I'm picking up, in a dim and distant way, that this thread has shifted to discussion of what's a fair e-book price, speculation on their production costs, who loves their Kindle and who won't touch one.
I'm still stuck on the fact that Amazon arbitrarily shut down all sales of my Macmillan titles last Friday.
Oh, look--they're STILL shut down.
I just checked. They said they'd relent, so why are their thumbs still up their collective arses on this? Why are they not selling my books again?
Macmillan has
41 imprints in the US, representing hundreds of writers with millions of readers and not one book is moving through the Amazon US system unless it's a used copy (and Amazon STILL takes a cut of that sale with ZERO royalties going to the writers).
I don't care what format you prefer to read a book or what price you choose to pay.
I do very much care that their actions are costing ME earnings.
If my sales numbers dip, then down the road the publisher can and will either not buy a new book from me or offer a much lower advance than before. Doesn't matter that the dip was clearly not my fault, bean counters look at numbers, not the causes behind their drop.
Don't think Macmillan will cut their own writers a break on this. If they can get away with trimming down advances they will. It's what publishers DO.
I don't give a rat's patoot about Amazon's fight with Macmillan. Both are arguing complicated financial matters I neither know or care to know about, but
the bottom line is quite simple: Amazon is not making me money today.
I will continue to do my best to direct buyers to their competition, reminding my readers why other online sellers and indies are better for them. I rather think a large number of other writers will do likewise. Certainly I won't be shopping Amazon ever again.
One of the big kids pissed on us, but we have long and evil memories.