Regarding the Amazon Boycotts

Around fifteen years ago I spoke up on one of the message boards about the importance of limiting the use of Amazon. I warned about the dangers of allowing one company to have too much control over our lives and our spending dollars. I urged people to spread the wealth around.

I was called down for it. You know how people swallow their tongues and have a seizure when they see a conflicting opinion on the internet.

It was mostly independent writers. They argued that their books were dependent upon Amazon. You know what? They had a point.

As an indie writer myself, I am grateful that Amazon has such a convenient platform for book publishing. All of us are chasing our dreams. Few will see any meaningful financial success, but I think many of us are eager to reach other people. To share our own thoughts and dreams. Despite all the negative aspects of Amazon.com, it allows us to do so.

People are calling for a temporary boycott on Amazon. I get it one hundred percent. I was the one preaching about them before it got so crazy. I did so on mostly deaf ears.

I don't see one day, or one week, making a significant difference in Amazon's bottom line. If the figures I've read are accurate, the one day boycott resulted in slightly higher profit than preceding Fridays. People are at such odds with each other that roughly half the population will make a point of buying on a planned period of boycott.

It's nearly impossible to avoid Amazon. We try to limit our spending there, but when you need something, and need it quickly, Amazon comes through.

I don't like to throw around words like "privilege", because I think it's a douchey thing to do, but economic reality for a lot of people forces them to shop wherever they can find things for the lowest price.

But is Amazon always the lowest? No.

I read a piece a while back about how companies like Amazon and Taco Bell introduced their commodities at very low prices. It was a long term plan. Get consumers hooked and then gradually increase prices. They either won't notice or won't care. Too many people are drunk on convenience.

For example: I recently needed some wild bird seed. I was getting it from a local farmer's market that sadly went out of business. I checked out Amazon and was a little shocked to see the prices. I looked around and I found the brand I like at ebay. I got forty pounds of seed for the price Amazon was selling for thirty.

There's a balance for everything. Boycotts may do some good, but innocent people wll also be affected. The big boys can take a hit and rebound. Small companies rely on every sale.

People say you can support the little guys directly, but that's not always feasible. Not every small business can afford to set up an online shopping cart and billing system. Amazon, ebay, Etsy, and other places make it easy.

Then there are all those independent writers who need every break they can get.

As for buying books, there's bookshop.org. Search a title and it automatically finds the best price from an independent bookstore. I use it when I can. If it's only a few dollar difference, I'll probably use bookshop. If it's ten dollars, sorry Charlie, I'm going with Bezos. I'm living on Social Security right now.

I never once said people should completely cut out Amazon. I did urge everyone to spread it out. Try to buy local. Seek out alternate companies for your business. Not just for a day or a week, but all the time.

Written by Mark Sieber