Rubbish news, everyone!
After 2 years on sale with no objections, Oviposition has been removed from Amazon. They say is violates their ToS, but I can't see any way that's true.
They allow erotica and it's all my own work.
I've responded to ask what they think it violated, but don't know if that will make any difference.
I'm not sure there's much you folks can do to help me, but maybe consider buying one of my other books? #erotica #kdp #KindleDirectPublishing #Oviposition #Tentacles
Oviposition is a short bit of niche tentacle erotica - a weird little story I used to test the waters of erotic self-publishing.
It's never made me much money, but it's been very popular. 76 people downloaded it for free last month when it was on offer, and it's been read hundreds of times on KU.
If you read and enjoyed Oviposition for free and would like to support me, maybe check out one of the other books in my pinned toots? Ruinous Attraction is a longer work in the same world.
To dicks saying I shouldn't be selling on Amazon in the first place: Oviposition is 8 pages long. It was originally shared for free on a site where it had 20,000 hits.
20,000 hits and I made no money from it.
People wanted to read it, likely again and again and again, but it was only 8 pages long. How much do you think people would pay for that on Smashwords? At Barnes and Noble?
With KDP I could give people the option of paying 77p/99c of which I see about 30p, or they can read on KU.
As many times as they like. I make pennies, but it was more than I was going to get anywhere else.
Compare: An Unexpected Attachment. This is available on Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, and a bunch of other places. It's longer, has more developed characters, and I would argue is better written. In the 6 months from launch to June I sold one (1) copy via Smashwords. In the sales. I sold seven more copies via Smashwords in their June sale. I have never sold a full price copy anywhere>
>that wasn't Amazon, and this is a book with 5 star reviews.
There are GOOD REASONS to think Oviposition will do better on a site set up to let people read lots of short stories for a small monthly fee. KU pay is UNBELIEVABLY SHIT. For the thousands of KENP I have for Oviposition and the ~100 copies I've sold, I have made just under £10. I do not think I would have made that much if I had diversified and not had the benefits of giving Amazon exclusivity.>
> All I ever wanted for Oviposition was to see SOME kind of payment for what was obviously an EXTREMELY popular story among horny kinksters.
It was not the kind of story I could submit to a pro-paying magazine. It's very niche.
But I deserve to be paid for what some people CLEARLY want. And KU/KDP is still the best way to do that.
@DamonWakes That's really not your decision to make for me, and patronising me helps no one.
I DO make some of my works available off Amazon, but OVERWHELMINGLY customers go to Amazon even where they have an option. I have ONLY EVER sold books elsewhere when they are on sale. I cannot afford to ignore what customers want.
The Amazon monopoly is NOT on indie authors to fix, and talking down to an indie author suffering at Amazon's hands helps no one but Amazon. Don't be a dick.
@RubyJones Oh no, that fucking sucks! 😔
I had one of my books taken down overnight too. I wouldn't put much hope into getting a reply. I've tried so many times in the past finding out why a book was blocked and I never got a human to respond even a single time.
If you are looking for a new home for the story: Kobo has a subscription service similar to KU. Not sure about how shit the pay is. Smashwords also has a "pay what you want" option but only one single person ever paid for my shortie 😅
@AimeeMaroux Thanks, I'll check out the Kobo.
It feels like they're doing a lot more random take downs lately - I've seen a lot of people complaining.
@AimeeMaroux They have bloody book categories for erotica - this is what makes me so mad. It was in the erotica category. It had a warning for non-con. I know for a fact they sell countless non-erotic books with non-con.
But they just replied to confirm that my content was in violation without saying why. I'm livid!
@AimeeMaroux I just find most people I sell to strongly prefer Amazon, even when I offer options. Whereas I've only had one person say they would only buy if it wasn't on Amazon.
Maybe it's easier to just pull out of Amazon if you're more established, but for me it's absolutely clear that I would lose the vast majority of my sales.
@AimeeMaroux @LaurenLeFey I always appreciate people who use tip jars.
I was thinking about getting one for my Medium account (seeing as the partner programme is pointless) but it's hard to do without revealing 'real me' contact details. Ko-fi doesn't work for that reason, as that connects to my PayPal. I have heard of https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ but their website doesn't say much about how it works.
@AdaraAstin @AimeeMaroux @LaurenLeFey where have you set up the wishlist?
I can't, for example, use Amazon, as that's linked to my real name and accounts.
Also, I really want to actually make money ;D
@RubyJones @AimeeMaroux @LaurenLeFey I set up a different email address that has no connection to my real name or normal Amazon accounts and used that. I wanted it firewalled from my real name for all the same reasons when I set it up.
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y2IWOAA0R36G?ref_=wl_share
Ruby Jones
Damon L. Wakes
Another Angry Woman
Erotic Mythology ✊
Lauren LeFey (kink mode)
Adara Astin
mollysdailykiss
Klaus Vink Slott