Why Amazon.com Is No Longer A Vendor of Choice

Amazon has announced that any small press or print-on-demand publisher doing business with them would need to print books through their publishing arm: BookSurge. This means that I would no longer have a choice of the printer for my books if I want to sell them through Amazon. I believe this is an unwarranted limitation by a retailer and will not knuckle under to their demands where I have a choice. Amazon is also punishing who sell their books at a discount on their website - which is the case with both BooksByOlson and Erian Press. Amazon is taking the discounted price as the book's "cover price" and taking their wholesale discounts accordingly. Normally Amazon gets a 50% or 55% discount off the cover price when they order books. Under the new policy they are arbitrarily adding another 5% or 10% to that discount, which drastically cuts into the publisher's margins. Many publishers and authors feel that exposure on Amazon is necessary to give their books credibility. Yes, Amazon is one of the giants in the industry and there are definite advantages to being available on their site. However, I do not believe succumbing to blackmail is worth the advantages of being sold through Amazon. If Amazon gets away with this underhanded attempt at creating a monopoly, they will be able to set prices and control many aspects of distribution. Then who knows where their demands will lead. At his time Amazon does not own an offset printing facility, but who knows what their future plans my be. Perhaps at some time in the future they will demand that all publishers that want to sell through Amazon will have to print with their facilities. Another example of Big Brother at work? Those of my books that are still in print have been published by iUniverse, PublishAmerica, and Erian Press. I own Erian Press, which Amazon will consider both a small press and a POD publisher. Although I have not heard from Amazon yet, I suspect that at some point in the near future, they will contact me and I will refuse to print with BookSurge. At that time the buy button for An Eagle Unchained will be disconnected on Amazon. PublishAmerica, who published The Vagabond Healer, has chosen not to knuckle under to Amazon and consequently the buy button for The Vagabond Healer has already been disconnected. The Vagabond Healer may still be purchased from this website, from Barnes & Noble, and various other online and traditional bookstores. iUniverse, who published Brother, The Paymaster, and The Pentagram, has agreed to Amazon's demands. Consequently the buy buttons for those books are still active on Amazon. I have not heard from iUniverse concerning the availability of those novels, but my understanding is that if they are to remain on Amazon, then iUniverse will have to re-print through BookSurge. How this will impact availability, or what this will mean as far cost, is anyone's guess. At the present time they may be purchased from this site, from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, other online vendors and traditional bookstores. Whatever happens in the future with Amazon, I assure you I'll take the necessary steps so my books will always be available on this website.

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