So what is up with Amazon Kindle Select?

The Kindle Select mess and #lameness to follow!

Warning...this is a rant, so I may not be the nice little author you know and love... oh wait, you all know me...never mind, carry on =)

I must be getting old or something, or maybe the rantings of well meaning writers just gets under my skin. Not that normal stupid people make me feel all warm and fuzzy, but is it me or does everyone think that they are so important as to think that we really matter in the game the big boys are playing???

Yes, as you can gather, I am in a MOOD.

So here is the deal: KDP Lending program, good or bad? IMO it is good if you know how to use it.

1. Use it with your special titles. Doubles, UNCUT books and books that do not sell well on other sites.
2. Stop the madness!!! Amazon would have taken over the book market long ago if they had the stones to do it... but I talk to them once a month or so and they are like a sleeping giant that thinks they are small and are just figuring out that they are small, but that they live in a ant world. Amazon is playing a game. Putting publishing imprints in place for the future, buying up authors to one day crush the publishing world. They could do it tomorrow but they don't realize how much power they really have. So, you can be "In The Family" or fight what IS coming.

What do I mean by this?

I mean, all Amazon wants is to make money. And to do that they have to keep authors and readers happy so they walk a thin line. They are not going to shoot themselves in the foot and piss off all the indie authors as they make bank on them. BUT they will kill B&N soon just like Borders and a new book monster will have to rise up to give them a fight.

Through all this we authors can still sell and sell well building a fan-base the whole time. But to make it sound like they are a big ol mean online bully is just writers getting all fussy cuz they want to whine about something. I know... I am harsh...

The other thing that makes me hot under the ugly sweater is authors that think the Big 6 care about little kidz reading! Oh and Amazon is just a money hungry so in so. You really thing the publishers care if a poor kid gets a book for Christmas? Really?

All they want is money, to sell you a book to make a dollar... the only difference between Amazon and the Big 6 is Amazon will pay you!!! Yeah I said it! They pay their authors and know how to sell a crap load of books! The publishers do not, they are out of touch, lost in the land of print and sucking their thumbs cuz eBooks messed up all the money they were making!

So what should you do?

first, stop looking for the bad news. Look at the new whatever it is... and do your research and try something new instead of running with the masses into a wall.

Next, stop thinking of yourself beyond what you are. Do you really think that your eBook and your huge sales is going to bother Amazon or anyone else? We are all small fish, not worth most readers time, so stop making it out like you and your book sales are going to go under cuz Amazon wants you to sell only on their site. Really... so you sell so many on B&N? I don't...so what does it matter... you don't hear in the news when B&N has "Exclusive" titles... they do! did you know that? They have eBooks (James Patterson) that you can only get on B&N.

Now let us all take a breath... suck in some air and realize that all of this is about the money. Publishers want to make it, Amazon and B&N want to make it and yes you little author want to make it... if you don't call me and I will make it for you and you can just write cuz you believe in the art.

Amazon is trying new things... that is why they do so well, they are not afraid to try something new and fail. If this lending thing does not work they will try something else. I know they were talking about giving 80% to authors that wanted to just sell on Amazon and decided to try this lending thing instead. So try it, if you make more money, great. if not, oh well, it is not forever... you are not selling your soul. I look at it as advertizing, what if the one or two books I put in the program lend really good and I can use the extra promotion to boost my other sales... you never know. And you will never know if you do not try.

This is just the start, soon B&N will want you to just sell a book on their site, and new programs will hit the market. Think about how it may help or hurt you, and don't worry about the world falling around you... you may not live to see it so lighten up.

and a note to the high brow authors that think NOT selling and getting awards is a mark of success... you will die alone with 5 readers who thing you are a god... but what good will it do the world? If you do not connect with the people you missed your mark. Books are written to be read, the mark of success is to reach as many people as you can and to leave them better off. What grand thing do you do if you do nothing because you are scared to act? I could care less if I get an award... the reader who emails me and says they loved my book is my reward. If you do not sell, don't turn it around and make out like it is cuz you don't want too... or maybe it is that you have lost touch with the people... but don't look down on the author that puts his or her heart on the line and jump in the big pond.

End Rant!


Author Aaron Patterson: Blog: The Worst Book Ever.