Amazon Ebook Return Controversy Catches Fire
Sadly, this isn't breaking news about a fab collab between Amazon, Prince and The Hunger Games. Still, that doesn't mean you can't have a little mood music in the background while you read this post:
Prince - Controversy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gazN...
For those of you who don't know, there is apparently now a TikTok trend showing people how easy it is to read ebooks in full on Amazon and then return them for a full refund... just because you can - a policy no other ebook retailer or most brick and mortar bookstores for that matter, have. It's not even a policy Amazon has for its other digital products, just ebooks.
NPR Authors are protesting Amazon's e-book policy that allows users to read and return:
https://www.npr.org/2022/06/27/110710...
Books + Publishing Australia & New Zealand: SoA calls on Amazon to cut ebook refund window
https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au...
CBC Canada: E-book return hack comes with a steep price, author says
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...
Times UK: Writers riled by Amazon offering refunds — after readers finish ebooks
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/wr...
EuroNews: Is Amazon's ebook return policy ruining authors' careers?
https://www.euronews.com/culture/2022...
And many more: https://www.google.com/search?q=amazo...
THE PETITION: Change Amazon Return Policies for Completed E-books: Protect Authors from Theft! is at 70,000+ signatures and counting:
https://www.change.org/p/change-amazo...
There is now even a megathread on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/writing/comm...
Non-Amazon exclusive indie authors, depending on book price, will typically, after marketing and other expenses, walk away with a solid 35 cents to $3 profit per book sold. Amazon exclusive indie authors are about $0.70 - $3. Trade authors are about in the same ranges. Still, some authors, hoping to acquire new readers or profit off of their older titles or additional books in the same/similar series, make $0 on some sales after it's all said and done.
Are there exceptions? Of course, but that's the general consensus.
What happens to the rest of the ebook/print book price you pay? It goes to Amazon, their publisher (in the case of trad authors), Amazon advertising and other marking firms/methods.
Sadly, some authors are claiming returns as high as in the triple digits each month (on author boards) in the course of the past couple of months.
There is, however, a win-win....win solution.
Many authors, such as myself, have their works available at local libraries. If they don't, as long as they are available via Overdrive and other such library platforms, you can typically request that your library acquire them.
And yes, ANYONE can specifically request any materials (ebooks, movies, etc.) they wish to borrow from their local library if their library system doesn't already carry them (though for the most part, you have to be a library card holder). Responsiveness to requests vary from one library to another and depend on a variety of factors such as number of requests for that material that have been made, budget and other guidelines.
Unsure if your current or potentially future favorite is available?
Most libraries now have online catalogs including ebook catalogs. You simply do a search and if you can't find it, use your library's request form (or in some cases, you simply click request under the material if the ebook catalog pulls it up).
Borrowing books through your library is a win win...win for everyone. The author gets paid, you get to read the work free to you (if you don't count tax dollars) and you support your local library (much of whose funding is tied to their circulation or the number of users and materials being borrowed).
Especially considering the average author profit per book sold as it is, why risk losing your Amazon account and driving authors out of business when you can get the same end result and help out both your local library and your favorite author at the same time?
Enjoy!
Grea.
Prince - Controversy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gazN...
For those of you who don't know, there is apparently now a TikTok trend showing people how easy it is to read ebooks in full on Amazon and then return them for a full refund... just because you can - a policy no other ebook retailer or most brick and mortar bookstores for that matter, have. It's not even a policy Amazon has for its other digital products, just ebooks.
NPR Authors are protesting Amazon's e-book policy that allows users to read and return:
https://www.npr.org/2022/06/27/110710...
Books + Publishing Australia & New Zealand: SoA calls on Amazon to cut ebook refund window
https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au...
CBC Canada: E-book return hack comes with a steep price, author says
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmont...
Times UK: Writers riled by Amazon offering refunds — after readers finish ebooks
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/wr...
EuroNews: Is Amazon's ebook return policy ruining authors' careers?
https://www.euronews.com/culture/2022...
And many more: https://www.google.com/search?q=amazo...
THE PETITION: Change Amazon Return Policies for Completed E-books: Protect Authors from Theft! is at 70,000+ signatures and counting:
https://www.change.org/p/change-amazo...
There is now even a megathread on Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/writing/comm...
Non-Amazon exclusive indie authors, depending on book price, will typically, after marketing and other expenses, walk away with a solid 35 cents to $3 profit per book sold. Amazon exclusive indie authors are about $0.70 - $3. Trade authors are about in the same ranges. Still, some authors, hoping to acquire new readers or profit off of their older titles or additional books in the same/similar series, make $0 on some sales after it's all said and done.
Are there exceptions? Of course, but that's the general consensus.
What happens to the rest of the ebook/print book price you pay? It goes to Amazon, their publisher (in the case of trad authors), Amazon advertising and other marking firms/methods.
Sadly, some authors are claiming returns as high as in the triple digits each month (on author boards) in the course of the past couple of months.
There is, however, a win-win....win solution.
Many authors, such as myself, have their works available at local libraries. If they don't, as long as they are available via Overdrive and other such library platforms, you can typically request that your library acquire them.
And yes, ANYONE can specifically request any materials (ebooks, movies, etc.) they wish to borrow from their local library if their library system doesn't already carry them (though for the most part, you have to be a library card holder). Responsiveness to requests vary from one library to another and depend on a variety of factors such as number of requests for that material that have been made, budget and other guidelines.
Unsure if your current or potentially future favorite is available?
Most libraries now have online catalogs including ebook catalogs. You simply do a search and if you can't find it, use your library's request form (or in some cases, you simply click request under the material if the ebook catalog pulls it up).
Borrowing books through your library is a win win...win for everyone. The author gets paid, you get to read the work free to you (if you don't count tax dollars) and you support your local library (much of whose funding is tied to their circulation or the number of users and materials being borrowed).
Especially considering the average author profit per book sold as it is, why risk losing your Amazon account and driving authors out of business when you can get the same end result and help out both your local library and your favorite author at the same time?
Enjoy!
Grea.
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