Is Amazon holding back ebooks growth around the world?

amoroso · 07-12-2011, 12:19 PM

Amazon Holds Back The Growth Of Ebooks Around The World (posted to The Passive Voice).

Any comments, especially from non-US authors?

anamardoll · 07-12-2011, 07:58 PM

This surcharge also comes up every year during the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contests -- the excerpts posted to Amazon as Kindle books are supposed to be free, but non-US readers would have to pay the surcharge EACH TIME for EACH EXCERPT to read them. There are hundreds of excerpts published -- it would be over $1,000 to download them all. Pricey.

Amazon refuses to waive the fee that *seems* to be instituted in error. (The excerpts are merely a few pages each, and are only available for a few months as part of the contest.)

It is terribly frustrating for the non-US author entrants, as they cannot recommend their excerpt to their framily.

davidnwelton · 07-14-2011, 03:48 AM

The first thing that comes to mind would be the VAT tax, which I don't see mentioned in that article. It ought to be, if nothing else to say that "this surcharge is not related to the VAT".

I hesitate to say it too loud, not wanting to jinx myself, but if your Kindle is set up with a US address, even if you're abroad, you don't pay the surcharge.

AkumaTakeshi · 07-14-2011, 11:02 AM

VAT doesn't make sense in something that's supposed to be free. Remember it's a percentage of the item value. How do you charge 20 to 23% of $0 or 0€?

Other thing is most books that are free at US have a value of $3.44, where the hell that comes from? I'm gonna pretend I'm from US, I don't care, this doesn't make sense with a digital item. Does the other e-book retailers do the same thing? I mean the ones that sell internationally.

Well I was talking about this before reading the article. But now it seems that the 3.44 books are in fact 0.99 ones, but the stupid thing is that I have many other 0.99 books available to me, as for 1.99 or 2.99 ones too and even free ones. But randomly some supposedly free books aren't free here or the price is not the same.

anamardoll · 07-14-2011, 11:17 AM

It's also worth remembering that not everyone who buys the free Kindle books HAS a Kindle. The ABNA people would love to be able to "buy" the free excerpts to read them on their PCs.

Anke Wehner · 07-17-2011, 04:27 AM

It's effing frustrating. Particularly when people on a German forum called me a liar for mentioning the surcharge (when it was still in effect) as a reason against buying a Kindle, because for some unfathomable reason they didn't see it.

AkumaTakeshi · 07-17-2011, 07:25 AM

I just don't understand why some books have supercharging and other don't. But even tho you guys have DE amazon you are still supercharged?

CHunter_Author · 07-17-2011, 08:38 AM

I really hope Amazon opens an Australian store. There's a huge market there.

CommonReader · 07-17-2011, 02:54 PM

I'm not an author but perhaps I may add my 2c all the same.

From a customer perspective ebook growth is rather held back by geo-restrictions. It is highly annoying to find an English language ebook at some shop just to be told that you cannot buy it because of some geo-restrictions.
For some inexplicable reasons Amazon seems not to be afflicted to such an extent by these geo-restrictions but it is hampered by the fact that it basically has no content in other languages than English and German.
I don't believe that many customers are willing to pay more than 100 € for an electronic device that offers no content in their own languages.

Giggleton · 07-17-2011, 06:05 PM

What we need to do is end the buying and selling paradigm, so in a sense Amazon is holding back the growth of ebooks, although thinking in terms of essences, the essence of an ebook is an idea and so we can say Amazon is holding back the growth of ideas. Unless you mean by holding back, to be some accounting something or other, coins and what not?? Money changers?

Is a world where nothing is either bought or sold really so terrible as to be inconceivable?

Anke Wehner · 07-19-2011, 02:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AkumaTakeshi

I just don't understand why some books have supercharging and other don't. But even tho you guys have DE amazon you are still supercharged?

I think they dropped it when they opened the shop, but that was a while before.

Quote:

Originally Posted by CommonReader

From a customer perspective ebook growth is rather held back by geo-restrictions. It is highly annoying to find an English language ebook at some shop just to be told that you cannot buy it because of some geo-restrictions.
For some inexplicable reasons Amazon seems not to be afflicted to such an extent by these geo-restrictions[...]

I think the thing is that a lot of shops decided that a blanket ban of customers from other countries was easier to do than tracking which customer can buy which book. The latter is possible - both Amazon and Kobobooks do it - but I imagine it does need money and time to get the systems set up for it.

So, a book that due to contract terms may not be sold where you are, you can't buy at either Amazon or B&N. A book that may be sold worldwide you can buy at Amazon, but not B&N.

dadioflex · 07-19-2011, 08:54 AM

You can buy lots of products cheaper in the US, but that in no way holds back their spread to other countries. Bad article.

07-12-2011, 12:19 PM	#1
amoroso Groupie Posts: 185 Karma: 1004070 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Italy Device: Kindle for Android, Google Play Books	Is Amazon holding back ebooks growth around the world? Amazon Holds Back The Growth Of Ebooks Around The World (posted to The Passive Voice). Any comments, especially from non-US authors?

07-14-2011, 11:02 AM	#4
AkumaTakeshi Lounge Lurker Posts: 669 Karma: 1635154 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Portugal Device: Kindle 3 Wifi (Screen Broken)	VAT doesn't make sense in something that's supposed to be free. Remember it's a percentage of the item value. How do you charge 20 to 23% of $0 or 0€? Other thing is most books that are free at US have a value of $3.44, where the hell that comes from? I'm gonna pretend I'm from US, I don't care, this doesn't make sense with a digital item. Does the other e-book retailers do the same thing? I mean the ones that sell internationally. Well I was talking about this before reading the article. But now it seems that the 3.44 books are in fact 0.99 ones, but the stupid thing is that I have many other 0.99 books available to me, as for 1.99 or 2.99 ones too and even free ones. But randomly some supposedly free books aren't free here or the price is not the same. Last edited by AkumaTakeshi; 07-14-2011 at 11:11 AM.

07-14-2011, 11:17 AM	#5
anamardoll Chasing Butterflies Posts: 3,132 Karma: 5074169 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: American Southwest Device: Uses batteries.	It's also worth remembering that not everyone who buys the free Kindle books HAS a Kindle. The ABNA people would love to be able to "buy" the free excerpts to read them on their PCs. Last edited by anamardoll; 07-17-2011 at 08:33 AM.

07-17-2011, 04:27 AM	#6
Anke Wehner Addict Posts: 249 Karma: 177956 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Germany Device: PRS-650	It's effing frustrating. Particularly when people on a German forum called me a liar for mentioning the surcharge (when it was still in effect) as a reason against buying a Kindle, because for some unfathomable reason they didn't see it. Last edited by Anke Wehner; 07-17-2011 at 04:33 AM.

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07-12-2011, 07:58 PM	#2
anamardoll Chasing Butterflies Posts: 3,132 Karma: 5074169 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: American Southwest Device: Uses batteries.	This surcharge also comes up every year during the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contests -- the excerpts posted to Amazon as Kindle books are supposed to be free, but non-US readers would have to pay the surcharge EACH TIME for EACH EXCERPT to read them. There are hundreds of excerpts published -- it would be over $1,000 to download them all. Pricey. Amazon refuses to waive the fee that seems to be instituted in error. (The excerpts are merely a few pages each, and are only available for a few months as part of the contest.) It is terribly frustrating for the non-US author entrants, as they cannot recommend their excerpt to their framily.

07-14-2011, 03:48 AM	#3
davidnwelton Member Posts: 14 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Padova, Italy Device: Kindle	The first thing that comes to mind would be the VAT tax, which I don't see mentioned in that article. It ought to be, if nothing else to say that "this surcharge is not related to the VAT". I hesitate to say it too loud, not wanting to jinx myself, but if your Kindle is set up with a US address, even if you're abroad, you don't pay the surcharge.

07-17-2011, 07:25 AM	#7
AkumaTakeshi Lounge Lurker Posts: 669 Karma: 1635154 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Portugal Device: Kindle 3 Wifi (Screen Broken)	I just don't understand why some books have supercharging and other don't. But even tho you guys have DE amazon you are still supercharged?

07-17-2011, 08:38 AM	#8
CHunter_Author Zealot Posts: 118 Karma: 503896 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Bronx, NY Device: iPhone	I really hope Amazon opens an Australian store. There's a huge market there.

07-17-2011, 02:54 PM	#9
CommonReader Fanatic Posts: 528 Karma: 2530000 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: Sony PRS-T3, PRS-650, Vaio Tap 11, iPad Mini	I'm not an author but perhaps I may add my 2c all the same. From a customer perspective ebook growth is rather held back by geo-restrictions. It is highly annoying to find an English language ebook at some shop just to be told that you cannot buy it because of some geo-restrictions. For some inexplicable reasons Amazon seems not to be afflicted to such an extent by these geo-restrictions but it is hampered by the fact that it basically has no content in other languages than English and German. I don't believe that many customers are willing to pay more than 100 € for an electronic device that offers no content in their own languages.

07-17-2011, 06:05 PM	#10
Giggleton Banned Posts: 1,687 Karma: 4368191 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Oregon Device: Kindle3	What we need to do is end the buying and selling paradigm, so in a sense Amazon is holding back the growth of ebooks, although thinking in terms of essences, the essence of an ebook is an idea and so we can say Amazon is holding back the growth of ideas. Unless you mean by holding back, to be some accounting something or other, coins and what not?? Money changers? Is a world where nothing is either bought or sold really so terrible as to be inconceivable?

07-19-2011, 08:54 AM	#12
dadioflex Dyslexic Count Posts: 526 Karma: 5041991 Join Date: Aug 2008 Device: Palm TX, Advent Vega, iPad, iPod Touch, Kindle	You can buy lots of products cheaper in the US, but that in no way holds back their spread to other countries. Bad article.

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