MetaFilter posts tagged with amazon and authors

Tax in the Age of Amazon

mattbucher — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 09:28:41 -0800

New York State goes after Amazon "affiliates." So if you, as a New Yorker, link to your book on Amazon, you are now an independent contractor and shall be taxed accordingly (PDF). John Smith is the author of a guide book to kayaking on New York lakes and rivers. The book is listed for sale on an e-commerce retail Web site. Mr. Smith maintains a Web site that contains a variety of information on kayaking and also contains a link to the e-commerce retail Web site through which visitors to his site may purchase his book. For each visitor that follows this link and purchases his book from the e-commerce retail Web site, Mr. Smith is entitled to receive compensation from the e-commerce retailer. Mr. Smith regularly speaks on the subject of kayaking at forums within the State. In the interest of earning commissions from the ecommerce retailer, he actively markets his book at these events by referring attendees to his Web site, where potential purchasers can click on the link to the e-commerce retailer’s Web site and purchase his book. Based on this arrangement, the e-commerce retailer is considered to be soliciting business through Mr. Smith, who is acting as an independent contractor, agent or other representative of the e-commerce retailer, and making sales of taxable tangible personal property to persons within New York State. Therefore, the e-commerce retailer must register as a New York sales tax vendor, collect the New York State and local sales taxes, and file the required sales tax returns.

Visual Relationships at Amazon.com

Argyle — Mon, 03 Mar 2003 15:27:33 -0800

Visual Relationships at Amazon.com - Here's an interesting visual implementation of the Amazon API. It's almost like flipping through books on the shelf. What's next? A 3D bookstore rendered on the Quake engine?

Brilliantcrank — Thu, 18 Apr 2002 07:01:36 -0800

Authors Guild seeks to stop Amazon from selling used books. It's the analog version of RIAA vs. Napster!

"Amazon's practice does damage to the publishing industry, decreasing royalty payments to authors and profits to publishers. In time, as we pointed out to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos when it first began this practice over a year ago, the financial loss to the industry could affect the quality and diversity of literature made available through booksellers. If profits suffer, publishers will cut their investments in new works, and authors facing reduced advances and royalties will have to find other ways to earn income. "

Read Jeff Bezos' email to Amazon Associate Members.

owillis — Sun, 08 Oct 2000 21:03:55 -0800

Give It Away? Seth Godin's book Idea Virus is available for free on his website, but the book is ranked #973 on the Amazon.com best-seller list (which means more than a few people are buying it anyway). Interesting...