AMAZON.COM Trying To Force Out POD publishers.

[Linton Robinson]

I've already posted this in the Self Publishers group, but feel that it's of wider interest because it could affect anybody who is published with small presses that rely on lightningsource's POD technology to create books and place them on amazon.

One of the main allures of POD publishing has been the "amazon connection" and it's become almost the definition of what "published" means or what a "real book" is.

Now amazon is starting to jerk the "BUY" button from POD books (meaning those published by lightningsource, the only major POD printer) and only allow direct sales of books published on their BookSurge subsidiary.

I've been in the amazon offices and met execs and middle-management there. I've been screwed out of promised money by them...the kind of deal where you could win in court but it wouldn't be worth a couple of hundred bucks.
They are an arrogant company with very little conscience. Hopefully this idiocy will be reversed, but it's certainly a chilling wind for self-publishers.
One of several articles HERE

[Margaret Garside]

I like your idea of a writers' collective. For one thing, it sounds feasible. I'll sign on.

We must stick together. No one else will look out for us. I am so disappointed with Amazon. I honestly thought it was about books and bringing readers together. Turns out it was about World Domination all along.

[Shel Horowitz]

The Washington State government has decided they don't have jurisdiction and that tis is a federal matter (under the current administration, I don't hope for much relief there). Meanwhile, I have canceled my membership in Amazon's affiliate program and asked my assistant to take down all the buy links (she hasn't done so yet), and shifted my own buying to powells.com, bn.com, and of course my local independent bookstores.

Unfortunately, a few of the major subsidy houses caved pretty quickly, and Ingram has been amazingly quiet. But a number of writer and publisher groups (PMA, SPAN, NWU, Authors Guild, some others) have joined the complaint, and even Publish America, a company I usually detest, issued a very strong statement.

Shel Horowitz, author of Grassroots Marketing for Authors and Publishers
http://www.grassrootsmarketingforauthors.com

[Stacey T Pollock]

Wow that is scary...I am published through a company that relies on POD. I am also setting up an account at Amazon...I hope that it does not turn into a shambles!

This still means that my book will be viewed through Amazon?

Is it for all POD publishing or only some companies?

[Peter N. Jones]

Currently those publishing companies using Lightning Source as their printer are unaffected. Lulu is still ok (but they use LSI for their "distribution package"). I'm not sure on the others (e.g., Tafford), but it looks like Amazon got the big ones to cave in and have left the smaller presses alone for now. Let's hope it stays that way.

______________________________________________
Director: Bauu Institute and Press
Publisher: Honest Reviews of Great New Books
Editor: Indigenous Peoples Issues Today
Editor: Indigenous Peoples Issues & Resources