tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post7660631457258907557..comments2023-05-30T08:29:42.770-04:00Comments on The Erotica Readers & Writers Association Blog: SCAMAZON - Amazon "Kindle Unlimited" Scammers Netting MillionsCroco Designshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04417265522875605547noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-77013194837708418702016-03-16T19:51:01.559-04:002016-03-16T19:51:01.559-04:00That sounds like me - have only recently opted out...That sounds like me - have only recently opted out of KU because I was getting hardly $$ from pages read and virtually no sales. <br />Now I am at least getting sales and those sales equate to more $$ at 35% royalties than the KU pages read did - because I had no sales at 70% royalties so I did not see the point.<br />I still don't know if I've done the right thing and may go back to KU one day in the future.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-47658585655758974372016-03-15T17:07:25.348-04:002016-03-15T17:07:25.348-04:00As a reader, I now feel like I should go to my fav...As a reader, I now feel like I should go to my favourite authors who are in KU and click through to the back of their books just to get to the end to help them along. Scammers unfortunately will always find a way. If there is money to be made, someone will find a quicker, faster, easier method of getting to it. Thanks for highlighting the issues legitimate authors face.kidkittenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15669059874101671153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-77040704363936273492016-03-15T16:23:44.752-04:002016-03-15T16:23:44.752-04:00I'm always a fan of yours. No worries! 😀I'm always a fan of yours. No worries! 😀Scarlet Darkwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12967068495726475453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-9781645876139172112016-03-15T16:22:35.784-04:002016-03-15T16:22:35.784-04:00Even Hatchette struggled far too long to persuade ...Even Hatchette struggled far too long to persuade Amazon. Selena Kitt has tried multiple times to talk to Amazon. Joe Konrath has tried multiple times to talk to Amazon. Amazon does what it wants to do. So little authors like us won't effect much change. Even the big folks can't. People complain to Amazon all the time. Again, Amazon does what it wants to do.Scarlet Darkwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12967068495726475453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-70644293294529942002016-03-15T16:17:15.888-04:002016-03-15T16:17:15.888-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Scarlet Darkwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12967068495726475453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-34414873490926227932016-03-15T16:13:59.161-04:002016-03-15T16:13:59.161-04:00This is not different than popular romance blogger...This is not different than popular romance bloggers only posting quotes and links to Amazon and making tons of money out of it. Yet authors love that blogger and want their books featured in her blog. Her over 100k readers have no idea that everytime they click-bait she gets paid by Amazon while the smaller bloggers bust their butts promoting the same authors. Posting click-bait Amazon links is not really promoting anyone. I'm sure that if people would know she's making money off them, they would not support that page. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-83721112864729318802016-03-15T14:29:03.106-04:002016-03-15T14:29:03.106-04:00Thank you for getting upset at people for saying t...Thank you for getting upset at people for saying that everyone who doesn't like it should just opt-out of kindle unlimited. I'm going to try to opt-out again because I am tired of the stuff Amazon pulls with KU and am tired of being exclusive with them, BUT I already know they are going to do with my books what they did last time. They're going to make all my visibility go away and make my book sales go down to zero again and in two months, I'll panic and give in to the pressure and join it again.<br /><br />They pressure us in so many ways and it's hard to argue, even though they are paying us less and less all the time. I always get mad at KU and uncheck the box to renew. I've done this about 10 times now and every single time, magically, I suddenly get a few thousand pages read, even though nothing was read for me on it in two weeks. They hate when I uncheck that box. They try to do anything to persuade me to check it again.<br /><br />I thought I was being paranoid at first, but now it's ridiculous.E.B. Blackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03954156488722828443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-18223387401767341022016-03-15T14:25:32.057-04:002016-03-15T14:25:32.057-04:00I disagree. You and I may be little authors that c...I disagree. You and I may be little authors that can't do anything about this stuff. That's why it's very important that bigger authors like Selena Kitt speak out against Amazon. They have enough influence to possibly inspire a change. The more of them speak out, the less Amazon and scammers will get away with.E.B. Blackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03954156488722828443noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-53299109620393738482016-03-15T08:53:44.612-04:002016-03-15T08:53:44.612-04:00At least, that is what I gathered from reading thi...At least, that is what I gathered from reading this. I didn't even know it was happening. Kris10ingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16547749591649112178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-7330477261937197262016-03-15T08:52:54.302-04:002016-03-15T08:52:54.302-04:00I don't think the reader knows that is what is...I don't think the reader knows that is what is happening when it is a scammer, dsayless. It is a scam for some "authors" to do this. They place the link in the front of a book filled with crap and it sends them to the back. Most readers want a good book to read and may be clueless to this scam. Kris10ingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16547749591649112178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-40527176441949018462016-03-15T07:20:08.861-04:002016-03-15T07:20:08.861-04:00but why would a reader want to skip to the back wh...but why would a reader want to skip to the back when they haven't read the book yet? this makes no sense to me.dsaylesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01110011550312249100noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-56124531233709612712016-03-14T20:11:56.955-04:002016-03-14T20:11:56.955-04:00Sorry - didn't mean to take it out on you. :) ...Sorry - didn't mean to take it out on you. :) <br /><br />But I did warn people not to say, "Just don't put your books into KU." Because putting at least SOME books in KU is necessary if you want to actually make A LIVING now in Amazon's ecosystem. <br /><br />Unless you're already a 1%er anyway, the people Amazon fawns over and bends over backwards for. <br /><br />Amazon, who started as a beacon of hope for authors, has become legacy publishing all over again.<br /><br /><br />Selena Kitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17783685215421352626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-1933363507844330602016-03-14T19:12:31.599-04:002016-03-14T19:12:31.599-04:00Selena, I know I'm not at your level. I truly ...Selena, I know I'm not at your level. I truly know that. And yes, I don't make a living at it. But we don't control Amazon, either. Since we don't have that control, I don't spend my time worrying about scammers or what-not. There is nothing I can do. Like you, I hate seeing royalties being whittled away to nothing. <br /><br />So feel free to call me ignorant and stupid and obtuse--whatever you like. My thing is, you know what's happening when you put your books into KDP Select. Quit grumbling, is all I'm saying. You can't control Amazon. And I can't control shareholders who enjoy making little to no money, either. <br /><br />So here's the thing: do what you can afford to do until you're so whittled away you can't do anymore. I'm really sorry that things have taken a turn at Amazon this way. I don't have a solution, either.Scarlet Darkwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12967068495726475453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-35565204526120450392016-03-14T19:05:12.513-04:002016-03-14T19:05:12.513-04:00What part of "BN and iTunes" are NOT SUB...What part of "BN and iTunes" are NOT SUBSIDIZED BY THEIR SHAREHOLDERS did you not understand?<br /><br />Amazon runs at a loss - and has done so for 20 YEARS - and their shareholders grumble but say nothing. BN and iTunes can't do that! <br /><br />Also - saying KU is "optional" IF you want to make a living at this is just... either willfully ignorant or unbelievably obtuse. You're not living in the real world of self-publishing. <br /><br />A hobbyist can afford to ignore KU and its affect on publishing. An author who relies on self-publishing as a real income? They can't afford such luxuries. <br /> Selena Kitthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17783685215421352626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-76816208346490328362016-03-14T14:34:41.754-04:002016-03-14T14:34:41.754-04:00I agree wholeheartedly. I will not put my books in...I agree wholeheartedly. I will not put my books into KDP Select, either. They say the worst thing for an author is obscurity, but authors put their books in KDP Select just to have some visibility. If that's the case, then quit crying.<br /><br />At this time, we're not being forced into KDP Select. If that happens, then I'll be worried. Why not be angry at B&N or iTunes for not amping up their programs and marketing? When I participated in a promo through my publisher, I was shocked at the Apple sales I received. I don't think I got anything from Amazon.<br /><br />But I'll not put my books in Kindle Select. If I go into obscurity, then so be it. Or I need to try to find ways to direct people to my books.Scarlet Darkwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12967068495726475453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7396437919069310850.post-59936749556724498812016-03-14T13:08:15.309-04:002016-03-14T13:08:15.309-04:00Subscription services are a bad idea for authors f...Subscription services are a bad idea for authors for so very many reasons...Which is why I won't play. Exclusivity with one platform is killing us all...again, why I won't play. Sessha Battohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15569927397738788073noreply@blogger.com