It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month and encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.
The awesome co-hosts today are Rebecca Douglass, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Cathrina Constantine, and Jacqui Murray!
July 1 question: Is there anything you'd like to see changed, added, and/or rearranged about the book publishing industry?
There are so many aspects of publishing that could be changed or adjusted:
Marketing
Royalties
Fees and hidden costs
Vanity presses
Book returns
Book events
Book tours
Consignment
Printing costs
Shipping costs
Amazon monopoly and eBook returns
Use of AI and AI authors
Copyright infringement
Big publishers and agents
Bookstore monopoly by bigger publishers
Book reviews
Audio book royalties
The list goes on and on…
As the owner of Dancing Lemur Press LLC, I know the one area that needs to be changed – book returns. They began during the Depression and never stopped. Book stores and wholesalers/distributors to book stores have 90 days to over a year to return unsold book, demanding a refund and sometimes shipping for books that are no longer in good condition. This results in a negative balance to publishers and authors. It is a practice that is long overdue to be retired. Along with Amazon’s 7-day return policy on eBooks – they are the only ones who allow returns.
What aspect of the industry do you think needs to change?
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I think you've listed a lot of needed changes. Yes, the list goes on and on.
ReplyDeleteYeah, you have better insight than most people on this topic. But I agree. Unless an ebook was an accidental purchase, there should be no returning it. 7 days is plenty enough time to finish reading something.
ReplyDeleteSo many things! Yes, the return policy is overdue for a redo!
ReplyDeleteEasy for most people to read a book in seven days so that's not fair.
ReplyDeleteBook returns are so archaic.
ReplyDeleteA ridiculous and punitory action that harms authors and their careers. I had a book returned with a well broken spine and even passages underlined! You order it, you bought it.
ReplyDeleteAll reasonable thoughts, Diane. Let's hope...
ReplyDelete