Amazon offers indie authors reward for going exclusive

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by J. Strnad

Thank you. That's interesting.

So, if you purchase Risen today and don't go back to download it until, say, July 1st, and I've gone back to Select and withdrawn it from B&N, you'll have paid for it, I'll have gotten my money, but you won't be able to download your book?

BINGO!

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by HarryT

The trouble is, though, that if the publisher withdraws the book from the servers, it's gone. The store no longer physically has the file to give to you. That's the way that Adobe Content Server (the server software that pretty much all bookstores other than Amazon use) works, and there's nothing the store can do about it - that's just the way it is.

You may expect the store to keep the book for you indefinitely, but your expectations are not going to be realised. Once you've bought it, it really is your responsibility, not the store's, to keep it safe.

Now lets say you buy a book from B&N or Smashwords. Let's say before you get to download it, your internet goes out. your internet comes back up but the book has been pulled and is only at Amazon. It's not your fault. You didn't do anything wrong. You didn't delay the download. Something beyond your control got it in the way and the author then took the book away before you had a chance to download it. Now, in this case, it's not the your fault for waiting too long to download. But it is the author's fault that you paid your money and got nothing in return.

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Now lets say you buy a book from B&N or Smashwords. Let's say before you get to download it, your internet goes out. your internet comes back up but the book has been pulled and is only at Amazon. It's not your fault. You didn't do anything wrong. You didn't delay the download. Something beyond your control got it in the way and the author then took the book away before you had a chance to download it. Now, in this case, it's not the your fault for waiting too long to download. But it is the author's fault that you paid your money and got nothing in return.

From the B&N terms that were posted earlier, they would refund you in this situation.
Amazon still allow you to redownload books even if they are no longer for sale. B&N don't. That sounds like B&N's fault, either directly, or through the backend they have chosen to use.

[JSWolf]

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.

Amazon is the 800-pound gorilla. I don't think you'd want an 800-pound gorilla doing the dishes.

[anamardoll]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Amazon is the 800-pound gorilla. I don't think you'd want an 800-pound gorilla doing the dishes.

This is a good point. Not unless you don't like your dishes.

[Fbone]

Slightly fewer items available in the Select program today. Still 119,000.

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by anamardoll

This is also true for Smashwords and Kobo, stores that I buy from and then must directly download from later. Possibly also for Sony, although there might be an auto-sync via the Reader app, which I don't use.

Sony:

Reader Library lets you auto-sync if you want, you can turn the feature off (I did). If you buy a book in Reader Library it is added to your account. Plug in your Reader and you can sync the new books ot it. If you have a 950 or T1 that has wifi/3G you can log in to your account on the device and download your new books there, or you can buy straight from the store app on the eReader.

Can't speak for Reader for PC, since I don't use that travesty.

The one-click "send to my device" option that Amazon offers does not exist for Sony's eBook store, and from doing various testing and experimentation with my laptop and eReader, I have discovered that even if my 950 is plugged in when I buy the book from my PC app, I still have to manually move the book onto the 950 after purchase.

[J. Strnad]

Originally Posted by 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.

Yeah, that's how I look at it, too.

There are reasons that Amazon is #1, and here is one of them, IMO.

Nice discussion all around, folks. Thanks very much.

[Fbone]

After a leveling off period the total is now 126,000 titles.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Fbone

After a leveling off period the total is now 126,000 titles.

Remove all the classics. Remove all the erotic/vampires/romance. Remove all the religious.

How many left?

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Remove all the classics. Remove all the erotic/vampires/romance. Remove all the religious.

How many left?

84,235


Total is now 128,000. All subjects.

[Fbone]

Full speed ahead 132,000 titles

[stonetools]

What does the relentless rise in titles mean?

[J. Strnad]

Originally Posted by stonetools

What does the relentless rise in titles mean?

Offhand I'd say that it means that Amazon is solidifying its hold on independent publishers/authors, and that more of these authors are willing to write off their B&N sales to gain better exposure through Amazon.

Meanwhile, B&N sells prominent spaces on its website to the big publishers, continuing its practice of selling prime table/shelf/window space to those who can afford it at their brick and mortar stores.

It's becoming more evident how differently the two retailers view the marketplace.

I'm not saying which is better for business, but I can easily tell which is better for me: Three-hundred sales of my book on Amazon last month vs. three at B&N.

I'll continue to support both retailers through June, but so far I'm still not seeing the point of selling through B&N at the cost of the promotional opportunities that Amazon offers.

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by J. Strnad

I'm not saying which is better for business, but I can easily tell which is better for me: Three-hundred sales of my book on Amazon last month vs. three at B&N.

Yikes. Either B&N are shafting indie authors, or Amazon are DaVinci-level geniuses at marketing indie books.

That's just depressing.