Apple and the Kindle App

There's a lot of talk on the Internet about Apple's decision to require publishers to pay Apple 30% for any purchases made from inside an app, including e-books. (Example: if you buy an e-book on the Kindle app, the publisher of the book has to pay Apple 30%.)

HOWEVER, what is not being repeated is that customers can still use the Kindle app to read content they purchased elsewhere (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.), in which case Apple does not charge the publishers 30% of the purchase. (Read the "Correction" at the bottom of the article.)

If my understanding of this policy is correct, what's the problem? Apple is trying to make a profit like everyone else. Why shouldn't they charge if a purchase is made within their system? Apple still allows a reader to purchase e-books elsewhere and then access them on the iPad at no charge. The publisher, in this case, doesn't have to pay the 30% to Apple and the customers gets the benefit of reading his e-book on the iPad. Seems like a win-win to me.

Manufacturers of all products have to pay fees to anyone who distributes their products. In this case, the manufacturer is a publisher and the products are e-books. If the publisher wants to sell an e-book through more distribution channels (such as Apple), they will have to pay a fee for that channel.

As a reader, what does this mean for me? It's the same as any other product I buy. If I buy a product directly from the manufacturer, it will generally costs me less as the manufacturer doesn't have to pay the "middle man" or distributor. In the case of an e-book. I'll pay less if I can cut out the "middle man" or distributor.

Therefore, if you want to buy your e-book directly from inside an app, you'll have to pay more for that e-book. Otherwise, you'll need to go directly to a distributor (such as Amazon, B&N, Sony or even the authors themselves).

Just remember, the service of distributors is locating all these great books! If you don't know about them, you can't read them!

So whichever way you go, remember, everyone needs to make a profit to stay in business. No profit - no business. No business - no product (and no jobs!). That's the American way.

What are your thoughts?

Day 5: Sunday, Session 1

On Sunday, my brother, Keith, and his wife, June, met us in the hotel for breakfast. They were leaving from New York on a cruise later in the day. Breakfast was fabulous! If you ever go to New York, I highly recommend the Sheraton New York on 7th street.


Breakfast!

That morning I went to three more sessions. The first was Writers and Mobile Apps: The Big Opportunity by Al Katkowsky.

As an iPhone/iPad app reviewer and an author, I was extremely interested in this topic. Katowsky talked about why we should consider building a book app: money and exposure; what books are best for an app (any that lend itself to multimedia or tech books - example is iPhone Missing Manual); and what he used to build his app.

Most of his session was way too complicated for me to write here. Basically, he suggested finding a good app developer unless you feel competent to do it yourself and be prepared for your launch by have preselected downloaders (people who will download your app the first day). This is to ensure that your app will get noticed.

As an app reviewer, I would like to add that getting your app reviewed by a major magazine (such as iPhone Life) is a good way to get publicity. Also, create a press release. Reviewers get these to find apps they want to review. (Keep your PR simple! Personally, I hate long PRs. Keep it short and to the point; give me links to photos and videos.)

I'd also like to add that picture books and YA novels can be successfully done on an app. But don't merely put text, static images, and some music in your app and think it will sell. Personally, I'd rather read the actual picture book, itself, than read that. But if you can create one like these: Jack in the Beanstalk by Ayars Animation, Icarus Swinebucket by Michael Garland (created by Giant Atom), and Bram Stoker's Dracula (the Vook version), you'll have a winner!

Self Publishing Article by David Carnoy

I found this informative article on self-publishing by David Carnoy (editor at CNET): Self-publishing a book: 25 things you need to know. He covers the why and how, as well as caveats of self-publishing. A must-read for anyone considering self-publishing.

Rubin Pfeffer Challenges SCBWI to join the Digital Age

Pfeffer, at SCBWI's Annual Conference last week made some interesting statements about e-books and e-book publishing. Read the article on Publisher's Weekly.

An interesting article on e-books

Read about the price wars of e-books and how the book publishing industry is changing. Kindle: Power to the Independents.

Do Writer's Make a Living?

Last week, I participated in a Webinar hosted by Terry Whalin in which the host interviewed Sally Stuart, author of the Christian Writer’s Market Guide. I asked the question, “Do writers really make any money today? How many books do you need to write to make a living?”  Her answer was, “A lot. It’s very difficult to make a living as a freelance writer.” She went on to say that she knows writers that have 8-10 to a dozen books in print and can’t make a living. She also said that most writers have to supplement their income by editing, tutoring, or teaching seminars and conferences.

As a self-published author, who is trying to break into the traditionally published market, this is a bit disconcerting! However, it also helped me decide to manage my time better. I don’t really want to publish my own fiction, but since it’s probably not going to be a big money maker, I will have to spend more time working on my nonfiction to keep the money rolling in.

Does anyone with experience in both self-publishing and traditional publishing have any suggestions for those of us who are thinking of going the traditional route?

Macmillan raises royalty rates

Article on Author's Guild says that Macmillan is raising royalty rates on e-books to 25%.

Interesting survey on e-books

A survey done by BISG on consumer attitudes toward e-books.