Sympathy for the Devil....totally one of my favorite Stones songs, but also very apropos when I think about current attitudes about Amazon. In many circles, in addition to the literary world, Amazon has been perceived as the devil: slowly eroding away at the fabric of many of our institutions. There are so many love/ hate relationships with this company and there is a whole bevy of topics about this company including employee treatment, putting small companies out of business...and the list goes on and on. However, I want to focus my discussion on the role they have played in the publishing industry.
I was prompted to write this blog after an eye-opening conversation with an independent bookseller whom I was hoping to sell my book in her store. I am much too polite to name the bookstore and publicly take out my frustration: I feel no ill will towards independent booksellers- I wish them success. Yet, after my conversation with her & research on attitudes of other (actually almost ALL independent booksellers) about Amazon/Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) I experienced a whole bevy of emotions starting with an overwhelming feeling of failure. Then my sadness turned to confusion and finally I ended up MAD. Why should I be penalized as an author just because I chose the publishing company that worked best for my needs? Does that diminish in any way the content or quality of my book? I absolutely hate being sucked into the political world of publishing...but lo and behold here I am.
The woman I spoke with was very open to my book and gave me a sheet of instructions on how to submit my book for being sold in her store. I perused the sheet and when I saw the note about "We do not accept books published by any of the Amazon imprints, including Create Space." Well, right then my heart sank and instead of just turning and walking out in a huff....I spoke with her and really tried to understand. I did tell her that I respect their position, but as an author I feel I am being penalized just because of my choice of publisher.
After leaving the store, with my dignity still in tact...I was proud of myself that I did not burst in to tears or start hurling heavy books through their plate glass window. I do honestly empathize for the small independent booksellers and they understandably have a right to feel that Amazon is the big, bad Capitalist Pig preying on those that are just trying to earn a living. I can see both sides of it, but we live in a capitalist country where competition is stiff. Seems to me that many small booksellers have modified their business model to appeal to a local marketplace, and some have been wonderfully successful. I know I am not in the shoes of a book store owner: I am sure they have many war stories to tell. I am just speaking on behalf of the unsung heroes of the literary world: The Authors.
If you are old enough to be part of American consumerism in the 1990's you will remember when Amazon got started in on-line marketing. Before they starting hocking clothing, household supplies, pet supplies and everything else under the sun, their primary focus was on....You guessed it: books. Amazon was founded in 1994 and I guess their success just snowballed from there. In 2000, they founded the publishing company: Create Space. My first 2 books were with Create Space which later changed to KDP. Sometimes it just feels better to go with what you know, so I did not switch publishers. At the time I had no reason to. (Maybe I still don't)
It's interesting to note that as of the writing of this blog, there are currently 2,827 American publishing houses. The number of self-publishing companies is approximately a mere 30, a small number when compared to the traditional route of publishing but nevertheless when you are trying to boil it down to one company to use for publishing your book...the task can seem monumental. Yet, my shock at not being able to market my book in small bookstores makes me ponder if I should switch publishers with my next book? Sometimes I wonder if I would feel "forced" to switch; this was the third book I published via Amazon/Kindle Direct Publishing (Formerly KDP was called Create Space) and I was very pleased with how all of the books looked upon completion. Additionally, I truly appreciate the concept of POD (Print on Demand) so as a novice author I don't have to stock pile huge amounts of books which would also entail a sizable cash outlay. I haven't sold massive amounts of books, but that is not why I write. I write because I love the art of writing. So...if you are interested in my latest book about the National Park Service...you won't find it in a local bookstore, only Amazon:
I don't think the quality of your writing is being called into question, nor do I think the book seller in question is calling into question the quality of your character. The bookseller has made a decision based on their business model. Think about it in terms of coffee, you see all these "fair trade signs" in coffee shops and the coffee might be a little more expensive, but the customer's ethical choices won't be conflicted knowing that the coffee they are drinking is coming from shady business practices.
ReplyDeleteThe same way a reader might feel conflicted about some global corporation might be taking a cut off the top from a local author who is trying to make writing their primary and sole source of income.
The challenge is identifying what type of reader/audience are you trying to appeal to? It's near impossible to make everyone happy.
Dan: Thanks for taking the time to read my article. That is probably a good comparison, in some ways, about the difference between "fair trade coffee" and vendors that perhaps don't make ethical decisions with the growers. Yet, my frustration as an author still lies with the concept that I am being penalized because of my choice of publisher. Now that I have been at this for awhile, (and I basically have learned on-line editing/formating) maybe I could choose a publisher that would be more "accepted" by the independent booksellers. Food for thought....
ReplyDeleteNicely done and Bravo to you for taking on this with an even hand and presenting an unbiased factual article.
ReplyDeleteThanks...it felt good to write things down to provide a LITTLE bit of clarity to a complicated issue. Thanks for your feedback.
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