Wednesday 16 July 2014

A post for those who are boycotting Amazon.

I've had several people ask me where else they can buy my Vultures. They try not to use Amazon, they explain - for Amazon is creative on the tax front.

How? Most Amazon stuff for the UK comes from Luxembourg, and they pay - much lower - taxes there than they would if it were sent from the UK. It says on the site that things are sent from the UK ... but often that's a depot on its delivery route.

As far as ebooks are concerned, all this may change in January, when they will have to pay VAT at the UK rate for ebooks sold in the UK. (Will they put up the price of ebooks, take off what they give to the writer ... dip into their own profits ... we'll have to wait and see.)

I completely understand why anyone tries not to use Amazon - I, too, buy stuff elsewhere if I can. But their convenience, and dominance in the market place, makes it impossible for any writer to ignore. I've used the Amazon link to my books beside this blog - why, because that's where most of my sales come from. It would be crazy to do otherwise.

But there are alternatives - and for anyone living according to your anti-Amazon convictions - I'm giving you links for platforms where you can find my Vultures. (All my other books are there too, if you look about a bit - this post would become unwieldy if I put them all in.)

Smashwords - the link is here.

Kobo - the link is here.

iBooks - the link is here - at least I think it is. It gives a price in dollars, and higher than the one I set. Goodness knows how that works. If there's a link to buy the iBook from the UK, I haven't found it yet.

I think you might also find it on another platform or two - some of these are linked to Smashwords and are fine, but some are pirated copies. I've no idea how they do that, nor how to tell the difference. I don't like it, but my techno-knowledge isn't good enough to do anything about it. But if you find it anywhere for free, you can be sure I've got nothing to do with it.

9 comments:

  1. I hate amazon with a loathing that goes beyond loathig. They discount my books until, really, I might as well not bother.If their new policy comes in, whereby they will only allow books on their site that are held in bulk or publ by their own people, it will be the death of many small publishers and more printers. Don't get me started on the tax thing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They have become so powerful they think they rule the world - I can't help thinking it will all implode, or maybe I just hope they will.

      Delete
  2. Of course, if writers refused to submit to Amazon's bullying it would stop them. But it's easier for you, isn't it? "their convenience, and dominance in the market place, makes it impossible for any writer to ignore". No, not impossible, just easier to fall in with them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, we could ignore them, only offer our books on other platforms. The problem with that is that many people have ereaders that only work with amazon, or don't know how access books on other sites. I know someone who, for a while, refused to put any of his work on amazon and his readership fell away. Yes, it's bullying, and leaves writers in a double bind.

      Delete
  3. I have issues with Amazon from the point of view of printed books. We worked out that, after the cost of production, if we allowed Amazon to sell The Children's Book of Richard III then, with their 'offer' of 55% off the selling price, we would make about 5p per book to be split between me, the author, and my publisher. We've worked too hard to accept such a deal and will continue to sell it independently.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think amazon raised different issues for print books and ebooks, and on both cases the writer comes off worst!

      Delete
  4. I also loathe Amazon and only use their e-book system grudgingly, but I will probably by-pass even Kindle for my next book. They have become far too dictatorial for my liking, and yes, if customers buy my print books from Amazon, then I get less than I do for an e-book! go figure that one!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We all long to bypass Amazon, and maybe one day enough people will do it and they'll have to rethink their greedy attitude to things. But, at the moment, that's where most of my sales come from, so I'd be bonkers to abandon it. They've got us by the short and curlies, so to speak.

      Delete
  5. I can't believe how cheap books for kindle are being sold now. I was sent a new book for review by a publisher and it's on Amazon for kindle for 99p. I do wonder how much the author gets per book downloaded and how much effort she put into writing it.

    ReplyDelete