Amazon was highest bidder in Hocking auction - Page 2

DiapDealer · 04-03-2011, 09:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Giggleton

Amazon sells the expression of ideas, keep that in mind at all times.

Tasty, tasty ideas that are valuable to me. And because of that perceived value, I have no problem affixing a price-tag to those ideas. But that's neither here nor there, when discussing the topic at hand.

I think Amazon had nothing to lose with the all or nothing approach here. Failure to realize potential gains cannot be construed as real losses. They're no worse off than they were--and they will eventually get a big fish to bite on the bait they're dangling.

Catlady · 04-03-2011, 10:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

If that's what they were going for, I'd think they would actually launch a publishing house. They won't get far by just cherry-picking authors here and there.

I don't view them as willing to put in the resources to take down several multi-billion dollar companies that also provide them with most of their books.

They don't need to launch a full-fledged publishing house. All they need to do is go through a book packager.

JSWolf · 04-03-2011, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wallcraft

From Crain's New York Business Amazon is clearly serious about competing directly with publishers in all ways that make sense financially.

No, Amazon is clearly about stifling creativity. They want to have all the books they can locked up at AZW eBooks. They don't want anyone who does not use Amazon's eBooks to have access. Amazon wants to tell most of the world, sorry, you didn't buy a Kindle or you don't use a Kindle app, so screw you.

The more I read about Amazon doing stuff like this, the more I wonder if it's not Amazon's fault we have the agency model.

mr ploppy · 04-03-2011, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

No, Amazon is clearly about stifling creativity. They want to have all the books they can locked up at AZW eBooks. They don't want anyone who does not use Amazon's eBooks to have access. Amazon wants to tell most of the world, sorry, you didn't buy a Kindle or you don't use a Kindle app, so screw you.

Didn't Konrath sign an exclusive deal with Amazon for one of his a few months back?

It would make sense for Amazon to want to keep its best selling writers Kindle only. Whoever wins the ebook reader war wins control over content.

abookreader · 04-03-2011, 12:00 PM

I'm going to be very interested in seeing how Amanda Hocking does under St. Martins.

I'd guess that well over 95% of the "publicity" she has garnered to date has been about her success as an Indie author and NOT about the quality or enjoyability of her books. I admit that I haven't read her books, so I really can't comment on whether or not she is a good author. I just don't hear too many people talking about her books, as compared to people who talk about her and her marketing/pricing/ etc etc.

I can pretty well guarantee that St. Martins will not be publishing her books at 99cents/$2.99/$3.99. It will be curious to see if her buyers follow her to $12.99.

mr ploppy · 04-03-2011, 01:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abookreader

I can pretty well guarantee that St. Martins will not be publishing her books at 99cents/$2.99/$3.99. It will be curious to see if her buyers follow her to $12.99.

That would have been one of the reasons Amazon wanted it too, so that they could keep prices down to a level that people are likely to pay in order to maximise profits. They kept the Konrath one down to £3, St Martins hover around the £7 mark.

JSWolf · 04-03-2011, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

Didn't Konrath sign an exclusive deal with Amazon for one of his a few months back?

It would make sense for Amazon to want to keep its best selling writers Kindle only. Whoever wins the ebook reader war wins control over content.

Yes, Konrath (with Amazon's help) did screw his loyal fans. So I hope Konrath gets pirated to hell and back and then some. Exclusive deals like this hurt innocent customers who want to be able to read a book that's been locked away.

It makes no sense for anyone to sign an exclusive deal. These deal hurt the customers and the authors/publishers. I'll help pirate the hell out of any exclusive eBook if I can. And I don't find it morally objectionable to take money out of the hands of the author and/or publisher. It's not my fault for the exclusive deal. If you are an author and want me to stop pirating your work, stop making exclusive deals.

vaughnmr · 04-03-2011, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Yes, Konrath (with Amazon's help) did screw his loyal fans. So I hope Konrath gets pirated to hell and back and then some. Exclusive deals like this hurt innocent customers who want to be able to read a book that's been locked away.

It makes no sense for anyone to sign an exclusive deal. These deal hurt the customers and the authors/publishers. I'll help pirate the hell out of any exclusive eBook if I can. And I don't find it morally objectionable to take money out of the hands of the author and/or publisher. It's not my fault for the exclusive deal. If you are an author and want me to stop pirating your work, stop making exclusive deals.

In another thread, you are critisizing someone for removing the drm from their library ebooks so they can use them on their reader. Now your'e talking about pirating ebooks (and once again, bashing Amazon). Where do you really stand?

CleverClothe · 04-03-2011, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OtterBooks

Maybe, depending on what Amazon has to pay for it wholesale. I don't know what kind of deals publishers give them now, but the news I've read about previous wholesale prices wasn't very much in Amazon's favor. If Amazon didn't insist on exclusivity and the sales exceeded the advance, they would have profited no matter who sold it. The margin would have been even greater when bought through them, which considering their market share would be often.

Just seems like it was a bad move. My knowledge of the industry is pretty slim, so who knows. I don't know if this was the first time Amazon has made such an offer, or just the most publicized (or first I've heard of). I'll be curious to see if they repeat the offer with another big ticket author.

What's Amazon's ebook market share as it is? 70%? More? It doesn't seem worth the all-or-nothing gamble, when they are gonna get most of the retail sales anyway, so at least could have gotten a piece of the other 30% via wholesale. This is assuming sales adequately surpassed the advance, which appears likely.

St. Martin's Press is owned by Macmillan, so it is an Agency publisher. Amazon will be getting 30% of whatever sales come through its store. And St. Martin's Press will determine the price.

If Amazon had scored the publishing rights, it would get 70-85% (whatever they decide to pay Hocking) and it would determine the price of the books.

I think that last point is very important here.

CleverClothe · 04-03-2011, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vaughnmr

In another thread, you are critisizing someone for removing the drm from their library ebooks so they can use them on their reader. Now your'e talking about pirating ebooks (and once again, bashing Amazon). Where do you really stand?

Not true. I never saw JSWolf criticize people for stripping the DRM on library books. He criticized people that suggested using those python scripts or stripping DRM counts as "supporting library books."

He obviously wants everyone to have access to books. His points seem totally consistent to me. The Kindle can not access library books, and Amazon exclusives can not be accessed by non-Kindle devices.

DiapDealer · 04-03-2011, 03:10 PM

Quote:

and Amazon exclusives can not be accessed by non-Kindle devices.

Not to beat a dead horse, but Amazon exclusives can be read on Kindles, iPads, iPhones, Android Tablets, BlackBerries, Windows Mobile devices, PC's, and Macs (and pretty soon anything with a browser)... did I miss anything?

mr ploppy · 04-03-2011, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Not to beat a dead horse, but Amazon exclusives can be read on Kindles, iPads, iPhones, Android Tablets, BlackBerries, Windows Mobile devices, PC's, and Macs (and pretty soon anything with a browser)... did I miss anything?

Yes, those are all Kindle devices. But a lot of people don't have Kindle devices or devices that can be turned into them.

Nyssa · 04-03-2011, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

Yes, those are all Kindle devices. But a lot of people don't have Kindle devices or devices that can be turned into them.

If they have a computer, they have a device that can be turned into a Kindle device. The question is, do they want to turn their computer into a Kindle device.

I turned both my computer and my phone my into a Nook before I was gifted my Kindle. I still keep all of the apps (as stated in my profile box). Do I use them? Not so much, because, I have my Kindle.

OtterBooks · 04-03-2011, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

They'll probably make as much, possibly more, money by not acting as her publisher.

As the publisher they wouldn't get that much bigger a slice of the pie, and would have lots of costs including the advance and editing.

The deal with Amazon wouldn't make sense to Hocking, who says she wanted to work with a publisher to test out the traditional advantages (advances, editors, marketing). Amazon has none of that, so why bother?

What kind of cut does Amazon get from ebook sales? I didn't want to assume anything, especially since at one point they were taking a loss on them or barely breaking even. I'll assume that's ancient history, since everyone appears to talk as though Amazon went from fighting with publisher prices and eating losses to raking in fat cash from ebooks, but I don't know the details.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Giggleton

Amazon sells the expression of ideas, keep that in mind at all times.

I'll keep it in mind when my protein bars and replacement water filter arrives from them.

mr ploppy · 04-03-2011, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OtterBooks

What kind of cut does Amazon get from ebook sales?

70% if they are cheaper than $2.99, or 30% if they are higher.

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04-03-2011, 12:00 PM	#20
abookreader Wizard Posts: 1,516 Karma: 2567610 Join Date: Oct 2009 Device: Kindles - Keyboard, Fire, 2-US, iPhone, iPAD	I'm going to be very interested in seeing how Amanda Hocking does under St. Martins. I'd guess that well over 95% of the "publicity" she has garnered to date has been about her success as an Indie author and NOT about the quality or enjoyability of her books. I admit that I haven't read her books, so I really can't comment on whether or not she is a good author. I just don't hear too many people talking about her books, as compared to people who talk about her and her marketing/pricing/ etc etc. I can pretty well guarantee that St. Martins will not be publishing her books at 99cents/$2.99/$3.99. It will be curious to see if her buyers follow her to $12.99.