It really is remarkable how much every tech company is now just PURE FUCKING EVIL and intent on inserting themselves in between every human interaction so they can monetize it, monopolize it, control it...

Hannah Steenbock

Friend of mine suggested something he called "Amazon Last".

Meaning he will publish his books everywhere else first, and then, maybe two months later, on Amazon.

Because we need to teach and encourage readers to buy elsewhere. To side-load their Kindles, rather than take the very comfortable route.

I am so mad... and I'm channeling that anger into putting even more of my books into my own store (means reformatting them).

Jürgen Hubert

@Firlefanz @susankayequinn

I've been musing that approach as well. Does your friend have a list of platforms?

Hannah Steenbock

@juergen_hubert

Well, he's using the usual suspects, same as I:

Draft2Digital (including Smashwords)
Google Play Store
DriveThroughFiction
PayHip (as our own stores)

@susankayequinn

Sue is Writing Solarpunk 🌞🌱

@Firlefanz @juergen_hubert

my books have long been available on the five major retailers: Amazon, Kobo, Google Play, Nook, Apple

I'm still waiting for D2D to distribute ebooks to bookshop.org — that would be my next preferred shop.

And lots of people host on their own websites with various stores.

Jürgen Hubert

@susankayequinn @Firlefanz

I am not going to sell my books directly over my own platform, because in German tax law this shifts me from "author receiving percentages" to "small business owner" and that is a bureaucratic step I would like to avoid.

But I really need to get out of the Amazon KDP box next year.

C. R. Collins

@susankayequinn @Firlefanz @juergen_hubert

They are taking WAY too long with that. Last correspondence I had from them said it would be this autumn, which is gone. Every time I see someone recommending bookshop I get annoyed all over again.

Hannah Steenbock

@crcollins

Same! I mean, how hard can it be to open up a cooperation with D2D?

@susankayequinn @juergen_hubert

Sue is Writing Solarpunk 🌞🌱

@Firlefanz @crcollins @juergen_hubert

I frankly would MUCH prefer Bookshop had a portal that selfpub authors could upload direct to. And I know that Ingram will distribute your ebook to them (I think?) so I might have to look into that option again. I'm not excited about distributors of any kind for ebooks, not just because they take a cut, but because that's just another level of control that I don't have over pricing and cover changes... which can cause big problems.

Hannah Steenbock

@susankayequinn

Of course, that would be better. But it would also be a lot more complicated, and right now, I wish for progress in the right direction.

Thing is, Bookshop started out with booksellers in mind, not with authors. It shows.

@crcollins @juergen_hubert

Sue is Writing Solarpunk 🌞🌱

@Firlefanz It's completely fine with me that they're supporting bookstores, though! That's... like the entire thing. But they've been slowly building on that core idea and I think that's super smart. They get no real complaints from me, just requests

@crcollins @juergen_hubert

Jürgen Hubert

@susankayequinn @Firlefanz @crcollins

I would love it if there was a self-publishing shop that sold to German bookstores!

Elyse M Grasso

@Firlefanz @juergen_hubert @susankayequinn
I've been using Wide via D2D, plus Amazon from the beginning, and so far I've made roughly equal tiny amounts from D2D and A. (Mostly A for the past few months: I need to do more marketing)

I have not set up my own store yet because with very low sales and only 2 books out so far, it's more trouble than it is worth. I will look at standing up a store once vol 3 is published, concluding the first arc.

I'll probably leave 1 and 2 on A until then.

Hannah Steenbock

@ElyseMGrasso

I will say that Amazon and Google Play Store make up the bulk of my royalties.

Visually, Google has the nicer interface (no ads!), but their search function is not very good. You basically need to know what you want to buy. And their delivery is not good unless you buy for a phone.

For aware readers, Smashwords and Payhip are the best bets. They give you a file, DRM-free, and you can decide what you want to do with it.

If readers only knew.

@juergen_hubert @susankayequinn

Jürgen Hubert

@Firlefanz @ElyseMGrasso @susankayequinn

For me, print books represent more than half my sales, so finding non-Amazon POD shops is pretty important.

Wandering Adventure Party

It really is remarkable how much every tech company is now just PURE FUCKING EVIL and intent on inserting themselves in between every human interaction so they can monetize it, monopolize it, control it...