How Do We Solve the Problem of Amazon?

Who does it benefit and is the benefit worth the cost?

Last week I said I wanted to work toward pulling back the curtain on some things in the lead up to releasing The Understory. I thought today would be a good time to share some thoughts on Amazon and the creator/consumer conundrum with it.

A few years ago, I saw a graphic of Jeff Bezos net worth compared to the median household’s net worth. It was simultaneously fascinating and nauseating. That same afternoon, a box from Amazon Prime arrived on our doorstep containing probiotics for Harper and vitamins for me. I am guilty of aiding and abetting my own nausea at the net worth of Jeff Bezos.

There is no question that Amazon is the giant retailer of our day. It doesn’t get much better than same day free delivery at the push of a button. There are well-documented problems, though, within Amazon culture and practices. Despite these problems, for many the convenience can’t be beat, especially for those who, for various reasons, don’t have the time or luxury of a different choice. More and more in our house we’ve been trying to make a different choice. We’re in a position to do so but I don’t fault a single person who makes a different choice. I don’t believe wealth is a sin, although I do believe that kind of wealth is a sin, especially because Jeff Bezos could be doing something with his wealth, at least giving more than 0.7% of it away. But that doesn’t make buying probiotics for my dog from Amazon a sin. There are a lot of layers of culpability between my $20 probiotics and 195 billion dollars in someone’s pocket.

Okay, so far I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. What I want to tell you is of my internal struggle with linking to The Understory on Amazon.

I see a difference between buying probiotics once a month and sending my readers to buy multiple copies of my book on Amazon. But it’s difficult because this monolith wants to be the only place people buy my book and so in order to get me (the author) to push you (the reader) to purchase on Amazon, they give me juicy incentives, like the “Number One New Release in this category” that you see authors gushing about on release day (I’m not knocking! I’ve shared it too! Who wouldn’t?). It feels good to feel like a best-seller for a hot minute. But it’s not really a bestseller in the truest sense of the word, it’s just been artificially puffed up by all the preorders that have been pushed their way the previous few months. That number one new release probably isn’t selling 5000 copies every day, it may just have pre-sold 5000 copies throughout all the days leading up to release day, meaning the money changed hands on release day but technically the book was “bought” two months ago. Are you with me?

This is how they get authors like me to push their links out to readers like you: The allure of the ranking. The gradual incline toward #1. The magic word: sales.

That gradual incline is also doing another thing too, though, that has nothing to do with an author’s ego and everything to do with their ability to continue their career in writing. Those numbers echo throughout the bookselling world, telling all the other little independent booksellers out there, “Hey! Pay attention to this one! Hey, look at this title, making its way up the hill. People are gonna want this one, better get you some copies in stock!” This is a win for readers, writers, publishers, and booksellers. So Amazon isn’t the only one benefiting from their system. It’s hard to call them the enemy when we’re all still drinking the milk they’re offering.

Okay, so just to keep us clear: Amazon has a vested interest in getting authors to link to their books on Amazon. An author can opt out of it, but it is going to cost them dearly: It is going to affect their ranking overall, the likelihood of smaller booksellers noticing their book and therefore stocking it, and the little orange “Number one new release in its category” that we all love to see, as well as limiting the number of reviews given as Amazon is mostly only letting certified buyers from Amazon review books. All of these things hurt authors. Most of them don’t affect readers at all.

Back to my consternation. I feel pretty ick about encouraging people to purchase from Amazon, especially when I know that: 

• They can get my book cheaper from Baker Book House (40% off Amazon’s price!).

• They can get free shipping from Baker Book House

• They will get their book sooner from Baker Book House.

Or that: 

• They can get my book from their local independent store, therefore supporting their local economy, and engaging with local people.

• They can purchase it from Bookshop.org, supporting any independent bookstore across the US.

We’re all adults here. We have agency. I’m not here to tell you what to do. My heart says buy from the small guys, but my ego and wallet and, most importantly, future hope of publishing books says please buy through Amazon. (Also if you’ve already purchased it through Amazon or another place, please don’t cancel your order =) That doesn’t really help either.)

But ultimately, the choice of where to order your books is up to you, dear readers.

As for me, I’m working on not checking those ranking numbers and not counting on a fancy orange Number One New Release Banner on The Understory’s Amazon page. I’m working on trusting the future members of the launch community will follow through on writing reviews from wherever they purchased, in addition to sharing links and images and word of mouth throughout the month before and after release. I’m working on trusting that a slow and gradual release of a book over time is far better than a grand slam on release day.

In conclusion: 

Pros of buying The Understory at Amazon:

• Higher rankings for me

• More independent booksellers stocking The Understory

• Ability to write and post a review on Amazon

• Free shipping

• Delivery of book on release day

Cons of buying The Understory at Amazon:

• Supporting the Amazon-model

• Giving more of your hard earned cash to Bezos

• Perpetuating the catch-22 authors find themselves in

Pros of buying The Understory at Baker Book House:

• Free shipping

• 40% off list price (or 50% off if you buy two using the code SAYABLE50)

• Book arrival immediately upon release (cutting out middleman)

Cons of buying The Understory at Baker Book House:

• No review option

• No ranking option

• No signal to other booksellers that the book will be in demand

Pros of buying The Understory at [local/independent] bookstore:

• Supports your local economy

• Helps them know faith books are of interest

• Gets you out in the community

• Supports (hopefully) some best business practices

Cons of buy The Understory at [local/independent] bookstore:

• May take longer than other suppliers

• Will pay full price

• No review (for local bookstores, online a possibility)

• No ranking for me

I hope this is a helpful bit of information for you. Almost every author you read faces this predicament—especially Christian authors because often times their publishing houses don’t have the marketing budget many bigger houses have for their secular writers. Some authors don’t care if you buy at Amazon or anywhere else, for many reasons. Some do. I’m one of them. This is my attempt at walking in integrity. 

Wherever you preorder The Understory from, there are some fun preorder bonuses which you can claim here.¹

1. This whole piece is adapted from a piece I wrote and published on Sayable.net in 2022.