Careful you don’t end up owing Amazon money!

Posted on Posted in amazon, Update Tagged with , , ,

Hi all! More bad news on the Amazon front:

This from Amazon itself: 

“A regular trim paperback with 300 pages, black and white ink, sold on Amazon for $8 now earns ZERO ROYALTIES.” (All caps mine.)

 

Here’s a link to my under-a-minute Facebook video, where you also get the added bonus of seeing yours truly wigless and hatless due to the heat … after all the bad weather, I ain’t complainin’! … THE LINK

 

[If you missed my previous post on this, you can find it HERE.]

Some Amazon Alternatives:

The big two globally are D2D (Draft2Digital) and Smashwords.
Many others, such as Kobo and Barnes and Noble (when I last tried), only accept authors based in the United States. As soon as I get the energy and time between hospital appointments and illness, I’ll see if any of those have changed their policy.

Sadly, D2D have now stopped paying by PayPal, and the only viable solution for me was the international bank transfer, which means I don’t see any money until I make a minimum of $10. Smashwords have teamed up with D2D, so I need to reacquaint myself with their policies and opportunities as well.

 

I’ll be back soon with updates about little ole me and the health stuff. Basically, all plans on hold but not my breath … managing to keep breathing through everything! 😉 I’m waiting for a gallbladder removal, and a recent CT scan showed breast lumps, which need further examination.
🤞🤞🤞, and everything else!, this doesn’t lead to anything else! My old saying of ‘Good luck, bad luck—who knows?’ holds true here as none of this would have been seen without that ‘lovely’ stomach bug from my darling, cute, grandson back in January!
… My, halfway through the year already!

 

Thanks for stopping by, and I sincerely hope you find this information useful 😊💗

19 Comments on “Careful you don’t end up owing Amazon money!”

    • You’re welcome, Debby, and thanks so much! Huge hugs your way too 🤗💗

  2. Hi Harmony. Good to hear from you. I hope your surgery goes well and that the lumps are benign.

    Amazon sure isn’t making things easy these days, are they?

    • They sure aren’t!
      Thanks for your well wishes, Joan, and lovely to see you too 😊
      I hope all is well with you 🤗💗

  3. Thanks for sharing, Harmony. There is hardly ever any good news for authors from Amazon. I don’t know where it will all end up. Best wishes for the best outcome with the recent health issues. It’s always great to hear from you. Hugs!

    • You’re so welcome, Jan. I didn’t want any of you to get caught unawares. Ironically, after I did my bare-headed (and brave quick video) and posted here, the generous Dave Chesson’s email dropped into my inbox and said a lot of the same things!

      His reach is a lot bigger than mine, lols, so I’m happy he’s on it already.

      I agree with you about Amazon and am coming to believe they want to get rid of as many of us as they can and go more with the bigger publishing companies. It’s one of those times where I hope I’m wrong but usually end up spot on, ugh 😞

      Thanks so much for your well wishes and dropping by. It’s always lovely to visit with you too! Hugs 🤗💗

  4. Hi Harmony. I raised my prices on Amazon, which I hated to do. I also am leaving Kindke unlimited to go back to a wider distribution. I am learning D2D having been with Smashwords. They do offer print but it’s been Tricky so far with more rules than Amaxon. Might go back to IngramSparks for print. Sorry about your health issues and hope you get through your operation ok and the lumps are benign. Sending healing hugs. Xo

    • Yep, it saddens me deeply that Amazon took away all good choices with this move.

      So many of us wanted to leave our book prices as they were but can’t afford the added risk of either no income for a sale or—horrifically—*owing* Amazon for a sale. The lower royalty was bad enough, but this extra statement is beyond the pale.

      I left KU and being exclusive a while back for the same reason despite the 35% royalty cut. KU payments had become an insult a long time ago. I did a comparison before leaving the program and found I’d been paid about 33p for the equivalent of roughly 3.5 novels read.

      Yes, a KU reader may go on to buy, and some have for my books, but not the vast majority—and raising the fee for KU readers from £2.99 a month to £7.99 damaged that further whilst we authors still received lower rates per page read. I won’t get into the way they ‘calculate’ pages 🤔

      Unfortunately, the company who hosted my new book sales site didn’t work out, along with all their other apps … I’ll write about that whole saga another time … but regardless of my own store, I intended to move to D2D or Smashwords, and as with you, it was the print book side and the hassle and trying to get this suddenly stubborn brain to take in the new rules and retain them 😆 that gave me pause.

      Until my health improves (and I sure hope it does), I’m taking things slowly and carefully and am cautious of making any big moves. So my own book store and migrating to another book platform may not happen for a while.

      Right now, I’m not sure which to prioritise—probably the migration due to its greater reach.

      Thanks so much, Denise, for your input on the print side of things. That’s info I didn’t have yet and gives me more to think about.

      The concern I have with Ingram is that authors can be left with massive debts if a retailer purchases in bulk on a sale-or-return basis. I don’t know what options we have when publishing, but I’ve known of authors who suddenly had a hundred paperbacks dumped at their door together with the bill.

      Thanks for your well wishes and healing hugs. I’ll take all I can get! Sending hugs and all good things your way too 🤗💗

  5. Thanks for this great advice, Harmony. I’ve reluctantly raised the price of all mine. I wonder what will be next?

    • You’re so welcome, Toni! Yes, raising my prices was the last thing I wanted to do, especially on my smaller books. I hate that Amazon still hasn’t lowered the floor for those.

      I’m doing my utmost to not think about the what next—although it’s wise to keep glancing every now and then to prepare, lols 😝

      Wishing you all the best 🤗💗

  6. Good to hear from you, Harmony! I have to agree with John on the bad news from Amazon, lol. Hope you can find a solution.

    • Nice to see you too, Teri! Yep, for sure, John so said it! It would be great if we could all find a solution to the ever-greedier big A. 🤗💗

  7. Hi Harmony
    Lovely to hear from you, even if it is gloomy news. I’ve got a breast lump too, but last time it turned out to be a water cyst, so fingers crossed for us both.
    I agree with John about Amazon. If they can get it wrong, they do.
    Love, Sarah xxx

    • So great to see you too, Sarah! Yes, John and you hit the nail on the head. Have they decided they’ve made enough from us indies now and are trying to get us to go? For certain, since the enforced changes, I’ve seen my first flatline month in more years than I can remember—not a happy bunny. I don’t get lots of sales but ticking along at 2 or 3 (or even 1!) a month, I’m happy 😊

      I’m sorry you have a lump too. Yep, fingers and toes and everything else possible crossed 🤞🤞🤞 they turn out to be benign for us both. Sending healing energy your way and thinking of you. Huge hugs and love to you and yours 🤗💗🫶

  8. I loved seeing you today. Harmony. Yes, bad news from Amazon (when is the news from Jeff Bezos good? Thanks for sharing this information, and I always enjoy hearing from you.

    • Lovely to see you too, John!
      Yep, the great Bezos beast can’t seem to get enough money! 💵😜, and all of their changes in recent times have been bad for indie authors. I wonder if it’s the same with publishers? Probably not with the big ones as they have power too.
      Anyhoo, Mini rant over. Wishing you and your girls a wonderful weekend 🤗💗

  9. Hi Harmony,8 had to up the prices of all my paperback books on Amazon. Oh well, D2D isn’t an option for me as I can’t get any books delivered to South Africa that the publish and they are in b&w. All the best with the test results.

    • That sucks, Robbie. If I find anyone who’s SA friendly and does colour, I’ll let you know.

      Thanks for your well wishes. They mean a lot. I hope all is okay with you and yours 🤗💗