I’ve always tried to do right by the horror genre. I saw myself as some kind of Atlas holding the field on my shoulders. Or on some Qixotic quest to personally support horror. While I’ve certainly done more than my share, horror would have been just fine without me.
I try to give my business straight to the publishers. I avoid the movie ticket middleman apps that get a share of the pie. i buy direct from authors at live events.
In the past I’ve spoken out against Amazon. I urged readers to spread the wealth, to give the little guys a hand. In doing so I received a lot of grief from burgeoning independent writers whose books sell at Amazon.
This may seem off-topic, but I think the subject of minimum wage enters into the equation. I am all for people making a living wage. As a person in the lower echelon of the workforce, I scraped by while watching the big shots make more money than they need to maintain a good living.
There’s a downside to every cure. Higher minimum wages make it tough for small businesses. I’ve seen the self-righteous proclaim that if a company can’t pay a decent wage, they should not be in business. So much for the American dream of starting a company on a wing and a prayer.
Small businesses would hire a kid or perhaps a retired person and pay them minimum wage. Even that was hard for them,
I hate to see America become even more monopolized by large corporations. I remember the days when little stores were everywhere. They didn’t make a lot of money, but they didn’t need to. People ask me why I don’t open a brick-and-mortar store to sell books and movies. The obvious answer is that I would be bankrupt in a few months.
I’m not buying a lot of new books these days. I am retired and subsisting on social security. When I do buy something, I’ve tried to do so at bookshop.org. It’s a couple dollars more, but an independent bookstore of my choice gets a cut. Good deal all around.
At this point, however, I am about ready to throw in the towel. If people want corporations to run the country, what can I do to stop it?
I recently ordered Mark Morris’s new novel, Bad Things Happen Here. I did so through bookshop, with a local used bookstore being the recipient. Bookshop uses the USPS to ship the orders.
My book arrived yesterday, and it was practically destroyed. It looked like someone tried to bend the hardcover in two. It didn’t help that bookshop packed the book in thin paper.
Bad things happen. I know that. I’ve had damaged orders arrive from Amazon. The difference is, Amazon replaced the order right away. You ever try to use the so-called customer service at the post office? Good luck with that. If you aren’t angry and frustrated beforehand, you will be soon enough.
I’ve tried to complain about problems with the USPS and I’ve never once been treated well. Never have the representatives resolved the issue to my satisfaction. I gave it up. It’s not worth the aggravation.
What about postal insurance? That’s a laugh. You pay for the insurance in case they lose or damage your property. The one time I filed a claim they found a loophole to get out of refunding me. The person I was dealing with was as nasty as a viper.
Like them or hate them, Amazon does it right. They may not be perfect, but they beat all the competition.
I’m tired. Tired of trying to do the right things when doing so only costs or hurts me. I will always care that writers and publishers get their royalty money. I believe Amazon does that.
People screamed in outrage when Jeff Bezos went into space, but that didn’t bother me. I’m an old science fiction fan. I was reminded of Robert A. Heinlein’s Delos D. Harriman character. He was a wealthy tycoon who used his resources to further space exploration.
I miss local bookstores and independent movie theaters. I miss the personal touch in business dealings. These things increasingly seem like relics of a better past.
Sure, Amazon were pioneers of artificial intelligence. They force merchants to sell to them at cutthroat prices. Like the river Bezos named his company after, Amazon washed over nearly all the competition. I hate it, but what can one person do?
Maybe I should just stop buying new books. I have the library and thrift stores and library sales. I don’t see myself running out of reading material either way.
Written by Mark Sieber
I try to give my business straight to the publishers. I avoid the movie ticket middleman apps that get a share of the pie. i buy direct from authors at live events.
In the past I’ve spoken out against Amazon. I urged readers to spread the wealth, to give the little guys a hand. In doing so I received a lot of grief from burgeoning independent writers whose books sell at Amazon.
This may seem off-topic, but I think the subject of minimum wage enters into the equation. I am all for people making a living wage. As a person in the lower echelon of the workforce, I scraped by while watching the big shots make more money than they need to maintain a good living.
There’s a downside to every cure. Higher minimum wages make it tough for small businesses. I’ve seen the self-righteous proclaim that if a company can’t pay a decent wage, they should not be in business. So much for the American dream of starting a company on a wing and a prayer.
Small businesses would hire a kid or perhaps a retired person and pay them minimum wage. Even that was hard for them,
I hate to see America become even more monopolized by large corporations. I remember the days when little stores were everywhere. They didn’t make a lot of money, but they didn’t need to. People ask me why I don’t open a brick-and-mortar store to sell books and movies. The obvious answer is that I would be bankrupt in a few months.
I’m not buying a lot of new books these days. I am retired and subsisting on social security. When I do buy something, I’ve tried to do so at bookshop.org. It’s a couple dollars more, but an independent bookstore of my choice gets a cut. Good deal all around.
At this point, however, I am about ready to throw in the towel. If people want corporations to run the country, what can I do to stop it?
I recently ordered Mark Morris’s new novel, Bad Things Happen Here. I did so through bookshop, with a local used bookstore being the recipient. Bookshop uses the USPS to ship the orders.
My book arrived yesterday, and it was practically destroyed. It looked like someone tried to bend the hardcover in two. It didn’t help that bookshop packed the book in thin paper.
Bad things happen. I know that. I’ve had damaged orders arrive from Amazon. The difference is, Amazon replaced the order right away. You ever try to use the so-called customer service at the post office? Good luck with that. If you aren’t angry and frustrated beforehand, you will be soon enough.
I’ve tried to complain about problems with the USPS and I’ve never once been treated well. Never have the representatives resolved the issue to my satisfaction. I gave it up. It’s not worth the aggravation.
What about postal insurance? That’s a laugh. You pay for the insurance in case they lose or damage your property. The one time I filed a claim they found a loophole to get out of refunding me. The person I was dealing with was as nasty as a viper.
Like them or hate them, Amazon does it right. They may not be perfect, but they beat all the competition.
I’m tired. Tired of trying to do the right things when doing so only costs or hurts me. I will always care that writers and publishers get their royalty money. I believe Amazon does that.
People screamed in outrage when Jeff Bezos went into space, but that didn’t bother me. I’m an old science fiction fan. I was reminded of Robert A. Heinlein’s Delos D. Harriman character. He was a wealthy tycoon who used his resources to further space exploration.
I miss local bookstores and independent movie theaters. I miss the personal touch in business dealings. These things increasingly seem like relics of a better past.
Sure, Amazon were pioneers of artificial intelligence. They force merchants to sell to them at cutthroat prices. Like the river Bezos named his company after, Amazon washed over nearly all the competition. I hate it, but what can one person do?
Maybe I should just stop buying new books. I have the library and thrift stores and library sales. I don’t see myself running out of reading material either way.
Written by Mark Sieber
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