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Post by potet on Apr 9, 2021 22:00:02 GMT
Amazon has cheated me by paying me no royalties for many copies of Ancient Beliefs and Customs of the Tagalogs. Therefore distribution through Amazon is profitless. I am now contemplating having a single outlet - the Lulu bookstore - and reset my prices to a normal level.
Consequently, I'll have to withdraw my books from global distribution.
If you have already done so for one of your printed books, was it easy to achieve?
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Post by markcbrown on Apr 9, 2021 22:17:19 GMT
Amazon has cheated me by paying me no royalties for many copies of Ancient Beliefs and Customs of the Tagalogs. Therefore distribution through Amazon is profitless. I am now contemplating having a single outlet - the Lulu bookstore - and reset my prices to a normal level. Consequently, I'll have to withdraw my books from global distribution. If you have already done so for one of your printed books, was it easy to achieve? I did that. I was losing too much. |
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Post by potet on Apr 11, 2021 18:13:46 GMT
MarkcBrown, how did you withdraw from Global Distribution?
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Post by potet on Apr 12, 2021 12:01:38 GMT
Nobody answered, but I managed by myself all the same.
I read somewhere on the internet it was nearly impossible to escape distributors' clutches. It's not true.
I have started the process of withdrawing from global distribution.
Actually the process is fairly simple. You enter the revision process, and un-notch the "Global Distribution" option, but keep the "Lulu Bookstore", notched.
Then move on until you reach the price section, and adjust the new price, which should be lower than the one necessary for Amazon to pay their paultry royalties.
As I have published many titles, I deal with them by batches.
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Post by benziger on Apr 12, 2021 12:32:12 GMT
Thank you for sharing this information with us.
The following thought has just crossed my mind: More independence from Lulu & not throwing yourself into the clutches of Amazon:
- Selling on Lulu only through the Lulu Bookshop. Fair price with reasonable profit. - Sell additionally through another channel that gives you more reach. Higher price for customers, lower profit. I don't know who is suitable, Barnes&Nobles, IngramSpark, StreetLib, MyBestSeller, Draft2Digital, ...? You have to at least exclude Amazon from distribution.
The customers you address directly via your website and other channels (Twitter, Facbook, whatever) you direct to Lulu. Your customers profit from the low price and you from the higher royalty. People who don't know you yet and are looking for you through traditional channels pay more for the first book and you earn less. I would write that off as advertising costs. You could put a list of all the books in the non-Lulu books at the very back with information about the best place to get them... That way, for the second book, they also come through Lulu. |
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Post by Ken on Apr 12, 2021 13:38:42 GMT
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Post by markcbrown on Apr 12, 2021 15:14:33 GMT
MarkcBrown, how did you withdraw from Global Distribution? I simply opted out. It'll take time for them to be retracted from global I know, but I'm not worried. I keep pointing others to the spotlight. I'm going to be doing a revamp of all my books anyways so they'll all have new isbn's. Then I'll retire everything and start afresh. |
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Post by JesusNinja on Apr 12, 2021 18:38:01 GMT
Mark just a thought. If you are going to go Lulu exclusively, why not publish the books without ISBNs? If I'm not mistaken the profit is higher. Or maybe it's they don't take out taxes on the profit when paying you and you are responsible for the taxes. Look into that anyway might save on ISBNs unless you intend to use other outlets.
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Post by benziger on Apr 12, 2021 19:00:07 GMT
It depends where you live and who is the editor.
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Post by markcbrown on Apr 12, 2021 21:37:27 GMT
Mark just a thought. If you are going to go Lulu exclusively, why not publish the books without ISBNs? If I'm not mistaken the profit is higher. Or maybe it's they don't take out taxes on the profit when paying you and you are responsible for the taxes. Look into that anyway might save on ISBNs unless you intend to use other outlets. Sounds like a plan. I know it can always be added later. It can't hurt. |
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Post by potet on Apr 13, 2021 10:20:10 GMT
Now, all my public titles are removed from Global Distribution. Only Lulu can sell them. I now wish I had done it a long time ago.
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Post by JesusNinja on Apr 14, 2021 4:48:42 GMT
Wish I could, but I'd never sell anything. I randomly sell one book every other month or so. Most of mine sell on Amazon, Barnes, and Apple.
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Post by JesusNinja on Apr 17, 2021 2:37:15 GMT
Looking at my report today, I'm seeing a huge increase of sales on Google Play.
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