Read books by AWers!

Welcome to the AbsoluteWrite Water Cooler! Please read The Newbie Guide To Absolute Write

editing for authors ad

A publisher or agency using Google ads to solicit your novel probably isn't anyone you want to write for.


Go Back   Absolute Write Water Cooler > Publishing > E-Publishing
Register FAQ Calendar Mark Forums Read

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 02-24-2012, 12:01 PM   #1
monk
New Fish; Learning About Thick Skin
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 3
monk is on a distinguished road
Only kindle.

I know absolutly nothing about ebook publishing.
So i have a few questions.
1) What is the difference between 35% and 75% royalties. And what is the advantages of them?
2) If someone publishes a book on kindle, do they still have the right to publish their work with other companies?
3) Do i still own all rights to the book?
monk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-24-2012, 12:26 PM   #2
PulpDogg
I should be writing
 
PulpDogg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 268
PulpDogg is well-respected
Quote:
Originally Posted by monk View Post
I know absolutly nothing about ebook publishing.
So i have a few questions.
1) What is the difference between 35% and 75% royalties. And what is the advantages of them?
2) If someone publishes a book on kindle, do they still have the right to publish their work with other companies?
3) Do i still own all rights to the book?
1) It is either 35% or 70% royalty. The 35% is for anything between $0.99 and $2.99, as well as anything above $9.99. 70% is for anything between $2.99 and $9.99.
2) Yes you do. Amazon in this case is just a retailer. You most certainly can also publish with Barnes&Nobles PubIt and with Smashwords, as well as a host of other outlets. Only if you enroll in Amazons KDP Select Program are you prohibited to publish anywhere else, as the Select Program has an exclusivity clause.
3) YES. You don't give up any rights. You are the publisher, not Amazon. Again ... Amazon is just the retailer in this case.
__________________
Blog / Google+ / Twitter
PulpDogg is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 02-24-2012, 01:22 PM   #3
monk
New Fish; Learning About Thick Skin
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 3
monk is on a distinguished road
Quote:
Originally Posted by PulpDogg View Post
1) It is either 35% or 70% royalty. The 35% is for anything between $0.99 and $2.99, as well as anything above $9.99. 70% is for anything between $2.99 and $9.99.
2) Yes you do. Amazon in this case is just a retailer. You most certainly can also publish with Barnes&Nobles PubIt and with Smashwords, as well as a host of other outlets. Only if you enroll in Amazons KDP Select Program are you prohibited to publish anywhere else, as the Select Program has an exclusivity clause.
3) YES. You don't give up any rights. You are the publisher, not Amazon. Again ... Amazon is just the retailer in this case.
Thanks for the heads up.
monk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-25-2012, 01:15 AM   #4
James D. Macdonald
Your Genial Uncle
Absolute Sage
 
James D. Macdonald's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 21,882
James D. Macdonald is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsJames D. Macdonald is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsJames D. Macdonald is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsJames D. Macdonald is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsJames D. Macdonald is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsJames D. Macdonald is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsJames D. Macdonald is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsJames D. Macdonald is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsJames D. Macdonald is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsJames D. Macdonald is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsJames D. Macdonald is so great that we've run out of appropriate compliments
35% is also for public-domain works, regardless of price point.

For another (and a bit sourer) view on Amazon pricing, see this: http://www.jimchines.com/2012/02/amazon-ebook-price/
__________________
Ghosts and Legends
A collection of fantasy stories by Debra Doyle and James D. Macdonald
Multiple electronic formats
James D. Macdonald is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-25-2012, 01:16 PM   #5
monk
New Fish; Learning About Thick Skin
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 3
monk is on a distinguished road
Thanks for the reponces. I am learning a lot.
People here seem to have a good understanding of how things work. I was wondering if anyone here have any opinions on smashwords?
That has been the site i have been looking at. (mainly cause it is free)
monk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-25-2012, 01:56 PM   #6
merrihiatt
Writing! Writing! Writing!
 
merrihiatt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Pacific Northwest, Washington
Posts: 3,401
merrihiatt is better than ice cream with hot fudgemerrihiatt is better than ice cream with hot fudgemerrihiatt is better than ice cream with hot fudgemerrihiatt is better than ice cream with hot fudgemerrihiatt is better than ice cream with hot fudgemerrihiatt is better than ice cream with hot fudgemerrihiatt is better than ice cream with hot fudge
Quote:
Originally Posted by monk View Post
Thanks for the reponces. I am learning a lot.
People here seem to have a good understanding of how things work. I was wondering if anyone here have any opinions on smashwords?
That has been the site i have been looking at. (mainly cause it is free)
Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing), Amazon KDP Select, PubIt!, and Smashwords are all free. Smashwords will distribute your books to Barnes and Noble, Apple, Kobo, Sony, Diesel, as well as via PDF and in an online website viewer.

Some authors sell more e-books through Barnes and Noble than Amazon, others sell more through Smashwords' distribution channels and their main site. It can vary.

Be aware that if you go with Amazon KDP Select, you sign your title up to be exclusively with the program for ninety days and it cannot be for sale anywhere except Amazon.
__________________

I'm a clickable link to Amazon

Website B&N Smashwords iTunes AllRomance

Last edited by merrihiatt; 02-26-2012 at 03:16 AM.
merrihiatt is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-25-2012, 11:07 PM   #7
Elena Andrews
figuring it all out
 
Elena Andrews's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: PA
Posts: 268
Elena Andrews is on a distinguished road
I've had my book up on Amazon and B&N for about 2 weeks now and Amazon sales seem to be leading B&N sales by about 5 to 1 which seemed surprising to me. For this reason alone I may try KDP for my book coming out in March just to test it out. If the trend continues I wouldn't be losing out on that much on the outset.
__________________
http://www.elenaandrews.com/
@writergrrlz on twitter

Elena Andrews' Run Like Hell is a spectacular debut. Suspenseful, with beautifully drawn characters--this is a wonderful new voice in fiction!"- Heather Graham, New York Times Best-Selling Author
Elena Andrews is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-06-2012, 12:36 AM   #8
WackAMole
WTF?!?!
 
WackAMole's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Sverige
Posts: 718
WackAMole leaves trails of profuse coolnessWackAMole leaves trails of profuse coolnessWackAMole leaves trails of profuse coolnessWackAMole leaves trails of profuse coolnessWackAMole leaves trails of profuse coolness
Smile

Quote:
Originally Posted by Elena Andrews View Post
I've had my book up on Amazon and B&N for about 2 weeks now and Amazon sales seem to be leading B&N sales by about 5 to 1 which seemed surprising to me. For this reason alone I may try KDP for my book coming out in March just to test it out. If the trend continues I wouldn't be losing out on that much on the outset.

My guess is the increase in Kindle users has gone up because of the new Kindle Fire. I am a proud owner of a kindle fire now too and i love it! Being in sweden makes it impossible for me to stream any video yet. I suspect this will change in the near future as it seems to be one of the larger complaints about another otherwise awesome product!

I managed to learn how to convert my book to mobi format so i could review it on my kindle. Turned out fantastic.

I am toying with the conversion to make sure i have my file set up in the best, cleanest possible manner should I decide to submit to the KDP program. Thinking about going this ebook route, made me remember how brilliant all you guys were in here so i thought i would come see what the consensus is on self publishing through KDF from the 'smart peoples'
__________________
~Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia. ~ E.L. Doctorow~
WackAMole is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-06-2012, 04:29 PM   #9
aruna
On a wing and a prayer
 
aruna's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: A Small Town in Germany
Posts: 11,347
aruna is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsaruna is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsaruna is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsaruna is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsaruna is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsaruna is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsaruna is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsaruna is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsaruna is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsaruna is so great that we've run out of appropriate complimentsaruna is so great that we've run out of appropriate compliments
Quote:
Originally Posted by PulpDogg View Post
1) It is either 35% or 70% royalty. The 35% is for anything between $0.99 and $2.99, as well as anything above $9.99. 70% is for anything between $2.99 and $9.99.
2) Yes you do. Amazon in this case is just a retailer. You most certainly can also publish with Barnes&Nobles PubIt and with Smashwords, as well as a host of other outlets. Only if you enroll in Amazons KDP Select Program are you prohibited to publish anywhere else, as the Select Program has an exclusivity clause.
3) YES. You don't give up any rights. You are the publisher, not Amazon. Again ... Amazon is just the retailer in this case.
Also, sales from certain countries sell at the 35% royalty rate. I was kind of wondering why some of my sales went at that rate, and I finally figured that they are probably sales from India. It doesn't seem exactly fair...
__________________
Website

Quote:
If you're over 50, which is when time gets shorter, subtract your age from 100 - the result is the number of pages you should read before deciding whether or not to quit. If you're 100 or over you get to judge the book by its cover, despite the dangers in doing so.”
― Nancy Pearl
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world"
- Gandhi
aruna is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-07-2012, 07:10 AM   #10
merrihiatt
Writing! Writing! Writing!
 
merrihiatt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Pacific Northwest, Washington
Posts: 3,401
merrihiatt is better than ice cream with hot fudgemerrihiatt is better than ice cream with hot fudgemerrihiatt is better than ice cream with hot fudgemerrihiatt is better than ice cream with hot fudgemerrihiatt is better than ice cream with hot fudgemerrihiatt is better than ice cream with hot fudgemerrihiatt is better than ice cream with hot fudge
Quote:
Originally Posted by aruna View Post
Also, sales from certain countries sell at the 35% royalty rate. I was kind of wondering why some of my sales went at that rate, and I finally figured that they are probably sales from India. It doesn't seem exactly fair...
I believe all sales outside the U.S. (if you are inside the U.S.), receive the 35% royalty rate, regardless of the rate you have selected. This information is actually stated in the Terms of Service, so I don't think it is a matter of being fair or not, simply abiding by the Terms of Service. To me, it would be unfair if it had not been disclosed.

While I have concerns about the Terms of Service, Amazon KDP has done a fairly good job of spelling out all the particulars and are available to answer questions prior to signing with them.
__________________

I'm a clickable link to Amazon

Website B&N Smashwords iTunes AllRomance
merrihiatt is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Custom Search

If this site is helpful to you,
Please consider a voluntary subscription to defray ongoing expenses.

Buy Scrivener 2 for Mac OS X (Regular Licence)


All times are GMT +4.5. The time now is 02:27 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.5
Copyright ©2000 - 2013, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.