The Secret Battle to Break Amazon’s Grip on Indie Publishing: Who Will Win?
Ever wondered what it feels like to be stuck between a rock and an Amazon hard place? Here we are: readers wary of Amazon’s colossal shadow over publishing, indie authors clutching their lifelines tethered exclusively to that very giant, and a market dominated by one player who practically calls the shots. It’s like trying to dance your own tune while everyone’s stuck doing the Amazon two-step. But hey—what if we flipped the script? What if authors and readers collectively decided to loosen Amazon’s grip—not with a bang, but with thoughtful, strategic steps? Changing behavior might just shake up the publishing world more than any headline-grabbing boycott ever could. Ready to explore how we might do that, without throwing your hat into the ring of radical moves? Let’s dive in. LEARN MORE
The Short Of It
How do we change our behaviors to change the business of publishing
We are in a moment where many consumers are turning against Amazon. Whether they are not a fan of Amazon’s politics, business practices, or trying to curb their own personal spending habits.
At the same time, I’m seeing self-published and indie authors panicking on social media because Amazon is a huge part of the revenue stream they survive off of, especially if they have gone exclusive with Amazon for higher royalty rates.
Amazon accounts for anywhere from 60 to 80 percent of ebooks sold in the United States (with varying numbers reported by different sources) and a significant portion of all book sales. They have managed to establish a stronghold in the industry, which means that both indie authors and traditional big publishers often have to bend to their will and whims.
But what if it doesn’t always have to be this way? What if we, the authors and the readers, do something about it?
For authors
I know many indie authors rely on the Amazon ecosystem, and I bring no judgment toward them. I’m a baby self-published author (only one title so far) and do not depend on this revenue stream for any portion of my regular income, so I can’t fully appreciate the position they are in. So, I’m not going to say to boycott Amazon or remove all your books from Amazon, or anything so immediate or drastic.
But I think one thing is clear. If we want to loosen Amazon’s dominance in indie publishing, authors can’t go exclusive to Amazon. I am guilty of this for my one and only title. As I wrote about Indie Publishing Woes, it’s because it was so easy and cost-free compared to some other options. Just planning to “go wide” with this one title is a headache of work that I need to incorporate into my other writing and writing-adjacent tasks that I do on top of my day job. And that’s just for one book. I can’t imagine the hurdle it would be for those with multiple titles tied to Amazon.
This is a long-term goal for the long-term health of the publishing market.
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