Amazon is trying to take on Wattpad

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MRavenell

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Don't they take a huge chunk out of the money made? Or is that Scout? I'm not posting my work there yet because of that. Perhaps it is just best for unknown authors, who might switch over the traditional way after they get out there. I don't really know what to think.

No, if you read the TOS it specifically states Amazon can't sell it, and you can remove it at any time, you retail all rights except the standard issue license you grant to Amazon needed to provide the service (which you grant to any other similar service) The service is free. It's a direct Wattpad competitor. Presumably they will make their money when the books get pulled and placed for sale. You are obviously giving up your first publication rights, but if you don't care about those then it's moot.

You MAY be thinking of Tablo.

I don't understand why people think Amazon is so slimy and the "worst thing to happen to writers"- that's a huge, broad stroke. Could I get an education on this position? Or is it the usual "self-publishing is lame, the only legitimate authors are the ones who go through the traditional publishing route" stigma?
 

Filigree

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I think there's definitely a quality issue, but it's not limited to for-profit self-published works on Amazon. There are more people writing and publishing, so there's going to be more crap across all platforms, whether free or paid. Factor in how easy basic self-pub is now, and there are even fewer barriers to instant posting.

I don't mind, really - it takes me two paragraphs or less to know if something is worth my attention.

Amazon is bad because few forward-thinking writers believe Amazon will keep their fairly generous self-pub royalties once the company has killed off most competition. Amazon is also big enough and well-founded enough that most lawsuits against them might be un-winnable by that competition or angry authors.
 

JustSarah

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Is there a way to find out their terms of service without being a member?

As to the above, it's what was mentioned above why I wouldn't even choose Amazon to begin with. To much of a mega-corp to me. Mono whatever, it's a large company eating competition.

Though I'm curious about it attracting more serious writers.
 

MRavenell

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There is not, but here is the relevant section. Emphasis mine.


STORIES YOU POST
Once you have posted your story, including any cover art and other related content, Amazon may make your story, cover art and other related content, including any revisions, available in connection with the Write On Services through any Amazon website, device, application or other property. You grant Amazon and Amazon’s sublicensees, the right to use your name, and any biographical information and photographs you provide, worldwide for any purpose in connection with your participation in Write On. You may remove your story from Write On using the removal tools provided in the Write On Services. After you remove your story, copies of it and any related content may remain in backup copies on our servers. You are not granting any other rights to your story, cover art and other related content to Amazon or any other party.

With respect to any story, including any cover art and other related content, you submit to the Write On Services, you represent and warrant to Amazon that: you have the right to make that content available on the Write On Services; your story, including any cover art and other related content, complies with all Write On community and content guidelines; and your story, including any cover art and other related content, will not contain any content that is illegal, obscene, threatening, defamatory, invasive of privacy, infringing of intellectual property rights, or otherwise injurious to third parties.

You will indemnify Amazon for all claims resulting from stories, including any cover art and other related content, you submit. Amazon takes no responsibility and assumes no liability for any stories, cover art and other related content, posted on Write On.
 

Bartholomew

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I spent some time looking at Wattpad, and I guess I don't understand how it's different from YADS.
 

Bartholomew

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Are there difficulties with selling first rights when using it?
 

PEBKAC2

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There is not, but here is the relevant section. Emphasis mine.

There is another part that is concerning to me:

"If you do post content or submit material other than a story, including any cover art and other related content, you are making that content and material freely available for use by any other Write On user. You also grant Amazon a nonexclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, and fully sublicensable right to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, and display such content throughout the world in any media."

Is this saying that cover art and other related content is part of "other than a story" or included as part of the story?
 

Filigree

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So...no need to do more than a cursory cover, then. I'm still having trouble finding content I want to upload. I don't want to repeat stories from other display sites, if I even can. I'll have to look at Amazon's terms again. When I look at older work, I separate it by 'ugh, that's too horrible to see daylight' or 'there are still few paying markets that haven't rejected it, why post it for free?'
 
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