I'm sure you've all heard of the Kindle Missile Crisis aka the Amazon Macmillan Kerfluffle aka How Amazon is Trying to Force Another Company to Sell Their Product at the Price They Dictate. It makes me so mad. What if Amazon told tennis shoe companies that all shoes had to be $19.99 from now on. Sorry Nike, sorry Adidas, if that means layoffs and pay cuts and ultimately isn't sustainable, OH WELL!! It's $19.99 or we won't sell your shoes, because we're the boss of you, and we will set the prices YOUR company sells products at.
So unfair, most of all to Macmillan authors. In my effort to take action, I went to a fabulous independent bookstore, which I found thanks to the ever lovely Agency Gatekeeper . The bookstore is such a beautiful place. The huge bookstore I normally go gives me a great feeling, but this one has that scent of pages and ink that I've only ever found in libraries. I also liked that the ceiling didn't have the capacity for flying helicopters, and the general coziness of the place. Here is the link that Agency Gatekeeper so kindly provided, which let me easily find friendly neighborhood indie bookshops .
I bought Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle, and it looks so fun. It just sucks that a writer who's career depends on sales is being blocked out of a major market like this, especially if this was an author's release week. Or even, if there were any debut novels coming out. Could you imagine??
So do you have any Macmillan authors you enjoy? Want to find some? Check out this post at Rebecca's Book Blog with a list and summaries of a whole bunch of Macmillan YA: Rebecca's Book Blog .
And one Macmillan book I enjoyed that wasn't on Rebecca's list is Give Up the Ghost by Megan Crewe. If you have any favorite Macmillan authors to add to the list, let us know!
Today I'm at my daughter's book fair again, and then I have Girl Scouts, so I'll reply to any comments later on. Have a happy Wednesday :)
Diana Paz Writes... Young Adult Fiction. A blog about what I read, write, imagine, and dream.
I feel the same way about the MacMillan/Amazon debacle. But I'm glad that Mac took this approach. They are helping to define the future of e-books and the new publishing landscape. I like to think of them as a literary Braveheart!
ReplyDeleteOne of my fave MacMillan books is a memoir called Schuyler's Monster. It's about a dad raising a little girl who was born without the ability to speak. So, so good.
Ergggg...it's maddening, isn't it? So very frustrating. I'm glad you addressed this. I'll check out the other Macmillan authors. I think a good boycott might make sense, too. Say readers made a point of buying Macmillan books, but never from Amazon? Sound like a plan?
ReplyDeleteAnd I LOVE independent hole-in-the-wall bookstores. My fave ever was the Shakespeare & Company bookstore in Paris, but I've yet to encounter one anywhere that didn't make me feel like I've come home again.
I definitely don't think another company should rule over the other, but I do like cheap books. I don't like shopping and indie bookstores - they're usually double the price. I guess I should be more loyal, but my bank account rules me. I'll check out some Macmillan authors though.
ReplyDeleteAmazon can suck on my big toe. I rarely buy anything from them, but now, they'll see no business from me.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had a local bookshop to go to. You see it in movies or in books, like Shiver, where lovers run into each other or spend time together and it seems so romantic. WHat happened to the used book stores? You can't find those anywhere around here.
ReplyDeleteI understand what Amazon is trying to do because ebook prices are only a couple of books cheaper so really dropping the price makes sense but come on, a down right boycott/pull from eShelves to force their hand is ridiculous. And what about them taking back from your kindle those sample chapters? If they can creep in and take stuff from your Kindle then who else can?
Personally, I love paper and ink. I have no desire to own any type of book reader and I hope it is a fad that burns out like Tab soda.
Hi Diana!
ReplyDeleteI nominated you for a blog award, but I see you already received it. Nonetheless, here it is:
http://confessionsofasesquipedalian.blogspot.com/2010/02/award-lime-green-shoes-young.html
Scobberlotch- I'm also happy that Macmillan stood up for itself. Schuyler's Monster sounds great and unique; I'm definitely adding to my TBR pile.
ReplyDeleteCarolina- I know, SO aggravating! I'm going to be going to my indie bookseller more often now for sure... and hey, you've been to Paris?! That is one of my life's dreams :)
Mary- I hear ya, believe me. Money is definitely the bottom line for most of us. Obviously if everything were sold at the ninety-nine cent store I'd be a happy camper. I just wouldn't want to think companies were being forced to sell things at one price or another. There are a great many things, especially brand name things, in the world that cost way less to make than they sell for, and I don't hear Amazon "protecting consumers" on that front.
Tina- Hear hear!! I will buy from ANYWHERE else instead of Amazon now, and that goes for more than just books.
Gwoe- I don't see that Amazon is trying to be on the consumer's side, that just doesn't make sense to me. Amazon is on Amazon's side and no one else's. If they were on the consumer's side they'd be demanding companies across the board to sell things at a fair price. Have you seen their Dolce & Gabbana purses? Why do they cost $2,000? Because it costs that much to make them? Or because there is something in the design that makes them more appealing, and makes consumers willing to pay that much? If a book is THAT GOOD, that the publisher can still get sales at a higher price, why shouldn't they be allowed to? It's their product. Amazon is trying to force the publisher's hand. And I TOTALLY agree about the creepiness of Amazon taking away things from Kindles. Too weird.
Sesquip- Awww, thank you sweetie!! That's just what I needed to perk up my morning :)