The Reading Vent & Rant Thread

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

I don't blame the author so much - they have to eat too. I blame KDP Select program and that anti-competitive exclusivity clause.

Yes, I agree. I could understand if being part of KU blocked them from also being part of Kobo Plus. But being forbidden from even selling their books, full price, on another site is anti-competitive.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Yes, I agree. I could understand if being part of KU blocked them from also being part of Kobo Plus. But being forbidden from even selling their books, full price, on another site is anti-competitive.

They can't even give them away on their own site!

I'm convinced KU is oversold and that KDP Select is not clearly explained.

[ownedbycats]

Authors have gotten pulled from KDP Select after their books showed up on illegal piracy sites.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

I don't blame the author so much - they have to eat too. I blame KDP Select program and that anti-competitive exclusivity clause.

This was the book. The book itself was pretty silly and definitely not fine literature, but honestly kind of fun to read

FUN Reads are what I mostly want. Long past are the days of 'must read to stay employed'.
OK I am a bit weird. I still RTFM on my new goodies.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

The author has every right to do whatever they want with their books. If they earn more in KDP Select, who are you to tell them they should be content with less?

It's not like their books aren't available. They're available at Amazon and can even be deDRMed. If someone decides not to buy from Amazon just on principle, why should that concern others, including the author?

But what's wrong with going both ePub and Kindle? That gives you a bigger audience.

I think this author went Kindle Unlimited so that's why no more ePub.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Yes, you do. The Kindle for PC method and the Kindle for Android method.

And how many know of this? Most don't. We aren't like most.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Authors have gotten pulled from KDP Select after their books showed up on illegal piracy sites.

That is wrong especially when the author is not at fault.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

But what's wrong with going both ePub and Kindle? That gives you a bigger audience.

I think this author went Kindle Unlimited so that's why no more ePub.

That's exactly what happened. Kindle Unlimited is only available to most authors via KDP Select, with an exclusivity clause. (Bigger publishers have their own agreements.)

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Yes, I agree. I could understand if being part of KU blocked them from also being part of Kobo Plus. But being forbidden from even selling their books, full price, on another site is anti-competitive.

Originally Posted by Quoth

They can't even give them away on their own site!

I'm convinced KU is oversold and that KDP Select is not clearly explained.

Or even have them found on a pirate site. Several authors have had Amazon drop them from KU when that has happened.

Sample link: Amazon Punishes Authors Whose Work Is Pirated, Due to Aggressive Exclusivity Clause

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Sample link: Amazon Punishes Authors Whose Work Is Pirated, Due to Aggressive Exclusivity Clause

I disagree with the point the author makes there in article - rather than arguing that maybe the anti-competitive exclusivity ought to be dropped, they argue for stricter "anti-piracy" measures - which means stricter and anti-consumer DRM.

[John F]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

And how many know of this? Most don't. We aren't like most.

There is a difference between what people might not know and what is true. At least qualify your statement instead of spreading FUD. Please.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Quoth

I'm convinced KU is oversold and that KDP Select is not clearly explained.

I'm betting most authors know more about this than either of us and obviously find KU worth the attached hassles.

There are many articles out there about indie authors debating the merits of Amazon exclusivity versus 'going wide.' The articles tend to be written after they have tried both.

I don't like Amazon's exclusivity. It's bad for readers and it is at the very least some aggressive arm-twisting for the authors forced to abide by it (I doubt any would chose exclusivity if it weren't tied to being in Kindle Unlimited).

But I do not think that Amazon is 'tricking' authors into signing up for it.

[Cactus Chef]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I'm betting most authors know more about this than either of us and obviously find KU worth the attached hassles.

I emailed the owner of DMR Books to ask if he could make the Renegade Swords volumes eligible for purchase directly from his website, because I wanted DRM-free EPUBs and I wasn't happy with the MOBI files that I was getting from running KindleUnpack against the Amazon copies.

Mr. Ritzlin indicated that he could not, as those three volumes were available on KindleUnlimited. While sympathetic, he stressed that the sales he was getting from those books on KU dwarfed the number of people buying the books directly from the publisher website.

[Croptop]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

I swear all my Overdrive holds all pop up at the same time.

Oh man. I thought that only happened to me!

Except for that one book that I really want to read. The availability estimate on that one remains stubbornly at "about 16 weeks".

[issybird]

Books on my wishlist no longer go on sale. Ever. Not one.