Amazon offers indie authors reward for going exclusive

[J. Strnad]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

With the greatest possible respect, I would take your word for this, except that you've only just learned that B&N and Smashwords don't work this way. Is that not correct?

Has anyone ever pulled a book from Amazon that we can compare?

(ETA: I'm sorry you feel like I'm deliberately missing your point. I rather think I just have a very different point of view on this than you.)

Ana, I checked with Amazon, gave them the scenario, and asked specifically if the withdrawn book is still available to read and if it still syncs across multiple devices. Customer Service told me explicitly that the answer was "yes" on both counts.

They could be lying or mistaken, of course, but that's what I base my statement on.

Yes, Ana, we seem to have very different points of view! I hope I haven't offended you.

I think that if you told every indie publisher, "Promise me you'll never, ever, stop selling your book at B&N or I won't buy it!" you'd get one of three responses: Silence (usually the best course on any controversial topic!); an honest answer like mine; or, a lie. Nobody can guarantee what they will or won't do in the future. Circumstances change.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by J. Strnad

Ana, I checked with Amazon, gave them the scenario, and asked specifically if the withdrawn book is still available to read and if it still syncs across multiple devices. Customer Service told me explicitly that the answer was "yes" on both counts.

They could be lying or mistaken, of course, but that's what I base my statement on.

It is true with Amazon. I bought a book last year (the single-volume omnibus edition of Brandon Sanderson's "Mistborn Trilogy") which was mistakenly offered for sale for a while at Amazon UK. It's no longer available for sale, but it's still in my Archive and can be downloaded.

But that's NOT true with Adobe Content Server, which all the mainstream ePub bookstores use.

Personally, I've learnt from experience that if I buy a book today, I shouldn't assume that it'll be available for download tomorrow. Buy it today. Download it today. That way it's under your control, not the bookstore's.

[John F]

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

Baen.

But I don't think self-pubs are stealing. I think they are making decisions that work for them...and I do the same. It just seems our interests are at cross-purposes.

I feel that books should be for sale everywhere. I should be able to whip out my cc and go to town without worry. Especially since I am giving something up by getting an ebook vs a pbook.

Hey, you do what you do. I can only speak for myself and my habits. But I spend a crap-load of money a year on books. So I get them the way I want or I don't get them at all.

I also don't bother to pirate books, either. If I can't be arsed to buy them, I won't bother to read them.

Excellent post! We all have different buying habits.

(And I DO NOT think indie authors are stealing.)

[J. Strnad]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It is true with Amazon. I bought a book last year (the single-volume omnibus edition of Brandon Sanderson's "Mistborn Trilogy") which was mistakenly offered for sale for a while at Amazon UK. It's no longer available for sale, but it's still in my Archive and can be downloaded.

But that's NOT true with Adobe Content Server, which all the mainstream ePub bookstores use.

Thank you, Harry.

Avoiding Adobe is probably the biggest plus I've encountered in moving from epub to Kindle.

[John F]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It is true with Amazon. I bought a book last year (the single-volume omnibus edition of Brandon Sanderson's "Mistborn Trilogy") which was mistakenly offered for sale for a while at Amazon UK. It's no longer available for sale, but it's still in my Archive and can be downloaded.

But that's NOT true with Adobe Content Server, which all the mainstream ePub bookstores use.

Personally, I've learnt from experience that if I buy a book today, I shouldn't assume that it'll be available for download tomorrow. Buy it today. Download it today. That way it's under your control, not the bookstore's.

I just checked my fictionwise account, and at least some of my ADE epub books I previously purchased are still available for download, even though they are no longer offering them for sale (Sue Grafton, in particular).

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by HarryT

Both Baen and (I'm guessing?) Harlequin? are publishers who are offering books from their OWN servers. That's a different scenario to a commercial bookstore which uses ACS.

My Kobo books *with the exception of any self-pubs* are doing rather well, too.

Doesn't matter. They're my buying habits. Just like Author A has their distribution habits.

My point is this - I'm not hating on anyone. You do what you do. Not mad in the least. I'm breaking no laws...no one can point at me and scream

Your business is selling books? My business is minding my money.

In minding my money I have made the decision that there are things I don't like and will not support. You can call "your fault" all day long. I'll just and keep my money in my pocket.

I feel I give something up with the purchase of ebooks. Like my first sale doctrine. This whole license crap, etc.

[anamardoll]

Ah, so it's an Adobe issue. Which is pretty much everyone except Amazon. Alright, that makes sense. Thank you, Strnd and Harry.

I'm not offended, and I hope I haven't offended either of you.

But with regards to silence and lies, I have a very strong philosophy to make my book available for sale everywhere I can. As long as Amazon and B&N make it within my means to do so, I will. I'm still in the process of uploading elsewhere -- my 52 Novels Smashwords Word Doc came in the email today, but I want to proof it before I throw it onto Smashwords because originally there were some special characters not displaying properly -- but if there's a way and a means, I shall.

But, see, I have the privilege that my book sales aren't buying insulin medication, so I can place a higher value on availability over profit. I personally think that's a good value division (if I didn't think it was good, I'd change philosophies! ) but I also recognize that it's a philosophy that requires at least some financial privilege, so I don't try to push it on others.

As a consumer, on the other hand, I still want to put my money where it's least likely to evaporate into thin air.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

You're not their customer, hence they are under no obligation to be your friend when it comes to customer service

Not true.

I never said I wasn't an Amazon customer.

I don't buy ebooks or ebook readers from Amazon.

They love me over there at Amazon. My used-book buying self.

But Amazon is not my friend. It's a store. Like any other.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by MrsJoseph

But Amazon is not my friend. It's a store. Like any other.

Agreed. It's also a terrible spouse. Do you know how often Amazon does the dishes? Never, that's how often.

[TimW]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

This is not a B&N issue.

If an author tells B&N to stop distributing their book, B&N must stop.
If an author tells Smashwords to stop distributing their book, Smashwords must stop.
If an author tells Amazon to stop distributing their book, Amazon must stop.

I suspect it is a B&N issue. I noticed a post by Doug Pardee a few weeks ago and he quoted from B&N's ToU:

Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right to modify or discontinue the offering of any Digital Content at any time. If a unit of Digital Content becomes unavailable prior to download but after purchase, your sole and exclusive remedy is the refund of the purchase price paid for such Digital Content. Some Digital Content may not remain available for re-download from your NOOK Library, if for example, the publisher of the Digital Content no longer retains the rights or other licenses, consents or permissions to that Digital Content. Digital Content already downloaded to your device[s] will not be affected.

When you say "If an author tells Amazon to stop distributing their book, Amazon must stop," that's true...Amazon will no longer sell that book. Does that mean it's no longer in the archive for previous customers? I browsed through my archive and found a freebee that Amazon no longer sells. However, I can still download the book from the archive. Although I can't be absolutely certain if ALL books removed for sale are still in the archive, I *think* they are. (In case anyone cares, the book was a steamy Ellora's Cave volume called Goodbye Blues, Hello Love. It's still available at Kobo & Sony, but not Amazon. No, I never did read that one.)

To Jon's point, according to the ToU, B&N does give refunds for content purchased that disappears before the initial download can be made. Re-downloads aren't covered under that money-back guarantee.

To make a long story longer, it appears to be B&N's policy to purge books that have been pulled and (apparently) Amazon's policy to retain them. IMHO, it's prudent to keep local copies of ebooks purchased from any vendor. "Trust but verify," as Reagan used to say.

[rhadin]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

Possibly you have more access to Calibre than I do. I've been working 12+ hour days at work and most of my internet talking, buying, etc. is down during software compiling. When I do finally get home, getting back on the computer to DOWNLOAD THOSE INDIE TITLES NOW has to take a backseat to feeding the cats, packing the boxes, feeding the husband, doing pain management techniques, etc.

No, it is just that I work from home and run my own businesses.

[rhadin]

Originally Posted by J. Strnad

<< J. Strnd need to do what is best for his interests>>

Okay, Richard, you just got yourself taken off the list of possible editors for my next book! I have one vowel in my last name...ONE STINKING VOWEL...due to the chronic and historical vowel shortage in Bohemia that began generations ago...and you take it away from me! Why would I ever trust an editor who breaks into my house and steals my vowels??? You just lost a customer, buddy!

(The rest of what you said makes perfect sense.)

Why am I ROFL you ask? Because I don't edit fiction books and would have referred you to an editor who knows there is one vowel in Strnad. And when they dropped the vowel, you'd be wishing you had hired me instead!

Seriously, however, I do apologize. I really do try to get people's names correct when posting messages, but I find that my mind and fingers go faster than the keys on my keyboard.

[MrsJoseph]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

Agreed. It's also a terrible spouse. Do you know how often Amazon does the dishes? Never, that's how often.

lol! True!

[stonetools]

This is kind of a odd discussion. Here is BN apparently removing books that customers have purchased from the customers archive and not making it available for download and you all are discussing what technological solutions you can do to avoid or fix the problem.
My solution would be that I would pick up the phone and start making some noise. My approach would be is not my problem to create a workaround: its BN's to fix and they WILL fix it, or else.
Frankly, BN might not even KNOW its a problem, since apparently,no one's bothered to complain to them.
For the good of yourself and FUTURE customers , those who have this issue should take action to at least alert BN that this a problem. If you don't, you kind of forfiet your right to blame BN for a problem that they may be unaware IS a problem That's how I see it.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by J. Strnad

<< J. Strnd need to do what is best for his interests>>

Okay, Richard, you just got yourself taken off the list of possible editors for my next book! I have one vowel in my last name...ONE STINKING VOWEL...due to the chronic and historical vowel shortage in Bohemia that began generations ago...and you take it away from me! Why would I ever trust an editor who breaks into my house and steals my vowels??? You just lost a customer, buddy!

(The rest of what you said makes perfect sense.)

I'll give you the extra e that people sometimes tack onto my last name to replace your missing a.