Amazon

[sapphire]

Okay, serious discussion time.
What do you guys think about Amazon.com? Particularly in their book-selling capacity. As writers and people who will (hopefully) have our work out on the shelves someday, I feel like this is something we should be concerned about.

I've been hearing some increasingly disturbing things about Amazon lately. Like this New York Times article. Apparently, Amazon is basically black-listing a bunch of books published by Hachette because they want a bigger share of the profits. (As if Amazon doesn't make enough money already.) To me, this is kind of terrifying. To think that readers in the future might not be able to buy my books from Amazon (and so might not buy them at all) because of a cold war between two businesses... It's hard enough to make it as an author as it is.

Yes, Amazon is within their rights to sell things (or not) at whatever price they want. Yes, they're within their rights to ask for more of a cut of the profits from said sales. But no, it is not okay to punish the authors for a dispute between publisher and seller.

I haven't done a whole lot of research about this, but honestly this is just one more thing that has me leaning toward closing my Amazon account. I already don't buy books from them, especially not used ones (I admit, I did buy a lot of my books for college used from Amazon, simply because that's the only way I could afford them - but now that I don't HAVE to buy books, I don't buy from Amazon), because the profits from individual sellers on Amazon do not go even a little bit to the author. But this "big company pushing everyone else around" is supposed to be illegal in the U.S., and somehow Amazon is getting away with it. I find that disturbing.

Thoughts?

[Zoom]

Disgusting. Not just that they're doing this, but that they're doing it so brazenly and still getting away with it. So obviously illegal.

I love this: "Publishers tried to rein in Amazon once, and got slapped with a federal antitrust suit for their efforts."


Not a perfect parallel but sue me.



I dunno, I think you might as well keep your account. No sense uselessly martyring yourself. Then again if everybody boycotted Amazon they'd go under, or at least start seriously considering reform. So here's a question: do you live wholly within your principles even though it rounds to 100% useless and causes you suffering, or do you get all jaded, screw everything, and try to just live like everybody else though you hate yourself for selling yourself out and you hate the system for making you choose and you know that the only way to guarantee that nothing changes is by not trying?

[sapphire]

Right - it's scary how much power Amazon has. And they're only getting bigger.

The thing with closing/keeping my account on Amazon is that I could find anything they sell elsewhere. It might be more expensive, but everything Amazon sells is out there. We just have to put forth the effort to seek it out. And I also feel somewhat guilty every time I buy from Amazon, because I know I'm only feeding their dominance in the market. BUT they are one of the most affordable venues out there, especially if you buy in bulk and get free shipping. So. Is affordability (for everyone with an internet connection, not just me) worth letting them take over and bully other companies the way they do? Would closing my account do anything to stop them (no, not unless everyone else does the same thing - but then that's the kind of thinking that keeps progress from being made).

For the moment, I've resolved not to buy books from Amazon anymore - there's a perfectly good bookstore about 20 minutes from my house currently, and when I move I'm sure I'll be able to find another. I prefer physical bookstores anyway. Browsing online just isn't the same. I'll use any gift cards I'm given for Amazon (they're a fairly popular gift for me, from people who don't know what else to get). But I don't think I'll spend any of my money there, at least not without a great deal more consideration.

[Zoom]

Yeah, that makes sense. What's the local bookstore like? Mine is run by this wacky old guy and is open 'sometimes' aka around 8pm to 1am, and you have to like weave your body around the stacks because there isn't room to just plain walk in places. Love it. No wacky old guys online

[sapphire]

Oh, it's a chain bookstore: Books-a-Million. Would be awesome to have a little local place, though. We had one, but the selection was terrible (used books, which are awesome, but mostly romance). They went out of business.
Your bookstore sounds kind of awesome and strange. I would love it.

There's this bookstore I went to when I was visiting Lincoln, Nebraska. It was called Bluestem Books, and was the coolest little place. So many books that there was no room on the shelves - they just had stacks of books here and there. Big comfy chairs to sit in, the most adorable, tiny little room of children's books. A dog named Diego, one of those little raggedy-looking ones. I would live in that bookstore.

[A Mask Among Many]

I agree with the assessment of Amazon. They are definitely getting rather greedy. I think I'll join you in not buying from them just in general. I think there's a locally owned bookstore near me, but I haven't checked it out in some time. I know there's a really great one about an hour from me, but that's a little far.

[sapphire]

It honestly just scares me, as a writer. What if they do this to me someday?

Far away bookstores are okay... You just have to make a special trip to them occasionally and buy enough books to get you through until next time.

[A Mask Among Many]

Well, since I read a lot, I run out of books rather quickly. Otherwise I would agree with you.

[sapphire]

You just have to buy a TON of books.
I get it, though. I used to make weekly trips to the library, back when I could walk or bike there. I have less time for reading now than I used to, though.