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5 Things Writers Must Do To Survive Online


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5 Things Writers Must Do To Survive Online

Let me know what you think about the above article by posting here or on my blog. 

 

My thesis is that we are giving up too much to big websites like Amazon/FaceBook/Google and get too little in return.  The imbalance it growing increasingly worse...

 

At this rate books, for example, will only be available for purchase from Amazon -- they already control 60% of all book sales not even B&N comes close. 

 

The Facebook will be the World Wide Web, at least that is where most people will spend most of their time and Google will control access to what little online content that is left, that they don't directly control.  Everyone else will have to pay Google or Facebook for the potential to be seen.

 

I admit that I contribute to the problem for example, by selling books (almost exclusively), as an Amazon affiliate.  But you live and learn, and I'm attempting to change -- certainly for new websites I build. 

 

I realize my perspective may not be shared or understood by many.  But I also understand that my position as an independent content producer on the web for almost 18 years is pretty unique.  So my article may come across as a creed or at least rant.  In any case, I'm interested in what people think -- especially those who do not share my experiences and those who disagree.

 

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I agree, especially with Amazon. That's why I now sell my books through Nook, Kobo and iTunes. I think Facebook's dominance will eventually wane. Remember MySpace? Sooner or later the young folks will discover a cooler way to communicate and they'll flock to it, leaving Facebook in a bad spot, especially now that Facebook had gone public. It sounds like a good article to me, especially if you provide solutions and alternatives.

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Hey Milton, thanks but let me know what you think after you get a chance to read the article. 

 

I did offer five solutions they are are not to hard to implement.  The easiest is if you are gonna send people to Amazon then use an affiliate code -- it kills me when I see people send other to Amazon without using an affiliate code.  One day Amazon may decided to stop paying commissions.  We should take the money while it is still being paid.

 

The hardest might be stop writing for big corporations for free.  If every writer did that then many more could actually earn a living.  I pay writers, the Huffington, for example can too -- it writers demanded it, but they never will... 

 

I just wish more writers would write for indy sites with the same gusto and largess as they do for rich sites, maybe a few more of us indy sites would be around.

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Here is an email I just got in reaction to my article:

 

I started finding a bunch of stories about the Amazon monopoly now -- very very hot news in your industry. Wow.

http://www.mhpbooks.com/breaking-news-amazon-declares-war-on-book-industry/

http://www.mhpbooks.com/monopoly-acheived-an-invincible-amazon-begins-raising-prices/

http://www.mhpbooks.com/amazon-warehouses-literally-worse-than-coal-mines/

 

I have not read the articles yet -- still trying to crank out a eNewsletter which takes all day.

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