Grumble about Amazon Kindle book Sales

1. 85

   embitcaposted 14 years ago

   Don't you just love that we don't get commissions for Kindle book sales? I'd love to know what the excuse for that is. Every time I see one of those zero commission sales in my reports I want to scream. I never link to the Kindle versions of books. Buy paper!! Down with electronic reading devices! *g*

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   1. 87

      SimeyCposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Yes I just sold an eBook for $10 and got nothing - one thing though - at least it counts as a sale - so it does count in the 'increasing referral rate' - that's good for me as I don't currently make that many sales!!!

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2. 0

   Ghost32posted 14 years ago

   Didn't know we didn't, but thankfully hadn't linked to any Kindle items anyway.  Just became aware of Kindle last week (wasn't doing Amazon before) and figured kindling would be a better deal.  Campfire, anyone?

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3. 0

   aquaseaCreativeposted 14 years ago

   Is Kindle doing well for them?
   
   - I love a paper book that I can scribble in the margins and keep for years. I don't treat books like gold but they are treasured

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   1. 59

      vlkinpaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      You can "scribble" in a Kindle. There's a keyboard and it's saved electronically.

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4. 85

   embitcaposted 14 years ago

   I didn't realize it myself until I noticed three sales for the Kindle versions of books I'm recommended in a hub. And zero commissions! Grggggh. Seriously made me grumbly. I had linked to the paperbacks in the hub!

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5. 60

   Colebabieposted 14 years ago

   I understand your grief. Not sure why that is the case. Are there a lot of sales? How much are those books anyways? Some things you really don't need electronics/technology for Pick up a book people

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6. 0

   Nelle Hoxieposted 14 years ago

   I just received an email from Amazon telling me to push the kindle. I guess we get a commission on that, but then no more on the books. So to me it's a very short sighted marketing strategy.

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7. 85

   embitcaposted 14 years ago

   Colebabie, as far as I can tell the books are nearly the same price for the digital and paper versions. On some of the paperbacks the difference in price is about a $1.
   
   This is really another thing to complain about, the business model that Amazon has adopted is stupid. With no paper costs and no transport costs, there is no reason for digital books not to be hugely discounted off the paper versions. But apparently this is some kind of loss leader for Amazon, because they pay the publisher as though it were a paper book sale. Stupid.
   
   Nelle, yep, I got the same thing. I will never promote the Kindle as long as they don't give a commission on the books. Actually, not sure I'd promote it even then since books can be bought directly from the Kindle, cutting out an affiliate sales possibilities. It would be like promoting a shopping toolbar, self-defeating.

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8. 0

   Nelle Hoxieposted 14 years ago

   You got that right Embitica. That's why they were giving such a high commission on it.

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9. 60

   Colebabieposted 14 years ago

   I mean the only thing I can see is that you can store many books on the machine, so it cuts down on transporting books. But how many books to people bring with them or traveling anyways?

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10. 85

    embitcaposted 14 years ago

    It doesn't just cut down on transporting books. It cuts down on storing them. Some people like to keep their entire book collection forever. Keeping them electronically frees up a lot of room in the house.
    
    When I travel, I bring a minimum of two books with me, sometimes more depending on where I'm going and for how long. If I'm going to be someplace where I can't buy English language books easily, I'll bring quite a few if I'm going to be there for more than a week.
    
    The Kindle is for people who read voraciously. I'm the perfect audience, but I just prefer paper.

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    1. 59

       vlkinpaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I'm a voracious reader and got tired of always traipsing to the "paperback exchange" or rearranging my bookshelves.  I'm trying to simplify my life so I bought the Kindle and I love it.  I'm an old broad so I guess it isn't true that "you can't teach an old dog new tricks".
       For new releases that are only out in hardcover, the Kindle price is far lower.  For the paperback, depending on the release date, they're either cheaper or about the same.  I just like getting my favorite author's books the minute they come out without paying the hardcover price.  Of course, the Kindle isn't cheap!

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11. 0

    Nelle Hoxieposted 14 years ago

    My husband has a Kindle. He had to be on a ship at 2 pm this afternoon, with no time to go to the bookstore. He downloaded a couple really fast. But under normal circumstances, we both prefer going to the bookstore.

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12. 60

    Colebabieposted 14 years ago

    But what if you already own a lot of books that you want to keep in your library? You have to re-buy them. And I loan out books all the time. Can you transfer your book to someone else's Kindle?

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    1. 59

       vlkinpaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       You can transfer a book to another Kindle providing your ID and password is used.

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13. 60

    Colebabieposted 14 years ago

    Ok cool, just wondering. I'm still not buying one. But thanks! I like my bookshelf and use my barnes and noble membership and coupons

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14. 85

    embitcaposted 14 years ago

    Why would you bother re-buying books you already own? This isn't like DVDs and VHS where one is a dead technology that will eventually break. Books don't break. You can still read them as long as the paper lasts. Just keep those books and going forward buy books electronically. Then you won't need a bigger house LOL
    
    No, (EDit: Didn't realize it allowed you transfer books. I'm assuming that means if you transfer it, it is no longer on your own Kindle, then?). Normally, with other forms of DRM restricted digital media, you can't "loan" because there's no "loan" involved... it's just duplicating the content.
    
    Nelle, I love to go to the bookstore. I actually usually buy nearly all my books in person rather than online because I like to browse.

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    1. 59

       vlkinpaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Once you've bought the book it's yours forever.  Amazon will even store it for you, so if you've given the book to someone else, as long as they use your ID and password, it's still your book to be downloaded again whenever.

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       1. 85

          embitcaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Actually, it isn't yours forever. You are only paying for access. Access that Amazon can kill at anytime for whatever reason. Whenever you purchase digital items through Amazon, you are not purchasing the content itself. You are only paying for access to view the content. And they have a highly draconian DRM policy to boot.
          
          Amazon's Kindle policy:
          1) "Discontinue wireless connectivity at any time"
          (2) "Reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the [Kindle] Service at any time" while not being held "liable to you, [the Kindle owner] should it [Amazon] exercise such right."
          
          If they ever cancel the Kindle program or suspend your access to it, your Kindle becomes a brick.

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15. 76

    Uninvited Writerposted 14 years ago

    I love books and I collect them. But, I also like ebooks. I have a Dell mini and I like to read books on there. I downloaded a program that rotates the screen so I can hold it like a real book
    
    I'd probably invest in a Kindle but since I live in Canada the wireless properties are useless so I don't see a point to it.

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    1. 0

       Nelle Hoxieposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       So we won't be able to download books in Montreal next month? I'll have to remember that. Stock up before we get to the border if necessary.

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16. 0

    Nelle Hoxieposted 14 years ago

    Wow, the hubster didn't tell me this. That's an expensive brick if they pull that.

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17. 85

    embitcaposted 14 years ago

    Yeah, the Consumerist covered it back in April. Read this for an eye opening piece. Just another reason why I will never buy one or promote it. I used to have an old palm pilot. That was good enough for me when it came to reading electronically
    
    http://consumerist.com/5213774/amazon-c … r-it-likes

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18. 0

    Nelle Hoxieposted 14 years ago

    If that happened to me, I would contact our Attorney General's office. They can be quite the consumer advoctate. I would at least want the price of the Kindle returned.

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19. 87

    gracenotesposted 13 years ago

    Interesting thread.
    
    So it seems that, with a Kindle, you're only buying an electronic license, with nothing guaranteed.  As a librarian, I perfectly understand this -- it works the same way with electronic journals so often.  All of the archival content can disappear at any time (usually transfers to some other publisher, sometimes just dies), without any notification on their part to their subscribers.
    
    I've never held a Kindle in my hands.  Some things about it are kind of nifty, especially the feature that lets you enlarge the type font to a size you feel comfortable with.  For people whose eyesight is not the best, that's cool, because most public libraries cannot afford a huge collection of large print books.
    
    I find that a 16-point font makes reading an incredible joy.
    
    Not that I'm going to buy a Kindle.  Too expensive.  I would also worry about loss or theft, if I carried it around all the time.  Perhaps they sell an insurance policy that covers those occurrences.

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20. 71

    thisisoliposted 13 years ago

    It's funny you should mention this, I saw my first Kindle ebook sales appear on my amazon report yesterday, I staretd getting excited about the possibilities of marketting Kindle e-books.
    
    Today I checked my amazon report and saw the zero percentage on e-book sales, what a shame

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    1. 85

       rebekahELLEposted 13 years agoin reply to this

       hmm, did not know this. I'll remove it.

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