Book Loving Kiwis discussion

I'm currently running a free promotion and I'd love to target more readers who buy from the Amazon Australia store (only five downloads so far), but when I asked a friend in Auckland where she bought her books from she told me she still bought all her books from the US store. I was surprised at that. My friend told me she did it from the US store as the exchange rate was better. Would love to find out where other Book Loving Kiwis buy their ebooks from.

Thanks so much,
Alison
Lambert Nagle

I use the main US Amazon site and have resisted all their attempts to switch my account to the Australian one.

A.W. wrote: "I use the main US Amazon site and have resisted all their attempts to switch my account to the Australian one."

That's really useful info, A.W. Thanks so much!
Alison

I continue to use US Amazon partly because the exchange rate is better, but also because if I change to Amazon Australia I forgo my other benefits such as subscriptions etc.

Thanks Ella's Gran. I had an inkling about the exchange rate but didn't know about the other benefits you might lose...

Alison wrote: "Thanks Ella's Gran. I had an inkling about the exchange rate but didn't know about the other benefits you might lose..."

Yes, you only get the basic kindle book buying. I did switch momentarily when the option first appeared, but on reading the losses on switching, I very quickly returned to .com.

The Amazon Australia store is such a new site that I wasn't able to ask this question when I was in NZ last Christmas.

Personally I think the "also boughts" and recommendations are much better on the US site and I have found freebies that are only available there.

A.W. wrote: "Personally I think the "also boughts" and recommendations are much better on the US site and I have found freebies that are only available there."

I wonder what the reason why those recommendations are better on the US site? Could the algorithm work better with a larger number of readers using the site, perhaps.

With regard to freebies, unless the author is in Kindle Select, it might be that publishers forget to include the Australian site when they give a discount on their books. In Select, when the book goes free it's free in all the Amazon stores.

I've heard that the same applies to Amazon Canada as many Canadians prefer to buy from the US store rather than Amazon Canada.

If I buy from Amazon I use .co.uk because that is usually where I find the books I want and the DVDs.

I haven't really tried the Oz site but a quick look shows it is limited which is unfair.

I usually get books from the Book depository because there is no postal charge and the prices are as good as Amazon when you consider the postal costs!

I never take any notice of 'also boughts' and recommendations. They are usually wrong and I hate having stuff thrust at me as they always do on Amazon.com.

P.d.r. wrote: "If I buy from Amazon I use .co.uk because that is usually where I find the books I want and the DVDs.

I haven't really tried the Oz site but a quick look shows it is limited which is unfair.

I u..."

It was the cost of delivery of physical books from the US Amazon site that sometimes cost more than the books themselves....But we were very lucky living in Auckland and as we could order from the fabulous Unity Books on High Street (and of course in Wellington).

Alison wrote: "I wonder what the reason why those recommendations are better on the US site?"

Probably the answer is as simple as "more data." The categories are also different between US and Aus (and the other stores). For example I write and read steampunk, but there is no equivalent classification in the other stores. So how could Australia or Canada recommend another steampunk book when they don't recognise that as a category?

A.W. wrote: "Alison wrote: "I wonder what the reason why those recommendations are better on the US site?"

Probably the answer is as simple as "more data." The categories are also different between US and Aus ..."

Odd that steampunk isn't recognised in all the stores. Even Dr Who has steampunk episodes which is how I learnt about the genre. Have you thought about asking Amazon for new categories? They do sometimes take notice. I and a number of my colleagues from the Alliance of Independent Authors(ALLi) nagged Amazon to widen their thriller and sci-fi categories and they did. (Not sure it was just our nagging that did it though).

Yes, I do feel that the other Amazon sites are very much also rans. Amazon is not putting in the details we need to make .au or .ca a success.

P.d.r. wrote: "Yes, I do feel that the other Amazon sites are very much also rans. Amazon is not putting in the details we need to make .au or .ca a success."

You are right there...Canada and Australia are two very important English speaking markets that I'd love to be able to successfully target. I wanted to let readers there know of my freebie, but nobody I asked knew specific websites where you can advertise.In the UK I ran a BookBub ad and in the US I am running an ad with Kindle Books & Tips.

You can sell your books to OZ using Fishpond which is a kind of Trademe. You can target readers on email lists and there are book sites.

Canada is trickier. There are book sites you can use but you need an in.

We are researching this at Writer's Choice so I will pass on what we learn.

P.d.r. wrote: "You can sell your books to OZ using Fishpond which is a kind of Trademe. You can target readers on email lists and there are book sites.

Canada is trickier. There are book sites you can use but yo..."

That would be great. Thanks for your help!

Will keep you informed. It is a long slow job and I am making balage and trying to finish the veg garden and the new novel which is still on ch 13~!!!

P.d.r. wrote: "Will keep you informed. It is a long slow job and I am making balage and trying to finish the veg garden and the new novel which is still on ch 13~!!!"

I know the feeling. Am trying to finish the first draft of a radio drama. One of the upsides to living in a colder climate is that we get respite from gardening in the northern hemisphere from December to February which is handy. In Melbourne and Auckland gardening weeds and grass grew year round!