Amazon Continues To Give Publishers Run-Around.

For all of those who'd post otherwise, I'm not talking about publishers that have the money and the where-with-all to sue Amazon or otherwise cause them loss of business if they don't pay attention to them. I'm speaking of all those OTHER publishers who are at Amazon's mercy.

Oh you want an example. Well while I can give you many, I'll stick with my own frustrations as not only can I provide facts but also prove that the facts are genuine.

Amazon shows the Hardback of Never Ceese as being available through them as "new." The hardback of Never Ceese is out-of-print though and has been out of print for some time. More recently, the rights to the book have reverted back to me. I have the letter from the original publisher that states this.

Baker & Taylor, the original distributor, also has the letter. I sent it to them upon request and after a conversation I had with them. Do I know whether they actually stopped distributing the book? No. And I doubt that they did but I would have to take legal action to force them to and I don't have that kind of money.

Regardless of whether Baker & Taylor are acting in a legal manner or not, Amazon should. I've told them of the matter as well. I told them that if they list the hard copy as new and available through Amazon as such then they are breaking the law. The basic response to all of my emails to them, please talk to the publisher even though I am the publisher.

Bottom line, buy the book through second-hand sellers. I still don't get money but neither does the original publisher who liquidated over 4000 copies without giving me the opportunity to buy them back myself, keeping 250 copies so they could sell them themselves. How much did I make off of Never Ceese the hardback? A $500 dollar advance against royalties. So basically $500 dollars and some pocket change. Considering what I paid for editing, the original publisher didn't edit the book, and publicity, the original publisher did little in this area, I will forever more be in the red for the hardback of Never Ceese.

Oh and if Amazon has copies and you buy one, it's stolen and they know it because I've told them and provided them with information to show this. Way to go Amazon. Keep on bullying.

Sue Dent