Amazon Signs Up Authors, Writing Publishers Out of Deal - Page 5

Fbone · 10-18-2011, 05:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by afa

I don't agree with that. At the end of the day, a business will do what is best for business. Every once in a while, that includes sleeping with the enemy.

The idea that Amazon would not give competitors the right to sell their ebooks is a little naive. If and when Amazon has a fully operational publishing business, it will obviously make sense for that aspect of their business to have their books sold as widely as possible. If that means selling Amazon published ebooks via B&N or Kobo, they will do so. And, of course, they will make money of such transactions.

They know that their own Kindle store is the most popular store out there; what better way to rub salt in their competitor's wounds than by not only outselling them, but also by having them give Amazon money for selling ebooks? It's just good business.

Currently, they are Kindle exclusives. It may be for a limited time but we don't know as the author's contract contains a non-disclosure clause. The paperbacks are available at other retailers and libraries. So people do have other options.

Perhaps, Amazon didn't want to give other retailers 30-35% commission.

SeaKing · 10-18-2011, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

Amazon will almost certainly want all the writers they sign up to be Kindle exclusives, so the other ebook sellers won't be able to compete with those titles. If they are giving 40% royalties compared with the 15% that normal publishers give (which is what I read) they will attract writers with that.

The publishers pushed back on Amazon when Amazon wanted to sell all books at 9.99 even if it had to buy the book from the publisher for more than that.

Will the publishers push back now and say, you can't sell our books if you are our competition.

I mean will they challenge Amazon with a "let's get it on!"

SeaKing · 10-18-2011, 08:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abookreader

All of them?

There are currently over 200,000 books a year published just in the US and that does not even include Indy publishing. Is there really any chance at all that all of them will be signed by Amazon?

And if they are --- there's probably another huge chunk right behind them. Publishing houses, even the tiniest and poorest paying of them, have never had a hard time obtaining submissions.

I just saw a 288K number for the US and about the same for the UK.
And I think those were new books.

allinhi/ · 10-18-2011, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

A lot of record shops in the late 70s set up their own record labels. Some of those are still going strong now.

Are you agreeing? My point was directed at large firms. In the USA innovation and new trends have rarely come from large concerns, after all they usually benefit from the status quo. High capital investment companies especially tend to grow by using money to buy competitors or enter after a concept is proven. For example Apple approached Dropbox and was rejected. They are now establishing the Apple equivalent. My feeling is that all the commitees and reviews give to many people the power to kill any idea with risk, and any real innovation has significant risk.

SeaKing · 10-18-2011, 08:36 PM

I think Amazon will be fair to everyone because it realizes that it is a target because it is so big and successful. I read that congress is looking into the new browser for the Fire because it has user data to help expedite the browsing, though other browsers also do it. I think they listed opera and chrome among them.

If Amazon is smart, and I think they have proven that, they will go overboard on not looking like they are anti-competitive. (Except when it comes to service and prices, and it is there they will blow their competition apart with chain guns.)

Nyssa · 10-18-2011, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carpetmojo

Saw that coming, the thing that Amazon really wants is a near-total monopoly, and been fairly apparent for a while now.

And yo'll thought they were just a nice bookstore !

I've never thought of Amazon as a "book store"

I was purchasing other things from them long before the Kindle came along.

I think people honestly forget that they are actually a "mega store".

kjk · 10-18-2011, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nyssa

I've never thought of Amazon as a "book store"

I was purchasing other things from them long before the Kindle came along.

I think people honestly forget that they are actually a "mega store".

Indeed, they make more money on electronics and other general merchandise than media (such as books, dvds, etc.).

xg4bx · 10-18-2011, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kjk

Indeed, they make more money on electronics and other general merchandise than media (such as books, dvds, etc.).

theyre also a far better video game retailer than gamestop. how dare they give me $10 gift cards and release date delivery for 99 cents. *shakes fist*

and dont forget that theyre probably the best and easiest site out there to sell your unwanted stuff through. they make it so easy a monkey can do it.

pure evil, man. pure evil.

rhadin · 10-19-2011, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SeaKing

I just saw a 288K number for the US and about the same for the UK.
And I think those were new books.

The 288,000 number is books published by traditional book publishers. The figure rises to more than 2 million books if nontraditional publishing (primarily self-published) books are included.

Sil_liS · 10-19-2011, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by afa

The idea that Amazon would not give competitors the right to sell their ebooks is a little naive.

But this is what they are doing. The kindle exclusive books are kindle exclusive, so they won't be sold by a bookstore that uses epub.

murraypaul · 10-19-2011, 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhadin

That's exactly the point. It would force Amazon to be an ePub seller and would allow the consumer the choice of where to buy a book because all sellers would sell the book in ePub format with a universal DRM scheme.

The last part doesn't follow from the first.
Even among the ePub sellers there are three incompatible DRM formats. (four if you include kepub).
If Amazon used ePub they would do so with their own DRM, just like Apple and B&N.
There would be almost no visible difference to a Kindle user either way.

SeaKing · 10-19-2011, 09:11 AM

I just saw where DC Comics is hinting that their stuff will be sold by others in the future, but they cited non-disclosure as a reason to not give any details.

They also seem surprised at their fans response.

On the other hand, Amazon has no comment.

rhadin · 10-19-2011, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by murraypaul

The last part doesn't follow from the first.
Even among the ePub sellers there are three incompatible DRM formats. (four if you include kepub).
If Amazon used ePub they would do so with their own DRM, just like Apple and B&N.
There would be almost no visible difference to a Kindle user either way.

In my original post I said that publishers should insist that their ebooks be sold only in ePub with a universal DRM scheme. Not just in ePub.

murraypaul · 10-19-2011, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhadin

In my original post I said that publishers should insist that their ebooks be sold only in ePub with a universal DRM scheme. Not just in ePub.

I still don't see why they would actually want to.
Why would they expend 'political capital' renegotiating their agency agreements?
When you say should you seem to mean that you want them to, rather than that you think it is their interests to do so.

afa · 10-19-2011, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sil_liS

But this is what they are doing. The kindle exclusive books are kindle exclusive, so they won't be sold by a bookstore that uses epub.

That's why they're called Kindle exclusive. My argument is that whatever publishing entity Amazon creates will not necessarily be Kindle exclusive.

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10-18-2011, 08:36 PM	#65
SeaKing Frequent Flier Posts: 1,282 Karma: 2058993297 Join Date: Oct 2011 Device: KB kindle aboard, Galx Tab 7.0 Plus, trying out Droid 1 as mini-tab	I think Amazon will be fair to everyone because it realizes that it is a target because it is so big and successful. I read that congress is looking into the new browser for the Fire because it has user data to help expedite the browsing, though other browsers also do it. I think they listed opera and chrome among them. If Amazon is smart, and I think they have proven that, they will go overboard on not looking like they are anti-competitive. (Except when it comes to service and prices, and it is there they will blow their competition apart with chain guns.)

10-19-2011, 09:11 AM	#72
SeaKing Frequent Flier Posts: 1,282 Karma: 2058993297 Join Date: Oct 2011 Device: KB kindle aboard, Galx Tab 7.0 Plus, trying out Droid 1 as mini-tab	I just saw where DC Comics is hinting that their stuff will be sold by others in the future, but they cited non-disclosure as a reason to not give any details. They also seem surprised at their fans response. On the other hand, Amazon has no comment.