Authors unhappy with Kindle Unlimited

[Barty]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

So if I read a book and then go back to someplace before 10%, close the book, then send the log to Amazon, the author gets screwed because Amazon's system for payout is crap.

This sounds like a worthless system to me. One that has the possibility to screw authors. Well done Amazon.

Well you probably screwed him/her out of five cents. S/he will live.

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Kindle for PC

You'd still need to connect your device to the computer then, thus enabling the device to transfer the logs to the computer and the internet.

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

So if I read a book and then go back to someplace before 10%, close the book, then send the log to Amazon, the author gets screwed because Amazon's system for payout is crap.

This sounds like a worthless system to me. One that has the possibility to screw authors. Well done Amazon.

You're making a lot of assumptions there to buttress your point. How do you know that the fact that you went past 10% at some point in your reading isn't logged in a file on the device?

[Shades]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

So if I read a book and then go back to someplace before 10%, close the book, then send the log to Amazon, the author gets screwed because Amazon's system for payout is crap.

This sounds like a worthless system to me. One that has the possibility to screw authors. Well done Amazon.

It will know. The reader logs you farthest read page, regardless if you go back or not.

I think my old Nook or one of the reader apps I use has the option to skip to the farthest point read in the book... My guess is it would be ridiculously easy for them to see what is the furthest page in a book a person read to.

That said, this is a very vague method. How should they know you didn't just skip to some part at the end? A better method to check is time + last page read. That way they can tell if you've read anything that's between the cover and table of contents/copyright page.

[Rizla]

JSWolf makes a fair point. How does Amazon log how much a reader has read? It it accurate and is it fair to authors? Are the authors informed how the figure is calculated or is it a secret?

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by Rizla

JSWolf makes a fair point. How does Amazon log how much a reader has read? It it accurate and is it fair to authors? Are the authors informed how the figure is calculated or is it a secret?

There has to be much more than only the last page opened worth of information. Kindles been keeping track of how fast we read (xx minutes left in chapter, book). It is also only a fair point if you try to accuse most readers to cheating. Sure, there is some that never turn on wifi on their Kindle. For average Joe it will be much easier to browse on computer for new books to read and return finished ones (also on computer). After that turn on wifi on Kindle, let it sync to get rid of the old books and get new books. While the Kindle is doing its thing it will also send how much of the book got read.

Contrary to popular belief most people are not interested in shoplifting or cheating. Also the vast majority of Kindle owners are not interested in removing the DRM, let alone of borrowed books.

[JSWolf]

Does Amazon keep track of ALL the pages turned to in an eBook or is it just the last pages turned to?

What if someone reads a book from start to finish and then wants to go to the cover page to have a look at the cover and then exits the eBook? Does Amazon only send that and the author doesn't get paid?

Without knowing, we could be doing an author out of getting paid without knowing it.

[Catlady]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Without knowing, we could be doing an author out of getting paid without knowing it.

Ask me if I care. Why should I?

It's not my problem if whatever tracking is in place is inaccurate, as long as I'm not doing something completely irregular with the aim of screwing up the system.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Catlady

Ask me if I care. Why should I?

It's not my problem if whatever tracking is in place is inaccurate, as long as I'm not doing something completely irregular with the aim of screwing up the system.

Because if the authors you like don't get paid, then they may try to get out of KU.

[Rizla]

Still, it would be nice to know exactly how Amazon calculates whether an author gets paid, and how much they get paid. If I was a KU subscribed author, I would want to know.

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by Rizla

JSWolf makes a fair point. How does Amazon log how much a reader has read? It it accurate and is it fair to authors? Are the authors informed how the figure is calculated or is it a secret?

This is the sort of reasoning that can be applied to anyone and everything. How does Amazon/Apple/Kobo log ebook sales? When I purchase a book, do they log it and report it to the publisher/author or do they just send me a copy of the ebook and pocket my money by hiding the data from the publisher/author?

People did not pose these questions when it came to book sales. Why pose them now with regard to book lending? What makes the situations so different? It's still the vendor who controls the data in both cases. We were willing to take them on face value and assume that our money reaches the publisher when we purchased books online. Why the ruckus when it comes to borrowing from the exact same vendors?

[Rizla]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

This is the sort of reasoning that can be applied to anyone and everything. How does Amazon/Apple/Kobo log ebook sales? When I purchase a book, do they log it and report it to the publisher/author or do they just send me a copy of the ebook and pocket my money by hiding the data from the publisher/author?

People did not pose these questions when it came to book sales. Why pose them now with regard to book lending? What makes the situations so different? It's still the vendor who controls the data in both cases. We were willing to take them on face value and assume that our money reaches the publisher when we purchased books online. Why the ruckus when it comes to borrowing from the exact same vendors?

I think it's this 10% rule that makes the difference. Simplicity states that if a book is borrowed/purchase, the author gets paid. Period. That's how purchasing or borrowing a book works. Amazon have changed the rules. Add to this that some authors are reporting a drop in revenues AND the 10% rule seems to favor Amazon (i.e. because of it, they pay out less), then it is natural to scrutinize this change.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Rizla

the 10% rule seems to favor Amazon (i.e. because of it, they pay out less)

Not so. Amazon doesn't care (short-term) how many books are borrowed from KU each month. They just allocate a pot of money, and divide that pot among all the books that have been borrowed. They do NOT pay authors a fixed amount per borrow.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Not so. Amazon doesn't care (short-term) how many books are borrowed from KU each month. They just allocate a pot of money, and divide that pot among all the books that have been borrowed. They do NOT pay authors a fixed amount per borrow.

But how does Amazon know you've read at least 10%? Do they track ALL the pages turned in a book? Do they just track the last paged turned to in a book? Do they track the highest pages turned to in a book?

How they do this matters because if we want the author to get payed, then we need to know how to leave the book once it's exited. Do we just go to the end? Do we have to turn at least 10% of the pages? Do we not leave it sitting anyplace less then 10% in? For all we know, we could end up depriving an author of money without knowing.

[DiapDealer]

Wouldn't the question of "how authors get paid" be best left to those who hold the rights to the ebooks, and presumably granted permission for those ebooks to be lent by KU? I hear that Amazon "exclusivity" is required for some authors' works to be included, so I doubt the rights holders have been blind-sided by any of terms/conditions. The only thing left is to see if it works out for them (authors) financially. Yay if it does. If not, pull out as soon as the terms allow--if you control the rights. Or lobby those who DO control the rights to your work if you don't. How on earth is this turning into another "Amazon is screwing authors" scenario for some? Are they forcing participation on KDP uploaders? I've heard at least one indie author (in this thread) say they're not participating, so I don't think that's the case. Was it a surprise "opt-out" situation that KDP author's didn't have time to react to?