About the Kindle, the Nook and Two Giants

I got a Kindle recently but must admit I'm not crazy about it. To me an ereader just doesn't compete with the sensory pleasure of holding a print book while reading in bed, preferably when buried under a down comforter. However, I'm enjoying using it for research. Another WiDo editor has a Nook and we're comparing notes on what books are successful where.

It appears that the indie authors who are doing incredibly well on the Kindle, like Amanda Hocking and John Locke, aren't bestsellers on the Nook. It appears that Amazon, as always, has positioned itself as a leader in the publishing and bookselling revolution, making the Kindle especially attractive to the self-published. While Barnes & Noble is pushing the offerings of the large publisher (just like in their brick and mortar stores) and  sort of "hiding" the self-published books. So basically they each have their niche that they established with print books some time ago, and are continuing in ebooks.

It's hard to see any ereader competing with either the Nook or the Kindle any time soon. There's the iPad, which is useful for so much else and somewhat heavy for reading. I like the size of the Kindle for reading and I have read a couple books on it. However, the iPad isn't designed just for reading and besides, one can also access the Kindle and Nook on the iPad. So there we go again-- the ebook wars seem to be between the two bookselling giants--Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

I hate to see either of these behemoths getting a monopoly on ebook publishing and royalty rates. That could be bad news down the road for authors and publishers, especially if Amazon follows its pattern.

Amazon was very accepting of indie authors and small publishers when it first started selling print books, and a whole new world of possibilities opened up for those who had been shut out of the bookstores. But then Amazon's discounts and charges got steeper and steeper as to eat up any small profits made. Gradually as they became more well-known, you had to have your books listed there to get online sales. But you didn't make any money on those sales unless your little indie book became a blockbuster and you could justify a huge print run. (Like The Shack). Small digital press runs would kill you on Amazon sales. They still do.

This is what I don't want to see happen in ebooks-- Amazon taking greater and greater discounts and paying authors less in royalties while Barnes and Noble shuts out the self-published and small presses. That would simply be a reflection of their print book business models.

Now I'm no expert, but this is what I saw in the past decade with these two giants, and what I fear in the future for ebooks. Here's a couple warning signes to watch for: Amazon cutting its royalty rates. B & N putting the big publisher books front and center (similar to how those with deep pockets pay for front table space in the stores).

Not to rain on the happy indie ebook parade, but I'm just saying to be careful out there. We writers should be aware of the market yet avoid fads. Especially avoid rushing to self-publish at the expense of quality. And watch your back. There are giants lurking about.