Latest Authors United letter to Amazon Board

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by Sydney's Mom

They complain Amazon removed preorder buttons that they refused to pay for?

I don't know if the Chicago Public Library lets you reserve eBooks before the release date, but many do.

Now, what if they were to only let you pre-order eBooks from publishers who contribute to the library? An outrageous comparison? But is it really worse to pay a kickback to Chicago's government than to Amazon's stockholders? Obviously I don't think so. Since Amazon probably has a higher eBook market penetration, in Chicago, than the library, I could argue that it's worse when Amazon tries to engineer the best-seller list than if the library did it.

It seems to me that when you have a two-thirds market share in eBooks, you have a social responsibility to avoid pre-selecting literary winners and losers. Those advance buy buttons do seem to have an effect on which books will be winners, and Amazon is going too far by expecting a sweetheart contract unavailable to other booksellers, and a kickback on top of that.

I clicked on a New York Public Library advance reserve button a few weeks ago for a Hachette title released this Tuesday, and I finished the book yesterday. The library paid for the book. But Hachette didn't try to engineer when I was able to click.

Both Amazon and Hachette, to some degree, balance concern with profit and the public interest. But from where I sit, and read, Hachette does it in a less harmful way.

What about book stores that specialize in mystery books? Are they also trying to engineer the best seller list? Answer is no, because their small market share makes it implausible. But once you get to a majority market share -- more than either Borders or B&N ever had -- I think you start getting to have an actual responsible to something approaching net neutrality for books.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

The US public even rates them #1 for "Workplace Environment:"

http://www.harrisinteractive.com/New...4/Default.aspx

I wonder what people who live in metropolitan Seattle would have said about this.

I think asking people what they think of Amazon's workplace environment is a little ridiculous. Unlike in the case of, say, Walmart, few of the people who are answering this question have ever seen an Amazon workplace, or, talked with an Amazon worker (or, and these are more numerous, an ex-Amazon-worker). My guess is that before being asked the question most of the respondents had no ideas concerning Amazon's workplace environment, and they obligingly came up with an answer on the fly. It doesn't mean they really have an opinion on the subject.

Well, I don't live in the Seattle Metro area, but a lot of my family does, and they all love Amazon. I believe that Tubemonkey lives in the Seattle Metro area...why don't you ask him how he feels about it?

Shari

[shalym]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

I don't know if the Chicago Public Library lets you reserve eBooks before the release date, but many do.

Now, what if they were to only let you pre-order eBooks from publishers who contribute to the library? An outrageous comparison? But is it really worse to pay a kickback to Chicago's government than to Amazon's stockholders? Obviously I don't think so. Since Amazon probably has a higher eBook market penetration, in Chicago, than the library, I could argue that it's worse when Amazon tries to engineer the best-seller list than if the library did it.

It seems to me that when you have a two-thirds market share in eBooks, you have a social responsibility to avoid pre-selecting literary winners and losers. Those advance buy buttons do seem to have an effect on which books will be winners, and Amazon is going too far by expecting a sweetheart contract unavailable to other booksellers, and a kickback on top of that.

I clicked on a New York Public Library advance reserve button a few weeks ago for a Hachette title released this Tuesday, and I finished the book yesterday. The library paid for the book. But Hachette didn't try to engineer when I was able to click.

Both Amazon and Hachette, to some degree, balance concern with profit and the public interest. But from where I sit, and read, Hachette does it in a less harmful way.

What about book stores that specialize in mystery books? Are they also trying to engineer the best seller list? Answer is no, because their small market share makes it implausible. But once you get to a majority market share -- more than either Borders or B&N ever had -- I think you start getting to have an actual responsible to something approaching net neutrality for books.

But see, I would bet that Overdrive (and thus, the libraries) have some sort of a contract with Hachette (and other publishers) so that they can guarantee that the book will be available upon publication. Amazon doesn't have that with Hachette.

Shari

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by shalym

But see, I would bet that Overdrive (and thus, the libraries) have some sort of a contract with Hachette (and other publishers) so that they can guarantee that the book will be available upon publication. Amazon doesn't have that with Hachette.

Neither do local bookstores that put aside copies in advance on request.

There is no guarantee when you order a book before release that it will actually be published on time, or ever. This is true, contract or no contract.

Originally Posted by shalym

Well, I don't live in the Seattle Metro area, but a lot of my family does, and they all love Amazon.

As customers? I don't deny that part of the poll. But do Seattleites in the know really say that Amazon is a better place to work than the other comparable tech employer, Microsoft?

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by SteveEisenberg

There is no guarantee when you order a book before release that it will actually be published on time, or ever. This is true, contract or no contract.

Then one might say it could actually be considered silly--if not downright irresponsible (at the very least; risky)--for someone to offer customers the ability to pre-order unpublished titles at all. Yet this is exactly one of the "services" that Hachette authors, AU, and their sympathizers are taking Amazon to task for NOT providing. It can't simultaneously be mission-critical AND have zero value at the bargaining table.

The pre-order service carries a risk and has value for publishers/authors (the added value is undeniable). The fact that no book sellers, to date, have asked to be compensated for this premium service is not, in of itself, a very convincing argument that compensation for such a service is not warranted or even deserved.

"Because we've never had to pay for such a service before;" is quite a lame argument in general. Things change. I never used to be charged for the air to fill up my tires at the gas-station before either.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

"Because we've never had to pay for such a service before;" is quite a lame argument in general. Things change. I never used to be charged for the air to fill up my tires at the gas-station before either.

I solved that one by waiting for a sale and buying an inflator for $20.
Those quarters were starting to add up.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

I solved that one by waiting for a sale and buying an inflator for $20.
Those quarters were starting to add up.

Amazon?

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Amazon?

Walmart had it at the same price just down the road.
I figured I might as well annoy union supporters for a change.

[TCSimpson]

Speaking from a preorder point of view, the penalties for failing to publish or not publishing on time are harsh, at least for us DIYers/indies/selfpublishers, whatever you wish to call us. One of the first rules is that you have to submit a completed manuscript for Amazon's inspection to reassure them that the book will be published. And then there is:

"You can move-up a release date (you still have to deliver the final version 10 days prior to the new release date), or postpone it up to 30 days past the initial release date. You can do this one time only for each title.
“Delivering your book on schedule is required for you to retain access to pre-order. If you delay or cancel a pre-order book, you will be unable to list any book for pre-order for one year.”
The penalties escalate from there.

[BookAdmin]

I read that Amazon refuses to invit to his yearly "Camp Fire" authors who signed the letter...

[crossi]

Originally Posted by BookAdmin

I read that Amazon refuses to invit to his yearly "Camp Fire" authors who signed the letter...

How terrible. The DOJ should investigate that.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by crossi

How terrible. The DOJ should investigate that.

Yes, they should.
Because Amazon is just days away from becoming the only publisher on the whole frakking planet:

http://publishersweekly.com/pw/by-to...rs-united.html

Well, before I had my doubts as to whether or not to take Lee Child seriously.

Child wrote, "it’s a thus-far-and-no-further thing for me. I don’t want Amazon to be the only publisher."

He just solved that quandary for me.
Much obliged, sir.

[bgalbrecht]

Originally Posted by BookAdmin

I read that Amazon refuses to invit to his yearly "Camp Fire" authors who signed the letter...

The NYT in their latest reporting on this reports that Ursula K. Leguin, who has signed the Authors United letter, will be receiving the 2014 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters at the event.

The NYT article also elaborated on the AU attempt to get the DOJ to look into possible Amazon anti-trust violations, but noted that Hatchette already tried to get the DOJ involved without success.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by bgalbrecht

The NYT in their latest reporting on this reports that Ursula K. Leguin, who has signed the Authors United letter, will be receiving the 2014 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters at the event.

The NYT article also elaborated on the AU attempt to get the DOJ to look into possible Amazon anti-trust violations, but noted that Hatchette already tried to get the DOJ involved without success.

Your link is broke, you mean this http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/29/bu...k-tactics.html ?

[SteveEisenberg]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

Your link is broke, you mean this http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/29/bu...k-tactics.html ?

Amazon refused to take advance orders for “The Way Forward,” as it does with all new Hachette titles. But once the book was on sale, it was consistently discounted by about 25 percent. There is no shipping delay. Not surprisingly, it has a much higher sales ranking on Amazon than “Sons of Wichita.”An Amazon spokesman declined to explain why “The Way Forward” was getting special treatment.

I can't resist mentioning that, on this forum, I scooped the New York Times, by more than an month, concerning the special snowflake treatment Amazon has accorded Paul Ryan. See:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...&postcount=542