So Amazon recently acquired 450 children's titles from publisher Marshall Cavendish. Those titles will be converted (quickly, I'm sure) to ebooks. I think those titles will be the first 450 titles consumers will see when they search for children's books on Amazon...because that's how I'd have things work if I were Amazon.
Where does that leave children's books that are not part of the 450? Out of luck. No consumer will search past 450 books. Not unless they're looking for a specific author (probably an already established author...certainly not a new independently-published author), or a specific subject (think explorers of the nineteenth century).
This is happening/will happen in other genres, too.
For the first time in a long time, I'm feeling down about ebooks. The only way I'd feel better is if Amazon bought my ebooks. Somebody give them my number.
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21 comments:
It will be interesting to see how that plays out. So many changes every month!
Jeeze, Amazon is on a rampage right now. Mixing things up right and left. Generally I approve of mixing things up but its getting a little difficult to keep up. I think if Amazon does keep those 450 at the top of the search it will have to change the gatekeeper situation, which is also still being sorted out. That is what I am most interested in, how will this trickle down to readers. I think that is the totally unpredictable part because consumers are more different than ever and may be on a rampage themselves.
I'm sorry, Anita. I can understand feeling down abut this.
But you got good instincts and still tons of choices. And books on he way. And the world is in tumult.
I read to a class of 4th graders yesterday and asked them about ebooks. About 7-8 hands went up (out of ~23) when I asked if they have Kindles or Nooks, and 3-5 more when iPads were added to the mix.
The real key is to get people to know about your book before they go to Amazon, then go there specifically for your book. Of course that's about as easy as "Always eat healthy and be nice to everyone you meet, ever" so take it with a grain of salt ;-)
Anita, Have you heard about this:
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1637803&highlight
This might help :)
Hmmm. I think that there are so many ebooks out there (and so many books in general) that the important thing is to market to the best of your ability. This is a downer about Amazon, but you will get your name out by writing great books (like you do) and by networking with people. That's all you can do, right? As Joe Konrath says, "book sales are all luck."
I wonder how often people randomly came across your books by searching for something that was not the exact title, Anita. I certainly hope this doesn't affect your sales in the long term, but I suppose we'll have to wait and see.
I hadn't heard this yet. That's...awful.
LAURA: Constant changes. I guess if a person really loves writing, they write...no matter what's happening.
TINA: It's weird, because I thought Amazon was eliminating the gatekeepers, but they could become the biggest gatekeepers of all...hmmm, will have to think hard on best way to approach the situation.
ELLA: Amazon sent me (and I'm sure millions of thers) an email about KDP Select. I think it would be a smart move for the established authors who are quoted in the press release...they can give one book away and then hope that will attract people to their other work. If I had a couple more MGs under my belt, I would jump on it...may still, actually, but probably not. Thanks for sharing the link!
MICHAEL: Yes...I know it's not an IMPOSSIBLE situation...still, huge downer...publishing is so tough.
RICK: It's true...people will need to be looking for me/my ebooks specifically. I'll have to think about how/if I can make that happen.
MATTHEW: I think people find my ebooks by going to Amazon and search for children's ebooks by price lowest to highest. But Amazon is in charge of how the whole search thing works. If they have ebooks that are priced low (and I'm sure they will) they'll make sure those ebooks come up first on the search.
JOSHUA: Totally.
It does sound awful Anita but I've found that the cream always finds a way of rising to the top. And changes always sound worse than they are. Give it some time!
JENNIFER: Hello! So fun to see you here. And, yeah, we'll just have to wait and see how it all shakes out. Thanks for the encouragement.
I hear ya, Anita, and totally get it. Don't know how else to put it. Hang in there, girl.
KITTIE: Thank you! :)
I'm completely clueless about the nitty gritty of ebook publishing via Amazon but the sense I get from reading the comments is to play the waiting game and see how this change pans out for other authors. I wish you all the best, Anita! take care
x
OLD KITTY: Thanks for your encouraging words...will just keep plugging along.
Good grief, this is a downer for many of us. You're right about how it will affect other genres, too. Just when I start to feel hopeful...well, I hope it all turns out better than we expect.
I didn't know this. It makes me wonder about all the other changes up ahead. I'm sure books outside of these titles will get attention. Like others said, let's wait and see.
Hmmmmm...I only buy books on line when I know I want them. I've never just browsed unless it was by the author's name. I love to browse at the bookstore and I always walk out with an armful of books. Maybe it would be different if I had a kindle?
I heard about this, but I didn't know the details. Interesting and a little worrisome.
LYNNERD: I think I'll just put my head in the sand for a while and carry on. :)
MEDEIA: Yes, something else could come along that rights the whole situation. In the meantime, I guess I could take of my kids.
SHARON: For me, the ereader search is very different than the bookstore search. I don't think it's just, either. If I could go into a bookstore and go directly to a $2.99 and under section of fiction, I'd go there first and work my way up based on price. UNLESS there was a certain book/author I wanted to find. So the key no matter what is to become that kind of author. No problem.
LYDIA: Like so much in publishing now, will just have to wait and see, enjoy the writing experience.
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