tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965234148574336314.post5801984096198141705..comments2023-10-18T05:40:59.834-07:00Comments on The NightLife: HACHETTE VS. AMAZON: Amazon wrote me a letter today, I just had to respond #Pubtalk #ASMSGAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12593351315325303120noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965234148574336314.post-29678353187417210212014-08-13T05:20:19.432-07:002014-08-13T05:20:19.432-07:00Excellent post Travis.Excellent post Travis.Morticiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17665928554901357823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965234148574336314.post-42235129970907453552014-08-12T07:56:21.127-07:002014-08-12T07:56:21.127-07:00What first made me look into this further was that...What first made me look into this further was that Hachette was presenting themselves as this tiny independent publishing company being squashed by big bully Amazon, when I knew they owned Little Brown and Disney Hyperion.La La in the Libraryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18253014225202985934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965234148574336314.post-59846307191280557222014-08-11T05:44:45.464-07:002014-08-11T05:44:45.464-07:00Hachette has responded with a most reasonable lett...Hachette has responded with a most reasonable letter.<br /><br />They assert basically nothing, except for a generalized notion that they are negotiating in 'good faith,' and that Amazon has 'sanctioned' their authors, with horrible attacks, like removing preorder buttons.<br /><br />Amazon has no relationship to Hachette authors. As a retailer, its relationship is with Hachette. So, when Hachette can't come to terms on a contract, then Hachette pays the price.<br /><br />These authors don't have a publishing account with Amazon. They don't even own rights to their books. <br /><br />As an Indie author, I cannot even get an Amazon preorder. This is a special provision provided to publishers who have large catalogs and larger sales volumes, its part of a publisher's contract, and, those publishers have an Amazon rep they can call, directly.<br /><br />Indies, self-pubs, we don't get that. There are only a handful of Indies with the coveted privilege of preorders.<br /><br />And, its preorders that make bestsellers out of newly released books. Everyone in the business knows that.<br /><br />As I said before, I have loads of sympathy for Hachette's authors who gave up their rights to their books, and are now subject to this mess, but, as an Indie publisher, I find it very hard to have sympathy for Hachette whining about a 'sanction' of not having preorders.<br /><br />I don't have them either.<br /><br />Am I being 'sanctioned' by Amazon too?<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12593351315325303120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965234148574336314.post-16140741036359022014-08-10T12:10:41.814-07:002014-08-10T12:10:41.814-07:00I think the publishers see the writing on the wall...I think the publishers see the writing on the wall. The publishers know, in a few more years, they will be edged out of the business by companies like Amazon. That's why they're fighting so hard. Because in this internet-age.. who the hell needs a publisher anymore? They're just a third party sucking a cut of ebook sales. The internet is disrupting other industries too- look at music labels, cable companies, magazines and newspapers disrupted by digital distribution. This is only the beginning. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965234148574336314.post-74202892466285529662014-08-09T21:48:22.498-07:002014-08-09T21:48:22.498-07:00Thank you Travis. I love how boldly you proclaim y...Thank you Travis. I love how boldly you proclaim your opinion. As an indie author, I've focused on getting my books out for public consumption, making them the best they can be with the abilities I currently possess. I write, edit, line edit, and format all of my own files. I create my own covers, market and promote my work. It's A LOT of work. And I was one of those who went to conferences and pitched to agents and editors, and wrote 1 and 2 synopsis and query letters to pitch to agents I hadn't met at conference. But I came to realize that each of those agents are limited by their company as to how many books they could contract each year, and often it was 5-6 contracts. That makes the competition fierce! This is why I decided to self publish, <br />All that said to say this: Thank you for sharing this information with authors, Travis! This is information I was not aware of and will help me as I continue to release my indie books. And I love your 'no holds barred' attitude in conveying your message. Thank you again again.<br />Keepin' the Dream Alive!<br />Su WilliamsAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00249300835079830053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965234148574336314.post-6604887836118833202014-08-09T19:38:29.963-07:002014-08-09T19:38:29.963-07:00Great response. I too sent a letter. Great response. I too sent a letter. Pamela DuMond, D.C.https://www.blogger.com/profile/15880017372940084226noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965234148574336314.post-58279350603525037462014-08-09T17:55:17.862-07:002014-08-09T17:55:17.862-07:00Great blog. I have three short items on Amazon and...Great blog. I have three short items on Amazon and I'm pleased at how easy the directions were to follow. I really think that Hachette is afraid of its authors being enabled to follow in the footsteps of Edgar Rice Burroughs and become successful publishing their own works. I don't know how this works yet so I'll have to select Anonymous.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965234148574336314.post-67582761013972712782014-08-09T12:10:25.771-07:002014-08-09T12:10:25.771-07:00Brilliant blog! The Amazon letter confused for a b...Brilliant blog! The Amazon letter confused for a bit with the authors in the middle... but you made it all crystal clear!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965234148574336314.post-71065194911176862512014-08-09T11:44:21.380-07:002014-08-09T11:44:21.380-07:00Syndicate away!
I filled out your form thingy!
T...Syndicate away!<br /><br />I filled out your form thingy!<br /><br />Thanks for offering.<br /><br />:)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12593351315325303120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965234148574336314.post-66329172695653993902014-08-09T11:43:22.881-07:002014-08-09T11:43:22.881-07:00Yep, that's me, your friendly guidemap through...Yep, that's me, your friendly guidemap through the turd forest of publishing.<br /><br />You have such poetic prose. Brings tears to my eyes.<br /><br />;)<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12593351315325303120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965234148574336314.post-78294098651079250102014-08-09T11:42:09.421-07:002014-08-09T11:42:09.421-07:00You go right ahead and share it all up and down.
...You go right ahead and share it all up and down.<br /><br />:)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12593351315325303120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965234148574336314.post-41314859558976993182014-08-09T11:42:06.396-07:002014-08-09T11:42:06.396-07:00Once again, Travis cuts through to the truth. Than...Once again, Travis cuts through to the truth. Thanks for posting this. I'll be sharing it.Maer Whttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10878976064286784826noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965234148574336314.post-39047546168706928122014-08-09T11:40:52.166-07:002014-08-09T11:40:52.166-07:00Bookslut confessions, sounds like my kinda chitcha...Bookslut confessions, sounds like my kinda chitchat.<br /><br />Being Indie is a full time job. Indies work their asses off to write-publish-promote. <br /><br />Its not for everyone. But for me, I wouldn't have it any other way.<br /><br />Now, if a megacorp walked up to me with a seven-figure offer, I would probably change my tune.<br /><br />Until then, I'm pretty happy deciding what to publish, and when, and handling all that stuff like cover art and promotional pricing considerations, and promotions scheduling, and dropping books into multiauthor box sets all over hell.<br /><br />Its highly competitive, but it can also be a blast.<br /><br />:)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12593351315325303120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965234148574336314.post-72219735324607804852014-08-09T11:26:52.192-07:002014-08-09T11:26:52.192-07:00As with all disputes -- ALL disputes -- there is n...As with all disputes -- ALL disputes -- there is no single 100% victimized party in the Amazon-Hachet job. (Oops, that should be Hachette. My bad. :D) I too have been published by two of the then-Big-6-now-5-and-Falling traditional publishers, with less than splendiferous results. I too now go the indie route. It took me the better part of two years to find a publishing team (mainly, my freelance editor, who also works for the likes of Greg Bear and other big names in the biz; and my present cover designer, who works for, well, me, because I've never heard of anyone else on her client list :D) of folks who truly understand what I want to accomplish as an author. Folks at the Big-6-now-5-and-Falling never gave a crap about my input as an author, and I knew that going in. So until it came to knock-down-drag-out fights that I -- I!!! ai yiii yiii -- had to mediate between my (now ex- and also probably falling) literary agent and my editors, necessitating me having to step in to create little things like, oh, the back-cover copy, I didn't bother even trying to influence what was happening to my book babies behind Those Closed Doors. That said, being indie isn't all candy and roses for me either. The more I think about Amazon's policies -- such as allowing customers to "return" digital downloads for full refunds, and why ISN'T that tantamount to condoning piracy? -- the more I want to take a long hot shower. And then go dry off at the bank, because Amazon is where 99.9% of my sales revenues come from these days. Gads, I feel like such a bookslut sometimes. Thanks for letting me make this confession!Kim Iverson Headleehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05727645730975728896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965234148574336314.post-88764773898353910352014-08-09T11:17:57.857-07:002014-08-09T11:17:57.857-07:00Thank you Travis! This whole back and forth thing ...Thank you Travis! This whole back and forth thing is ridiculous and it all revolves around greed. Jacking up prices is not a way to help authors, I'll be the first to say there is no way I'll buy a digital book for the same price as a paperback or hardback. I'm an indie publisher that formats my 60+ authors books myself without the aid of any software, I do all there social media marketing for them! and push there books to every corner of the earth and I still give my authors far more of the profit than any of the mega corps out there. <br /><br />If authors want a fair deal, they should publish themselves or go with a smaller publisher that knows what they are doing. Amazon is in the right all the way in this, greed can sometimes win out for a while but everything comes full circle and intelligence and honesty will always win out over greed in the end! <br /><br />I intend to share this post with my authors and on every social media platform! Thank you again, Travis!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965234148574336314.post-64708811936147227232014-08-09T10:55:22.590-07:002014-08-09T10:55:22.590-07:00I got the same email, and I feel exactly as you do...I got the same email, and I feel exactly as you do ... as do most authors, even the ones fighting for the "bad" guys. Like you said, they simply don't know what's out there for them. Anyway, I would love to syndicate this post on The Masquerade Crew. If interested, see the following link.<br /><br />https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1KLrfVt858mkM-kK43dK_yCpA2DkFPe2sX0xJvEcp8Y4/viewform<br />Masquerade Crewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08561517969693391881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965234148574336314.post-27321440922055035242014-08-09T08:37:28.044-07:002014-08-09T08:37:28.044-07:00As a published author and sideline observer of the...As a published author and sideline observer of the ever-evolving world of publishing, I always thoroughly enjoy your slant on the happenings in our world. You are informative, knowledgeable and, yes...I'll say it...opinionated--an opinion I don't always agree with. In this case I do. I love it. <br /><br />I just got back from a week in San Antonio at the RWA convention where among the workshops that ran from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. I also listened to traditionally published authors cry crocodile tears into their chocolate martinis about the shafting they got from their publishers while indie authors stood around holding Coronas+lime wedge looking smug. It was a ever-present, unacknowledged theme of the entire week.<br /><br />When I got home, my husband asked my what my "take-away" was from the convention. With a slight quirk of the lip, I responded, "Self-publish." Amazon, for good or bad--I'll be the first to say, yes, sometimes Amazon can be a bit of a business bully--has done more to help the author than any of the Big 6 (or are they down to 5 by now? It's hard to keep count of who is buying who). Unfortunately, you need a media guru to wade through all the b*llsh*t that's spewed by both sides.<br /><br />So, THANKS, TRAVIS! I appreciate the guidemap through the turd forest of publishing. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00461947381486679279noreply@blogger.com