Janice~

Good blog, Karenna!

One company I know of defines ‘adult content’ as anything that ‘is designed to arouse’. Another company will allow anything that is legal in the state they are based in (California). When I e-mailed them, I specifically asked about the type of fiction I wrote, and they said there wasn’t a problem. So if there is any doubt, ask the web hosting company.

It’s business, plain and simple, and it makes the world go ’round…well, I guess here around Valentine’s Day it should be love making the world go ’round, lol, but just don’t try buying any MacMillian books from Amazon as a gift for your sweetie this year. lol

I’ve been reading comments over at another blog, and I’ve thought about this overnight. I honestly believe all this is just a matter of posturing on both sides of the table. The implied threat from all publishers–veiled through MacMillian’s comments–and the removal of the buy button from Amazon. In a week or so, someone is going to blink.

Then again, maybe not.

I’m bothered that once again Amazon is involved in more 800 lb. gorilla tactics. You mentioned one buy button removal issue in your blog here, Mary. I’m also taken back to that snafu not so long ago with erotic titles. I never did believe some poor little dude in France caused all of that. But then I have a suspicious nature in general.

Amazon is a distributor. They are not the creative genius behind the books or anything else they sell. Prices are low because they squeeze every penny they can out of the creative genius behind the product. That’s a fact. With regard to books, I’ve heard authors say over and over again that X, Y, and Z distributors take such a huge chunk of money and they make so little from being sold on the sites, yet they are willing to sacrifice their rightful share of the profit in exchange for the exposure. I see the point, really do, but in the final analysis is it worth it?

We’ve essentially got a distributor here that is holding books hostage. The creators of the product must kowtow to Amazon’s pricing or forfeit exposure. I’ve seen figures that indicate Amazon comprises 15% of MacMillian’s total sales. That’s a nice chunk. But do we really want a third party retailer controlling the publishing industry like this? Have the ability to make or break a publisher or any other business in the palm of their hand?

Maybe I’m just being scrappy (visions of Scooby Doo and Scrappy are dancing in my head right now, lol) but I’d honestly like to see all of this settled and in maybe not such a popular manner. I’d like to see a couple of more big-guys-on-the-block publishers join MacMillian and say enough is enough.

Readers can handle being without their Amazon book purchases if necessary. What did we all do before Amazon? It’s not like we don’t have other avenues. I loved ARe’s response to all this and their big sale. Now that’s a retailer that appears to have the symbiotic relationship of author/publisher/distributor/buyer in mind. Everyone needs to consider the bigger picture. Amazon even developed an e-reader that only works with books purchased from their site. And what about DRM? Who’s pushing for that?

If it walks like a monopoly wannabe, talks like a monopoly wannabe, eats, lives, and breathes like a monopoly wannabe—then it’s a monopoly in the making. So I guess we can now officially say I’m firmly on the side of anyone who isn’t on the side of Amazon here. An opinion it took me overnight to develop as I kept reading and weighing the facts. And yes, I’m looking at this more so from an author’s viewpoint than a reader’s, and what is good for a publisher in dollars and cents is usually good for an author. Or should be. But at the same time, as a reader/person, I don’t want to see anyone in a position of power over another. Compromise is the key.

Sorry, Mary. I wrote another blog instead of commenting. Ooops!