Amazon- What I have learned about using them as a Self-Published Author
Amazon is just a platform you use to sell your product. Books are another product, right? When or if you publish your work under your name or company, legally it is yours and yours alone…
That is why it is important to purchase your own ISBN identifiers. Why would you want someone/company other than you, identified as the publisher when you put in the work? When you google Kim Walton “My Motivation,” that name had better popup as the publisher, or I am suing someone’s ass. The same goes for the author, who is picked- up by the publishing company. When you google them or their work, you should see their name and the publishing company…right? (Covered Before)
As a self-published Author, it was important for me to remember to type Copyright © 2015 by Kim L Walton on all my work. Next is the library of congress; protect your product, work, this is your hard work. Nobody else’s, protect your stuff, nobody will do it for you!! Again buy your own ISBN numbers; I said this in a previous post. I will say it again, I saved for six months to purchase mine so that I would not stress any area of my life…you can do the same. (Covered Before)
I am not sure why people, are not aware of the fact that Amazon has affiliates all around the world. Also, people and businesses are able to run Amazon stores on the internet. I bring this up because? What do you see on those platforms? Products listed on Amazon; yes, their affiliates can sell and change the price to fit their stores. This is not stealing; on the part of Amazons’ partners. They are allowed to do this per their agreement with the company (Amazon). What can authors or any self-established business owners do (read what you are signing)? Make sure that they do not get a chance to pick up a product/book during a free period. However, that free period does get your book out there, the idea is to market/ promote your book/product right?
When a book is in KDP (I am not sure how the other products work) So I am going to stick with what I know about myself and my book (My Motivation). A book inside KDP is free, for a specific amount of time, it can be downloaded, or printed God knows how many times during this period. These affiliates can then sell your book and guess what? They do, you get no percentage or anything from those sales. Now is this wrong, that’s the million-dollar question? As well as; should an author or publisher, be made aware of this? Yes, they should be in my opinion. It would give him or her, the option to not do business with Amazon or they may decide not to participate in any free promotions when they do business with Amazon!
Yeah, this happened to me with “My Motivation,” did it piss me off. Of course, my little short story is circulating all over the country from Japan to Canada! The cost of my ebook is $3.99, that’s not a lot right, less than a cup of coffee? To us authors, hell yeah it is! We don’t receive anything from those free downloads. I can’t even tell you how many times, my book was downloaded, we don’t get to see that information for that period. What I do see is that I am competing with myself for sells on Amazon. My little short and all of its 104 pages are currently being sold in Japan for $40.00? Who knew that my young adult would bring that much in? Obviously, someone did, sure wasn’t me?
This situation taught me to remember not everything is free…a free promotion is not always just a free promotion. I may want the reach that Amazon has, but I disagree with having to compete against my own work. With that said; I have decided that I will no longer use Amazons free promotions. So no more KDP for me; the affiliates who want to buy it and sell it will have to buy it from me…however, I still want that reach that Amazon can provide! I am proud of the fact, that my little book is circulating around the world.
I hope that the information provided above helps those who need it. Please remember to share any information that you may have. You never know, your information could aid someone.
Kim L. Walton-Durham; Self-Published Author
Kimdurham175@yahoo.com
www.amazon.com/author/kimwalton
CreateSpace- https://www.createspace.com/6279397
Twitter @Kim_L_Walton
That is why it is important to purchase your own ISBN identifiers. Why would you want someone/company other than you, identified as the publisher when you put in the work? When you google Kim Walton “My Motivation,” that name had better popup as the publisher, or I am suing someone’s ass. The same goes for the author, who is picked- up by the publishing company. When you google them or their work, you should see their name and the publishing company…right? (Covered Before)
As a self-published Author, it was important for me to remember to type Copyright © 2015 by Kim L Walton on all my work. Next is the library of congress; protect your product, work, this is your hard work. Nobody else’s, protect your stuff, nobody will do it for you!! Again buy your own ISBN numbers; I said this in a previous post. I will say it again, I saved for six months to purchase mine so that I would not stress any area of my life…you can do the same. (Covered Before)
I am not sure why people, are not aware of the fact that Amazon has affiliates all around the world. Also, people and businesses are able to run Amazon stores on the internet. I bring this up because? What do you see on those platforms? Products listed on Amazon; yes, their affiliates can sell and change the price to fit their stores. This is not stealing; on the part of Amazons’ partners. They are allowed to do this per their agreement with the company (Amazon). What can authors or any self-established business owners do (read what you are signing)? Make sure that they do not get a chance to pick up a product/book during a free period. However, that free period does get your book out there, the idea is to market/ promote your book/product right?
When a book is in KDP (I am not sure how the other products work) So I am going to stick with what I know about myself and my book (My Motivation). A book inside KDP is free, for a specific amount of time, it can be downloaded, or printed God knows how many times during this period. These affiliates can then sell your book and guess what? They do, you get no percentage or anything from those sales. Now is this wrong, that’s the million-dollar question? As well as; should an author or publisher, be made aware of this? Yes, they should be in my opinion. It would give him or her, the option to not do business with Amazon or they may decide not to participate in any free promotions when they do business with Amazon!
Yeah, this happened to me with “My Motivation,” did it piss me off. Of course, my little short story is circulating all over the country from Japan to Canada! The cost of my ebook is $3.99, that’s not a lot right, less than a cup of coffee? To us authors, hell yeah it is! We don’t receive anything from those free downloads. I can’t even tell you how many times, my book was downloaded, we don’t get to see that information for that period. What I do see is that I am competing with myself for sells on Amazon. My little short and all of its 104 pages are currently being sold in Japan for $40.00? Who knew that my young adult would bring that much in? Obviously, someone did, sure wasn’t me?
This situation taught me to remember not everything is free…a free promotion is not always just a free promotion. I may want the reach that Amazon has, but I disagree with having to compete against my own work. With that said; I have decided that I will no longer use Amazons free promotions. So no more KDP for me; the affiliates who want to buy it and sell it will have to buy it from me…however, I still want that reach that Amazon can provide! I am proud of the fact, that my little book is circulating around the world.
I hope that the information provided above helps those who need it. Please remember to share any information that you may have. You never know, your information could aid someone.
Kim L. Walton-Durham; Self-Published Author
Kimdurham175@yahoo.com
www.amazon.com/author/kimwalton
CreateSpace- https://www.createspace.com/6279397
Twitter @Kim_L_Walton
