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Announcement for all Independent Authors & Publishers
As a result of our Blog Talk Radio show today, we are asking all Independent Authors and Publishers to begin a campaign to protest Amazon’s demand that small publishers print books with their company Book Surge or be denied the buy button on their site.
The slogan for this protest is “Anywhere But Amazon.” If you are not contractually bound to sell your book on Amazon we would like for you to consider pulling it’s availability from the site and sending your customers to some other online retailer. If your publisher or printer binds you to offer your book on Amazon, then we ask that you stop being a customer and tell all your friends to follow the slogan “Anywhere But Amazon.”
The Blog Talk Radio show today, hosted by myself and Penny Sansevieri of Author Marketing Experts, included Angela Hoy the publisher of Book Locker and Eric Kampmann a publisher and distributor of Independent books. We discussed the Amazon situation for a full hour and you can listen at the following link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ThePublishingInsiders
Please join us in protesting the Gorilla tactics of Amazon by either pulling your book from the site, or stop being a customer. Our hope is that all customers will consider going “Anywhere But Amazon.”
- Jerry's blog
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Amazon Monopoly On Blog Talk Radio
Jerry,
I enjoyed your special program on Amazon.com/Booksurge's efforts to monopolize the POD market. Based on what I have already read on the issue, I found your program accurate and well presented. I plan to listen to all the past recordings to help my on-going education in the world of publishing.
When Amazon's executives started their push to force authors and publishers to only print POD books through them, I was still in communication with a Booksurge rep about publishing my new novel, The Worst Kind of Lies. After reading as much information on Amazon's strong arm tactics, I sent my Booksurge rep a nice email explaining why I could no longer consider contracting with Booksurge as my publisher. I tried to assure my Booksurge rep that all of my communications with her were pleasant and informative, and that my decision was not her fault. I told her that I was sorry that Amazon's business practices made it impossible for me to feel confident that I would be treated honestly and fairly.
I eventually received from my Booksurge rep a pleasant, but guarded reply which avoided my main concerns about Amazon's power grabbing efforts. Before that happened, though, I was quickly sent a form email containing half-truths and very carefully politically worded statements about Amazon's business intentions. The double-talk of the form email removed any lingering doubts I had about my decision not to use Booksurge as my publisher.
Hopefully, Amazon's actions will not fall into obscurity and its executives will be forced to reassess the wisdom of their actions. Unfortunately, these days "whatever the market will bear" seems a more potent management path to success than any consideration for customer Good Will. Too often the courts are the only ones who have the power to show businesses that they are not all powerful and unstoppable. Many companies certainly have learned it the hard way in the past.
Also, I'm one of the people who have changed my shopping patterns at Amazon.com. I work very hard for my money and when I have a choice, I channel it in directions where I feel less victimized by corporate corruption.
John Patrick Lamont