This news is circulating the net as I write, and no one seems to know how true it really is. The report came to me via Twitter, where someone mentioned Angela Hoy's article, "Amazon.com Telling POD Publishers - Let BookSurge Print Your Books, or Else..."
I hopped over to see what the hullabaloo was about and, frankly, I'm shocked! WHY would Amazon do such a thing? Is it possible they feel they're being left out of the POD profits the big guys like Lulu and Blurb make? I cannot believe that. Is it that...they're the 800lb Gorilla in the room so...they figure they can do what they want? (IMHO, we all know what eventually happens to bullies...)
From Angela's report, "Some Print on Demand (POD) publishers are privately screaming "Monopoly!" while others are seething with rage over startling phone conversations they're having with Amazon/Booksurge representatives. Why isn't anybody talking about it openly? Because they're afraid - very, very afraid." Um...afraid of what, Angela? Getting shut out of Amazon? They aren't the only game in town...
Over at TechCrunch, the comments section is flowing with a dozen different opinions on this issue. Self-published authors who have printers they trust, POD printers, are furious. Other commenters are curious - about the truth of it all. And still others are calling for an Amazon boycott.
Workboxers at B5Media quotes Angela, but also has links to others who quote the Wall Street Journal article.
I like PaidContent's title, "Amazon Tightens Noose on Print-On-Demand Publishers; Insists They Use Company's Own Service." To quote from that article, "Here's how an Amazon spokesperson sees it: 'What we're looking to do is have a print-on-demand business that better serves our customers and authors. When we work with some other publishers, it's not truly a print-on-demand business."
What!?! Creating hardship for authors is good customer service? What if I don't want to use YOUR POD service, Amazon? What if my brother or uncle or sister runs a great POD shop and I want to use him or her? What gives YOU the right to call them "not truly a print-on-demand business?" (please don't pull the 'self-published books aren't professional' whine out of your hat - that's as patently untrue as assuming books published by the big boys are all literary masterpieces!)
What IF... POD publishers and authors just move all their content to Barnes and Noble?
That's what's being whispered (sometimes quite loudly) across the net. I have to agree.. If you're a self-published writer and you are happy with the POD printer you're working with, why not move your business to Barnes and Noble? Amazon can have the BookSurge authors. All the rest of us will use our God-given American right to CHOOSE the print-on-demand publisher we want, and we'll get our books distributed at B&N, and independent book stores and a good number of online venues.
In the end, if we don't stand up for ourselves, who else will?
Great post, especially in light of the recent Macmillan dispute with Amazon which has now been resolved. I'm sympathetic to both parties, but I do think there needs to be a mutual agreement reached - even now after 2 years.
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Posted by: GMBS | July 24, 2008 at 07:15 AM
Voice your protest here, and sign the petition:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/protectPOD/index.html
Posted by: A. F. Stewart | March 30, 2008 at 02:38 PM