Comments on: Amazon delivers another blow to traditional publishing https://www.hiddengemsbooks.com/amazon-delivers-blow-traditional-publishers/ ARC Book Reviews and Author Services Mon, 29 May 2023 23:38:04 +0000 hourly 1 By: Traditional Publishing Declares War on Florida Book Bans - Hidden Gems Book Blog https://www.hiddengemsbooks.com/amazon-delivers-blow-traditional-publishers/#comment-699661 Mon, 29 May 2023 23:38:04 +0000 https://www.hiddengemsbooks.com/?p=8472587#comment-699661 […] of the posts you’ll find on this blog talk about how traditional publishing is on the ropes, and how independent and self-published authors are becoming more and more of a dominant part of […]

]]> By: investigative writer https://www.hiddengemsbooks.com/amazon-delivers-blow-traditional-publishers/#comment-514486 Sun, 03 Apr 2022 23:58:56 +0000 https://www.hiddengemsbooks.com/?p=8472587#comment-514486 I think you may have this backwards, especially if the books are still sold from traditional houses. The increased ad revenue supplied by trad pub authors to Amazon is going to be a boon for kindle.
However, with greater ad advertising, the more trad pubs books sold. I think there may have been some backroom negotiations between kindle and trad publishers houses.
I’ve seen evidence that Kindle is closing indie authors accounts for fabricated reasons or without cause. Did kindle tell the trad publishers they would do this if they allowed their authors to buy kindle ads and therefore sell more trad published books? Stranger things than this are going on at kindle-amazon, and all indie authors should be aware.

]]> By: Edita A. Petrick https://www.hiddengemsbooks.com/amazon-delivers-blow-traditional-publishers/#comment-513820 Sat, 02 Apr 2022 19:24:47 +0000 https://www.hiddengemsbooks.com/?p=8472587#comment-513820 Maybe it’ll be easier to digest if I put a reply in point form.

1. Amazon never, but NEVER does anything to benefit anyone else BUT AMAZON. If AMAZON does something, it’s because that particular feature (offered) is not producing envisioned financial results. That’s the only reason I see Amazon promoting ‘advertising to trad-pub authors’ advertising on Amazon.

2. Advertising costs money. BIG MONEY. Trad-publishers will spend money on advertising for their established writers. Not so much on mid-list and NONE whatsoever on new-comers they choose to take on. Trad-publishers advertising their author(s) work will always, ALWAYS do better than that author advertising him/herself. Offering the possibility that trad-pub authors will now advertise themselves on Amazon to see if they can do better — is naive at best.
They know they can’t — that is if their trad-publisher is advertising for them. The argument here offered is just way off…it’s why I’m commenting in the first place.

3. Amazon is coming here with so-called ‘breakthrough’ feature – again, as if anything from Amazon wasn’t laughable enough or expensive enough – because authors advertising on Amazon feature is not performing according to the algorithm they envisioned. Not a money-maker or money spent on advertising here is drying up. Amazon has a vested interest in serving Amazon and no one else. Here it’s baiting actually indie authors with this feature (to show them that ‘big’ name authors are now advertising themselves which in itself is ridiculous) so the indie authors (once upon a time staple/fodder for Amazon’s advertising) will return once again to waste their money on Amazon…this is a cyclic and unproductive pitch here – heard it all, seen it all – nothing is below Amazon; nothing.

4. There will be no impact on advertising world. Why would there be? Not all authors are stupid, gullible, naive or plain desperate. Advertising works when you spend BIIIIIG money on it. End of argument. Where you spend that money…ah, that’s what Amazon is after – trying to convince you that THEY are the Holy Grail of advertising. They’re not. They’re mediocre at best, and ineffective more often than not.

5. You know where true, punch-a-hole-in-the-world advertising lies these days – in celebrities, in influencers, in infamous and marginally larcenous criminals who game the system and gain fame, in having a direct pipeline to media (think family or friends employed there) – other powerful advertising lies in many different places and directions than Amazon. That’s what’s steaming Amazon’s clams.

Personally, over the years, I found Amazon’s advertising to be least effective. There is nothing like having a celebrity ‘read’ your book – and nothing like having a FOREIGN celebrity read and take your book to their homeland – especially if their homeland is…oh, China…

]]> By: Stacy https://www.hiddengemsbooks.com/amazon-delivers-blow-traditional-publishers/#comment-512881 Fri, 01 Apr 2022 14:38:53 +0000 https://www.hiddengemsbooks.com/?p=8472587#comment-512881 I have seen some indies panic over the ability for trade authors to now use Amazon and as an ex-trade author, I don’t think indies have anything to worry about. Most trade authors have a completely different mindset from indies. Many are not going to be interested in using this. First of all, they are going to have to take time to learn how to use the ads. Many won’t because trade authors tend to not want to take on the marketing themselves. So I doubt many will want to take the time to learn. Also, many will not be able to afford to. A lot of authors go trade because they don’t have funds to advertise or self-publish so I doubt a huge amount of trade authors will find this feasible. Especially since Amazon ads are skyrocketing by the day. Another BIG thing is that trade books tend to be much, much higher in price than indies. So for example your ebook is 15.99 (yes, my trade ebooks were this high), it’s going to be darn hard to not only get readers to click on your ad but to buy for that price. This means trade authors will most likely lose money from any ads they run because they can’t run ads as cheaply as some indies can who are promoting free, 0.99 or 2.99 books. A lot of readers will not spend 15.99 on an ebook. I’m talking about trade authors who are mid-list or not well known. Sure, James Patterson can do well with this but of course he doesn’t need Amazon ads. The random trade author is not going to be able to make Amazon ads work enough without spending way money than they lose due to the price of their books. Another thing is, many pubs have stipulations with how you can promote. It’s in your contract. Some things, pubs won’t even allow you to do. So these authors have to check with their pubs to see if they will even sign off on this whether the author pays or not. And another big thing again goes back to affording the ads. Many trade authors will expect pubs to pay for this and if you aren’t a big name, it won’t happen.

My guess is this will fall flat. You will get some savvier trade authors who might try this. Ones that are already dabbling in being indie. You also might get some of the bigger authors being able to use them if their pub pays. But this will be a small amount. Some indies act like the sky is falling and this will ruin their business but knowing what I know about being trade and being around trade authors and the mindset, I don’t see many trade authors running ads.

Most trade authors want to just write. That’s why they go with trade. Many will also tell you they can’t afford to market, edit, etc. This is another reason many stick with pubs. So how are they going to run ads? Maybe I am wrong but I am going by what I’ve known for years. Again, it’s the trade mindset that is different. You have to have the patience and desire to learn ads and work with them to get things right and I can’t see trade authors, especially those who don’t make much from their books seeing this as an alternative to market. Plus, many trade authors tend to hate Amazon and I don’t think they would want to willfully give the Zon money.

So, again, I could be wrong of course but I don’t see a big storm coming at all with this. In fact, this was announced weeks ago and I’ve only heard about one discussion on Facebook about it from some panicked indie authors. But they came off the ledge when many others said the same things I did.

Also, using Amazon ads won’t drive trade to self-publishing. Yep, goes back to the mindset. There are trade authors who make NO money and say they would rather make a dollar from their writing than go indie. Many still look down on the option and still have that dream of their book being in bookstores so, no. Ones that want to go indie, will go. But this isn’t going to make those not interested suddenly go indie.

I see hybrid authors using this for their trade books now, definitely. Ones that already use Amazon ads. But I don’t see an influx. I think if that was gonna happen we’d see some evidence now. Doesn’t mean the indies won’t have a tougher time running ads but I doubt it will be the huge change some think it will be.

Great topic!

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