Why We ReadAs told by author and 1/2 Vlogbrother: John Green
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Let's Talk LiteratureLooking for book reviews, reading challenges, and general talk on: books, reading, literature, literacy, and the publishing industry?
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A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies.
The man who never reads lives only one.
- George R. R. Martin
My Recommendations |
My To-Read List |
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My entire current "To-Read" list
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Where to buy books & why it matters
I know it's not always possible to purchase books from individual bookstores in one's neighborhood but I think it's important that whenever possible, we try to do so.
There are many, many problems with the book selling industry, and sometimes it feels like I'm just rooting for the lesser of two evils. Publishing companies run on outdated and broken models for profits. Amazon is a monopsony.
In all the yelling between publishers and Amazon all I know for certain is that it's the author's loss. Publishers make unreasonable contracts built on technology-resistant and archaic models. The author loses. Amazon squeezes all it can out of publishers (which in turn cut costs by squeezing the authors) and now books are selling for a fraction of their original cost. The author loses.
There are many, many problems with the book selling industry, and sometimes it feels like I'm just rooting for the lesser of two evils. Publishing companies run on outdated and broken models for profits. Amazon is a monopsony.
In all the yelling between publishers and Amazon all I know for certain is that it's the author's loss. Publishers make unreasonable contracts built on technology-resistant and archaic models. The author loses. Amazon squeezes all it can out of publishers (which in turn cut costs by squeezing the authors) and now books are selling for a fraction of their original cost. The author loses.
Independent bookstores in Miami, FL!
I don't know about you, but all I want to do is support authors whose books I love. The ultimate way to do this is to purchase directly from the author (not all authors can offer this as many are tied to a publishing contract). If not possible, then buy at your independent bookstore. By buying indie, your purchases support small businesses in your own community. If that is not possible, then head to your local chain store, which for most people means Barnes & Noble. Even if you don't find the book you're looking for - ask the indies and chain stores to order it for you! This not only creates a sale for the author but demand for the title! Also, chain stores play a big role in best seller lists for authors and any unsold books are sent back to the publishers for a 100% refund (money that comes out of the pocket of the publisher and the author).
At the very bottom of the list is purchasing through Amazon, for more than just poorly valuing books and taking profits from publishers/authors. Amazon's moves in the book world have been, at best, the equivalent of a toddler throwing a tantrum. They have previously removed the pre-order selection button and increased shipping times from days to a month for books whose publishers they have not been able to bully into profit negotiations (cough-Hachette-couch). This is not only conducting business poorly, it's frustrating because Amazon is a leading option for self-publishing. It's a rock and a hard place. In the same business that self-published indie authors have been able to find some following and profits, (woo!) there are others being unfairly treated (boo!).
I understand the temptation of purchasing traditionally published books through Amazon, and I don't judge you for it. I also know that giving some profit to the author is better than none, but don't forget that any indie and chain store can get the book for you and have it sent to the store free of charge or shipped to your home as well. Powell's is a huge and great independent bookstore based in Oregon that ships nationwide. Consider them for your book buying needs, or preferably an indie close to home!
Don't buy into the idea that Amazon has tried to propagate. Books are not of minimal value. Books are created from decades of experiences and dreams built on the idiosyncrasies of each unique author. They take a whole life, a whole person, to come into being. They are goods, yes, and they have price tags (that barely pay the authors that created them). But if we allow bullies like Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, to continue destroying more than creating a healthy literary environment then we are just ignorant accomplices to the manslaughter of the written word. In a vastly changing landscape for book sales, I sincerely hope a new and better model can be created to profit the people who deserve it, the authors, and not the businesses that torch them.
Click here, here, and here for links on Amazon's craptastic history. And here is a photo of Bezos as Voldemort for your pleasure.
At the very bottom of the list is purchasing through Amazon, for more than just poorly valuing books and taking profits from publishers/authors. Amazon's moves in the book world have been, at best, the equivalent of a toddler throwing a tantrum. They have previously removed the pre-order selection button and increased shipping times from days to a month for books whose publishers they have not been able to bully into profit negotiations (cough-Hachette-couch). This is not only conducting business poorly, it's frustrating because Amazon is a leading option for self-publishing. It's a rock and a hard place. In the same business that self-published indie authors have been able to find some following and profits, (woo!) there are others being unfairly treated (boo!).
I understand the temptation of purchasing traditionally published books through Amazon, and I don't judge you for it. I also know that giving some profit to the author is better than none, but don't forget that any indie and chain store can get the book for you and have it sent to the store free of charge or shipped to your home as well. Powell's is a huge and great independent bookstore based in Oregon that ships nationwide. Consider them for your book buying needs, or preferably an indie close to home!
Don't buy into the idea that Amazon has tried to propagate. Books are not of minimal value. Books are created from decades of experiences and dreams built on the idiosyncrasies of each unique author. They take a whole life, a whole person, to come into being. They are goods, yes, and they have price tags (that barely pay the authors that created them). But if we allow bullies like Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, to continue destroying more than creating a healthy literary environment then we are just ignorant accomplices to the manslaughter of the written word. In a vastly changing landscape for book sales, I sincerely hope a new and better model can be created to profit the people who deserve it, the authors, and not the businesses that torch them.
Click here, here, and here for links on Amazon's craptastic history. And here is a photo of Bezos as Voldemort for your pleasure.