Tag Archives: Amazon

The Apple monopoly, or antitrust 101

Posted on August 11, 2011 | Comments Off on The Apple monopoly, or antitrust 101

Used to be that Microsoft was the bugbear of all right-thinking Web users and little Apple the oh, so righteous darling. Well, when it comes to ebooks, Apple is no longer little and certainly not righteous.

Comes a lawsuit that’s been long overdue, arguing that Apple is colluding with traditional publishers (HarperCollins, Hachette, Macmillan, Penguin, and Simon & Schuster) to keep ebook prices artificially high. It’s been quite noticeable for a long time now at Amazon, when a paperback sells for $8 or $9  and an ebook for $16. Time to take a big righteous bite out of the wormy Apple.

Via Kindle Review.

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Posted in Blogosphere, Library, Scribbles

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The Joy of Marketing. Not

Posted on June 29, 2010 | Comments Off on The Joy of Marketing. Not

So I finally get a review of my Civil War battle novel “Knoxville 1863” up on two sites (here and here, in addition to Amazon) and some free advertising on a third site here and what happens? Amazon crashes for the afternoon. And when they finally come back, they’ve got a little notation on my paperback sales page to “sign up to be notified when this item becomes available.” Sheesh. This is print-on-demand, people. Not boxes of books in a warehouse.

Meanwhile, I was trying unsuccessfully to twist an arm for another review. The joke is that DIY authors and small publishers rely on family and friends for their book reviews. I do have the friends part down, luckily, but the family? Not a chance. The ones who actually read books have this phobia about writing reviews. So they say. Maybe they secretly hated mine and just don’t want to be honest.  If not, then the family part of the joke is on me.

UPDATE:  Well, Amazon fixed their problem sometime after midnight, so that irritation is gone. Onward Through The Fog!

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Posted in Blogosphere, Civil War, Library

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Got a Kindle

Posted on May 27, 2010 | Comments Off on Got a Kindle

I’d thought about it, last year, after reading about TFG having one. But I dismissed the idea. Then I thought about it some more. Especially after reading twelve e-books on my Kindle for the PC program on my net book. The net book is clunky to carry around. I’m sure the Kindle will be easier. More later as I get used to it.

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Posted in Blogosphere, Library, Rancho Roly Poly

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Amazon sheep

Posted on April 24, 2010 | Comments Off on Amazon sheep

My “helpful review” percentage has fallen again at Amazon. It’s now down to sixty-four percent. I had the temerity, you see, to give failing grades to some books almost universally adored, or otherwise take some contrary view. When you don’t run with the sheep at Amazon, a few of them will leave the herd long enough to nip at your ankles. Not that I care, frankly. I do the reviews because I enjoy doing them. They also are a way of promoting my own work, as anyone clicking on my name atop a review will be taken to my page with its profile stuff–including references to my two indie books.

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Posted in Library, Scribbles

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Holiday gifting

Posted on December 11, 2009 | Comments Off on Holiday gifting

So far, most of my shopping has been (as usual) online: at Amazon and Kodak Easy-Share. With a side trip to X-treme Geek. My one bricks-n-mortar buy was a unique toy at our local hardware store. Last up is Harry & David for my diabetic veteran friends, one of whom (Mr. Boy’s godfather) also is allergic to nuts or he’d be getting a traditional Texas fruit cake from Corsicana.

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Posted in Mr. Boy, Rancho Roly Poly, Texana

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“The cover is a very pretty shade of red”

Posted on July 23, 2009 | Comments Off on “The cover is a very pretty shade of red”

Amazon reviewer’s "positive" note after savaging The Rule of Four, a supposed bestseller which, at Amazon at least, drew three hundred ninety-eight one stars versus one hundred fifty five stars.

I haven’t read the book and certainly don’t plan to now. Since Amazon supposedly is in the business of selling books it seems to have created a monster with this review system. But it’s hard not to take more than twice as many bad reviews as good ones to heart and avoid the item in question.

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Posted in Library

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Kindle creeps me out

Posted on July 18, 2009 | Comments Off on Kindle creeps me out

Nevermind the ease of reading and the low cost of electronic publishing. Amazon reserves the legal right to reach out across the airwaves and remotely delete books from your Kindle wherever you are. Might not be long before the government is examining your reading habits and deleting what it doesn’t like.

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Posted in Blogosphere, Library, Scribbles

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