I am a king of deceit. I self-published Close to the Edge in 2000 after a NYC small press reneged on it. I was blue about losing out on a woman at the time and I needed something positive on which to focus. It was a good experience, despite some negatives. At first there was only one -- the price at Amazon & B&N, $18.76 before shipping. I managed to sell 348 copies, most of them at work and on the street. One of the ways I’d buy copies was through the Amazon gift certificates I amassed doing surveys online. I paid about $20 per copy that way. I’d get a royalty of $3.59 for each, which lessened the overall loss, as I sold them for $10-$15. It wasn’t really a loss, as the money never came out of my own pocket. I looked at it as having received less for the survey work. Suddenly, one of the geniuses at Authorhouse decided copies bought with a gift certificate were considered discounted and thus ineligible for a royalty. That was the second strike against the house. The third was the loss of access to my account after the site was re-configured. Their techies were unable to solve the problem, and I gave up and concentrated on my other books. I was unable to check any sales activity, which, granted, wouldn’t have been much. The last copy I sold was in August of 2011. When I learned that my fifth book, Exchanges, looked like it would make it into print, I thought: “Wouldn’t it be neat to have all five books on display at the floating book shop?” I’d reached the $20 payout level at Valued Opinions Surveys, but they were having a problem with Amazon at the time. When the account reached $30, I lost patience and took payment in a virtual credit card. Big mistake. I ordered three copies of Edge, hoping the system would make up the balance owed by using the gift certificate money I’d amassed. I tried it twice without luck. Suddenly I was no longer able to log into Valued Opinions. I suspected they assumed I’d tried to defraud Amazon. I explained my intention in an email and I was re-instated, but I doubt I’ll ever see that $30. I chalk it up to my own stupidity. One thing I apparently unintentionally accomplished is that Amazon ordered the six copies. If no one buys any, they will eventually be offered at a discount, and I’ll buy them. The plot thickens. I’ve received a royalty check for six copies for the fourth quarter of 2012, less than $16 after the withholding tax. I suspect it’s for those same copies, which never really sold. I’ll cash it without qualm, as I believe AH owes me for the last batch I bought on gift certificates, and because it wouldn’t be a burden to make restitution if it proves to be an error and they want the money back. When I recently earned a $35 gift card, I went to AH and put in an order for two copies of Edge, where the price is a reasonable $11.95. I was certain it was wishful thinking, certain it wouldn’t cover shipping and taxes. To my astonishment, it came in under $30. I suspected it was a mistake. When I received the copies I wondered if AH had been taken to task by the Better Business Bureau, lowered costs and changed its wicked ways. They were originally called 1st Books Library. I always suspected the change of name was due to their tarnished reputation. If I’d only thought of them when I had the $30 virtual card. I would have avoided a big mess. Ah, the life of a writer at the bottom of the literary totem pole. Long live the king of unintentional deceit.
The floating book shop is on hiatus until the weather improves, which may not be until Saturday.
Visit Vic's sites:
Vic's Third Novel (Print or Kindle): http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3
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