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More and more conversations are popping up in threads in here these days on how our American members aren't able to get Kindle eBooks by numerous popular or bestselling authors coming out of the UK and other countries.

One conversation a few of us are having regard Internationally Bestselling UK authors who have US Publishing deals and yet there is a UK Kindle edition, but no US Kindle edition.
Authors such as Ben Kane, Robyn Young andM.K. Hume.

Why is this so? It is so frustrating for me as a moderator of this group who wants everyone from as many countries as possible to enjoy the group reads and also to want to read all the books that are added to the era threads. There are so many great HF books out there that I am sure our US members would enjoy if they could only access the Kindle edition

I am noticing some people say that while they can't get US editions for their Kindle, they can get the books from iBook or for Nook or for Kobo.

What's going on with US Kindle and Amazon. What is standing in the way of all these great books being available to US Kindle owners? They can buy the paper books as an import, why not allow them access to the US Kindle edition?

And then, the door swings the other way. For me as an Australian, I sometimes download samples (through my Kindle app onto my Android) of ebooks before choosing them for Group Polls, and yet there are so many books that the US have as a Kindle edition that won't show to me as an Australian.

Since Amazon have now bought Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ and will be taking over soon, we will start to notice Amazon (or Kindle) icons around the site to buy direct from. Members will even be able to log in with their Kindle accounts.
There is a perfect opportunity for our US members to buy these UK books instantly when they see them mentioned in group or as a group read.
I just don't get it.

I just thought of something. I wonder if UK publishers are not allowing books to be sold in Kindle format because of the tax avoidance issue going on there? Although they are available on the UK and Canadian Amazon sites, they are not direct sales for Amazon as the purchase is actually through the publisher. So, technically Amazon isn't making (presumably) a profit from these sales.

Hmm. Well that sounds feasible.
I spoke to someone from Hodder & Stoughton yesterday as they are Robyn Young's publisher and I wished to know why the book Insurrection was available on Uk Kindle but not US, despite the fact that Robyn has a US publisher.
I was told that they don't know the answer to that and that would be in the hands of Robyn's US publishing house.

Very interesting.

So it seems, if I want an answer, I would need to contact Robyn's US publisher. :) I might very well do that soon. When I have some time to compile an email.

Thanks for this discussion, Terri. It'd be great if we were more informed, we the public, eager to understand these situations.

I'll say only once and hope to be forgiven... Go Indie: publish everywhere. But seriously, traditional publishing needs to be worldwide when indie is?

That's the thing. If Indie and self pub are majority available on Kindle, why on earth would traditionally published, especially bestsellers or popular authors, not be too?
It is to their wn detriment. Unless, as Darcy says, there is a tax issue involved and that is why they will release for UK Kindle (in the country the author lives) but not for US Kindle.

I know that Colin Falconer who is published in many countries and is a bestselling author, cannot get his books available in the US. they remain an import too and he mentioned in the group read of his book Silk Road that he may have to go Indie in the US so he can get his books availble there on Kindle.
He already straddles both. Traditionally published and Indie.

Terri wrote: "...American members aren't able to get Kindle eBooks by numerous popular or bestselling authors coming out of the UK..."

I don’t know the reason for this with any certainty, but having worked within the publishing industry in the UK I would speculate that this is almost certainly down to copyright issues. The copyright laws in the US are quite different in some areas to those in the UK and given Amazon/Kindle’s somewhat predatory attitude towards the book market, my money is on copyright agreements.

Do you think this would still apply when the UK author has a US publisher too, Ndf?

I wish that whoever holds the key, Amazon I suspect, would put a note on a book's page when it isn't available for the US Kindle as to why it isn't available for the US Kindle. People should know, I believe.

Terri wrote: "Do you think this would still apply when the UK author has a US publisher too, Ndf?"

Terri, I would have thought so yes, as the US publisher is still constrained by the same US copyright laws. I’m afraid I just don’t know enough about how US copyright affects electronic media, and how it differs from that used in the UK.

As I mentioned, I’m speculating here, but this seems the most logical reason to me.

It sounds logical to me.

..well in saying that. I just remembered. We did have a US member get an ebook through iBook that wasn't available on the US Kindle. So the plot thickens. :)

Terri wrote: "We did have a US member get an ebook through iBook that wasn't available on the US Kindle. So the plot thickens. :)"

Oh, it’s undoubtedly also to do with Amazon/Kindle agreeing/not agreeing with copyright agreements themselves. You know as well as I do just how much they like to ‘boss� the market. They want everything their own way and if they don’t get it, they don’t sell it.

Amazon/Kindle are almost single handedly destroying the book market, as most monopolistic corporations try to do.

The quicker everyone realises just how poorly Amazon/Kindle treats authors/publishers and how little book royalties they pay them (it’s pennies per book) and move away from the stranglehold Kindle have on the market the sooner the status quo will return.

As you can tell, I’m not a great fan of Amazon/Kindle!

Ndf wrote: "As you can tell, I’m not a great fan of Amazon/Kindle!"

You're not on your own, Ndf!

Ndf wrote: "Terri wrote: "We did have a US member get an ebook through iBook that wasn't available on the US Kindle. So the plot thickens. :)"

Oh, it’s undoubtedly also to do with Amazon/Kindle agreeing/not a..."

Thoroughly agree. As Bryn says, you are not alone.

Terri wrote: "Ndf wrote: "Terri wrote: "We did have a US member get an ebook through iBook that wasn't available on the US Kindle. So the plot thickens. :)"

Oh, it’s undoubtedly also to do with Amazon/Kindle ag..."

No, none of you are.

I am pretty agnostic when it comes to ebooks - Nook, Kindle or other as I have the apps on my tablets. Not too crazy about iBooks though as Apple tried to keep prices high with publishers and I doubt that authors would see more money. The ebook market is still relatively new and I am guessing that with every market there will be a rebalancing of power eventually between authors, publishers and resellers (hopefully). At the same time, ebook publishing has opened the doors to publishing to many authors that might have never gotten a chance with regular publishers and there has to be some value to that. In addition, as a busy person who used to travel a lot, being able to carry my personal library with me everywhere has increased my reading time and I am now reading as much as I did when I was a young teenager reading at least a book a week! Yes, not perfect but valuable to some.

Yes, but (with respect) Jean Luc that's more an eReader debate. :) Which we have over here.
eReaders vs Dead Trees
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/7...

We aren't saying eReaders are bad and no good or anything, some of us are just unimpressed with the biggest eBook publisher (Amazon) trying to dominate the eBook market.

I have noticed they are becoming more and more about the self published ebook. I wonder if this could be a reason also why why US Amazon are steering away from non American books being supplied as eBook.
They have already focused attention on their author publishing program and how they bought GR to push those self pub books fo theirs into GR.
Maybe they want to shift away from paying big bucks for eBook rights from 'the big 6' Publishers.

I think that this will be about territorial rights, not tax and not Amazon as such. I guess that digital rights are with the UK publisher, but the US publisher has bought US territorial rights. That would lead to a legal impasse. US publisher does not own digital rights, so can't publish. UK publisher cannot sell digitally out of a US based company. Legally speaking I think Amazon could sell the UK Kindle edition from UK Amazon to anyone, but I guess they have decided this will irritate publishers too much.

Richard wrote: "I think that this will be about territorial rights, not tax and not Amazon as such. I guess that digital rights are with the UK publisher, but the US publisher has bought US territorial rights. Tha..."

This is exactly right. As a Canadian, a large proportion of the digital books and movies available in the U.S. on places like Amazon and Netflix are not available to me on a Kindle or Netflix. This is because Canadian and U.S. rights to works are negotiated and sold separately. Amazon is gradually securing the digital rights to more Canadian titles, but it takes money and time, and they don't seem to be in any hurry. Kobo, being the product of a Canadian company (Chapters-Indigo), has a much larger library of electronic books available to Canadians than Amazon.

So it appears we have a reason. Thanks guys. :-)

@Terri: My books SHOULD be available (finally) on Kindle in the USA. Is this not the case, anyone who can see Amazon in the US? Thanks.

@Ben - I just checked, The Hanibal books are not listed as available, but the Hanibal short story, the two Spartacus ones and the Forgotten Legion series are.

My books SHOULD be available (finally) on Kindle in the USA. Is this not the case, anyone who can see Amazon in the US? Thanks."

Thanks for the update Ben. I was looking forward to your books. Especially the Hannibal ones though!

Ben wrote: "@Terri: My books SHOULD be available (finally) on Kindle in the USA. Is this not the case, anyone who can see Amazon in the US? Thanks."


What's going on do you think, Ben? Since Happy in the US said they aren't available on Kindle in the US.

there all available on nook as well except for the 1st hannibal and they where all at the book store also. my 2 fav authors ben iv been able to get all his books in time but christian cameron books are hard to get especially for the nook usually have to bye his books at amazon and havent seen any for nook or kindle. i know his newest tyrant is pre order on amazon.

We are finding that many of the books from the UK are coming available on readers like Kobo and Nook, but not on US Kindle.
So if in doubt, and people have a non Amazon eReader too, check the other eReader stores.

ie The July Ancient Group Read Wounds of Honour by UK author Anthony Riches is not available on US Kindle, but is available on Kobo in the US.

This is an interesting story, although a year old which may shed some light on Amazon's thinking.
Apologies if this has already been posted.
The main part being about two thirds down regarding Policy violation.
It does not explain why the policy is in place but obviously a DRM issue.

Another reason to stick to paper. I do not like all this proprietary stuff!

I am taking part in a revolution (a French revolution) at this very minute so this is of great interest to me.

As far as I can work out, the reasons behind publishing territories are historical, practical and gentlemen's agreement stuff, rather than legal (or Indies and smashwords would be illegal in selling internationally)The author owns world copyright but then grants X rights in the publishing contract.

Traditionally, publishers kept to their country of residence and found partner publishers in the distribution country, even when the language was the same (let's not argue about British and America, for the mo). This was useful when book-selling was physical - reps went out to bookshops - and when the language was different (either of the sellers or of the book itself in translation)

Now the publishing world has completely changed and in September, a book - and ebook - in English is coming out from a French publisher and being distributed internationally. This will probably not be appreciated by the English language 'partner publishers' in the UK, the USA, elsewhere. I translated the book so have seen some of the hurdles.

I know you're talking about 'same language' but in the past, there would be 'the American version' of a UK publication, and some changes to vocabulary, spelling, even title, might be made. Each publisher had his territory - the Internet and Indies have declared war on that and I think it's very exciting!

Dawn wrote: "Another reason to stick to paper. I do not like all this proprietary stuff!"

Dawn, I think paper was MORE proprietary in how publishers worked (and terms to authors for foreign rights sucked)

Terri wrote: "We are finding that many of the books from the UK are coming available on readers like Kobo and Nook, but not on US Kindle.


I use Calibre free program to convert ebook formats for my ereader and to support a market that isn't just amazon. I agree with everyone here that the historical 'territorial rights' (and 'copyright protection') with drm have been continued into ebooks in such a manner as to monopolise the market for particular ereading machines. Naughty!

I was specifically talking about not being about to do what you want with a book once you buy it, as a consumer. So you buy it for Kindle and you have to read it on Kindle.
One of the other issues I have is that if she had bought all her books in paper, none of that would have happened. And that's how it should be with digital as well, but it's not, and I don't like not owning something when I pay for. Because if they can do that, then I don't really own it. I've rented it for $15.

I completely agree. I don't blame anyone who finds a way round the restriction as I don't think amazon is on the right side of the law. You buy a book; you own a book. I just read of a dispute after a couple split up - who owns the kindle books? Amazon shut down the woman's account. Nightmare!

I have the same attitude about this as Dawn.
If I buy an ebook on Amazon for my tablet (which I don't, but have once in the past when I had no choice but to buy the ebook of a group read...big mistake it was too), I want to own it. I want to be able to put it on other eReaders, pass it on to others, and pass it onto others in other countries.

If I have paid 99 cents for something, I don't care as much. But if you pay $15 for a book, then it sucks that you don't own that book. Amazon still owns that book.

I think that is wrong. I buy a book from you, it is mine and I should be able to do what I want with it.
As Dawn says, you have paid $15 for a lifetime lend of that book. because you have paid to borrow it, and the ownership of that book still belongs to Amazon, you are then not allowed to distribute that book however you please.
Thanks to calibre, people can do what they want with the books they have paid money for.

Which brings me back on topic...
Since US Kindle doesn't sell a lot of UK books, it is handy that there is a program where UK readers can convert the file so they can pass the book onto their US friends.

For many readers in the US, that is the only way they can get their hands on a copy of all the hundreds of UK only distributed books.

So frustrating not to get any English language book I want from my own country.
But at least I can order a print book. If you are a digital only reader though, good luck.

Because we saved your entire country from falling under the boot of the Hun in World War II?

j/k

Who saved what country??

I'm Canadian with a German heritage so I'm not sure what that comment has to do with anything??

Feliks wrote: "Because we saved your entire country from falling under the boot of the Hun in World War II?

j/k"

Say what?

Eh? Are you saying no one ever told you that this abbreviation "j/k" stands for 'just kidding'? Come on.

I understand the j/k, I didn't understand the comment?? The confusion is over relevance not abbreviations.

I still haven't figured out who are the "we" he's referring to.

I believe there is a way to share books you have downloaded onto your kindle, but I've never tried to. But I seem to recall that there are a limited number of shares that you can do.

That's my understanding as well. That you can share a couple times only, and if I remember rightly....only with someone who has the same technology as you do.

Dawn wrote: "I understand the j/k, I didn't understand the comment?? The confusion is over relevance not abbreviations."

I am completely lost too.

RE Sharing ebooks,
Yes, I am fairly sure that a Kindle user has restrictions on shares. You can only share it to a certain number...and am I wrong in my memory that the person you share the book with is only allowed to have it in their Kindle library for a certain amount of time??

Dawn wrote: "So frustrating not to get any English language book I want from my own country.
But at least I can order a print book. If you are a digital only reader though, good luck."

That is true. If someone wants the book, and is happy to own paper, in many cases you can buy the book direct from (using the US buying from UK scenario) the UK.

Buying an ebook, this option isn't available. They hold tight control of your Kindle.

Does this all have something to do with Amazon's boycott of Hachette? - Hodder & Staughton are a Hachette owned company aren't they - so perhaps that explains it.

Amazon are wielding their near-monopoly powers to help them negotiate higher discounts with publishers.

Amazon restrictions have existed since the Kindle was released. Their boycott toward Hachette is altogether a different thing as it affects not only e-books, but hard copies as well.

I commented on my frustration with Amazon in another thread. My problem was that I'm using my fiance's amazon.com account and that because his account is registered in Canada there are a few ebooks I can buy but cannot load to the kindle. I get a 'this title is not available for purchase in Canada' message even though I've already purchased it on my US account. In the other thread someone told me how to bypass this but I've forgotten who and I've forgotten what thread it was posted on. If that person, or any others who know, would be so kind as to repeat that advice I would be very appreciative. :D

It's in here: /topic/show/...