I think libraries are fantastic. In fact, I do most of my writing at my local library!