Sunday, March 15, 2020
Dayna Wasserman Amazon Essay Response
There is a lot to unpack from the Wasserman essay. I really did not enjoy reading it because it just made me sad and given the fact that I want to pursue publishing as my future career, it was very discouraging. However, it was a very important article to read and it offered a new perspective that we hadn't talked about in depth in class (also disappointed that classes are online because I really would have loved to discuss this in class and hear what everyone had to say). As I was reading, I took note of lines I found particularly interesting so my post will mostly go and discuss those lines. So maybe respond to a couple of them and give your own opinion, I don't really know what is expected of these online discussions.
1) "Bookselling in the United States had always been less of a business than a calling" (33).
Since books are very personal and reflect a lot about a person and their interests, I guess I would agree to this statement. People who sell books at bookstores tend to know a lot about books in general as well as specifics about individual books. At large bookstores such as Barnes and Noble, the shopping experience is different. The employees there are not as well versed. Amazon is even less personal because there is no person there to help you find what you're looking for. There are online reviews and their algorithm has suggestions for what books to read, but the process of finding a book that you really end up loving is completely different and lost when purchasing books online.
2) "Amazon, by contrast, was virtually limitless in its offerings" (36). A question that I wanted to pose to you guys is would you rather go to a local bookstore with finely curated books and someone who has vast knowledge on them, but the options are pretty limited, or would you rather go online where you can buy whatever book you want, but you are losing that interaction and are more on your own ini finding one? If I know what book I want or if I need a book for class, I would probably Amazon prime it to my door. But for browsing and exploring different books, I would rather go to the local bookstore.
3) How do you feel about Barnes and Noble? (36) Barnes and Noble expanded its "empire" in response to Amazon taking over. As a result, this forced small local bookstores to go out of business. With Amazon, was Barnes and Noble's decision to expand and ultimate shut down other smaller business inevitable, or were there other possible solutions for them both to stay afloat.
4) How do you feel about ebooks and using a kindle or nook? Since this is a publishing class and most of you are English majors, I feel like I know how most of you will answer, but I would like to hear different opinions or reasons for either liking or disliking ebooks. I personally have never owned either of those devices and prefer to read paper books. Even for articles or passages I have to read online for class, I still try to print them out so I can read the physical copy. It is easier for me to read and mark up paper. How does the switch from paper back to ebook affect the publishing industry as well as sales? By using ebooks, are we supporting Amazon in becoming a monopoly? Do you guys get online books from other companies, or is it mostly from Amazon?
5) "this is a business run by English majors, not business majors" (42). I just thought this was a really interesting line. If you guys have any thoughts about it please share! Are any of you business majors (or even other majors besides English) taking publishing as an elective, if so, please answer this because I really want to hear your opinion about it!!!
6) And finally, what do you guys think about the end of the reading where the author says that this is a judicial issue (56)? If anyone happens to know about the United States v Paramount Pictures case, I'd like to learn more about it from you. I kind of agree that Amazon is turning into a monopoly. It is the cheapest and fastest way to get books. It is hard to compete with Amazon in terms of pricing, so most people are moving away from using book stores. I think that Amazon actually has a bigger issue than just publishing books. They are kind of monopolizing on a lot of things like school supplies, storage stuff, kitchen supplies, a lottt of stuff, I don't even know what to list here because it's just so much. Does Amazon pose risks of hurting other industries besides publishing?
In conclusion, this article has made me hate Amazon and Jeff Bezos. I feel like I have a moral obligation to help small business and pay more for their products instead of giving into consumerism. Before amazon prime, people would add stuff they didn't even need to their Amazon cart in order two get free shipping! This is also what is wrong with Amazon.
One more food for thought; in a previous discussion post, I discussed Amazon's Just Walk Out stores because I read about it on the Publishers Marketplace https://www.justwalkout.com Basically, you go into an amazon store, they scan your card, track your location throughout the store using "complex" technology, track what products you pick up and return, and once you walk out, it charges you for the stuff you bought. First of all, I hate that they are tracking peoples data this heavily without sharing the technology or process behind it. Second, as a retail employee, I don't like how it is completely removing the human aspect of the shopping experience. Third, especially after reading this article, WTF?! Throughout the reading, it was stated multiple times that part of why Amazon was so unique and "utopian" is the limitless offerings it has. But by having Amazon stores, it is in fact limiting the offerings. What is the point of this? If anyone likes this idea, please tell me why because I don't see the point and it also makes me sad. Maybe it's for convenience.
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I was also really interested in the end of the essay when they brought up the topic of if it was a judicial issue. I’m not incredibly knowledgeable about the regulations regarding monopolistic practices, but I am a combined major with media and Screen studies, and in every media class I’ve taken we’ve learned about the break-up of the Hollywood studio system. As I was reading this article, I did see a lot of similarities.
ReplyDeleteWhen film companies were getting big, the film studios owned everything from talent agencies to the movie theatres themselves. This was terrible because now films were only shown in certain theatres and the smaller studios never got their films seen. Studios were also heavily pressured under the Hay’s code, a list of moral guidelines that lead to a lot of censuring on content. When the studio system broke up more independent film houses didn’t have to follow the code and showed foreign and independent films. It was a perfect example of vertical integration, and once broken up allowed the film industry to flourish. They were not so tightly bound and fostered more competition within the industry and allowed filmmakers to expand.
There are clear similarities between amazon and the Hollywood Studio system. Amazon is making its own books with their publishing endeavor and Kindle Single Program. While they aren’t the only way to get books, they are quickly becoming one of the most prominent, with many independent bookstores going out of business and Barnes and Noble even falling. Showcasing it's control by refusing to sell certain publishing houses books as a negotiation tactic. Not to mention, e-books, of which they are the leading seller. I am not sure if there are enough similarities to uses the US v. Paramount as precedent, but if not, it looks like it is definitely trending in that direction.
2. I totally agree with you here. If I'm not looking for a specific book, I'm much more likely to go to a bookstore where I know someone knowledgeable can recommend something to me. I think part of the problem is that books on Amazon are so much cheaper. Amazon can afford to make their prices crazy low, but independent bookstores can't. Even Barnes and Noble can be pretty expensive. As a college student, I can't always afford to buy more expensive books from a local bookstore, even though I would like to support the bookstore much more than I would like to support the corporate monster that Amazon has become. So I basically have to buy textbooks and other schoolbooks from Amazon because they're edging out other, better businesses.
ReplyDeleteHey Dayna - I agree with your strong dislike of Bezos and Amazon. Especially after spending my first co-op working with authors who often self-published via Kindle Direct Publishing or Kindle Unlimited, I find the conditions for self-published authors on Amazon pretty appalling. Not to mention all the other moral issues I have with them as a company overall.
ReplyDeleteYour second point stood out to me specifically, and I have to say that this piece made me think a lot about convenience (as you mention about Amazon's stores at the end of your post). Really, I think that's a large reason why Amazon has become as successful as they are. We have a societal expectation for things to be as convenient as possible, and I think people don't often think about the cost of convenience--whether that's a literal higher monetary cost, or the downfall of small local businesses, or the sacrifice of quality for speed. I decided not too long ago to boycott Amazon--which I didn't think would be a huge deal, since I didn't have Prime or buy things from them regularly--but it's surprised me how much less convenient it is to not use them. Even buying textbooks, for instance, takes a lot longer and is more expensive when you don't look at what's available on Amazon. Or when I'm trying to buy something online, I might find exactly what I'm looking for on Amazon, but it takes extra time to find the same item or a similar one elsewhere (and often costs more as well). As much as I don't like Amazon and am critical of some things that are done or created in the name of convenience, I'm tempted like everyone else to just give in to what is easier, or cheaper, or faster. I think our obsession with convenience is what creates the ideal market for services like Amazon.
This might be a bit of a hot take, but I personally love Barnes and Noble. I love going there. Maybe that's because I live in an area with few independent bookstores and Barnes and Noble was the only place my mom was able to take me growing up.
ReplyDeletePretty much all Barnes and Noble stores are massive, and while this is so different from the endearing and cozy atmosphere of an independent bookstore, I love how big the stores are. There are so many books, so many genres and authors to discover. This definitely relates to the quantity versus quality argument with Amazon, but for me Barnes and Noble is my happy medium. I get a ton of options which is similar to Amazon, but the physicality of being around books that you can only get in a bookstore. I think Barnes and Noble is one of the biggest obstacles to an Amazon take-over. While I do love the quaintness of independent bookstores, I'm rarely able to visit them outside of going to Trident. Therefore, Barnes and Noble is definitely my go-to when I'm buying books, and I don't think that will change.
I don't know why my comments are showing up anonymous, but this is Hayleigh Evans commenting!
DeleteI interviewed with Barnes & Noble around two weeks ago and one of the things they continuously stressed is how everyone who works there has a passion for discussing books. I, similarly to B&N, believe that you not only have to love to read but have to enjoy talking about books in order to go into book selling.
ReplyDeleteI generally go into a bookstore not knowing what I am going to buy. Sure, there are like over 200 books that I know I want to read and if I see one of them I might gravitate towards it but generally when I go to stores I like to be more impulsive; therefore, going to a local store with a smaller selection would be fine for me because no matter what I would walk away with at least one new novel.
I loved Barnes and Noble as a kid, mostly because I grew up not having the option to buy books in English so when I got to go over the summer it was like a gift. Now I find myself chosing local stores over B&N every time. Local stores just have more of a homey and welcoming feel that I appreciate and love.
I have owned two kindles but they were both given to me randomly by distant family members. In the past the only time I would ever buy ebooks is when I wanted to read something the day it came out and couldn’t wait for the two/three week shipping from Book Depository. Now I don’t really read ebooks unless they are around $2-3.
To respond to a few things:
ReplyDeleteI also thought it was super interesting that he pointed out that publishing is made up of English majors rather than business majors and how that ties into the first quote you mentioned about it being a calling. I think people go into publishing not to sell a product but rather to have something more meaningful, a connection to storytelling and literature, a drive to share those stories with others. There are limited businesses I would like to be a part of, but publishing is definitely one of them specifically for those reasons. I wasn’t sure if he was trying to make the point that this might put publishers and booksellers at a disadvantage because they are not actually business-oriented people for the most part. It seems like that isn’t necessarily true. Like in all industries, small businesses tend to have a harder time, especially with Amazon monopolizing nearly everything.
Which brings me to my next point: Amazon is definitely monopolizing other industries. I say this even after I just ordered a four-by-four rubik’s cube off my parents’ Amazon Prime account that I use all the time. It’s like The Good Place said: it’s impossible to be a responsible and good person in a capitalist and consumerist society like ours. People might want to support small businesses, including small bookstores and publishers, but the fact is that most people have other concerns and the ease that Amazon provides fits their hectic life much better than going to a local business or even a chain retailer every time they need something. It’s kind of depressing.
Lastly, to respond about this point, I actually do have a Kindle (I’m sorry ahhh). I think e-readers are great, to be honest. I know that’s something of a hot take among book lovers. Though I thought Bezos’ comment about books being inconvenient because they flop closed (what??) was ridiculous. E-readers are convenient because they take up less room, make it easier and faster to purchase books, and are wayyyy easier to travel with. Not to mention that e-books tend to be much cheaper than physical books. I don’t have anything against e-readers; it’s an unfortunate coincidence that the e-reader I have is from Amazon.
Ah why is it unknown! It's Michaela.
Delete2. I would much rather go to a local bookstore and talk with a real person to find my next good read. Though Amazon does have countless options, for me, it’s not that appealing to see them all displayed if you don’t go to page through them or feel it in your hand. I think I rarely, if ever, find books on my own. Most of my books are coming from other people, whether that’s digging up what my parents bought, reading what professors assigned, or even seeing interesting titles on Snapchat stories. Kind of like how you noted that “Bookselling in the United States had always been less of a business than a calling” (33), reading is personal and how people connect to one another.
ReplyDelete5. I also want to address this as a journalism major taking publishing as an elective! I really like that line, and though I don’t know much about business, I feel like people want to preserve the integrity of most things. It’s encouraging to read that in the publishing industry the people who are most knowledgeable on the subject are holding the reigns and doing their best not to get pushed out by people who think they understand it.