Did you know that on Amazon, you'll find copies of books with old covers and titles no longer in print? It's confusing unless you read the descriptions or notice that the book is for sale by an independent seller.
Amazon allows people to resell books they've bought previously. I just found one of my out-of-print books...a humorous 50 pager that's on sale for over $400. Good luck....I couldn't even sell one copy for the ridiculous price the publisher asked. I think it was $9.95. I gave more copies away than I sold because I personally would never pay that much for a 50 page book.
The confusion comes when old copies with old covers and titles remain on the author's page. Bec careful and make sure you are getting the latest copy of the book. Consider this just a courteous note that my title to this post makes sense, and I guess John didn't get the message and is wiping away his tears. *lol* Anyhow, I'm actually posting this topic because I'm really sick and tired of people who leave reviews with a less than stellar rating because THEY didn't take the time to read the description. Don't give me a one star review because my book was too short to your liking or you don't like the story. Read the blurb and description before you buy something and leave a review that makes you look like a dumbbell.
Each booklisting tells you how many pages you can expect to find, and also if the book has previously been published under another title. The blurb is supposed to give you a good idea about the storyline, so if you don't like sweet romance, don't expect to find a sex-packed novel. Tags are a great hint.
Why you ask, would an author republish a book? Good question, and the best answer I can offer is that before Amazon started making deals with the big houses, ebooks cost much more. Would you rather pay anywhere from 99 cents to $2.99 for a book or $5.95. Therein was the problem. No one wanted to pay $5.95 and up for a book written by an unknown when they could get a paper copy by an established and well-known author at Walmart. Some of our books got little to no sales, so now some of us have found a publisher like Books We Love, who deals with seasoned authors and bring previously published books that people missed out on. Lots of good reads. Right now and throughout the year, there will be 99 cent specials going on. You can find your favorite authors at http://bookswelove.net. There, you will also be able to see what's just been released, what's coming soon, and find links directly to the website of your favs.
Just in case you don't have mine bookmarked, it's http://www.gingersimpson.com *lol*
So...in closing, I hope you'll understand why Prairie Peace is now Destiny's Bride, Sister's in Time is now Time Tantrums, and so on. BWL makes sure to let you know the book was previously released, and gives you all the up-to-date info you need. Also, you can be sure the books have been re-worked to do away with as many novice errors as possible. The fact that we keep learning, helps us write better books. It's a never-ending process.
EXAMPLE OF CHANGE:
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Great post, Ginger. This is a topic that touches most of us authors, especially those with old and new books up on Amazon.
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