I'm not fisking you here, just answering each point in turn because I think it's a pretty serious discussion.
“I'm working on identifying and/or creating an alternative platform(s),”
yes, this is what we should be working on. I wonder if it would stand a greater chance of success if we also made it a social media site? People do gravitate to new social media sites f they offer something new that they cant get elsewhere. Maybe a site where readers can both buy books and also have profiles as on FB and can also blog and interact with both writers and their own friends and family?
Basically, it cant be just another ebook site. we’ve seen so many e-publishers, even ones with big names, go under. Ours has to offer enough value to tempt people to use it. That might have to be something not offered so far or not to a large enough extent.
Amazon's business model is basically Mail Order, first popularized by Montgomery Ward back in 1872. At the end of the day, the internet is just a catalog, but instead of having to go down to the local merchant to peruse it, we can now do so on the couch. We need a fundamental shakeup, a revolution that completely re-imagines how people relate to the written word, especially fiction - not incremental change or better marketing.
Sadly, the biggest obstacles to taking back some measure of control are the writers and publishers themselves, because they cannot imagine anything different:
This is the technology.
These are the products.
These are the categories.
These are the distribution channels.
This is how they are marketed.
There can be nothing else.
And to back up that myopic thinking, they'll post unqualified anecdotes of success and failure, as well as single-purpose data. They'll cite how they have learned to navigate the morass of bullsh*t to earn a decent buck, even if the percentage is low. And through it all, every one of them will virulently ignore the fact that Amazon could end KDP tomorrow. I've seen it happen in other industries - a lot.
If authors want to protect their future, save themselves from the commodity pool and retain some measure of self-determination, we're going to have to do something drastically different.
I applaud the desire to try new things. (If Barnes and Noble had been thinking that way some years back, it could have avoided its long, painful decline. If Borders had done so, it might still be in business.)
At the same time, I don't fully agree with your criticism of writers and publishers. You can hardly blame people who've found a formula that works for them for wanting to stick with it. There are people making good money under the existing system, after all--and not necessarily at a low percentage.
I'm not blaming everyone per se, I'm really targeting the dogmatic group-think that defines the current echo-chamber. Everyone talks about what works for them, but, in almost every case, it's a course on workarounds. And I doubt many people are making
Genuine Real JobTM income. I think some are, and many more are making extra cash - which is all really cool. But to be competitive in this arena, most have to publish fast and invest heavily in ad spends. That's not how this is supposed to work. Again, just because some have figured out how to leverage the existing system does not legitimize it.
Remember also that you aren't yet offering a concrete alternative. I know that you're researching and will doubtless have something to suggest at some point, but right now you're arguing the current model is bad without promoting a new one. It's hard to get people to jump on the bandwagon before it starts rolling.
I'm arguing the current model is a racket, one designed to screw Indies on both ends. Amazon's store has been in flux from way back; it's safe to assume that it's only a matter of time until the royalties change. Remember:
Your margin is my opportunity - Bezos. Really, I'm just playing the role of provocateur - greasing the wheels, so that when an alternative does arrive, writers and publishers might be a little more open to it.
As for the concrete alternative, regardless of who gets there first, it's going to be worth billions of dollars. So, forgive me for not delineating my business plan in a public forum.
For instance, maybe you'll find a great new way to use Patreon as a publishing vehicle. However, since there are people who've tried that in the past and haven't succeeded, you can understand why people might be skeptical.
True, but we have to realize that for any business endeavor, the failure of others has no bearing on our own personal success. We analyze, correct and continue to learn and adapt.
Also, part of the obstacle to change is that the customers can't imagine anything different. I've seen new models launch and fail. It wasn't that the promoters weren't willing to try something new--it was that the customers weren't. You could have a great idea for a new way of selling books, but if the customers don't see the possibilities, then that idea will fail.
Customers will adopt whatever they're given. I know this sounds cold, but it's the truth, backed up by industry after industry. Does anyone really need a 4K TV when there's next to no programming available? The important aspect to understand is that they won't adopt quickly. And this is what turns off most businesses from trying anything new, they want instant profits. Amazon took years to get there, losing money on every sale; but Bezos was playing the long game.
It's great that you are exploring new ideas. I'm not trying to discourage you at all. I'm just encouraging you to be patient with those who aren't willing to go all-in on an idea that isn't fleshed out yet and hasn't had a chance to develop a track record. Once you've gotten a little further in your process, it'll be easier to convince people to try something similar.
Like I said, I'm just stirring up trouble, getting people to think. How many of us have completely burned out? How many of us are writing admitted crap because we have to publish so fast? How many of us are losing sleep trying to figure out Amazon's latest algorithm changes, or AMS spends. Should we use Facebook? Are the old promotion sites still working? After 100 submissions, they still can't get a Bookbub. This is the tail wagging the dog.
Sorry, but when your entire business model depends utterly on the kindness of the one you're negotiating against - that's really really (and I can't say this strongly enough), really bad f*cking business.
I know how the new mouse trap will work, from the financials to the platform interface and new technology, including the marketing - but I'm not a coder, which makes the implementation kind of tricky. lol, and the last thing I want is to invest all of this time and money only to have my hired-gun coders
Zuckerberg me.
But rest assured, from one corner or another, change is in the air...
