The story is a tangled one, and frankly, I don't really care that the associates program is gone. In all this time, I sold one book. The carousel widgets were there as recommendations, served as a notice for readers of what kinds of books I've found useful.
What I would rather you do is seek out small local booksellers. Independent booksellers really know their stock. They know all about authors, they can talk about the quality of writing, even discourse about the quality of the binding of a book. So many booksellers have been undercut by Amazon, it has forced many (even used bookstores) to go out of business.
So go direct to your local bookseller's website, help them avoid the 15% cut that Amazon takes.
Here are a few links to help you find a local bookseller in your state:
IndieBound
American Booksellers' Association
And yes, I am still fond of Border's and Barnes & Noble, though I do try to throw as much business to the independents as possible.
All of you probably have some favorites. If you want, please list them here.
My faves: Powell's, Vroman's, Dawson's Book Shop.
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8 comments:
Changing Hands in Tempe, AZ:
http://www.changinghands.com/
I could LIVE there. I have a friend in NJ who used to come to AZ quite often on business. He'd bring an empty suitcase to fill up with loot from Changing Hands to take back home with him.
MaryMargaret(Maggie) in Bisbee, AZ
I know a local bookseller, who after having to pay the tax, plus Amazon's cut, was having to charge more for shipping in order to make a profit.
My kids all love to go to Bookmans in Arizona, You can resell your book and buy more and resell again.
plus the sales tax stays in Arizona where we can use it.
cheers, parsnip
I for one, will miss intensely the brick and mortar book stores, but looking at what happened to the music stores, I regrettably believe stores for new books will be extinct very soon. I do think that used book stores will survive for a good time.
Sad times.
ahhh...it's so complicatd...I think I'll just go live in a cave and not have internet or cell phones anymore....or Amazon.
It comes to mind that I got a lot more done pre-internet. I didn't miss not knowing about what was going on other places in as much detail as I know now. I did just fine. But once you're in, there is no turning back.
Writers write to be read. If you can collect a royalty at the same time, so much the better. Amazon has made books available much more readily than they ever were before. Folks without the leisure time to browse a wonderful old bookstore now can shop at home and not only have a huge selection but reasonable prices, access to excerpts, reviews and reader comments and the ability to access the work in multiple formats. Hard to dislike any of that.
Marketing evolves and retail stores change over time. No one complains about supermarkets replacing the butcher, baker and green-grocer. Few gripe about home improvement mega-stores (although a few picket new Wal-Marts) and nobody seems to want to abandon the internet as a means of taking care of business.
Whether my books get sold from Amazon, Ye Olde Scrivener's, or the local Wal-Mart, I still get my royalties and someone is reading my words. I like that.
Ed, I'm just saying to peruse the website of your local bookstore. Many have them. Amazon has discontinued its affiliate program in California. This isn't going to make a DENT in their business.
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