Boycott Amazon.com
You didn’t all that Amazon.com mess was over, did you? Definitely not. Angela Hoy, Publisher of BookLocker and Publisher and Editor of WritersWeekly.com, has filed a class action lawsuit against Amazon.com in an effort to stop Amazon from forcing all publishers using POD (print on demand) methods to pay Amazon to print the books.
No matter how nicely Amazon.com tries to paint it, no one in the publishing industry is fooled. If Amazon gets what it wants, they will control all printing and the prices will be subject to change as Amazon pleases. As if that’s not enough, they are seeking to control the quality of the books published by controlling things like the formatting specifications.
A lot of people use Amazon.com. I used to use Amazon. Many of us do or did. That’s the trouble. Amazon has swallowed a lot of online business and is now making a move to take advantage of the power it holds to create this hold of complete control over POD publishing and printing.
According to those trying to stop Amazon, publishers were given only one other option. It’s too bad that option – called the ‘Advantage Program’ – isn’t any better.
People like Anne at The Golden Pencil are now rounding up their Amazon.com affiliate links and shoving them in the virtual trash basket, despite the impact on finances it will have. They are standing up to Amazon and telling the site to go ‘shove it’ in support of the publishers.
I commend any and all who are doing that. It’s hard, especially when part of your income is coming in from those links.
I just have one question: Are you willing to boycott Amazon?
June 4th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
I stopped buying books from Amazon years ago. I got mad when they forced small publishers into their co-op program and changed their Recommended for You suggestions to only paid titles.
The reason I dumped the Library Thing widget from my blog was the same — the images linked to Amazon.
I am Amazon free, although the Tour Manager likes to get non-book stuff from them. I think he’s having second thoughts, too, after the stunt they pulled over the winter…
June 4th, 2008 at 10:46 pm
I’m willing to boycott them. I had been thinking about becoming an affiliate, recommending books I liked. I could use the spare cash, believe me, but now I’d rather not.
The only exception I’ll make: I’m hoarding one gift certificate now, and some contests award them as prizes. In such situations, Amazon will gain more if I don’t use it than if I spend it, with the smallest amount over I can figure (there are enough books I’d like, I have a lot of room for figuring that margin way down). So I encourage anyone: if, through no fault of your own, you end up with an Amazon gift certificate, please, spend it. Don’t let them keep all that cash.
In related, very depressing news, some financial analysts released a report today, saying there are only two major Internet companies sure to survive this economic mess. Those two? Google (I don’t mind that) and Amazon. Hiss! Boo!
June 5th, 2008 at 8:52 am
I’ve never bought anything on amazon, but I have received some GCs as of late and I intend to use them.
June 5th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
I think using up your gift cards is a good idea, because if you don’t, it’s pure profit for amazon. However, I would recommend doing as Susan has done - become amazon free in any way.
WA - It’ll be interesting to see what comes of all this financial woe.