Quote:
Originally Posted by Pajamaman
As far as I can understand it, the situation is as follows:
For a while over the last five years or so, indie authors and independent publishers were able to sell their books on Amazon and their own sites at a profit. They had visibility on Amazon, and readers bought their books at a profitable price.
Something has happened.
Readers no longer buy from independent sites. They buy from Amazon.
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I am a U.K. MM Romance reader. Before the UK changed the tax law on ebooks so it was levied on where someone lived I bought exclusively from independent publishers. Now not many are left but one independent, Dreamspinner Press, is a classic example of why I now buy their books from Amazon. A new release costs $6.99 + 20% tax, that's $8.39 which at today's exchange rate of a generous 1.22 = £6.88. That book on Amazon averages £5.60 (I have a pre order I'm watching that currently costs this). Now every month they have a sale, anywhere from 25/35% off. When that happens the newly released books drop on Amazon to £4.20, when the sale finishes on Dreamspinner the Amazon prices do not go back up.
So why would I buy a book direct from Dreamspinner for £6.88 when I can wait until a month after release and buy it on Amazon for £4.20. Plus Dreamspinner producd audiobooks so buying it from Amazon allows me the possibility of a Whispersync'd audio price in the future.
Yes I know Dreamspinner make far less per book, as do the authors, from an Amazon sale, but as a retired person I only have so much disposable income. I can't afford to pay extra to keep a publisher going. Now independent authors, like Josh Lanyon and RJ Scott, to name just two, price new releases between £2.99 and £4.00 depending on length, so again why would I pay Dreamspinner over £6.50 for a single book.