02-02-2010, 04:45 AM | #1 |
Groupie
Posts: 190
Karma: 1248
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Milton Keynes UK
Device: Sony PRS-600 Touch, iPhone
|
All The Many Ways Amazon So Very Failed the Weekend
|
02-02-2010, 07:24 AM | #2 | |
Member
Posts: 22
Karma: 10
Join Date: Oct 2009
Device: Sony 505
|
Quote:
Tim... |
|
Advert | |
|
02-02-2010, 09:09 AM | #3 |
Junior Member
Posts: 7
Karma: 10
Join Date: Jan 2010
Device: Kindle 2
|
of all the blog posts from authors you picked the least informed, and most arrogant, of them. Why for the love of god does this man get credit for anything, let him go back to consulting for the rotting corpse of stargate and writing about elves or whatever he does. There are dozens of more informed writers blogging about this like adults.
|
02-02-2010, 09:14 AM | #4 |
Kindlephilia
Posts: 2,017
Karma: 1139255
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Snowpacolypse 2010
Device: Too many to count
|
After reading that blog, I just removed Scalzi from my "To Read" list. I kept waiting for something to indicate it was a joke or sarcasm. Ugg.
|
02-02-2010, 09:21 AM | #5 | |
Wizard
Posts: 1,055
Karma: 2110
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Derbyshire UK
Device: sony reader PRS505 and 600
|
Quote:
eg orson scott card and his anti gay stuff, pratchett and his thoughts on assisted suicide etc etec I didn't see anything particularly bad in there, was it something in particular? |
|
Advert | |
|
02-02-2010, 09:31 AM | #6 |
Kindlephilia
Posts: 2,017
Karma: 1139255
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Snowpacolypse 2010
Device: Too many to count
|
Mostly it was how Scalzi talked about how Amazon messed up and the attitude that came across to me. Without visual cues it's very difficult to read tone but the more I read the less I cared for the author. The more I read about MacMillan the more I object to their strong arming the retailers/distributors into what I consider price fixing. Did you know that MacMillan does not allow their ebooks in public libraries? That alone erases doubt that I had that this is simply a ploy to prop up print books.
|
02-02-2010, 09:39 AM | #7 | |
Wizard
Posts: 1,055
Karma: 2110
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Derbyshire UK
Device: sony reader PRS505 and 600
|
Quote:
Have you read his other posts on the manner and also take into account that he is a professional writer with a blog that is very successful(it in fact was successful way before he was recognised as an author.) And as someone trying to have a successful blog exagerating and having a strong opinion is what creates hits and links. he actually generally seems like a pretty good guy and his books are the best I have read since some of the greats, Asimov, Heinlen etc |
|
02-02-2010, 10:32 AM | #8 |
Wizard
Posts: 1,229
Karma: 543210
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Device: Kindles: Paperwhite Signature Ed., Oasis 2, Voyage
|
Scalzi does come off as an ass (IMO) regularly on his blog. I had to stop reading it in order to keep enjoying his published work (which I have, for the most part).
|
02-02-2010, 11:01 AM | #9 | |
Connoisseur
Posts: 95
Karma: 800
Join Date: Nov 2009
Device: Sony Reader Touch
|
Quote:
I don't see what's wrong with Scalzi's post. Putting aside whether you agree with Amazon vs. Macmillan's in regard to pricing (consumers want lower prices, naturally), Amazon acted like a petulant child who took his ball back because the other kids weren't playing the way he wanted to. Do they have a legitimate reason to disagree with Macmillan? Sure. But they way they handled it was awful. A lot of that could have been mitigated by simply coming out at the beginning and saying "Hey, we're removing Macmillan books from our site because we disagree with the pricing structure they want to implement, and we think you consumers deserve better." They kinda, sorta, did that later on, but by then it was too late. |
|
02-02-2010, 11:12 AM | #10 |
reader
Posts: 6,975
Karma: 5183568
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Mississippi, USA
Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD
|
Scalzi's latest post, A Call For Author Support asks his readers to buy Macmillan authors from other sites and stores, since Amazon is still boycotting Macmillan. I agree that authors, like readers, got caught in the cross fire but with the exception of new releases I would not expect this to have a lasting impact on sales of paper books.
|
02-02-2010, 11:18 AM | #11 |
eReader
Posts: 2,750
Karma: 4968470
Join Date: Aug 2007
Device: Note 5; PW3; Nook HD+; ChuWi Hi12; iPad
|
Here's what happened:
Amazon prevented consumers from buying books they wanted. This hurts consumers and authors. Amazon hurt John Scalzi and he and other authors did not take kindly to being hurt. I don't necessarily agree with everything in Macmillan's proposal, but the idea of paying $15 for the e-books of new release hardcovers and $6 for the e-books of backlist paperbacks doesn't bother me. I won't pay $15 for all e-books, but there are some I will - same as with print authors. I can wait until the price drops to what I'm willing to pay for the rest. Under the Macmillan plan, no one has to pay more than $10 for an e-book if they don't want to. You just can't buy the e-book on the same day as the hardcover release for $10. If you want first crack at the latest Baen release by one of their bestselling authors in e-book form, you get the E-Arc for $15. If you don't want to pay that, you wait and either buy the single for $6 or get the bundle in webscriptions. Macmillan's plan sounds suspiciously similar. They're just stretching it over more time and being more granular with intermediate price points. |
02-02-2010, 11:18 AM | #12 |
Junior Member
Posts: 7
Karma: 10
Join Date: Jan 2010
Device: Kindle 2
|
yet another reason why Scalzi is misguided in the whole thing. Calling for the support of Macmillian who is rapidly trying to screw their writers seems to be about par for the course for the guy. He doesn't seem interested in fixing the problem, he wants to sell books, but he doesn't get that his publisher is more interested in hurting his book sales than actually letting their product be sold.
|
02-02-2010, 11:24 AM | #13 | |
eReader
Posts: 2,750
Karma: 4968470
Join Date: Aug 2007
Device: Note 5; PW3; Nook HD+; ChuWi Hi12; iPad
|
Quote:
|
|
02-02-2010, 11:25 AM | #14 |
reader
Posts: 6,975
Karma: 5183568
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Mississippi, USA
Device: Kindle 3, Kobo Glo HD
|
What may bother Amazon the most is the loss of the ability to discount ebooks, because large stores can do this more effectively than small stores. On the other hand it isn't actually clear that this will be the case (is this really an agency relationship?) and there may be work-arounds (e.g. rebates like Books on Board and FictionWise use).
|
02-02-2010, 11:37 AM | #15 | |
Junior Member
Posts: 7
Karma: 10
Join Date: Jan 2010
Device: Kindle 2
|
Quote:
and trying to compare this to wal mart is pretty far fetched, Amazon wasn't trying to dictate what Macmillian sold books to them for and forcing them to cut back on their already lackluster ebook support in order to hit a price goal. |
|
Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Possible ways of damaging your kindle | tsiwt | Amazon Kindle | 40 | 09-17-2010 02:46 AM |
8 Ways To Handle An Argument | moon light | Lounge | 11 | 08-26-2009 09:16 PM |
Three Ways to not use promotional ebooks | Nate the great | Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links) | 23 | 05-20-2009 01:20 AM |
Did Fictionwise send a weekend newsletter this weekend? | texasnightowl | Deals and Resources (No Self-Promotion or Affiliate Links) | 2 | 03-01-2009 07:04 PM |
Five Ways Amazon could improve the Kindle | hidari | News | 6 | 02-09-2009 12:34 AM |