Absolute Write's Amazon Store

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AW has had an "Amazon Store" for several years.

Anything people buy via a link from the store or after clicking a link to the store results in a percentage of the price going to Absolute Write. (We don't know who bought something, just what was bought).

I built it using a tool from Amazon. Amazon is retiring the tool, and the store, in July.

So I'm going to hand-build a store between now and then (it won't be just Amazon, and there will be some swag like mugs, keychains, USB keychain / thumb drives, bags . . . ).

Mac and I want to feature books by AWers. My question for you is:

How would you most like to have AWers' books listed, by genre/category or by author?

I'm thinking Author would be most useful, with the idea of listing them by category later, depending on my time (I'll build the raw code part in a spread sheet, to allow for easy manipulation before outputting the actual HTML).

What do you think?

And feel free to opine in general about an AW store.
 
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Chris P

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I've used the Amazon AW store several times. I like it. It might be fun to know the authors' AW screen name, but of course it should be the option of the author to have this revealed or not.

For me, I think by category/genre would be more useful. The author should be easy enough to find if I know who I'm looking for, but finding new titles I'm interested in without being able to drill down to genre is harder. But either way is fine.

Will I be able to allow the AW store to link to my Amazon account so I can download directly to my Kindle?
 
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AW Admin

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I've used the Amazon AW store several times. I like it. It might be fun to know the authors' AW screen name, but of course it should be the option of the author to have this revealed or not.

For me, I think by category/genre would be more useful. The author should be easy enough to find if I know who I'm looking for, but finding new titles I'm interested in without being able to drill down to genre is harder. But either way is fine.

Will I be able to allow the AW store to link to my Amazon account so I can download directly to my Kindle?

I'd only list the books by the author's name on the cover, unless the AW member asked me to include a member name.

And you'd click on a link that would take you to Amazon or iBooks or Powells, etc, to a page on their sites to actually make a purchase. My plan is to include as many bookstores as feasible. The store handles the transaction; AW is just linking to them.
 

Roxxsmom

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I tend to browse by genre or category when searching for books, unless I am looking for a particular author. If I were using the AW store, it should work to go by author too. Though there are probably some where I don't know their pen (or real life) names.
 

MaeZe

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I search by genre. If I read a good book I go back and look for the rest of that author's work.
 
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Chris P

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I'd only list the books by the author's name on the cover, unless the AW member asked me to include a member name.

And you'd click on a link that would take you to Amazon or iBooks or Powells, etc, to a page on their sites to actually make a purchase. My plan is to include as many bookstores as feasible. The store handles the transaction; AW is just linking to them.

Ah! Then similar to BookBub or EarlyBirdBooks. Nice.
 

AW Admin

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Ah! Then similar to BookBub or EarlyBirdBooks. Nice.

Well, kinda yes, but mostly no because we're doing this because we can, not for a placement fee, and yes, because we're linking to sites that sell, not selling directly or collecting any fees directly (these will be AW affiliate links).
 

Snitchcat

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I usually prefer browse via language then genre then author.
 

KTC

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I'm sorry I did not know about this feature. I frequently search out AW member books. I am an AW member with books. I'm also extremely scatterbrained and clueless. Oops.

I would like to see the listing as AUTHOR NAME/AW USER NAME/BOOK TITLE. I don't always remember user name to author name, as previously mentioned I am clueless.
 

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I'm sorry I did not know about this feature. I frequently search out AW member books. I am an AW member with books. I'm also extremely scatterbrained and clueless. Oops.

I would like to see the listing as AUTHOR NAME/AW USER NAME/BOOK TITLE. I don't always remember user name to author name, as previously mentioned I am clueless.

It's linked at the top of every page, right under the featured AW'er book.
 

lizmonster

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I would like to see the listing as AUTHOR NAME/AW USER NAME/BOOK TITLE. I don't always remember user name to author name, as previously mentioned I am clueless.

I'd enjoy seeing that, too - I like associating books with names I know, and I don't always remember covers if people have them in their sigs.

But yeah, if it's even possible to do that without it being a huge PITA, it should definitely be opt-in. I know some folks go for anonymity here.
 

KTC

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It's linked at the top of every page, right under the featured AW'er book.

That's brilliant! I'm serious, I'm a train-wreck of a human being. Without my partner, I'd forget to write...and possibly even breathe.
 

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It's linked at the top of every page, right under the featured AW'er book.

I guess one would have had to have opted in at some point? I just went through the pages of books in the bookstore. I have a good many of them in my collection. I wish I could pay attention for more than a second at a time. I would have happily purchased from the AW store...although, maybe as a Canadian it doesn't work...as I am no longer allowed to use my American account.
 

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I guess one would have had to have opted in at some point? I just went through the pages of books in the bookstore. I have a good many of them in my collection. I wish I could pay attention for more than a second at a time. I would have happily purchased from the AW store...although, maybe as a Canadian it doesn't work...as I am no longer allowed to use my American account.

One of the things I'll be doing is linking to multiple venues where I can. I'll be doing this by hand though, so it's going to be a slow process.
 

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I guess one would have had to have opted in at some point? I just went through the pages of books in the bookstore. I have a good many of them in my collection. I wish I could pay attention for more than a second at a time. I would have happily purchased from the AW store...although, maybe as a Canadian it doesn't work...as I am no longer allowed to use my American account.

There's no opt in; it's more a matter of me adding books as I see them in sigs, or the AW library etc. or as members let me know.

Privacy issues were also an influence as some members didn't want their books listed.

One of the things I'll be doing is linking to multiple venues where I can. I'll be doing this by hand though, so it's going to be a slow process.
 
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cmhbob

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Nifty trick follows.

The thing about the AW Amazon Store is that AW gets a small commission on the purchase of anything that flows through that store. But the store is seemingly limited to what Lisa and the mods add to it.

What if you want to buy something that's not listed in the store? It's easy enough to do.

Figure out what you're going to buy. The link is going to look something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Mechanical-Kurutoga-Roulette-Metallic-M510171P-43/dp/B004OHNTVC/

That bold part of the URL is the Amazon ASIN, or stock number. You'll need that in a minute.

In another browser tab, go to this link: http://astore.amazon.com/absowrit-20/detail/

Copy and paste the ASIN of the item you want to the end of the Astore link (after the / ), and voila! Amazon will give AW credit for that purchase! In this case, your URL would end up like this:

 

AW Admin

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Nifty trick follows.

The thing about the AW Amazon Store is that AW gets a small commission on the purchase of anything that flows through that store. But the store is seemingly limited to what Lisa and the mods add to it.

What if you want to buy something that's not listed in the store? It's easy enough to do.

Figure out what you're going to buy. The link is going to look something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Mechanical-Kurutoga-Roulette-Metallic-M510171P-43/dp/B004OHNTVC/

That bold part of the URL is the Amazon ASIN, or stock number. You'll need that in a minute.

In another browser tab, go to this link: http://astore.amazon.com/absowrit-20/detail/

Copy and paste the ASIN of the item you want to the end of the Astore link (after the / ), and voila! Amazon will give AW credit for that purchase! In this case, your URL would end up like this:


Alternatively, just click on the book at the top of AW or the link that says Buy Books By AWers. Anything you buy after that, if it's something Amazon considers eligible for an affiliate link, means AW gets a small percentage of the price. You won't pay any more, and we won't know who bought what. We do get a list of what was bought during particular month, but not who bought stuff.
 
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M.S. Wiggins

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Alternatively, just click on the book at the top of AW or the link that says Buy Books By AWers. Anything you buy after that, if it's something Amazon considers eligible for an affiliate link, means AW gets a small percentage of the price. You won't pay any more, and we want know who bought what.

*This may be a dumb question…* I often buy ‘purchase-as-gift’ books for others (wish lists and whatnot), both paperback and kindle. I could go through the link above to do that from now on—BUT, does purchasing a novel that’s to be ‘gifted’ to someone else count as a ‘regular’ purchase that AW would get a percentage of?
 

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*This may be a dumb question…* I often buy ‘purchase-as-gift’ books for others (wish lists and whatnot), both paperback and kindle. I could go through the link above to do that from now on—BUT, does purchasing a novel that’s to be ‘gifted’ to someone else count as a ‘regular’ purchase that AW would get a percentage of?

Yep; unless it's an item / book that Amazon excludes as an affiliate item. Some things, like the specially priced deals for "add on items" are not eligible for affiliate links/purchases.

And that's true of Amazon Canada or Amazon UK, too.
 

M.S. Wiggins

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Thank you so much. :) I'll click from here from now on.
 
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