Amazon Is My Printer Not My Publisher!
It's amazing how many people HATE AMAZON! Especially people in the book business.
On tour promoting my book in the fall of 2017 I kept hitting the same wall trying to get readings at some independent bookstores. Some people were condescending, others were just firm.
“You publish with Amazon. You can’t read here.”
“Amazon is not my publisher.”
“Your book is on Amazon. You use them to publish your book. We’re an Independent book store.”
“I Am An Independent Author. I only use Amazon to print my books.”
“We’re sorry. You can’t do a reading here.”
“I have my own editor, proofreaders, and designer. We make all of the decisions and changes. I promote my work and hell, I even pay for my own book tours. Everything that a publisher does, I do. Amazon provides a service. I don’t believe you care who your other publishers use as their printer, why do you care who I use?”
As a printer Amazon is so much cheaper (somewhere between $1-$2 per book) that I can’t afford to take it somewhere else. Now, I also use IngramSpark, but they’re still more expensive.
I pay for everything up front. In addition to the cheaper costs, Amazon’s quality is very good. I wish I could find a printer that could match their price, I would use them.
A Little History.
When I published my first book, The Angry Filmmaker Survival Guide, Part One other independent authors told me about a great company, BookSurge. I used them. They did quality work and were great to work with. One person was assigned to my account and whenever there was a problem he took care of it.
By the time my second book was ready, The Angry Filmmaker Survival Guide, Part Two, BookSurge had been purchased by Amazon. I still dealt with the same wonderful people, the quality was great, and the same person was still assigned to my account.
With Road Dog things were different. There was no longer a contact person. I spent more time on the phone talking to people who seemed indifferent or didn’t know what they were doing. From a customer service standpoint it was awful trying to get specific answers. “Look at the specs,” they would say. I would. Then my book would get rejected and I’d spend more time on the phone trying to figure out why.
Road Dog was much harder to get printed but ultimately the quality and the costs were good.
As an Independent Author, I supply all of my books to the bookstores. I do my own publicity. Make my own travel arrangements, and find my own place to stay. Amazon doesn’t pay any of that, I do.
Most bookstores take forty-percent of the retail price. If I’m lucky I make $2 a copy and that’s before all my road expenses.
And the bookstores pay me quarterly, which I don’t have a problem with, that’s just business. The downside to that is if I’m on the road I won’t see any of the money I make for months.
People laugh when I tell them I prefer doing readings in bars, or places where my films are being shown or I’m teaching workshops. That’s because at those venues the money for my books, DVDs, and merchandise goes directly to me. One hundred percent.
Since my last tour in 2017, I have written two more books. From Arrah Wanna To MuleShoe, with Mark A. Nobles, and Dennis Barton Is A Bastard And Other Stories. I have yet to find any other printer’s whose rates are comparable to Amazon. And Amazon’s customer service continues to get worse! I still get shitty proofs from them. I complain and am told to “read the specs”, which I do. It now takes at least four or five tries to get a good proof. When I finally get there then the rest of it all goes easier.
You know what? After five books, it shouldn’t be this hard! I don’t put that on me, I put that on Amazon. I know how to read their specs and the people I work with know them as well. I think they probably have huge turnover in their printing business and they just don’t care. We send the same files through IngramSpark and they don’t seem to have any problems.
This is one part of the Independent publishing business that drives me crazy. Why can’t I find one company that can give me Amazon’s printing prices and book quality, with IngramSparks ease of submissions? Is that too much to ask?
So stop telling me I’m published by Amazon! I’m an Independent Author who uses the printing services of Amazon.
I toured with my films and books for years. I drove all over the country doing readings and screenings and for the most part it was a blast! It was also a lot of hard work. And every year it got harder to make money on the road.
I’m still writing and making films but I know longer tour. I can’t afford it financially, as well as mentally and physically. It’s too much of a grind.
Thanks for reading. Have a great week.
Don’t Let The Bastards Get To You!
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If you're interesting in purchasing any of my independent books here's a link, https://angryfilmmaker.com/all/books
My independent films can be streamed at - https://angryfilmmaker.com/all/films
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