Amazon Encore: Cherry-picking Astroturfing, or an author breakout tool?
Interesting announcement today from Amazon regarding a new program to reissue books that have been well received, but were insufficiently marketed and have sold poorly.
Even great books can be overlooked. Amazon customers raved over “Legacy,” a self-published novel by 16-year-old Cayla Kluver, with customer review titles such as “loved it, loved it,” “rich lyrical tapestry and story” and “breathtaking in scope and execution!” Despite winning several prizes from literary groups and accolades like this from readers, Kluver’s debut novel achieved only modest sales. Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced a new program, “AmazonEncore,” to help readers discover exceptional books from emerging authors, such as the program’s first book, “Legacy.”This sounds eerily similar to a program announced a few years ago in connection with Amazon's BookSurge self-publishing subsidiary. In this Forbes column, the author describes the program enthusiastically. Haven't heard much about that program recently.
AmazonEncore is a new program whereby Amazon uses information such as customer reviews on Amazon websites to identify exceptional, overlooked books and authors that show potential for greater sales. Amazon then partners with the authors to re-introduce their books to readers through marketing support and distribution into multiple channels and formats, such as the Amazon Books Store, Amazon Kindle Store, Audible.com, and national and independent bookstores via third-party wholesalers. This summer “Legacy” will be revised by the author and re-issued as an AmazonEncore edition in print on Amazon websites around the world, in physical bookstores, as a digital download from the Kindle Store in less than 60 seconds, and via spoken-word audio download on Audible.com.
Cayla Kluver, author of the first title selected for AmazonEncore, Legacy, posted about it today on her Amazon Connect blog:
For the last few weeks, I've had to be pretty tight-lipped about everything that's been going on, but now I can say that I have signed a deal with AmazonEncore, selling the publication rights for Legacy. The new edition will be released in hardcover on August 18th, 2009!The customer reviews for the original edition makes it seem there was real support for the work, but there were also a couple of complaints about the writing. (I can't talk too much; when I was a teenager, I couldn't write worth beans.)
Contract negotiations wrapped up excellently in April, thanks to Kevan Lyon, my literary agent, who is now one of the most fantastic people I know. She has already done more for me than I would ever have expected, and I often wonder how there are enough hours in the day for her to get done all that she does! I've met with the people who will be handling the book at Amazon, all of whom are geniuses; some revisions to the novel (clean up stuff mainly so it can be sleek and shiny when it's re-released in hardcover on August 18th) are being made with the help of an editor; and today, a national press release went out, which you can read here. It announces both the AmazonEncore program and my book, which they have chosen to be their launch title.
New cover art has been designed by Melcher Media, the interior layout concepts are fabulous, and I'm flying high. The new edition of the book is available for preorder on Amazon, where you can get a look at the cover, a couple of interviews with me (including a video one!), and the new prologue and first chapter. Here's the link: Legacy, AmazonEncore Edition.
I also have a new website: www.caylakluver.com, which has a lot of additional and supplementary information (press and rights contacts, bio, FAQs, etc.).
It's been a fantastic ride from when I first started writing, to struggling for an agent/publisher, to self-publishing, to signing with Kevan and Encore and ending up where I am now. I am so thankful for everyone who has been there to lend a hand (or hold mine) through the process, and who bought the original edition of Legacy, which has now been pulled from the market and will never be heard from again. Sad, but ultimately a good thing! I am also, of course, immensely grateful to Encore for taking a chance on me.
Thanks so much again to all of you out there -- I'm having the time of my life, and will be sure to keep you updated!
Sounds like it could be a great program for Amazon and the authors, depending on the terms, which aren't explained in Amazon's press release or its AmazonLegacy page. For a few years, it has been possible for authors from small presses (and self-published authors) to be quite successful purely on Amazon sales using print on demand. But the major bookstore chains are loathe to carry such books, which are often non-returnable.
Will Amazon really have the clout to get these new authors and niche titles into bookstores such as Barnes & Noble, Borders, and independents? Or will this put even more small presses out of business -- as soon as demand for a book is proven on Amazon, the author is cherry-picked from the publisher who took the risk in the first place? Stay tuned, this will be interesting.
I really doubt that someone at Amazon is reading through the millions of customer reviews, searching for that hidden gem of a book they want to boost because of the warmness of their hearts. More likely, they are identifying books that are selling well on Amazon now, and identifying those that can sell even better, if backed with proper marketing and national brick-and-mortar distribution.
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posted by Steve Weber at 4:13 PM
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This is a very interesting article. It will be even more interesting to see how it plays out in Sales Rank data and stats.
Very interesting article. Amazon is great at blazing new ground and could care less what others think, which is a noble thing. However, they have proven to be very pro Amazon over anyone else, including bookstores, authors, publishers, and customers.
So, if they create something that can help find these hidden gems while helping themselves to increased profit, then more power to them.
My guess is that they are looking for ways to steal away commercially viable books from current self publishing companies who are more concerned about taking money from their authors than in helping their authors market their books. If Amazon can fill that marketing void by putting their muscle behind these promising books, then this may be a good thing.
As I am fond of saying, time will tell.
I think this will come in handy for those authors who have been left for dead by their publishers -- and these days, that could be the majority.
They seem to have thought this through. Most books will be self-published and/or had a chance with mainstream publishers previously and been rejected, and they will also be teaming with a distributor so the books will be available in bookstores and other online retailers. There's not a lot to logically object to.
Call me a pessimist (or an optimist, depending how you look at it) but I don't think Amazon will have great success as a publisher. They will have distribution problems because of competitor resistance, and they'll find that picking winners is harder than it looks. They'll also find that the author-publisher collaboration that helps make a hit is hard for their bureaucratic structure.
I don't get the point about Amazon "cherry-picking" authors from small publishers. If a publisher decides to sell to Amazon, it's because they see it as a win, right?
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