tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436915084701775452.post1445263413189176380..comments2024-03-25T21:30:28.970-07:00Comments on <b>Smashwords</b>: Amazon The Grinch Who Stole Christmas? Amazon Doubles Down on ExclusivityDovetail Public Relationshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05039664167177159146noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436915084701775452.post-69916755423708669172017-11-20T21:43:37.167-08:002017-11-20T21:43:37.167-08:00Has anything changed after 5 years of this post? I...Has anything changed after 5 years of this post? I just finished writing an ebook about little known remedies to eliminate body odor that were used in Latin American countries decades ago and are now pretty much forgotten. I was thinking of using the Kindle platform but I'm not sure if that the best way to expose my ebook to the greatest number of readers interested in buying it. Any suggestions? Thank you!aliciasotomayorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16153326859799376090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436915084701775452.post-74458916859097092292012-12-20T06:44:07.903-08:002012-12-20T06:44:07.903-08:00No one seems to be mentioning the fact that the be...No one seems to be mentioning the fact that the bestselling books that are in Amazon's select program are not exclusive, like, for example, the Harry Potter books. Those are for sale at Barnes and Nobles Nook store. It seems that there are two sets of rules. Only the indie authors have to give up their rights to sell elsewhere. This way Amazon gets to brag 'exclusive' books, while undercutting the other stores with free popular books. And those free bestsellers are getting all the funds in the pot. This whole promotion is about putting everyone else out of business. Has no one else noticed this?Nancy Madorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15250899301648804207noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436915084701775452.post-73670557150164333222012-12-17T12:02:16.771-08:002012-12-17T12:02:16.771-08:00@Anna Erishkigal-I'm also using Goodreads and ...@Anna Erishkigal-I'm also using Goodreads and I was surprised by your comment about their giveaway. I wondered how I missed that. But once I looked into, I remembered that I had seen it before and discovered that it was intended for copies in "print" only. As an Amazon KDP select member, I can do free giveaways of my "ebook". On Goodreads, I can't. <br />By the way, I did another "Free File Friday" last week and 20 more people downloaded my book. That's now a total of 242 people who now own my book.Gregory Paul Wilhelmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11116227530702972578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436915084701775452.post-51569279191197608892012-12-15T12:41:11.342-08:002012-12-15T12:41:11.342-08:00I danced on KDP Select for two whirls of the dance...I danced on KDP Select for two whirls of the dance floor. It did nothing for me either in borrows or sales. It didn't even net the reviews I'd hoped to get.<br /><br />Goodreads ... so much better. You do a giveaway ... you get reviews (I got a 40% review rate). Why doesn't Smashwords import the Goodreads ratings like Kobo does? I went direct to Kobo's distribution platform for that reason, but love Smashwords (even the irritations of meatgrinder) for how author-friendy it tries to be.Anna_esqhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04308973517820331789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436915084701775452.post-77521314591635520842012-12-06T19:31:42.027-08:002012-12-06T19:31:42.027-08:00Thanks for sharing this, Mark. I'm posting a l...Thanks for sharing this, Mark. I'm posting a link to it on The Indie Writer's Network. We have a forum dedicated to discussing the ups and downs of the kdp select program, and this will bring another voice to the conversation.<br /><br />--Amy Joy <br />http://indiewritenet.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436915084701775452.post-39576040470843636262012-12-05T13:14:05.755-08:002012-12-05T13:14:05.755-08:00That's funny. I just said the same thing about...That's funny. I just said the same thing about Smashwords. I'm seeing more DOWNLOADS on Amazon than Smashwords.<br />For those keeping count, that's 222:Amazon, 000:Smashwords.Gregory Paul Wilhelmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11116227530702972578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436915084701775452.post-64858258710232340332012-12-05T13:08:56.773-08:002012-12-05T13:08:56.773-08:00BTW, there is absolutely no guarantee you will ear...BTW, there is absolutely no guarantee you will earn anything with KDP Select, and I have about 50 authors who agree with me, all of whom publish on KDP. Most are pulling out of the program with nothing to show for it. Things to think about.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436915084701775452.post-70741767401377278432012-12-05T13:05:17.620-08:002012-12-05T13:05:17.620-08:00You Amazon apologists and supporters will learn yo...You Amazon apologists and supporters will learn your lesson soon. It does no good to keep all your eggs in one basket. I made more money from Smashwords than I ever did with Amazon, so I'm sticking with Smashwords. Fish or cut bait.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436915084701775452.post-19631797662937073942012-12-03T11:11:39.221-08:002012-12-03T11:11:39.221-08:00I will check if the sales for my book The Clout of...I will check if the sales for my book <b>The Clout of Gen</b> increases this holiday with smashwords to decide what to do next year.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12809710414312281599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436915084701775452.post-40055105787740732292012-12-03T08:47:56.765-08:002012-12-03T08:47:56.765-08:00I agree with Elizabeth Barone. In fact, that's...I agree with Elizabeth Barone. In fact, that's the point I was intending to make with my original comment. Hate to say it Smashwords, but you guys need to take lessons from Amazon. Their KDP Select was what helped me get my book seen by more people. I know you guys have some info somewhere that's supposed to help people, but I haven't got the time to hunt it down.Gregory Paul Wilhelmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11116227530702972578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436915084701775452.post-50708862380939062032012-12-03T07:29:54.759-08:002012-12-03T07:29:54.759-08:00I've been with Smashwords since May of this ye...I've been with Smashwords since May of this year and I've yet to see ANY evidence of this "advantage" you keep harping about. I've been on Amazon in a much shorter time and my visibility with ereaders has multiplied tenfold. (By the way, not only has no one not bothered to download my book through Smashwords, no one's even bothered to download a sample of it.) Some "advantage". Also, I came up with a better description of my book and changed it. Did you guys distribute the change to retailers? NO! No you did not!Gregory Paul Wilhelmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11116227530702972578noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436915084701775452.post-2615005450692279122012-12-03T05:56:39.973-08:002012-12-03T05:56:39.973-08:00Harping is not attractive, nor is being defensive....Harping is not attractive, nor is being defensive. I've not been successful on Smashwords since last May and found a mistake made on my SW site. Customer service never fixed it. Lastly, it's only three months. Three. Months. That's it. It's a free market system. Get over it.Jeanie Hendersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04723468033561154205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436915084701775452.post-10614011010824265792012-12-02T19:46:30.921-08:002012-12-02T19:46:30.921-08:00I don't think there is any *right* answer. It&...I don't think there is any *right* answer. It's all growing and changing so quickly that there isn't much of a chance of nailing it down. <br /><br />I do know that through it all, I've valued Mark's opinion and analysis. Whether I agree with it or not, it makes me think about the publishing industry carefully and in ways I might not have considered before. <br /><br />Thanks Mark. Happy Holidays to you!The Cover Countshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06345947907908833607noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436915084701775452.post-25183878395333781802012-12-02T18:34:34.789-08:002012-12-02T18:34:34.789-08:00I have no desire to use Amazon's "exclusi...I have no desire to use Amazon's "exclusive" program, as I like my books to have the widest coverage possible. There are plenty of folks out there who feel that doing business with Amazon hurts other business, so they refuse to buy from Amazon.<br /><br />I've got my books available on Smashwords and Amazon, and that's working for me just the way I have it.Anna Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09781552440659543849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436915084701775452.post-26848016856188873502012-12-02T18:21:53.366-08:002012-12-02T18:21:53.366-08:00It does not hurt me by much if others take part in...It does not hurt me by much if others take part in amazons double down. I will just sell more on the other sites due to less competition.<br />so I say let them go for it...<br /><br />More people are buying Kobo and Nook readers now anyways.LMKee, LLChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01634064365201103590noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436915084701775452.post-2812788867931063292012-12-02T17:50:17.531-08:002012-12-02T17:50:17.531-08:00KDP ain't what is used to be. The Golden Month...KDP ain't what is used to be. The Golden Months when a great give-away led to jumping onto the bestseller list waned some time ago. Now authors can give away a bunch of free books and get little in return. I think a lot of people download free books and never read them. The Prime payout sounds good, but with a wide selection, the income isn't that enticing. I created a KDP sampler of short stories and excerpts. It gives some freebie exposure without tying up all the books in the mighty ZON catalog. Dana TaylorAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436915084701775452.post-31643926379237534712012-12-02T11:44:49.342-08:002012-12-02T11:44:49.342-08:00I am staying with Smashwords and Amazon. It makes...I am staying with Smashwords and Amazon. It makes the most business sense. Besides, I would never rely on one big giant who would squish me without blinking. I ain't crazy, and that's a poor business model, besides.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07596228094618600990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436915084701775452.post-62705788622981670422012-12-01T11:35:47.244-08:002012-12-01T11:35:47.244-08:00I have to say this, and mostly because I love Smas...I have to say this, and mostly because I love Smashwords: the Amazon bashing has got to stop. It's honestly really annoying at this point. Blog posts about how Smashwords can improve my career rather than why I should avoid the competition would be so much more helpful.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06581310106689907068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436915084701775452.post-19307030398948653822012-12-01T04:32:00.863-08:002012-12-01T04:32:00.863-08:00Amazon have had to double the pot now that Prime i...Amazon have had to double the pot now that Prime is available in countries other than the US. If they didn't, the share for each borrow would have tumbled. Anyone thinking they're going to get a ton of money from borrows should think again. I expect it will remain at just around $2 a pop.<br /><br />Personally, I will be leaving KDP at the end of the month and going through Smashwords.jambalianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13144704967163371616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436915084701775452.post-61488794963565675612012-11-30T20:47:34.596-08:002012-11-30T20:47:34.596-08:00Mark, Perhaps your message would be clear if you p...Mark, Perhaps your message would be clear if you proposed requiring exclusivity to set a zero price?Charl Deehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07819240859279352254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436915084701775452.post-12177959925612354602012-11-30T19:32:33.121-08:002012-11-30T19:32:33.121-08:00Okay. Everyone has awesome points on both sides. ...Okay. Everyone has awesome points on both sides. I too thought I was going to venture into KDP-S, but I had a horrible time trying to upload my book so I gave up. Not to mention Smashwords authors who do distribute to multiple retailers also can opt in to Amazon. Patience, one day it will come.<br />Hey, me personally, after all of the work that I do just writing my novels, I don't need the technical side to wear me out as well. When it's done, it's done and when it's ready to read, I want someone to read it.<br />Hats off to Smashwords for making publishing so easy for all of us. Mark started this company with us in mind and I appreciate all that Smashwords does for me!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436915084701775452.post-68412850876477023372012-11-30T17:20:42.652-08:002012-11-30T17:20:42.652-08:00I'm sure I would sell more books with Amazon S...I'm sure I would sell more books with Amazon Select because despite excellent reviews my novels are not well enough known to sell more than a handful of copies elsewhere -- they don't fit neatly into any genre and they are not light reading. Since making one of them free, it has had thousands of downloads at Amazon and far more people have bought the sequel in the past two months than in several years before, whereas few people discover even the free title at other outlets. However, I will never give any retailer the exclusive right to sell ANY book, regardless of whatever advantages that might have. "Real" books have always been available from all booksellers, by special order if not stocked. To restrict distribution of an ebook is to turn it into a mere commodity instead of literature offered to the reading public on the same basis as a printed book. I believe ebooks deserve the same status in the eyes of readers as printed books and that Amazon's policy of treating them differently will delay their acceptance by traditional booklovers.Sylviahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15775567658879178186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436915084701775452.post-67996360366561496842012-11-30T12:23:57.199-08:002012-11-30T12:23:57.199-08:00I think it has its pros and cons. I opted into KD...I think it has its pros and cons. I opted into KDP on one book last May and the resultant downloads skyrocketed my romance into 3 days of being #1 on the best seller list, and then drove the next two months in sales for me to over $12,000 on the second in the series. After the free period ended, I had two books in the paid top 12, and I made the movers and shakers list.<br /><br />Before that, I languished with selling 50-100 books a month making hardly nothing. That tactic gave me visibility to a bigger audience. I have two titles in KDP and three that are not in KDP. Every 90 days and I do a freebie to push interest. <br /><br />I would not put all of my titles in KDP, nor will I leave the other two titles in KDP forever. I guess it just works differently for everyone. I know my experience was not the norm, but it was blessing at a time I really needed extra cash.Vicki Hopkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07268510221608107264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436915084701775452.post-42808768576528552532012-11-30T11:40:24.014-08:002012-11-30T11:40:24.014-08:00I'm more interested in what improvements Smash...I'm more interested in what improvements Smashwords is going to make.<br /><br />New site design? Accepting epubs (unless I missed the announcement those are being accepted now)?<br /><br />And please bring Premium ISBNs back. They were superbly cost effective for small indie publishers with limited capital who prefer to be listed as the publisher of record.Scathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11501466608432059406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7436915084701775452.post-38251043571372982342012-11-30T10:23:17.403-08:002012-11-30T10:23:17.403-08:00Dear Mark,
I'm a fierce proponent of Smashword...Dear Mark,<br />I'm a fierce proponent of Smashwords, and it's my preferred e-bookseller for english language "indie" ebooks. I'm also one of those who agree with you on the BAD effect the exclusivity part of the SELECT program has on self-publishing from a macroscopic point of view. Select is indeed one of the reasons I've decided almost a year ago to boycott Amazon. (Hi ModWitch BTW)<br /><br />However, moaning and cursing Amazon for their cunning is NOT sufficient to win against them, while providing better support for authors and readers would.<br /><br />As a reader I'm still waiting for your getting rid of the meatgrinder, which IS one additional hurdle for authors to provide books through you, and which provides at best "correctly formatted" ebooks, way under the quality of properly manually formatted ones. <br /><br />I seem to remember you saying some direct epub upload would be in the pipe but can't find it since there is no search option on the blog...<br /><br />I also understand that the Smashwords site direct sales part is not really your priority, but still...<br /><br /><br />From a writer's POV, there still is the delays between changes made on Smashwords, and they being forwarded/updated by the final resellers. I understand that at least half of that is the reseller's fault, but I think some of the rest could be enhanced from your side.<br /><br />While I HATE saying it, if Amazon has gotten that prominent position, and if it IS able to propose a program like SELECT despite its Exclusivity requirement, it is because they provide a better experience to "both" of your customers : readers of course, but authors too.<br /><br />I'm sorry, but from my point of view, unless you step up YOUR side of the game, at some point in the future Smashword's catalog will keep on loosing some of the great authors it has. And it's not the mass of money-fueled 50 Shades-alike erotica authors that will keep me buying from you.TheSFReaderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14382773423096004794noreply@blogger.com