For the love of publishing
I have read a lot of articles the past few days. Unless they are coming from bookish people the articles have been mostly stating that Macmillian should ease up let Amazon charge only $9.99 for books because hey, you are not paying for paper right?
Wrong, how do you assume that paper is the only cost? I am no expert by far but I see that the author gets an advance. Enough copies have to be sold to pay back the Pub for that advance, and then pay back whatever advertising campaign said Pub footed the bill for. The author tour, the book trailer, the ARC copies for reviews.
I am guilty of buying loads of books at Amazon on the cheap and that has to stop. I will no longer be using their service or their affiliate program on my blog. The same goes for Target and Wal-Mart.
These companies while allowing us to purchase our reads in bulk are ruining the fabric of the publishing industry by sometimes selling books so cheap they even experience a loss that they can make up in their other retail efforts.
So I buy less books? At least what I own then will hold quality. Quality over quantity is something we should be striving for. How many of us have so many books we have no where to put them?
I will strive to use my library more. To support and cultivate and suggest to them books that should be on their shelves. I will strive to make better decisions on what books I purchase and only purchase from stores who sell their books at a fair price for the publisher.
If I choose another affiliate program to use (its doubtful) I will go with Powells and The Book Depository.
What are your thoughts?
By: SuziQoregon
I’ve been a huge supporter of local indie bookstores for years. Fortunately, living in Portland with Powell’s makes that easy. I realize that not everyone has an indie store available. I have never used Amazon for purchasing books and the only affiliate program I have is with Powell’s.
By: Pam
Ah! You live close to Powell’s no fair!
I realize in my oh this is $3.00 cheaper attitude is detrimental and I want to make a conscious effort to change the err of my ways.
I do have great indie stores. Books Inc, and I am finding more. For those who do not have them Barnes & Noble and Borders tend to sell their books at the suggested retail prices.
By: Katy
I’m not really sure where I stand. I’m tempted to quit my affiliate programs (I have never made one cent from them anyway). But I’d probably continue w/IndieBound, just to encourage shopping in person at indie bookstores. The Book Depository has become my online shop of choice.
By: Alexa
I’m going to start using my local indie more too. It is lovely and it runs the most amazing free story session. So I figure buying a book is like paying for an activity for the baby :)
I will have to buy less books though and wait for paperbacks too.
And I have to say again how much I love the look of your blog. It makes me want to go and re-read The Gemma Doyle Trilogy by Libba Bray
By: Michelle
As an accountant, you are absolutely correct that there are way more costs behind publishing any book, let alone an e-book. Trading the cost of paper and binding versus the technology infrastructure, electronic security, and associated fees for letting others sell your books for you make it, in my opinion, a complete wash.
I just joined the Amazon Affiliates program, but I am most likely going to end that affiliation this weekend. We need to let our voice be heard that the superstores of the world cannot dictate to others what is or is not a fair price.
By: Aarti
I am doing the same. I still use Amazon to check reviews and to write reviews and track my wish list, but I do not plan to buy books on there again. I’m switching to the local indies and sticking with bookcloseouts!
By: Shesten (I Heart Monster)
I guess I see it a little differently.
The American economy is based on healthy competition. Competition is based on prices and prices are often based on sales volume (with the notable exception of Oil & Gas). While I see how Walmart, Target, and Amazon could be considered a discount book oligopoly, I don’t have an indie bookstore within 20 miles, and I’m in a major metro area, Phoenix. I’m on the edge of the metro area, and that’s probably why, but the nearest Borders store is 12 freeway miles one way. Changing Hands, my nearest Indie, is 25 miles one way.
Add the gas – probably a whole gallon by the time I drive around the mall parking area to Borders and back to the freeway. Add the sales tax that I don’t pay on Amazon (8.1% soon to be 9.1%) and that adds on a whole lot of cost for the book. A $16.99 book ends up costing me around $20-21 after tax and transportation. Or, I could purchase it from Amazon for $10-$12, almost half.
Being that the product is exactly the same, I just can’t justify the price difference. Are cost and worth the same? Never. But, even though the book may be worth the 20 bucks, I’d be fiscally irresponsible to myself if I passed up a chance to get it at half of that. We’re members of Amazon Prime because of Monster’s work situation (pays for itself in about a month for work-related costs) so the shipping from Amazon is free for me.
All that said, when I link to places to purchase books I’ve reviewed and books that are coming soon on my blog, I link to Amazon, Book Depo, and Changing Hands.
I think that where you buy a book is a personal choice, and support all of you for the choices you’ve made.
Happy Reading!
By: Pam
I will buy books at Amazon still, the ones that are the same price as the ones at Borders. I don’t mean for anyone to stop using them of course :D
By: heidenkind
I can definitely see your point. I agree with quantity over quality in theory, but in practice I’m really poor and haven’t bought a book in ages for exactly that reason. Also, like I Heart Monster, I don’t live anywhere close to an indy bookstore, and even B&N is a good half hour’s drive away.
I also don’t think the Amazon vs. MacMillan thing is as evil as everyone is making it out to be. I see the two companies as playing chicken and waiting to see which one will blink. I am interested to see how it all plays out, but I don’t think either one is necessarily in the wrong.
By: Serena (Savvy Verse & Wit)
Good idea, but I still plan to use the affiliate program at Amazon because it makes me some money that I use to fund my giveaways to get books in the hands of my international readers.
Thanks for posting.
I like the new look by the way!
How did you get those cool share buttons???