Kindle only self publishing?

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by VydorScope

..
In fact under their contract it is currently IMPOSSIBLE for me to use there KDP program no matter how hard I try, no matter how much I may want to go exclusive with them. The day I sign it, I am in violation already. Not only today, but EVER. I can never use KDP from this day forward with out being in violation. I suspect that is true for far more authors they realize it. All any of us could do at that point is play the "well I am to small for them to actually care about" card. Again go read the information that is widely available on the topic, or not. Your call. I did, and I am glad I did.

Let's hear it then. Since you keep claiming this. Exactly how would you be in violation if you publish a new work through KDP? Chapter and verse please. I call FUD until you can produce the wording of the contract that places you and everyone (as you claim) in violation of the agreement. I agree with apk you seem to be having an issue with exclusivity and don't like it. That's fine, but that doesn't mean it's illegal, bad or wrong for others. If you sign with a traditional publisher the exclusivity may for 10 years not 90 days.

Full Disclosure: I am offering my work through the KDP program which I believe has significant advantages.

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Let's hear it then. Since you keep claiming this. Exactly how would you be in violation if you publish a new work through KDP? Chapter and verse please. I agree with apk you seem to be having an issue with exclusivity and don't like it. That's fine, but that doesn't mean it's illegal, bad or wrong for others. If you sign with a traditional publisher the exclusivity may for 10 years not 90 days.

I have provided links to the some of the many discussions that go through it in detail. Read them. Or not. Your book, your risks.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by VydorScope

I have provided links to the some of the many discussions that go through it in detail. Read them. Or not. Your book, your risks.

No. State it exactly right here in this discussion since you brought it up.

Otherwise it's FUD.

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by kennyc

No. State it exactly right here in this discussion since you brought it up.

Otherwise it's FUD.

Call it what you will, matters not. Either you care enough to protect yourself and do research or you do not. Calling it FUD is just and excuse to turn a blind eye. Read and protect yourself or not. Your life, your call. Not mine. I raised the warning and was attacked for it. I will not continue in this fight, I have done the required research to protect myself, only you can do that for yourself.

[kennyc]

I agree completely and you clearly have nothing to back up your claim, so we'll leave it there.

[VydorScope]

https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishi...=APILE934L348N

1 Exclusivity. When you include a Digital Book in KDP Select, you give us the exclusive right to sell and distribute your Digital Book in digital format while your book is in KDP Select. During this period of exclusivity, you cannot sell or distribute, or give anyone else the right to sell or distribute, your Digital Book (or a book that is substantially similar), in digital format in any territory where you have rights.

Note it is not a limit on just selling but says distribute. That means I can not give my mom a copy... or have a copy on my web site, or etc. PROBLEM I have sold my book already through other stores like Smashwords. Once 1 copy has been bought there, they will continue to distribute it to any one that has purchased it. That means anyone that has pulled their books from Smashwords, Sony, Apply, etc can not go in to KDP because those stores will continue to distribute it. I.E. if I were to try KDP today, I am in violation. That is why I say I can never be part of the KDP program, even if I want to. That was the point I was making in that regard.

As for the rest, go read the threads I linked. I should not even bothered with this post, but alas I feel I should at least make one last attempt at raising the warning flags before giving up on this. I am stepping out of this discussion now. Flame away...

[kennyc]

Thanks for the followup!

So your beef is with the exclusivity only as I expected. You can't sell EXISTING books in the KDP (select) program, nor is it intended to do that.

Based on the above language you could certainly print out a copy for your mom.

As for the rest, more FUD. All contracts are contracts because they have conditions. The KDP (select) program is primarily intended to give Amazon "first rights" like a traditional contract for a book or story or magazine article, nothing more than that.

And no you can't publish re-prints if it is available elsewhere (but if it's NOT available elsewhere AND you hold the rights to it then it should still meet the requirements). That's the whole point. Now quite spread FUD just because you don't like the program.

P.S. and no I am not violating it by agreeing to it as you claimed earlier.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by VydorScope

https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishi...=APILE934L348N

Note it is not a limit on just selling but says distribute. That means I can not give my mom a copy...

Perhaps one of the lawyers here can clarify, but exclusive distribution agreements are so common in commerce, that I doubt it means what you think it means.

By the way, please stop refering to to this as "KDP."
KDP has no exclusivity requirements and no such terms.
KDP SELECT does. Even if it turns out you have some legitimate reason to warn people away from KDP Select, it's not correct to confuse it with the broader KDP publishing platform.
(Unless you're only trying to unfairly scare people off of Amazon...)

[kennyc]

Good point ApK and it edited my last reply to reflect that.

[wannabee]

Glad For this thread. I asked people's opinions a few weeks back but only got anti SELECT exclusivity comments. No actual feedback if it was beneficial to authors to lend to prime members or not.

For every 1000 titles we sell on KDP every month we sell about 50 per month on B&N and 800 on iTunes. Sony has paid $34 from last September to December and I've yet to see anything from Kobo in 6 months.

So I'm still pretty cool on lending to Prime members. In fact, I won't.
Prove me wrong someone.

[scottmarlowe]

I've had good success with KDP Select so far. The free promotions have really boosted sales and while those sales have gone down, they've not gone down to the low, low level they were at before.

However, as good as it's been, it does seem to have slowed recently in terms of borrows and in terms of the sales boost it gives me. Long term, I also do not want to be beholden to a single retailer/channel, so I'm looking at the "other guys" a bit more again. No idea if it's going to work out better this time around. I've learned a lot in terms of advertising, getting exposure, etc., so we'll see.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by scottmarlowe

However, as good as it's been, it does seem to have slowed recently in terms of borrows and in terms of the sales boost it gives me. Long term, I also do not want to be beholden to a single retailer/channel, so I'm looking at the "other guys" a bit more again. No idea if it's going to work out better this time around. I've learned a lot in terms of advertising, getting exposure, etc., so we'll see.

It may be that there are 143,000 titles in the Select program now. Initially the number was 30,000. People have more choices.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by VydorScope

Note it is not a limit on just selling but says distribute. That means I can not give my mom a copy... or have a copy on my web site, or etc. PROBLEM I have sold my book already through other stores like Smashwords. Once 1 copy has been bought there, they will continue to distribute it to any one that has purchased it. That means anyone that has pulled their books from Smashwords, Sony, Apply, etc can not go in to KDP because those stores will continue to distribute it. I.E. if I were to try KDP today, I am in violation. That is why I say I can never be part of the KDP program, even if I want to. That was the point I was making in that regard.

I've heard that B&N and SW will remove the Select titles from their website/servers, upon request, so that they are no longer available for re-download. Naturally, this upset some people. But it does comply with the "distribute" clause.

[Just4kix]

I tried to sell my books in other forms but was thwarted at every turn by either not having a US bank account, or PayPal facilities to accept royalties. So it's not that I didn't try.

[scottmarlowe]

Originally Posted by Fbone

It may be that there are 143,000 titles in the Select program now. Initially the number was 30,000. People have more choices.

Absolutely. I think many ppl suspected there would be a "watering down" effect as people jumped into it. But I'm also seeing quite a few authors on forums saying they're going to start pulling out of Select because the return is diminishing. So maybe its effect will go back up, in which case authors may pile in again, and so on.