Oct 4, 2023·edited Oct 4, 2023Liked by Cameron M. Bailey
Thanks for the direct link to purchase the books directly from the authors - that's helpful. Authors make more when you buy their work directly from them, when that is possible.
Agreed, it is good when we can buy books directly from the author. While I certainly understand the convenience of Amazon, I am concerned about the impact its market dominance has, and can have on authors.
Likewise. Market dominance is one thing - monopoly is another. Beyond that, the entire publishing industry has been rejiggered to the extent that authors are only commodities to be extracted. There's a reason we call them the Humanities and there's something sacred, or ought to be, about everything connected to our human condition.
A pox on all the houses of the Vienna/Austrian business school. That's one diabolical invention I'd like to see go away in flames.
Yeah, that's my concern as well. Take e-books, they can be published widely on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, and all the rest. But for most writers, the overwhelming number of sales come from Amazon.
In the early days, that was all A-OK. Amazon paid well. But then they developed a two tier pay system. To get paid well, the book had to be exclusive to Amazon, not listed anywhere else. So authors had a choice, go Amazon exclusively to get paid well, or go wide so people could buy anywhere. Wide meant a smaller share of revenue for the writer.
Then came KDP Select or whatever it's called. Writers don't get paid for their specific book sales at all. Rather people can pay a monthly fee and read what they want for 'free.' Amazon creates a fund with some of the revenues from that fee, and pays out to writers in some opaque scheme.
As market dominance becomes more and more pronounced, authors will continue to have their earnings squeezed more and more. If the current trajectory continues, there will be nowhere else to effectively sell e-books, and writers will be completely at the mercy of Amazon. At that point, they will be squeezed into nothingness.
Without a doubt we have allowed tech companies to engage in monopolistic practices far too long now. We need another Teddy Roosevelt at the helm to get things back on track.
I’m trying to force myself to finish Journey of the Elu to Enlightenment, The Seven Honor Men, and Contemplative Masonry before I buy anything else…but I’ll probably take your recommendations anyhow.
Ah, I too have Journey of the Elu to Enlightenment on my 'to read' list. It's on the bookshelf in my office, ready to go. Unfortunately, I sometimes find myself buying more books than I can read! And living a block and a half from my city's library just exacerbates that problem!
Thanks for the direct link to purchase the books directly from the authors - that's helpful. Authors make more when you buy their work directly from them, when that is possible.
Agreed, it is good when we can buy books directly from the author. While I certainly understand the convenience of Amazon, I am concerned about the impact its market dominance has, and can have on authors.
Likewise. Market dominance is one thing - monopoly is another. Beyond that, the entire publishing industry has been rejiggered to the extent that authors are only commodities to be extracted. There's a reason we call them the Humanities and there's something sacred, or ought to be, about everything connected to our human condition.
A pox on all the houses of the Vienna/Austrian business school. That's one diabolical invention I'd like to see go away in flames.
Yeah, that's my concern as well. Take e-books, they can be published widely on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, and all the rest. But for most writers, the overwhelming number of sales come from Amazon.
In the early days, that was all A-OK. Amazon paid well. But then they developed a two tier pay system. To get paid well, the book had to be exclusive to Amazon, not listed anywhere else. So authors had a choice, go Amazon exclusively to get paid well, or go wide so people could buy anywhere. Wide meant a smaller share of revenue for the writer.
Then came KDP Select or whatever it's called. Writers don't get paid for their specific book sales at all. Rather people can pay a monthly fee and read what they want for 'free.' Amazon creates a fund with some of the revenues from that fee, and pays out to writers in some opaque scheme.
As market dominance becomes more and more pronounced, authors will continue to have their earnings squeezed more and more. If the current trajectory continues, there will be nowhere else to effectively sell e-books, and writers will be completely at the mercy of Amazon. At that point, they will be squeezed into nothingness.
Without a doubt we have allowed tech companies to engage in monopolistic practices far too long now. We need another Teddy Roosevelt at the helm to get things back on track.
I’m trying to force myself to finish Journey of the Elu to Enlightenment, The Seven Honor Men, and Contemplative Masonry before I buy anything else…but I’ll probably take your recommendations anyhow.
Ah, I too have Journey of the Elu to Enlightenment on my 'to read' list. It's on the bookshelf in my office, ready to go. Unfortunately, I sometimes find myself buying more books than I can read! And living a block and a half from my city's library just exacerbates that problem!