How important is amazon.com

Subject: How important is amazon.com Wed Jul 02, 2008 9:41 pm

I asked about this on another thread, with no reponse, so I'll pose the question again here.

How vital is amazon.com to sales of the kind people on this site are involved in?

Those who've mentioned some numbers of books sold, how many were on amazon compared to what you sold by your efforts?

Does anybody get the feeling that anybody has EVER bought one of their books by happening onto it on the amazon site, rather than being sent there by a link from your promotional efforts?
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Admin Joined : 11 Jan 2008 Posts : 1799 Location : UK

I must admit, lin, that very few of my books have been bought on amazon (.com or .co.uk) and no matter how much I promote and bring the book to people's attention, they show a great deal of interest but don't buy the book.

This is a post from a thread on a the forum of my local hometown:

Subject: Re: How important is amazon.com Wed Jul 02, 2008 10:32 pm

It would be hard to pin down. I have had a number of Amazon sales on one book because it comes up as covering the same subject when someone goes to Band of Brothers and several other popular military books.
I get a huge number of website visitors and some sales from Google Images. It amazes me how many people want to see pictures of dead cows.
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Subject: Re: How important is amazon.com Wed Jul 02, 2008 10:55 pm

Not sure I would want to see pics of dead cows Dick, although I do enjoy stories from the war. Occupational hazard that has carried through my life I suppose. My youngest daughter loved Band of Brothers and actually purchased it with her b-day money when she was about 17. You just never know what's going to strike a nerve with someone, do you?
To answer your question Lin, I don't ever promote amazon and so don't expect (or receive) any sales that way. As a Canuck I have the good fortune of being able to shamelessly self promote through chapter.ca (part of indigo) so I stick with them. Truth be told most of my sales have come through me flogging my book to the public through appearances and readings and the like.
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Subject: Re: How important is amazon.com Thu Jul 03, 2008 12:49 am

I hadn't thought of it, Dick, but I would have predicted that military boks would do better on amazon searches than the average novel.

But overall, the impression I'm coming up with is that it just isn't that important to the small indie publisher, be it author as well or not.
Most people use it as a purchase point... which they can do off their own site by just getting a paypal account. And selling the book cheaper at a greater profit. (55% is a BIG chunk if all they're doing is collecting the money)

I see a lot of very go-getter types on here, and had the feeling that most can sell themselves better than anything drive-bys they get from amazon.

But I'm interested in more experiences on the subject.
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Subject: Re: How important is amazon.com Thu Jul 03, 2008 1:01 am

I have had people ask me if it is on Amazon.com. I tell them yes, but if they want an autographed copy to get it through the publishing company. Seems there are people who aren't interested in the autograph and purchase from Amazon.com. I have had quite a few sales from there. People I don't even know. I got the stats from LSI.

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Subject: Re: How important is amazon.com Thu Jul 03, 2008 1:49 am

Amazon has been vital to me because my book isn't available in stores and THAT site is where "everyone" goes. I doubt too many people stumbled in there and just found the book.

Most sales, other than through me, have come by people finding out about the book on MySpace or in a former blogging community, then going to amazon.

In most cases, people read posts or my comments on posts and then go find out more about "The Sun Singer."

Malcolm
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Malcolm R. Campbell

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Subject: Re: How important is amazon.com Thu Jul 03, 2008 3:04 am

Yeah, Sue, that's one thing about amazon: if people have an account there it's easier to buy it.

But anybody who sells off their own site should be offering deep discounts off the amazon price...and still making more money.

Malcolm, that's just what I'm talking about. They find out about the book from your site, then go where you are pointing them. Which could be amazon... or it could be your own paypal button for MUCH greater profit.

Anybody else have a handle on how much amazon really brings them in?
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Subject: Re: How important is amazon.com Thu Jul 03, 2008 6:16 am

Amazon and Barnes and Noble get 50% discount, so my profit is down that way. That is why I try to encourage people to get an autographed copy from my site. Perhaps I will change it to no s/h. I have been meaning to do that.

What do any of you suggest for the sales tax? It is only $1.05 here. Should I throw that in too?

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Subject: Re: How important is amazon.com Thu Jul 03, 2008 12:26 pm

That's a tough question to answer, Sue.
Sometimes when one makes things too cheap, it is suspect.
Price often indicates value.

Here is a rough idea:

"You can purchase my book (Name of Book) from Amazon, Barnes & Nobel and other popular locations, or you can purchase direct from the author and save. The suggested retail price is: ($......). The price direct from the author is ($.....).
If desired, you may request an autographed copy at no additional charge."

Note: I'm not up-to-date on US tax laws, but my experience in the past was that state tax did not apply for purchases made outside the state.
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Subject: Re: How important is amazon.com Thu Jul 03, 2008 2:19 pm

Lin,

Yes, I could make higher profit with paypal than with my referral fee to amazon and the royalty. But I don't do that because sales have never been high enough for me to justify buying in large enough quantities from iUniverse to make it worth doing.

Plus, it's time consuming when you consider purchasing mailing boxes, wrapping books, driving to the post office. When I consider my time in terms of billable hours, I lose money during the time it takes to send the book out. Seriously, as a freelancer, I can't spend time doing fulfillment. Sad but true.

Malcolm
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Subject: Re: How important is amazon.com Thu Jul 03, 2008 3:02 pm

A large number of book related websites (including ibookdb)

Frankly, that sounds like a problem.

Malcolm:
It's not hard to charge s/h fees or to run filfillment through an outfit that does it, like local "Postal Annex" type outfits.
But I hear what you're saying.

One picture that came from the last couple of posts: even if amazon doesn't bring that many sales, people might feel compelled to be there because of their lock on providing feed to other retailers and ancillary sites.
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Subject: Re: How important is amazon.com Thu Jul 03, 2008 10:06 pm

Abe is correct about pricing and a perfect example is the Auburn automobile. Up until about 1936 they made some of the finest and most attractive cars on the market. Many experts say they didn't sell more of them because their prices were too low. People with money to buy the best wanted to spend more, believing that something priced as low as the Auburn wasn't the best available.
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Subject: Re: How important is amazon.com Fri Jul 04, 2008 3:02 am

Your 'rough' idea is a good one. Thank you for the input! (Did I use the single quotes right?)

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