09-28-2006, 03:24 PM
Quote:But I would like to know more about the small publisher complaints.
Publishers have to give them "preferred prices", guranteeing that no one will get the wholesale books for cheaper or can be offered for a cheaper retail price. You can't sell the books on your own website, except for limited time sales, for cheaper than they are going to be sold on Amazon. Then, from this cheapest possible price, Amazon takes a HUGE chunk. If they offer a sale, it comes off of the publisher's profit (at least in part, I'm not sure if it all does).
I had two experiences with Amazon and small publishers. The first was with a book I had written. As the author I got $1-2 dollars in royalty per book sold through other means (including BN.com). I got nothing from Amazon sales. The publisher claimed to have lost $1 per Amazon sale.
I kind of assumed I was being taken on that one, until I started my own small press. Once you meet Amazon's terms, you are giving them the books for below cost just for the privilege of being listed there.