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Amazon Associates aStore, Build Your Own Amazon.com

posted by Scott Beale on Tuesday, May 8th, 2007

Laughing Squid aStore

Amazon Associates is Amazon.com’s pioneering affiliate program. Recently I started playing around aStore, their new service that allows you to build your own online store featuring products sold through Amazon.com. It’s really easy to setup, highly configurable and functions like stripped-down, customized version of Amazon.com, complete with product recommendations and Listmania integration. There’s also a widget that you can create and add to your website to promote your aStore listings.

I just setup a Laughing Squid aStore featuring selected books and videos by our friends and other people that we really like. It looks like it might be a great way to organize our recommendations all in one place, while helping promote some of our favorite writers, artists and filmmakers.

UPDATE 1: Not everyone likes this idea (see the comments). I’ve been supporting independent publishing from the very beginning and with Amazon aStore I’m testing out yet another way to promote writers and artists.

What are your thoughts on it? I would especially like to hear from authors or filmmakers to see if they think this kind of promotion of their work is a good or bad idea.

UPDATE 2: Violet Blue, one of the authors I’m promoting with the aStore, left a comment saying that this kind of program does in fact help her.

UPDATE 3: Another author/publisher, V. Vale of RE/Search Publications is not a big fan of Amazon.com. I have a few of Vale’s books in the aStore to increase his exposure, but I agree, for his full catalog, the best place to go is his online store.

UPDATE 4: Dylan Tweney has blogged about this issue over on Wired’s Epicenter.

UPDATE 5: I have a question for guys, just to add another thing to the mix. Does everyone here buy their music or rent their videos from a local, independent store? For instance, in San Francisco, I love Amoeba Music and Le Video, but I don’t go to either as much as I did 10 years ago. So if I had setup something with Apple iTunes or Netflix, would people as upset?

And just for the record, of course I support local, independent businesses, especially when I comes to coffee, ie. Ritual Coffee Roasters, Bluebottle Coffee and Philz Coffee. I think independent is a better word than local in this situation. Every day Laughing Squid has thousands of visitors from all over the country and world and I think that people are quite capable of making their own decisions on how and where they want to purchase stuff. Those decisions can be based on many things including location, convenience, politics, technology and so on. As Devo says, “Freedom of choice. is what you got”.

UPDATE 6: Ok, I’m going to let the Laughing Squid community decide the fate of our Amazon aStore. Should it stay or should it go? Let’s put it up to a vote and let the poll run through 6pm on Friday.

UPDATE 7: This has been a really interesting discussion, with a wide range of the Laughing Squid community providing feedback. So here’s what we have established. Assuming you are fortunate enough to live in a city that still has some independent bookstores, you have that as an option instead of ordering online from one of the large retailers like Amazon.com, Barns & Noble and Borders. If you are in an area that only has large bookstore chains, then you always have the option of ordering online from an independent bookstore or distributor. To facilitate that option, I have setup a page listing some of my favorite independent bookstores and distributors as well as those that have been mentioned in this discussion. If you have suggestions for any others that allow you to order online, let us know in the comments and I’ll add them to the list.

UPDATE 8: Ok, the poll is over and the votes are in. Here are the results:

Yes = 81% (82 votes)
No = 12% (12 votes)
Maybe= 7% (7 votes)

So by overwhelming majority the Laughing Squid community have decided by that the Amazon.com aStore might actually be a good way to help promote some of our favorite writers and artists. So, it’s time to move on. There are more pressing issues to deal with, like the fact that The Shipyard was just shut down by Berkeley. Forget the all of the hypothetical arguments here, this is a real, LOCAL issue that could use your help. So please, redirect your energies there.

Related Posts:

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- Amazon Launches Massive DRM-Free MP3 Music Store

- Kindle, A Wireless Reading Device From Amazon That Uses EVDO

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filed under: Books, Laughing Squid, Video

this blog post was written by Scott Beale on Tuesday, May 8th, 2007


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Viewing 68 Comments

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    Just more money going to Amazon and not staying locally...glad you are getting 10%, Squid. The rest goes to corporate oblivion. Support LOCAL business. Amazon is NOT local.

    RIP..Cody's SF, Clean Well Lit, Acorn, the other used Polk St bookstore going out of biz.
    • ^
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    David: It sounds like you haven't heard of a little thing we do called The Squid List. For over 11 years we have been promoting events, talks and book signings at all of the LOCAL bookstores you mention plus many others. Also, you may have noticed that Laughing Squid is based in San Francisco, so by supporting Laughing Squid are in fact supporting a LOCAL business. Of course not all of our readers are located in San Francisco, so the definition of LOCAL is relative.
    • ^
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    Hi,
    Just a warning about Listmania, it seems that many of these are just spam so itmay be best not to include them in your store until amazon sort out the issue!
    Can I also plug my new astore tutorial website and try to get some feedback?
    It is currently under construction, though I have set up the basics on creating an aStore with screenshots, and example of various widgets available which lend themselves to inserting in blogs superbly!
    Build Your Own aStore Tutorial
    Feedback can be left on my blog Here
    • ^
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    Scott,
    I am very familiar with the Squid List and everything wonderful LS does (and has done) for the community (SF and at large).
    At the same time, I don't believe any LOCAL bookstore or business would appreciate their patrons routed to a larger corporation because of kickbacks (90% still goes to Amazon). While LS has a stellar background in supporting local business, this article and your retort seems to run against your Co-Conspirators philosophies (and maybe LS's too).
    • ^
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    David: Who is this that I'm talking to? I'm not really into the whole anonymous thing (normally I don't even post anonymous comments). You know my name and website. What's yours?

    Also, what about the people who wrote these books? You seem to be concerned about the whole LOCAL thing, but not about promoting these authors works. By the way, it's not necessary to capitalize LOCAL each time you write it, unless it is your intention to SHOUT at everyone.
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    Before you begin trying to tarnish anyone's image to discredit the truth (and maybe admit the aStore post/idea was a mistake), I have no affiliation to ANY of your Co-Conspirators, Geeks/Bloggers or the lot. Guaranteed...Which is why I have no website; I use Yahoo for email. You are talking to a US citizen; I live in San Francisco; I am a male; I support independent, local business; I work as a manager for a local company. What else would you like to know? I've stated my opinion about your piece and now it seems that your on the defensive.
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    What about those who are not in a location to buy alternative books? Not every town has an independent bookstore? Not everyone is local to San Francisco.

    In regard to the local issue - from what I can tell, many of those listed in LS's store are local - Violet Blue, Barb Traub, Harry Robbins, RE/search, etc. Scott has proven over the years that his main intention is to support local artists and this is a great way to promote their work and have it accessible to everyone.
    • ^
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    Routing business through Amazon by somoeone that proclaims to be helping locals out is extremely ironic.

    I bet Green Apple would be happy to work something out with you along the same lines. If not some other local bookseller where the money would stay local. Doesn't have to be located in SF.

    Think about it.
    • ^
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    It sounds as if David and Chad (whom I think to be the same person) have a personal agenda here. If that's the case, maybe they should go and make the arrangements with Green Apple or another store. Or better yet, practice what they preach and put local bookstores on their own website rather than criticizing someone else's.
    • ^
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    Nice guess, but far from the truth.

    Since, we're playing guessing games, my guess is that Lori tows the LS line whenever possible, without consideration of the actual matter on hand.

    I'm politely making suggestions here Lori. If Scott needs help setting something like this up, I'd be glad to be of assistance.

    Signing up with Amazon is not the best choice. That is obvious. Sometime there are better options out there that need to be brought to light. That is what's taking place right now.

    Another great local bookseller to consider linking to is Powells in Portland.
    • ^
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    sorry I missed this conversation while it was developing.

    Either way, I'm glad to see Violet's books on the list. She has some great anthologies.
    • ^
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    I am a local author, with a local publisher, and I send my all web
    traffic to my Amazon affiliate store.

    I have nearly 20 books to my name, and when all is said and done I
    make the equivalent of one dollar a book with my royalties. those
    royalties, because of print quarterly payout, come in a check six
    months after the book is actually purchased. with my Amazon affiliate,
    I make another dollar to dollar-fifty on each book -- effectively
    doubling my royalties, and at Amazon, paid out monthly.

    my local publisher has not given me the best deal with my contracts
    and payments, to put it lightly, but opportunities are opportunities
    -- and they have refused to give me electronic rights of any kind
    across the board for royalties on my own work. we have parted ways.
    making a little extra with my Amazon program makes me feel a little
    better. as it should for all of us -- like Scott -- who want to have
    an easy way for our readers to access books we love and get them all
    in one spot while *supporting us* the people blogging and making our
    sites ourselves. *that* is supporting local business; knowing that
    Scott built Laughing Squid with a community he tirelessly supports out
    of the pockets of individuals -- order a book, you give me a buck and
    Scott a little scratch too, which helps to ease the strain on all of
    us, even if just a tiny bit.

    I am deep in debt, and to be honest, just barely made rent last month.
    I make my own choices based on my ethics -- I could have crazy porn ad
    revenue, but I would never ever do that. on my site, instead, I
    recommend sex-positive education books and titillating erotica that
    degrades no one (and supports my community of writers). my blog is a
    labor of love. but I make about $300 a month off Amazon, and it helps
    me do what I do.
    • ^
    • v
    My feedback is that this is your job sort of. You run this site and the events and the joy. The Amazon links give you some reward for that to keep it going.

    Maybe setup deals with the local stores? But they might not carry all the stuff?

    Plus, you can shop at Amazon but buy local. That's up to you.
    • ^
    • v
    RE Violet's resonse...
    Glad to hear Amazon is working out so nicely for Violet.
    Should we all say "yes" when corporations put money in front of our face?
    But..Halliburton supports Houston folks; Bechtel supports San Francisco folks, too. I believe there is a larger picture than your rent, though (sad to say). And I believe most local businesses would tend to agree.

    I guess it all comes down to scruples.
    • ^
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    Violet - What if you could have that $300 a month and the money went to a local business instead of the pockets of a massive corporation? Would you be interested? I applaud Scott for spreading the word. I am not knocking him, but I hope people will consider options like Powells in Portland. I just looked it up and they do have a referral program! It pays 7.5% which ain't shabby (link = http://www.powells.com/partners/partners.html). Even if you don't live in Portland (I don't) the money is helping out a specific community instead of lining the pockets of a 25 billion dollar corporation.

    I think most folks just jump at Amazon without knowing some of the other options available.
    • ^
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    As a local publisher, I am both harmed and only marginally benefitted from the corporate existence of amazon.com. Amazon exacts "ruinous" terms never before in the book (and probably very few other) businesses): 55% discount off retail (in other words, they pay me $4.50 for a $10 retail book), free UPS to Amazon Indiana (for a single book this is about $6), occasionally they return books claiming they were damaged (can't collect for this from UPS; I just know they were perfect when i shipped them out), and lately, they only order in quantities of 1 or 2 books -- NEVER before in history could you order just ONE book and get a 55% discount PLUS free UPS.
    Unfortunately, amazon.com has virtually driven Books In Print (RR Bowker) out of business -- if people want to see if a book "exists" they go to amazon. So if you're not listed in amazon's site, people think you no longer exist.
    I personally think that if people still want, say, RE/Search books to continue to exist, they should send us their orders direct -- instead of saving a few bucks by ordering from amazon. But people will do what they do. Only the elect will order direct from us -- www.researchpubs.com -- but they should know they are directly helping us survive, in an era of near-complete global corporate takeover of all of our local cultural creativity. -- v. vale, founder of RE/Search & Search & Destroy in 1977, san francisco
    • ^
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    One more point about our two anonymous commenters, David and Chad. They use Yahoo and Microsoft (Hotmail) for their email services. So much for supporting the little guy. I guess David is ok, since Yahoo is LOCAL, but Microsoft, wait, it's in Seattle too, just like Amazon.com.

    Why aren't you guys using a local ISP or web host for your email services? I have some recommendation if you need some to stay LOCAL.

    Also I love it when the Halliburton references come out for no reason.
    • ^
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