Comments on: What do you think about Amazon’s announcement that small publishers need to print with their printer in order to be listed on Amazon?

By: Don Muller

Don Muller — Thu, 22 May 2008 19:22:13 +0000

Hi,

I have a few questions.

Robert Morgen…what you wrote was interesting but can you explain:
Why you make 3 times more with a 55% discount. What formula do I use?

Can you explain how if you are a speaker, a book on Amazon is “priceless”?

Since you know this, maybe you can suggest something for me. If I am a speaker, about quit smoking and have a book. How can I get some audiences large and small to speak to on the subject? For instance are there sites that have databases of companies that want speakers?

****************************************************************
Ron,

I haven’t yet got my book published, but can you cut to the chase for me?

Should I still publish thru Thor? Will I be listed in Amazon if I do?

Thanks

Don Muller

http://easyquitnow.com

By: Robert Morgen

Robert Morgen — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:37:03 +0000

I’ve been a happy customer of LSI for several years primarily because they let me start a micro publishing company with very little investment and still get major distribution and a reasonable cost per book.

However, I’ve always seen LSI as a stepping stone towards the day when I’d be doing short run printing and storing and shipping our books. Once we get up to a certain sales point it makes more sense (and cents!) to buy more books cheaply rahter than fewer books at a higher price.

I also want to point out that I always counsel prospective authors to be able to make money at 55% off! The average authors royalty is about 10% of the retail price. I can make about 3 TIMES that much and still sell my books at 55% off, so if I need to shift over to Advantage then that abil;ity is already built in to my system.

Remember that being an author may not be about selling books! If you are a professional speaker then having that book on Amazon.com is priceless even if you don’t sell any.

Just something to think about.

Robert Morgen

By: RPramschufer

RPramschufer — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:58:17 +0000

Mark,
You need to go back and read my article again. No, I would not drop Amazon from my program. I will include any program that can sell books and make money for my author/publisers. If I need to open 10 accounts with 10 different retailers or wholesalers, I will. It is in the author’s best interest. It’s not a matter of sides, it’s a matter of how many valid sales channels can be set up to sell books. In my mind, that number was NEVER one.
Ron

By: Mark R. Probst

Mark R. Probst — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 20:21:16 +0000

Ron,
I’ve been waiting to hear you weigh in on this issue. It’s interesting that you are siding with Amazon. I’ve heard that Amazon is slowly contacting each of LSI’s customers with a sales pitch to sign a contract with BookSurge. I guess at some point Amazon will contact RJ Comunications/Thor with such a pitch. I am guessing that you will probably turn them down and remove Amazon.com from the list of Thor’s wholesale partners.
Personally, if Amazon should turn off the Buy buttons for my book, I will choose to sign up for Amazon Advantage using stock from my print run. Once my stock is depleted I may consider BookSurge, and hopefully their quality problems won’t still be an issue by then.

By: Lee Hall

Lee Hall — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 10:33:46 +0000

Amazon bypassed the anti-trust issue in clear terms in their press release. Though Amazon will probably circumvent any serious anti-trust litigation, I still find the whole thing unsettling. It’s yet another in a long line of examples of capitalism run amok in America.

To change the subject, I’ve been with BookSurge for 8 months now and I am appalled by their poor quality product. For example, after one reading of our book, the cover is shot. I have noticed that LSI enforces a much higher standard, based on LSI books I have read. This was a huge motivation for me to also sign with LSI, but now LSI’s only virtue is its automatic tie-in with Ingram for non-Amazon sales. BookSurge has no affiliation with Ingram or any other major distributor.

Fortunately, both BookSurge and LSI print the publisher’s name in the Copyright page and leave their own identities off the book entirely. It seems that both companies defer to whomever owns the ISBN. Imposing their respective identities would have been a deal breaker for us.

FYI, I noticed large fluctuations with my Amazon rankings, indicating a minimum of eight sales in March. BookSurge reflected only two of them. After I raised hell at BookSurge, the sales are now completely in line with the fluctuating rankings.

Also, I find it odd, to say the least, that LSI has automatic tie-ins with Amazon UK and Amazon Canada, but BookSurge does not. I wonder if the foreign Amazons will also nudge LSI out.

Finally, I disagree with the publishers who say that one should avoid Amazon altogether. I say any exposure is always good. I feel that Amazon can be a viable stepping stone and a worthy starting point to launch a book. Plus it does generate income.

Sincerely,
Lee Hall

By: John Harding

John Harding — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 07:41:01 +0000

I have three POD books. One, Escape from Paradise, is printed both by Booksurge and by LSI. I suppose that Amazon has simply switched over to Booksurge for its copies. The other two book, Palazzo, and Dear Friends and Darling Romans, are printed only by LSI. Nevertheless, those two books continue to appear on Amazon, and usually “in stock.” Does this mean Amazon is still ordering from LSI?

By: Elizabeth Burton

Elizabeth Burton — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 22:15:53 +0000

Notice in “speedball’s” post how the same misinformation is again trotted forth to “prove” that this is all a huge plot by Amazon to monopolize the print-on-demand industry?

We’ve used Booksurge since they were Digitz. All of our backlist to fall of 2006 are listed there, and several of those are dual-listed with LSI as well. I have never to this day seen any difference in quality of the product, and yet because Angela Hoy, who hasn’t used Booksurge for years if at all, claimed the Booksurge quality was abysmal everyone now is convinced it’s so.

I have to agree, Ron. The earliest protests against the Amazon policy–which is nothing but utilizing POD the way it should be used–were from people who have gotten away with short-discounting. In essence, Amazon has been selling books for them and in some cases losing money on every sale. Since it wouldn’t have won any support to complain about that, the outcry turned to screams of restraint of trade and monopoly and who knows what-all.

I said it several times when the mess first started, and I say it again: TANSTAAFL.

By: speedball

speedball — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:00:04 +0000

Several things about the amazon grab for printing POD books.
Very similar to the IBM case in the 60s where they tried to make people use their punch cards. The govt needs to look at amazon for antitrust violations.
.
Booksurge has a reputation for low to bad quality with many of their books.
.
They do not apparently have the capacity to print everything amazon needs either.
.
amazon takes way too high a %percentage% for what they do. small publishers cant make a decent profit (if anything). using amazon is like writing for free to get “exposure” if you give then a 48% discount.
.
there are good alternatives for self publishers and POD sales.
.
just say no. do not deal with amazon in any manner.
.

By: Bernie

Bernie — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:52:30 +0000

Mr. Pramschufer, thanks for this post! As a micro-publisher preparing to launch his first book via LSI to get on Amazon, this makes me rethink my strategy.

My personal thanks to you for all the valuable information you put out. It directly lead to my decision to purchase my own ISBN’s which gives me the flexibility of moving my book to whatever channel makes the most sense for me.

Amazon has to do what it feels is right for itself. Your information helps put things on an even playing field and lets me do what is necessary to launch my business.

Cheers!

Bernie Malonson

By: Danielle

Danielle — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:39:13 +0000

“…by Amazon with the following press release (click here)…”

The “click here” isn’t linked. What was the URL to the press release?

Oops! Sorry about that. The press release is located at http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/?docId=1000213141.
Thanks
Ron