Posted on 09/02/2014 11:52:09 AM PDT by Mad Dawgg
Last August, Amazon flew about 80 writers on its Thomas & Mercer mystery and thriller imprint—including me—to Seattle for a conference. They put us up at the Westin downtown, a nice hotel by any standard, and spent the weekend feeding us well and serving us top-shelf booze at an increasingly fabulous series of parties. There were tourist outings, the usual conference mix of panels and workshops, and a non-stressful visit to the Amazon Death Star. Also, they gave us a free Kindle Paperwhite, a nice touch.
With a few exceptions, none of the writers at the conference were particularly famous; some had only published one or two books, all with Amazon. The Seattle trip wasn’t normal treatment for them, or for anyone. I’ve published books with independents and with big corporate imprints, and I’ve published books on my own. Each of these experiences was positive in its own way. But never before had I been treated quite like this. It felt like I’d entered a glorious new age. Amazon had given me a free sneak preview of what book culture would be like from now on.
As usual, I was naive.
A year later, Amazon is embroiled in an ongoing dispute with the Hachette publishing company over e-book pricing, in which Amazon has delayed shipments and removed discounts and pre-order buttons from Hachette titles. This is a literary feud unparalleled in vitriol since Gore Vidal compared Norman Mailer to Charles Manson. One evening, I turned on The Colbert Report to find Hachette author Stephen Colbert sticking his arms up through an Amazon box, middle fingers extended. On Twitter, Colbert urged his viewers to #burndowntheamazon...
(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...
I hate going to the store to try on clothes. I just hunt on Amazon then ask the seller a few questions and I have yet to get anything that does not fit. Never had a problem that wasn't immediately taken care of. As long as Amazon keeps delivery that kind of shopping experience I will probably never set foot in a clothing store again.
I just signed up for a free trial of Amazon plus the other day.
I love not paying sales taxes to Martin O Malley and the Dems here.
I use Amazon, but I do all of my purchasing through the affiliate links on the Firearms Radio Network’s site. They get a little percentage from the purchases, without raising the price for me.
Just curious, any specifics on how the employees were treated like dirt? I found some comments online and wondered if they were similar to what you heard.
http://www.indeed.com/cmp/Amazon.com/reviews
The one right on the front page titled “Not Worth It” very much paralleled what happened to my one friend here that left after only a few days.
HAHAHA! This one nails it:
Warehouse Associate - Avoid this job if you can help it
I had to go a few pages in to find it. It is a very detailed rundown of the kind of stuff my friend was telling me. And when you view it in the context of the “positive” reviews, you see what’s going on there.
Thank you for the tip.
the horror...
the horror...
[/Apocalypse Now]
If you have Giant Eagle, you can buy Amazon gift cards for your purchases and get $.20 off per gallon of gas for every $100. This week it’s double. Considering we do the 30 gallon limit (we fill up gas cans for lawn mower, etc.), it can bring down your gasoline costs with very little effort.
We don’t have them around here, but I will check and see if any of the others do, like Krogers etc. Thanks for the tip.
I have a non-fiction book out through Amazon's CreateSpace. Apparently based on good sales, Amazon approached me to bring it out as a Kindle book. I had been trying to convert the graphics for Kindle and had been unsuccessful, so naturally I took them up on it. With regard to that book, they have treated me well.
I will shortly be bringing out a science fiction novel through CreateSpace. We'll see how that works. Novels are a lot tougher to sell than non-fiction aimed at a niche market.
A few weeks ago I ordered a season’s worth of a particular TV show. When it got here the DVD sleeve thingy had no discs in it. I was on the phone with them immediately. The next day they sent UPS to pick up the empty DVD sleeve and the day after that a replacement DVD came in the mail. I’ve had nothing but speed and efficiency from that company.
Hachette was supposed to be first. So we will see how it all turns out.
And yet I know RV’ers who love working the Christmas season for Amazon, and return year after year.
The problem some people have is that Amazon actually expects you to WORK.
Thank you.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.