Kindle books on Amazon

Subject: Re: Kindle books on Amazon Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:46 pm

Thanks everyone. Such diverse views, so I will give it some thought.

Jenny, you mention I would have to take my e-book rights back from publishamerica, before I can do a kindle or other e-book edition of my book.
I was always under the impression that I only sold my rights to PA in so far as the publication and distribution of my books went in *paper format*. All other rights, like CD/audio book, e-book, theatrical performances, motion picture rights, etc shall remain with me.

Assuming I missed the fine print, how easy did you find it to acquire your rights back from PA? Same question also to Brenda and Shelagh, please...
_________________
A Ahad
http://www.myspace.com/aa_spaceagent

Subject: Re: Kindle books on Amazon Tue Jun 24, 2008 2:09 pm

Continuing on to one of the links, http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-first-look-amazon-kindle/ there is an interesting article on the Kindle, it's functionality and looks. Also speculations on it's future development.

Thanks for posting this Dick, I had not received my
e-copy yet. (I just woke up and still have sleep in my eyes!)
_________________
Zada Connaway
Mother's Journals: parts 1, 2 and 3 ISBN # 1-4241-6969-0

http://www.zadaconnaway.com/

Subject: Re: Kindle books on Amazon Tue Jun 24, 2008 3:18 pm

Kindle sales amount to 6% of all amazon book sales

I don't have sales figures, and they don't give them. But I would tend to classify that statement as a flat-out, self-serving lie.

It wouldn't be the first from that jerk.
_________________

Subject: Re: Kindle books on Amazon Tue Jun 24, 2008 3:57 pm

Ahad,

I signed with PA in December 05. Paragraph 9 of my contract states, among other things that, ...."the publisher may, at the publishers election and discretion, cause to promote the said literary work, as designated, in any electronic format, and that the publisher shall have the exclusive rights to cuase to distribute, and to sell, or cause to sell, at the publishers election and discretion, copies of the said literary work in any electronic format."

I'm no expert in contract law, but having undertaken some legal training my interpretation of this is that PA do have the right to publish our work in e-book format. So, if you want to publish your book electronically on Lulu, Kindle or Mobipocket reader, you should first ask PA to give you your electronic rights back. If they agree they will send you a form to sign which should be attached to your contract.
_________________
Jenny
Writing as Victoria Howard

www.victoriahoward.co.uk

Subject: Re: Kindle books on Amazon Tue Jun 24, 2008 4:24 pm

Subject: Re: Kindle books on Amazon Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:27 pm

Ahad, I asked for my rights back shortly after they banned me from the
message board. At first they said no, but I kept asking. Was always
polite but kept asking. It took about two months, but they finally did
so.

I've heard from others that after the Amazon problem, PA granted rights to anyone who asked.
_________________
www.brendahill.com
www.authorsden.com/brendahill

Subject: Re: Kindle books on Amazon Tue Jun 24, 2008 11:09 pm

Here's another way of looking at Kindle. They spiel their wireless connection to a jillion books.

Okay, one of the things you learn in marketing is that there is a difference between a FEATURE and a BENEFIT. Is it really a benefit to have wi fi book browlsing? Were people crying out for this boon? Are there really a lot of people out there who are so hot to get books they can't download them to a computer and transfer them?

But it IS a benefit for amazon, isn't it. They are (alledgedly) getting people to PAY FOR giving them a monopoly because the wifi only connects to them.
_________________

Subject: Re: Kindle books on Amazon Wed Jun 25, 2008 2:15 pm

Jenny and Brenda,
Thanks for clarifying.

These things sort of plant ideas in my mind...though not all of them are necessarily free from mischief - lol.

Suppose I skip asking for my rights back that weren't, in my view, theirs to take in the first place. Wouldn't it be rather amusing to see the red headlines appear: "Publisher sues UK author over e-book rights in a lawsuit worth in excess of $5 million". Then the reader skims further down the length of the article, and finds : "The value of the self-published e-book grosses a mere $50 per year."

The more adventurous author (which I might not be a good example of) would just go ahead and re-publish his book in whatever format that takes his fancy and worry about the priceless free publicity that would stem from any potential lawsuit...after.
_________________
A Ahad
http://www.myspace.com/aa_spaceagent

Subject: Re: Kindle books on Amazon Wed Jun 25, 2008 3:20 pm

Ahad, I think you have the right idea--free publicity! However, I would want to make sure that it generated enough revenue to pay the legal fees.

scratch

_________________
Zada Connaway
Mother's Journals: parts 1, 2 and 3 ISBN # 1-4241-6969-0

http://www.zadaconnaway.com/

Subject: Re: Kindle books on Amazon Wed Jun 25, 2008 5:35 pm

Amusing, Ahad, but don't do it. The big trade publishers wouldn't exactly lay out the welcome mat for you after that.

One thing I have learned from listening to stories over the years is that publishers, editors and agents tend to believe there is more wrong with the writer who complains than there is with the one he is complaining about. Agents are particularly notorious for this, perhaps because they think the next one complained about may be themselves.
_________________
Mystery Writers of America, Private Eye Writers of America
www.dickstodghill.com

Subject: Re: Kindle books on Amazon Wed Jun 25, 2008 5:45 pm

I think the industry is so warped that the big trade publishers will
publish almost anything if it's been publicized enough: murderers on death
row, confessions from serial killers, priests' misconducts. I think
that if you can generate publicity, you can get published.

Only problem is, that's not the route I want to go. But it doesn't say
much for the industry or ourselves, for that matter. Because if we, as
the public, didn't buy it, publishers wouldn't publish it.

And I don't think PA could ever generate that kind of publicity, Ahad, so back to square one.
_________________
www.brendahill.com
www.authorsden.com/brendahill

Subject: Re: Kindle books on Amazon Thu Jun 26, 2008 6:59 am

'A Study in Red' currently sells on Amazon.com for $15.29 and they offer the kindle edition for just $4.79, so I'm not sure where the $10 figure comes from. I would think that the retail price of a kindle edition is set between the publisher and Amazon, though it may be different for self-pubished books. I can't speak on that subject as I have no experience of it, but if kindle editions account for 6% of sales as has been quoted, then they are deifnitely worth it. In my case I had no say in whether or not A Studyin Red was offered as a kindle edition as the ditribution of the book is solely in the hands of my publisher.

In conclusion I would have to say that any avenue that gets an author's nmae out there has to be realistically seen as a positive move.

Regards to all

Brian

Subject: Re: Kindle books on Amazon Thu Jun 26, 2008 2:51 pm

When you consider that only a portion of works are available on kindle, would 6% really be that far out of line?
_________________
Zada Connaway
Mother's Journals: parts 1, 2 and 3 ISBN # 1-4241-6969-0

http://www.zadaconnaway.com/

Subject: Re: Kindle books on Amazon Fri Jun 27, 2008 1:36 am

I think it's wildly inflated.

Just one consideration... how many people do you think actually own this $400 device that can only read amazon books?
_________________

Subject: Re: Kindle books on Amazon Fri Jun 27, 2008 3:20 am

lin, do you have any info on how many kindles and how many mobi-pockets are out there in the general public? I am totally ignorant of any figures.
_________________
Zada Connaway
Mother's Journals: parts 1, 2 and 3 ISBN # 1-4241-6969-0

http://www.zadaconnaway.com/