Comments on: Amazon’s Increasing Market Dominance Worries PUblishers

By: Lil

Lil — Thu, 22 May 2008 15:27:05 +0000

You should be much more concerned about a possible acquisition of Borders by B&N. Amazon is much less likely to dictate to publishers about what to publish (unlike B&N, where the buyers often say, “I won’t support this book unless you do X to it.”)

By: DS

DS — Wed, 21 May 2008 19:56:13 +0000

I would worry more about it if publishers had not already done their big fish eats little fish thing. Many of the publishers I bought paperbacks from when out are either dead or swallowed up– Curtis, Ace, Lancer, Berkley, DAW, Magnum, Paperback Library, Popular Library, Fawcett, Paperjacks, MacFadden and some I’m sure I have forgotten.

By: Francois

Francois — Wed, 21 May 2008 09:25:29 +0000

I don’t see the problem. They have an increasing market share because they provide a good service for the consumer. Online book shops are way better than high street for the sort of stuff I want to buy. If I could find my books in the high street I would. I also use Microsoft Windows because its convenient and easy – and that doesn’t seem to have killed off every other software developer quite yet.

By: Shiloh Walker

Shiloh Walker — Wed, 21 May 2008 03:12:41 +0000

But if they don’t offer those services, then I suppose it’s no big deal for the author, as long as you feel you don’t need editing–or don’t mind paying a professional service to do it–as well as cover art, etc.

Nah. I like having somebody do those things for me.

;)

By: Angela James

Angela James — Wed, 21 May 2008 01:33:15 +0000

They get authors in their stable and then they start deciding to cut into things like royalties, or editorial decisions.

If there are editorial decisions. Again, you’re talking about basically self-publishing. And if Amazon does start offering those services a publisher does–editorial, cover art, blurbs, as an author you would need to evaluate them just like you would any other publisher. But if they don’t offer those services, then I suppose it’s no big deal for the author, as long as you feel you don’t need editing–or don’t mind paying a professional service to do it–as well as cover art, etc.

By: Shiloh Walker

Shiloh Walker — Wed, 21 May 2008 01:26:00 +0000

Kimber An, anything that attempts to control that big a slice of the pie isn’t ever a good thing. They get authors in their stable and then they start deciding to cut into things like royalties, or editorial decisions. Who knows.

I don’t want Amazon in my business.

They are a retail store. Let them stay that way.

By: Shiloh Walker

Shiloh Walker — Wed, 21 May 2008 01:24:30 +0000

Too bad Borders is too far away.

Borders new online store should be up and going at some point. Just throwing that out there. :)

By: Kimber An

Kimber An — Wed, 21 May 2008 01:20:57 +0000

I get the publishers’ worries, but I’d appreciate more explanation as to why this is a bad thing for authors.

By: Throwmearope

Throwmearope — Wed, 21 May 2008 00:21:13 +0000

They might miss me, I used to support them singlehandedly. (Sheepish grin.) Oh, well, making my local BN happy. Too bad Borders is too far away.

By: veinglory

veinglory — Tue, 20 May 2008 23:28:02 +0000

Yet as the boycotts grow (Reba, POD monopoly, dog fighting video slaes, one click etc) they make even more money. I dropped them last month too but I suspect we are not a representative sample.