Let’s stop Amazon!
Recent attacks on Amazon by the Authors’ Guild and by traditional publishers and their authors are too little too late. Many lament that Amazon controls 60% of book sales, but no one does much about it. In fact, so-called gurus offering advice to authors about self-publishing mislead them as well, recommending Amazon for both self-publishing and PR and marketing. (One recent article I read made no mention of other services that are much better for many reasons, Draft2Digital being the best—see my PDF “Writing Fiction” available as a free download on my “Free Stuff and Contests” web page that considers these options and much more.)
Of course, book sales alone didn’t make the big Bezos bot and all his little evil bots into the monstrous scourge of online merchandising, but that portion of their business has never suffered a boycott from the publishing industry or book authors. Maybe it’s time that it should?
A personal peeve provides me with an excellent example of Amazon’s nefarious influence. I’ll admit it: I’m addicted to British-style mysteries, police procedurals, and other crime stories set in the UK. Unfortunately, the major publishers of these mysteries and crime stories—for example, Joffe and its subsidiaries—use only Amazon to sell their UK ebooks in the US. They’re great bargains! No complaint there. I can often purchase a three-to-six volume bundle of their “evergreen books” (books like most of mine that are as exciting and entertaining as the day the authors finished their manuscripts) for only $0.99! That’s a lot of reading enjoyment for a low price! (Twenty of them for the price of a Big Five paperback, twelve for a Big Five ebook, and great reading compared to most of the schlock the Big Five publishes!) Those UK publishers and Amazon make their money by selling large quantities at a low price, operating more like a supermarket and their suppliers at those stores: Quantity over quality, one might be tempted to say, although the books and their authors’ quality are much better than a supermarket’s fresh produce, at least in the US—better than most Big Five schlock, as I said.
Of course, their authors are the ones who get scammed because Amazon dominates book sales and is only interested in sales figures, and publishers, both self- and traditional publishers, bow to the hideous Bezos beast. Authors are always at the hyenas’ end of the food chain while the lions who publish and sell their books make out like bandits. Very few authors today can make a living writing their stories! But Bezos et al don’t give a rat’s ass because their present greed for immediate profits overpowers any thoughts about future planning when great storytellers throw in the towel.
Readers of this blog might wonder if the Authors’ Guild is like a union that protects authors. They’re not, so stop wondering! The Guild is in the pockets of traditional publishers (that might be better than complete slaves to Amazon, but not much) and their famous authors, those old boring mares and stallions ready for the glue factory in the Big Five publishing conglomerates’ stables, so the Guild does everything it can to put down lesser known authors, especially self-published ones, who have zero representation in the Guild. (My traditionally published novels were sold by two small presses, so I escaped the pain of being lost among the many uncoddled Big Five authors, and small press got me into International Thriller Writers; both the latter and those small presses are much better than any Big Five publisher or their toady, the Guild!)
But the bottom line is the following: As long as Amazon sells books, most authors will suffer the consequences. Readers who want to support authors of small presses and self-published authors should avoid buying books from Amazon. Period. There are many other online book dealers. Let’s stop Amazon!
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“Esther Brookstone Art Detective.” This nine-book series goes from traditional publishing (the small company Penmore Press) to self-publishing (using Draft2Digital). Two novels (see the list on the “Free Stuff & Contests” web page) are free PDF downloads. The main character is ex-MI6 spy (Cold War era) and Scotland Yard inspector Esther Brooksone. Together with Interpol agent (and later husband) Bastiann van Coevorden, they represent 21st century versions of Christie’s Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot (although Bastiann only looks like the actor who often portrayed Poirot). The crimes occur in the UK, Europe, and farther abroad (Son of Thunder takes place mostly in Turkey). Follow the adventures of Esther and Bastiann for many hours of reading enjoyment. (The last few novels are available only where quality ebooks are sold, i.e., not on Amazon!)
Around the world and to the stars! In libris libertas!
