1. XLadyX

    XLadyX Banned

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    Has anyone else not published with Amazon and have been okay with sales?

    Discussion in 'Marketing' started by XLadyX, Aug 8, 2016.

    I don't like the way Amazon handles things whenever something happens with publishing, so I'm trying to stay away from there after what recently happened. That's the only place I seem to get "bad" reviews from. Everywhere else I publish I seem to be fine. When I posted this in another writer's group, some people think I should still publish my books on Amazon.

    What do you think? Do you publish with Amazon?

    I'm trying to use Draft 2 Digital and the platforms they have on there and there's still Smashwords.

    With or without Amazon does it make a difference?

    I just can't count on the executive relations there to handle something whenever an obvious spiteful review occurs. I don't mind if someone makes a bad review because they didn't like my stories -- as long as it's genuine. However the only bad reviews I seem to be getting were from my "competition."

    tl;dr I don't want to publish at Amazon anymore due to what previously happened. Does everyone publish with KDP Publishing and Create Space or do you use other platforms or both?
     
  2. Steerpike

    Steerpike Felis amatus Contributor

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    The vast majority of my sales from self-published work come from Amazon. It dwarfs the other markets where I've listed items. I've seen similar results with other self-published authors. There are other considerations apart from sales, but from a purely sales perspective Amazon is the behemoth in the marketplace and it doesn't make sense to skip them.
     
  3. Homewriting

    Homewriting New Member

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    I use Draft 2 Digital and I like it honestly. While I sell some stuff straight to Amazon, Draft 2 Digital also has the added bonus of marketing my stuff intelligently, which more than makes up for their cut of the profits on my end since the money I'd have spent for marketing goes to that. I'm mostly paying for convenience, but its not so bad compared to the digital rights of an exclusive amazon deal.
     
  4. rincewind31

    rincewind31 Active Member

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    If you just want out of Amazon because they won't delete bad reviews you really are cutting your nose off to spite your face.
     
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  5. Lew

    Lew Contributor Contributor

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    I publish on CS and KDP and am very very pleased with sales and support. But I have nothing to compare it with.
     
  6. BayView

    BayView Huh. Interesting. Contributor

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    How many sales are you getting at D2D compared to Amazon?
     
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  7. joe sixpak

    joe sixpak Banned

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    There are a very small number of the very top sellers who are very happy.
    There are millions who have never sold anything.
    In between are a small group that has done so so.
    It is a very long tailed phenomenon. A few sell a lot, most sell very little.
     
  8. joe sixpak

    joe sixpak Banned

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    Amazon is basically a vanity press AND a distributor.

    You can publish with others, eg bookbaby, and be distributed via amazon as well as every major channel worldwide.

    I used to self publish but now I might just cave in to the monopoly and use kindle for convenience and the low low cost if you don't buy worthless 'services'.
     
  9. joe sixpak

    joe sixpak Banned

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    Just looked at their site. I do not see any marketing.
    This looks like yet another new minor player that further dilutes the few alternatives to amazon even more so as to be less effective against the monopoly.
     
  10. rincewind31

    rincewind31 Active Member

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    D2D does what they say and probably makes things more convenient for the writer as everything us under one roof. The truth is though no matter where you publish you're still going to get bad reviews. If you don't want any write the perfect book or don't bother publishing at all.
    Amazon is still the biggest out there unfortunately so ignoring them is just daft.
     
  11. joe sixpak

    joe sixpak Banned

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    Even a 'perfect' book will get bad reviews if it is popular enough.
     
  12. RikWriter

    RikWriter Member

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    Back when my books were wide, I never made more than a couple dollars a month from anywhere other than Amazon. Now I am in KDP Select and on KU so I am Amazon exclusive and make two thirds of my income from KU page reads, so I wouldn't even consider going wide, much less not publishing on Amazon at all.
     
  13. Lew

    Lew Contributor Contributor

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    Yeah, just had my KU page reads pick up for E&D, and since it is a long book at a low sales price, I actually get about twice as much on KU. As for D2D, I never heard of them, so that should give you a scope for the audience. @Homewriting, what kind of marketing do they do for you?
     
  14. RikWriter

    RikWriter Member

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    I've heard of D2D but they take a cut of your profits. Don't care for that.
     
  15. MakeBlog.org

    MakeBlog.org Banned

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    In my opinion Amazon is where the majority of the market is at. When I publish I primarily go to Amazon first the try like the other outlets like smashword next. But the thing about the other platforms is they usually would be a supplemental thing in addition to after Amazon.
     

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