Author Earnings looks beyond Kindle

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Creating a stable website isn't rocket science.

Things look a lot different if you are outside the US.

Amazon don't even have a website in New Zealand. If you go to amazon.co.nz you get redirected to amazon.co.uk, and then when you try to buy an ebook you get told that you can't buy ebooks from amazon.co.uk and have to go to amazon.com or amazon.com.au instead (and pay in foreign currency whichever you choose.)

If Kobo and Google have New Zealand localised websites with prices in New Zealand dollars, why can't Amazon figure it out?

[eschwartz]

Ah, that's because only the US matters.

[Fbone]

My comments in green. [Edited to be interspersed. Although not moderator green, it might be confusing, and is definitely hard to quote. - pdurrant]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Google is the one that most needs to step up or shut down; they have the money but their ebook operation is producing nothing but trouble and their recent acquihire of oyster staff is proof they know it. I figure they'll hang around at least another year or two but they have shut down other high profile operations so they won't be around forever if all they have to show for it is low single digits and lawsuits.

Google has potential but it may be a case of too big to save. Maybe the Oyster hires will bring positive changes.

Originally Posted by fjtorres

As for Kobo, I wouldn't count on Overdrive synergy; rather I see the Overdrive buy as a vote of no-confidence because Kobo is a b2c operation and both Rakuten and Overdrive are b2b. Any synergistic deal with Overdrive could've been sealed years ago. (Amazon did it without buying Overdrive.) They definitely need to step up or pull out: their US operation is so shoestring it can't be costing them much of anything (which is why it produces so little) but I could see them pulling out of the US if they drop any further.

Kobo doesn't have individual websites for each country. They can't really remove the US as there is no US specific website now. As for Overdrive, at least Rakuten sees a future in ebooks. Perhaps, in the future they can share expertise. Overdrive seems to work well while Kobo's website can be buggy. Direct downloads is another possibility.

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Apple won't quit out of sheer cussedness no matter their marketshare. They can keep it running as a face-saving hobby no matter the financial outcome.

Which leaves Nook and I'm not even going to try to guess what they'll do. An outfit that couldn't turn a profit even when they controlled a quarter of the market isn't playing with a full deck.

As for things to try, I can think of at least a half dozen moves that can be tried ranging from subscriptions to micropay rebates to book clubs to bundles and more; all things that can be done without BPH support. (Indeed, they would be more effective if the excluded the BPHs.)

All have been tried; rebates, bundles, book clubs. Only subscriptions took off but unfortunately no one except Amazon can seem to make it work profitably.

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Remember, Amazon exclusivity is gossamer; it is on a per title basis and can be ended at the drop of a hat evefy 90 days. For example, if Google or kobo were to merely copy KU (no innovative thinking required) plenty of authors would happily rotate a few titles between the systems every 90 days just go keep Amazon honest.

As a reader this would frustrate me. Searching several websites to see where an author is selling this month. That doesn't seem fan friendly. To be honest, this wouldn't affect me as I don't buy ebooks from KU authors/publishers on principle.

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Authors *want* viable options to Amazon but they aren't about to sacrifice their business supporting incompetents or crooks.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Fbone

As a reader this would frustrate me. Searching several websites to see where an author is selling this month. That doesn't seem fan friendly. To be honest, this wouldn't affect me as I don't buy ebooks from KU authors/publishers on principle.

That's not how it would work: again, KU exclusivity isn't per author, it is per book. So an author can have a book (or several) exclusive to KU while keeping the rest of their titles in wide distribution. This is, in fact, how most authors are using KU.

It is no different than putting a book on sale for a limited time.

Out of curiosity: which principle keeps you from buying from KU authors?

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

If Kobo and Google have New Zealand localised websites with prices in New Zealand dollars, why can't Amazon figure it out?

I don't think it isn't a matter of "can't figure it out" since Amazon was able to handle the EU VATmess just fine.

Wouldn't the more precise question be "why aren't they doing a local webstore?".

That might lead to an answer, albeit not necessarily a polite one. It could be regulatory issues, it could be contract negotiations with local publishers, it could be a desire to protect the BOOK DEPOSITORY business.

The most likely, to me, is that they don't see a local store resulting in (enough) added sales. That the volume of sales into the region doesn't show enough growth potential to justify the effort. That *is* the reason why out of 200+ plus nations on the planet, only a handful have so far gotten local ebook stores.

Like it or not, Amazon has been going after the most profitable markets first so their criteria seems to involve population size, ebook penetration, and ability to secure deals with local publishers for local content. The latter seems to be the holdup in Sweden if the rumors can be trusted; Amazon doesn't open local ebookstores just to sell the same stuff they sell on the US site. They seem to want the local stores to be local. Probably means there never will be a local Kindle store for Puerto Rico.

BTW, speaking of the EU VATmess, it looks like another dozen or so countries will be adding to the "fun" of international ebook sales:

http://the-digital-reader.com/2015/1...even-possible/

Country Tax introduced Approx threshold (USD) Local accountant required?
Switzerland a while back $100k Yes
Singapore a while back $750k Yes
Ghana a while back $35k Yes
Madagascar a while back ? Yes
Norway July 2011 $6k No
Iceland Nov 2011 $7k Yes
Kenya Sept 2013 $50k Yes
South Africa June 2014 $4k Yes
Angola Nov 2014 ? Yes
Albania Jan 2015 nil Yes
South Korea July 2015 nil Yes
Japan October 2015 $80k Yes
Australia July 2017 $50k ?

[Cinisajoy]

I must say unless it is their free days, I tend to not pick up books whose blurbs start with "read free with Kindle Unlimited".
To me $10 is not free. Oh and they seem to be targeting subscribers and forgetting about buyers so they really don't need my money.
No, I am not a subscriber. I cannot see spending $10 a month when most of those books will have free days for everyone.
Plus the fact that it tells me nothing about the book and wastes my time.

[conan50]

Google. Only Google at this point could truly knockdown Amazon, and it would be a tough fight. Android is everywhere that Amazon isn't. Android = Google Books. You can pick up cheap Android phones and tablets anywhere now, and they all come with Google Books. Can you imagine if Google quit treating Books like the red-headed stepchild? If they beefed up their bookstore to match Amazon's catalog, if they pushed book sales, and especially if they made it attractive to authors rather than an obstacle course to get books listed? I'm not convinced they will ever get serious about this, so yes, it is almost game over with Amazon becoming the defacto ebook store. It would take a herculean effort and I don't see anyone who is willing to do it.
One other thing comes to mind--if Google and Kobo joined forces, or if Google bought Kobo outright, that would be an awesome combination. Google has the reach, Kobo has the ability to sell and promote ebooks as well as a lineup of e-ink devices. That would give Amazon pause.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Fbone

My comments in green.

Please change the green. It's hard to read on a white background.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by conan50

Google. Only Google at this point could truly knockdown Amazon, and it would be a tough fight. Android is everywhere that Amazon isn't. Android = Google Books. You can pick up cheap Android phones and tablets anywhere now, and they all come with Google Books. Can you imagine if Google quit treating Books like the red-headed stepchild? If they beefed up their bookstore to match Amazon's catalog, if they pushed book sales, and especially if they made it attractive to authors rather than an obstacle course to get books listed? I'm not convinced they will ever get serious about this, so yes, it is almost game over with Amazon becoming the defacto ebook store. It would take a herculean effort and I don't see anyone who is willing to do it.
One other thing comes to mind--if Google and Kobo joined forces, or if Google bought Kobo outright, that would be an awesome combination. Google has the reach, Kobo has the ability to sell and promote ebooks as well as a lineup of e-ink devices. That would give Amazon pause.

Android is a lot of places and if google got serious they could make waves.
But last I heard Samsung (has it changed?) was preloading Kindle on most of their phones and tablets. Except the ones they are selling through B&N. That cuts down on Google's clout a bit.

Amazon also has a lot of preload deals with cellphone carriers.

As for Google buying Kobo, it is a good fit but a better (and cheaper) fit would be Nook. Much bigger mindshare among mainstream buyers.

[Cinisajoy]

My Samsung has neither preloaded. Oh wait this one came with Google Books.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Fbone

My comments in green.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Please change the green. It's hard to read on a white background.

If someone is too lazy to split up their quotes, and instead resorts to garishly illegible colors, I will simply refuse to read their post.

It probably isn't worth much anyway, or they'd put the time in to type legibly.
So why bother caring?

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by conan50

Google. Only Google at this point could truly knockdown Amazon, and it would be a tough fight. Android is everywhere that Amazon isn't. Android = Google Books. You can pick up cheap Android phones and tablets anywhere now, and they all come with Google Books. Can you imagine if Google quit treating Books like the red-headed stepchild? If they beefed up their bookstore to match Amazon's catalog, if they pushed book sales, and especially if they made it attractive to authors rather than an obstacle course to get books listed? I'm not convinced they will ever get serious about this, so yes, it is almost game over with Amazon becoming the defacto ebook store. It would take a herculean effort and I don't see anyone who is willing to do it.
One other thing comes to mind--if Google and Kobo joined forces, or if Google bought Kobo outright, that would be an awesome combination. Google has the reach, Kobo has the ability to sell and promote ebooks as well as a lineup of e-ink devices. That would give Amazon pause.

That is an assumption on your part. There is no evidence.

Smashwords is well known.
Many readers buy a book or two there upon occasion.

What it is missing is a functional way to sort through content.
Manga scanlating and cataloging sites like Batoto and Manga Updates sort through large catalogs with multiple keywords.
If at some future date Smashwords hired someone even vaguely competent to organize their catalog they could become competitive.

Amazon isn't as dominant as they are because of what they do.
Their position has been and still is due to what their competitors do not do.

[conan50]

Smashwords is useless, and that is a shame as it has potential. I wrote the guy awhile back and asked why they don't do email promotions of books and categories so readers could more easily access and choose books? or free-to-low-cost promotions like Bookbub? He wrote back and said they just don't do that. And that attitude is why they will never succeed

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Out of curiosity: which principle keeps you from buying from KU authors?

Exclusivity.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by Fbone

Exclusivity.

What if the author has some in and some out.
Oh and not all authors books in KU are exclusive. Amazon does make some exceptions.
Though those are generally reserved for the 6 and 7 figure authors.