Second-Hand Sales and Libraries

I know I've talked about these subjects before, but they bear repeating. Each time a new round of baby writers enters the market they freak at seeing their paperbacks for sale at other bookstores.

Hell, even DH freaked out when he was perusing the internet a couple of years ago and saw my books for sale at a London bookshop's website.

First of all, did you hit the extended distribution button when you set up your books on Createspace and/or KDP Print? That means other bookstores can order your books to sell at their store. And yes, the proprietor can price your book however they desire. You already were paid when she ordered your book through Amazon at wholesale.

Now, let's say I bought your book through Amazon and read it, but it wasn't something to go on my keeper shelf. I can take it to my local used bookstore (if I had one nearby) and trade it for credit on another book I'd like to read. There's a legal tenet called First Sale Doctrine. The seller only gets the money for the sale of a physical object he/she makes. (This does not apply to e-books. I'll talk about that on Friday.)

The owner of the book does not have rights to the contents, but they have certain rights to the physical object. That means I can take it and resell it at a used bookstore. Or at my garage sale. Or I can even donate it to Goodwill or my local library.

That means the used bookstore can sell the physical book. (Psst: The used bookstore can even sell the used copy on Amazon!) The neighbor who bought my copy can sell it at her garage sale. Goodwill can sell it. And the local library can sell it. And this goes on and on until the physical book finds a permanent home or ends up in a landfill.

You, the writer, were not cheated. You got your money with the first sale.

Now, if you have your book in extended distribution, guess what? Not just bookstores can order your books, so can libraries! And unless you donated copies, the library paid for that physical copy. You got your money.

Here's the thing most new writers don't get: their books are out in the world where someone may find it in their hotel room or looking for someone new to try when they're on a limited budget. There's a ton of books on my keeper shelves that I discovered through the library when I was a kid. Books I loved so much I searched out and bought once I had a grown-up job.

Never underestimate alternative venues for readers to discover your work.

CreateSpace Is Shutting Down

I know I've been kind of quiet lately.

First of all, everything's fine. The new drug regimen hasn't been a problem, other than a couple of odd side effects. My taste buds have definitely changed. Salt seems unnaturally amplified, so I'm using even less than usual in cooking. Sweets similarly have an unusual punch. I can manage five or six grapes before it feels like I'm swallowing an entire cup of sugar. Other foods I love have an off taste, like fresh steamed broccoli or pepperoni pizza.

So while I work on finding healthy foods that don't taste weird and exercising, I've been writing my ass off. I finished the first draft of Hero Ad Hoc two and a half weeks ago and jumped right into Hero De Novo.  I hit the twenty percent mark last night.

What does any of this have to do with CreateSpace?

Well, my forward momentum on writing will have to come to a grinding halt. Amazon is folding Create Space into KDP Print. From the notice on the KDP website, CreateSpace will shut down in a few weeks. That could mean the end of this month or the end of December. There's not  a definite date on the page.

It also means I need to shift my print books from one website to the other.

The bigger problem is that I'm partway through the process of two paperbacks going live.

I had received the proof copies of A Modicum of Truth and Sacrificed shortly before Easter. I think I was fifty pages into AMoT before the stuff hit the cancer fan, so they are both sitting on my desk, waiting for me. I planned to pick them up again once I finished all three first drafts of the 888-555-HERO completed.

Alas, I need to rearrange my schedule yet again.

So I will continue to work on the current wip while I peruse the directions for transferring this week. Then I'll have to spend the holiday weekend proofing and typing up my notes of changes for my formatter.

Then it's crossing my fingers that I can get everything done before Amazon pulls the trigger.

So why don't I go with Lightning Source/IngramSpark instead of Amazon?

Because LS/IS charges $49 simply to upload your book to their program. I have twelve paperbacks--so far. I'd rather spend that $600 on formatting and covers than simply making my paperbacks available to other retailers.

I know there' some folks wondering why I even bother with print copies. Ironically, the Justice series is being stocked in a few independent bookstores. I want to do everything I can to encourage indie bookstores to stock indie authors. If that means I need to drop everything to finish a print book project, then by gum, I'll do it!