David Gaughran is a constant source of valuable information for anyone publishing in this brave new world of indie publishing. One of his recent blog posts concerns the Amazon “also-bought” apocalypse.
If you’re a writer/indie publisher, the post is well worth reading in its entirety.
But here’s my quick take on the matter:
For years now, thousands of indie authors have made themselves wholly dependent on the Amazon ecosystem. This trend has accelerated nonstop since Amazon established the KDP Select/Kindle Unlimited program in 2011.
At least one of the indie author “gurus” now states that indie authors no longer need individual author websites.
Why? Because the only thing that matters now is gaming the Amazon algorithms!
Many indie authors no longer think in terms of any kind of “platform” beyond Amazon.
Rapid release into KDP Select….
Rapid release into KDP Select…
Rinse and repeat…
I’m not anti-Amazon. (I rather like them, in fact.) But as David Gaughran’s post illustrates, it is dangerous to build a consumer-focused business that is solely reliant on a single channel of distribution.
What is the solution? Forget about silly “boycotts” and online petitions. Those things don’t mean squat, at the end of the day.
The solution is to spread the risks: Go wide, and work with other retailers–in addition to Amazon: Apple Books, Kobo, Smashwords, etc.
Let me make clear: Amazon is not evil. But Amazon is a large company that will, like all big companies, act in its best interests.
How do you think Amazon got to be the world’s largest retailer?
If you’re an independent author, you need to act in your best interests, too.
And acting in your best interests doesn’t mean relying solely and entirely on Amazon.
