The Small Publisher's Blog

Amazon/BookSurge Antitrust Lawsuit Campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Flora) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:56:00 +0000

Small Publishers Association of North America

Campaign Letter
Go to Campaign Home Page

July 7, 2008

Hello Everyone,

Recently, the SPAN Board voted to support the class action
antitrust lawsuit, BookLocker.com, Inc. vs. Amazon.com, Inc.
As most of you know, in late March, the news broke that
Amazon had begun a new policy requiring print on demand
(POD) publishers using Amazonís distribution services to print
their books using Amazonís subsidiary BookSurge.

In April, SPAN announced it opposed the policy and I wrote a
letter to Amazonís CEO Jeff Bezos. I said, in short, the new
policy was not in the best interest of either Amazon or SPAN
members. Despite public outcry, Amazon has stuck to its new
POD policy. This led BookLocker.com, Inc., a POD publisher,
to initiate a class action antitrust lawsuit challenging the
legality of the policy.

The lawsuit says that Amazon is illegally tying the BookSurge
printing to Amazonís distribution services. According to
antitrust law, companies generally cannot require a customer
to buy one product or service in order to have access to
another distinct product or service.

To help determine the validity of the case, I read the legal
Complaint submitted to U.S. District Court and conducted
additional research. I was quickly convinced that, based
on my reading, BookLocker has a reasonable antitrust
case against Amazon. Therefore, it seemed clear that
SPANís next step should be to support the lawsuit.

The Amazon/BookSurge Antitrust Lawsuit Campaign

What does supporting the lawsuit mean? SPANís goal is
to initiate the Amazon/BookSurge Antitrust Lawsuit
Campaign to generate public pressure to compel Amazon
to reverse its policy. Our plan is to get as many authors,
publishers, and organizations as possible to let Amazon
know they support the lawsuit and object to the new policy.

Our objective is to get 10,000 signatures on the campaign
petition and 100 writer's and publisher's organizations to
join the campaign.

The Antitrust Lawsuit

According to the complaint, BookLocker is seeking to
represent a class of ìall POD publishers and publishing
companies in the United States who either had books
listed for sale in the [Amazon] Bookstore, or who had or
have an application to have books listed for sale in the
[Amazon] Bookstore, at any time from February 10, 2008
through the conclusion of trial of this matter.î

Should the judge approve this class definition, many SPAN
members likely will be members of the class (although they
will have the opportunity to opt-out if they so choose).
However, it is important to note that SPAN itself is not a
member of the ìclassî and is not a party to the lawsuit.

What can you do to help?

Here are five steps that will let Amazon know that publishers
and writers want a change:

1. Sign the Petition óWe have initiated an online petition
individuals and organizations can sign indicating they
support the lawsuit. The petition will be sent to Jeff Bezos
and the Amazon Board.

You can sign the petition by clicking here:
www.spannet.org/amazonantitrust-petition.htm

2. Write Letters óWe have written to Amazon again and
encourage everyone to do so. Let them know you support
the lawsuit and you want them to reverse this new policy.

Send your letter to Jeff Bezos at Amazon
jeff @ amazon.com .

Send us copies of your letters to
classaction @ spannet.org .

3. Spread the word óOur power comes from you
telling people about this campaign. It is just that simple.
Tell your friends and contacts through e-mail, newsletters,
blogs, social media sites, etc.

Advertise the link for:

Campaign home page
www.spannet.org/amazonantitrust-home.htm

Petition
www.spannet.org/amazonantitrust-petition.htm

4. Request the Support of Your Organizations óSPAN is
compiling a list of writer and publisher organizations that
also support the lawsuit. You can help us add to this list
by contacting organizations you belong to and encouraging
them to support the lawsuit. Organizations can let SPAN
know of your support by contacting kaye @ spannet.org.

5. Contact the Media óWe have sent a news release
announcing SPANís support of the lawsuit. If you have
media contacts, send them the news release.

Click here for a copy of the news release:
www.spannet.org/amazonantitrust-newsrelease.htm

Note: Feel free to use the news release, Scott Flora's
letters and articles, and Web site copy to spread the word.

Join this Campaign

I believe Amazon is a good company that has done many
beneficial things for independent publishers over the years.
SPAN is not calling for a boycott of Amazon. We are
supporting the class action lawsuit against Amazon and
asking others to also lend their support in order to persuade
Amazon to reverse its policy of requiring publishers using its
POD distribution services to print with BookSurge.

I am asking you to join SPAN in supporting the lawsuit by
signing the petition, writing Amazon, contacting the media,
and telling your colleagues.

If we work together, we can make a difference.

Thanks,

Scott Flora
SPAN Executive Director

Small Publishers Association
SPAN is a nonprofit professional trade
association dedicated to enhancing the image and profits
of authors and independent presses in the U.S. and
Canada. You'll find SPAN info & a membership
form at www.SPANnet.org. Click on "Join/Renew".

Write for an Internet audience

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Flora) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 22:51:00 +0000

Learn how to write better Internet marketing copy at www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/. It is a white paper archive that features plenty of information on how to increase the readability of a Web site, e-zine, or e-mail. You’ll find advice on how to cater your content to teenagers, low-literacy users, the literate, and even the impatient. The site features enough good tips, tricks, and tidbits for better Web sites that the SPANnet staff is using it as research material. If you use a Web site to market your book, this place is worth a look.

Travel portals offers insight to locations around the world.

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Flora) — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 02:44:00 +0000

Whether for business or pleasure, traveling is always an adventure. You can take some of the uncertainty out of it by visiting www.planetrider.com. This site features useful links and easy-to-read paragraphs that outline attractions for an entire region. Of course, if you are looking to travel with all the creature comforts of home, then why not bring your creature and keep it comfortable? At www.petswelcome.com there is a database of pet-friendly lodgings and information that range from Steamboat Springs, Colorado, to Ghana, Africa.
If you are looking to bring your pet or just yourself on a cross-country cruise then use www.mapquest.com to plan your trip. It is a tried-and-true Web service that provides accurate, simple driving directions for anywhere in the country. To those of you who consider two dimensions to be a tad passé, check out Google Earth at http://earth.google.com. It is a complex, powerful beta software from Google that requires a fast computer and allows you to view a three-dimensional image of the earth constructed from satellite images. It also has trip-planning features that let you plan your route and then lay it out over the satellite images. The satellite imagery is good enough that you can see cars in Cork, Ireland, and the tide off of the coast of Australia. It contains all of Google’s typical search functionality. In fact, the simplest way to describe it to the uninitiated is “Google 3-D.” And that is still an understatement, as this program offers unlimited help while planning a trip—from Jakarta, Indonesia, to Hoboken, NJ. And with the earth being so diverse, it is nice to know where you and your money stand. Use the Expedia currency converter to find your place. You can view it here.

(Originally Published in the SPAN Connection, December 2005)

Web Audio

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Flora) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:53:00 +0000

Here are some links to help you add audio to your Website.

Audacity Recorder and Editor—You can download this free at www.audacitysourceforge.net.

Audio Review Site—This site reviews both Web site audio software and online services.
• Web Site Audio Review—www.WebSiteAudioReviews.com

Web Audio Software Programs—These programs place HTML code on your Web page and also help you place your audio files on your Internet service provider’s computer.
• MP3 Soundstream—www.MP3Soundstream.com (has good free articles and tutorials)
• Total Web Audio—www.totalwebaudio.com

Subscription Services—These monthly-fee services allow you to upload files you have already created and record sound files over the phone.
• Audio Acrobat—www.AudioAcrobat.com
• Instant Audio—www.InstantAudio.com
• BYO Audio—www.byoaudio.com

Books and the Subject Category Search...

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Flora) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 21:57:00 +0000

Picking a subject category for your title? Playing it safe by using the broadest subject category for your book can mislead potential buyers and hinder sales. Here’s where the Book Industry Study Group, Inc., can help. For 30 years, publishers, manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers, retailers, librarians, and others in the print and electronic media have relied on BISG to set the benchmark for policy, standards, and research. One of BISG’s invaluable services is its alpha/numeric category codes—the BISAC (Book Industry Standards and Communications) codes, which are used to shelve books in stores and in a variety of publishing/bookselling databases.
Now you can view updated codes online for free at http://www.bisg.org/standards/bisac_subject/index.html. Click on your general subject category and scan the list for the precise subclassification that best describes your material. Help book cataloguers place your title right where an appreciative credit card–carrying audience can find it.

The Small Publishers Journal, May 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Flora) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:47:00 +0000

Small Publishers Journal
May 2008
Small Publishers Association of North America - SPAN

In this issue:

Executive Director's Letter
Announcements
Articles
Short Links

Executive Director's Letter

Hello Everyone,

I recently read a blog post by a publisher who was trying to
sell books on Facebook.com. She said that after about six
months on Facebook she had had lots of fun but had not
sold any books. She said she was going to work to sell books
other ways and use Facebook for fun.

Some people have accused me of being a naÔve, enthusiastic
booster for Facebook. I reply, "Who, me?" What I am is an
advocate for learning how to be perceived as an expert and
creating a niche community around your expertise. Facebook
is one of the tools.

Selling books in non-bookstore markets, getting publicity, and
driving buyers to your Web site areall ncreased by improved
expert status. Blogs, social media sites, Internet newsletters,
Web sites, and electronic and print publicity need to create a total
interrelated system that supports your expert status and your
community.

For example, if you have a book on whale songs, there are over
78,000 listings on Google and only one whale songs group on
Facebook. This is a good opportunity for you to support your
expertise by creating a Facebook group that brings together a
community of people interested in what you do.

At the same time, it is important that you provide resources on
the Facebook group that come from and link to your book,
recordings, videos, Web site, newsletter, blog, and details about
your public appearances.

A couple of months ago, I cited Fern Reiss' Facebook group,
"Writing and Publishing" as a good example of integration of these
parts and how they support her expertise. You can find her group
at: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6138914001

I would like to highlight other examples of this kind of integration.
If you know of any publishers integrating several Web based tools,
including Facebook, send them to me and I will pass them on in the
next Small Publishers Journal.

Until then, find your niche and build your expertise.

Scott Flora
Executive Director

ps. SPAN's Independent Publishing Facebook group can be found
at:www.facebook.com/group.php?gid= 8643073564.
Join today and have some fun.

Announcements

Author 101 University
May 29, 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM, Westin LAX, Los Angeles, CA

Top publishing expert will reveal techniques to get your
book published and increase your income.

Join Mark Victor Hansen, Rick Frishman, Brendon Burchard,
Barbara DeAngeles, David Hancock, and Alex Carroll for this
premier publishing event.

Some of the key topics that will be covered include:

How to write and present your book proposal to an agent
What publishers look for in a new book
What you need to do to make your book a bestseller
How to create "hooks" for yourself and your business
How to get rich and become famous by being a guest on radio shows

To register, go to the Author 101 University
Web site:www.author101university.com/
__________________________________________________

SPAN Discount Shipping Program

New, higher discounts! Save on every shipment!

SPAN members save with the free SPAN Discount Shipping
Programóinbound and outbound. Save on envelopes, small
packages, large packages, pallet loads, and now even FedEx
KinkoísÆ services!

For more information, go to:
www.spannet.org/SPANMBSMaster.pdf
____________________________________________________

Maximizing Sales Through Quality Data

Free Webinar presented by Bowker for SPAN Members

June 25, 7:00 pm Eastern Time

Bookstores are looking for your book. Can they find it? Learn
how to sell more books by effectively using Bowker's Books
in Printand other free services.

To register, e-mail Denielle.Starr@Bowker.com.

________________________________________

Renew or Join SPAN Today!!!

Renew or join SPAN the easy way by signing up online.
Go to www.spannet.org/join.htm .

Articles

ABA Preparing for Tipping Point
By Judith Rosen, Publishers Weekly, 5/5/2008

Timing is right for independent bookstores to rebound, according
to Oren Teicher, COO at the American Booksellers Association.

According to Publishers Weekly , Teicher recently stated, "We
are convinced things really are at a tipping point.î The PW
article reported Teicher citing "a combination of factors from
consumer interest in shopping green to corporate retailers
being forced to close hundreds of stores to indicate that the
time is right for locally-owned, independent bookstores to rebound."

To read the complete article go to,
www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6557356.html

______________________________________________________

SEO to DAO - Evolution or Revolution?
By Andrew Catalano

With the acronym DAO (Digital Asset Optimization) floating
around everywhere these days, it might lead you to wonder;
is DAO replacing search engine optimization (SEO)? The
answer is no. In fact, DAO can best be described as the
next stage of SEO. SEO isn't dead, but it is rapidly evolving.

To read the article, go to:
www.spannet.org/article-catalano-DAO.htm

Short Links

YouTube Reveals Video Analytics Tool for All Users

YouTube's Broadcasting Ourselves blog recently reported:

"Whether a YouTube video has 10 views or 10,000,000, people
always want to know the same thing: Who's watching this?
Where do viewers come from? How did they find my video?"

"Finally, we have some answers. Today we're releasing YouTube
Insight, a free tool that enables anyone with a YouTube account to
view detailed statistics about the videos that they upload to the site."

To read the complete blog entry, go to:
www.youtube.com/blog?entry=IRJjhiDz6RU

_______________________________________________

Got Questions?

To answer all your publishing questions, go to SPAN's
Internet Discussion Group on Yahoo! Experts are standing by.

To sign up go to:
finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/self-publishing/

Small Publishers Journal
is a service of SPAN, the Small Publishers Association
of North America. SPAN is a nonprofit professional trade
association dedicated to enhancing the image and profits
of authors and independent presses in the U.S. and
Canada. You'll find SPAN info and a membership
form at www.SPANnet.org. Click on "Join/Renew".

You are receiving this free newsletter on publishing and
book marketing because you opted in at the SPAN Web
site or contacted us for information.

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If you would like to be taken off our list, please reply to
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Phone: 719-475-1726 Fax: 719-471-2182

Blog Marketing Sites

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Flora) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 06:58:00 +0000

Best Blog Awards—Visit http://blogofthedayawards.blogspot.com and nominate your blog for a chance to win recognition and a link on their site. If you win, your blog’s name and a link will be posted on the homepage. Well written blogs that use entertaining language seem to win most frequently, making this a good place to go when you’re in need of something random and fun.

Blogger’s Choice Awards—This is a “user-generated blog voting site” (www.bloggerschoiceawards.com) that offers an extensive listing of exceptional blogging, organized by topic and sorted by popularity. Nominations are currently being accepted for the 2008 Blogger’s Choice Awards in a slew of unique categories. Additionally, this site has a great navigational layout, making it a useful place to visit while compiling research.

Technorati (http://technorati.com) is a research site that keeps track of and ranks blogs and RSS feeds. The site’s a powerful portal with a few extra tricks up its sleeve. When you research a topic and select a particular Web site listing, Technorati provides the site’s thumbnail, rank, and reactions by bloggers across the Web. This system allows for quick and balanced research of a topic, as multiple sides of a story/argument are available at one time. Your blog may already be listed here, and if it is not, than add it post haste!

Writers Beware...

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Flora) — Wed, 07 May 2008 20:23:00 +0000

Publishers and writers have always had a harrowing time sorting out reputable professional services from questionable practices. Thankfully, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America's Writer Beware site is making the process easier with their proactive fraud busters.

At www.sfwa.org/beware/, volunteers (mostly anonymous due to the controversial nature of their work) maintain a database of 600+ questionable agents, publishers, and independent editors. The intrepid staff continually researches, updates, and post warnings about nonstandard practices that violate writers' best interests, i.e., extraordinary fees, conflicts of interest, abusive or nonstandard contract terms, unprofessional practices, nonperformance, and dubious qualifications.

These investigators are in constant communication with legitimate agents and editors to get a good feel for standard business pr actices, plus they keep close counsel with an experienced intellectual property and consumer protection attorney. They also offer a free research service for writers with questions about agents, publishers, and others (e-mail atbeware@sfwa.org ). Many thanks to SFWA!

Web Resources

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Flora) — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:29:00 +0000

www.ResearchForWriters.com is a for-profit organization that specializes in providing information on any topic. As professional researchers, their task is not only to find your requested information, but also to verify its accuracy beyond a shadow of doubt. With services specially tailored towards media professionals, this company can assist either by giving you information directly or by helping you find a knowledgeable expert. Anyone looking for that extra edge on their next project may want to contact Research for Writers for a price quote.

www.oneword.com is a creative writing site dedicated to stomping out writers block. Visit the site to participate in a simple writing exercise. Each day there’s a new word that visitors free-write about for 60 seconds. The purpose is to alleviate a writer’s tendency to edit everything and encourage words to flow. Visitors also can view entries by other writers. Give it a look if you need new stimulus.

SPAN's Small Publishers Journal - April 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Scott Flora) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:38:00 +0000

Small Publishers Journal
April 2008
Small Publishers Association of North America - SPAN

In this issue:

Executive Director's Letter
Articles
Short Links

Executive Director's Letter

Hello Everyone,

I got a lot of e-mails after SPAN took a position opposing
Amazon.com's new policy requiring print-on-demand (POD)
books sold on Amazon be printed by their subsidiary BookSurge.

Of the over 100 e-mails, 95% were supportive of SPAN's position.
I thank you all for your feedback, although I couldn't respond
to everyone.

Five percent of the e-mailers thought our position was a mistake.
This small group believes that, in a free market, what Amazon does
with their printing is none of our business. I can see their point of view
and I appreciate their comments.

I wrote the letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and the Amazon
Board opposing their policy because I am pretty sure their action
is not in the best interest of Amazon, historically a good partner
to independent publishers, and also because I am very sure the
policy is not in the best interest of SPAN members.You can
read my letter here: www.spannet.org/Amazon-POD.htm .

I have placed links to articles and other Web resources
concerning the new Amazon policy in the Articles section
below.

How to respond

It is difficult to define a clear path through the Amazon
POD maze. Amazon's new policy affects authors and publishers
differently. In the short run, you need to find out what is going
on in your specific distribution channel. How is your print-on-
demand printer responding to Amazon's action? Have you been
contacted by BookSurge?

In the long run, the best thing for independent publishers to do
is to diversify their marketing mix of product, promotion, and
place. E-book, audio books, and other product spin-offs are a
potentially valuable part of the mix. Diversifying how you get the
word out is critical . Find your audience and and sell your
expertise with both direct contact and Internet marketing.

SPAN has two great tools to help refine your marketing efforts.
Both the Marketing Plan Workbook and the Conference CDs
are available in the "Members Only" section of the SPAN Web
site. Members can sign in here:
www.spannet.org/memberlogin.php .

Note: The "Members Only" password changed around the first of
the year. If you don't have the password, call or e-mail Kaye
(kaye@spannet.org).

Fighting corporations is a historically chancy endeavor. Rather
than counting on our grassroots efforts getting Amazon to
change, we need to focus on how to make lemonade from
the lemons Amazon has thrown at us. Diversifying your
marketing mix is one of the best ways to insure the
health of your publishing company into the future.

Scott Flora
Executive Director

Renew or Join SPAN Today!!!

Renew or join SPAN the easy way by signing up
online. Go to http://www.spannet.org/join.htm .

SPAN on Facebook

SPAN has started a "group" on Facebook. If you are
not already a Facebook member, join for free at www.facebook.com.
To become part of SPAN's group, search for "Independent
Publishing" under the groups link. See you there!

Articles

Writers Weekly Blog Breaks the Amazon Story

Apparently, Amazon had been quietly approaching POD
publishers for several months, applying pressure to switch
to BookSurge or have their "Buy" buttons removed from
their Amazon book pages. The news hit the streets in late
March with posts by Angela Hoy in her Writer's Weekly blog.

See the initial posts here:

www.writersweekly.com/the_latest_
from_angelahoycom/004597_03272008.html .

Publishers Weekly Articles on Amazon POD

Amazon to Force
POD Publishers to Use BookSurge
Date: Mar 28, 2008 by Jim Milliot
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/ca6545772.html

Amazon Explains POD Move; Ingram Raises Questions
by Jim Milliot -- Publishers Weekly, 3/31/2008 1:56:00 PM
www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6546490.html

Find more on the Amazon POD Issue

You can find additional articles on http://www.publishersweekly.com/
and searching for "Amazon POD". You can also find a trove of
information by going to Google news ( news.google.com/ )
and searching the same keywords.

Short Links

101 Fantastic Freebies from PC World Magazine

Whether you're partial to online services or to downloadable
software, PC World magazine has a great listing of the Web's
best free stuff to keep you productive, secure, and entertained.

Go to: www.pcworld.com/article/id,143642/article.html

Escape From Freedom

Escape From Freedom is a radio broadcast on the Republic
Broadcasting Network hosted by Nadia Shamsedin.
Escape From Freedom is also the title of social psychologist Erich
Fromm’s book which addresses humanity’s tendency to
escape the responsibilities inherent in freedom, and that people
do so by acquiescing to totalitarianism. Writers who examine
trends in government, politics, media, science, and social
trends are encouraged to be a guest on the broadcast.

Find it at: www.escapefromfreedom.com

bookhitch.com

bookhitch.com is designed to connect publishers, authors and
readers, cutting out the middlemen. This site provides a free
listing of your books and a link to your book sales Web page.
With over a million Web page visits in 2007, bookhitch looks
like a great place to showcase your books.

Visit www.bookhitch.com for more information.