I just thought I would give you, my readers, a heads up about Amazon’s new policy as a fellow reader because I was an avid reader long before I became an author. Before writing became my avocation, I’ve been known to read 700 books a year. Of course, I no longer have time to read nearly that many books now, but I still read my fair share of books. However, this new development is going to change the way I read them and it may change the way you read them too.
Starting today, if you borrow a book through Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited program, the author will be paid based on the number of pages that you read. It stands to reason therefore that Amazon will be tracking not only your purchases of books, but also how fast you read them and whether you reread them and which parts you reread. Needless to say as a Civil Rights Lawyer, I believe this is a vast overreach and an invasion of privacy.
I think that there are a couple of counter-measures that may help protect your privacy. First, when you download a book (whether it be from me or any other author), leaf through it chapter by chapter. There doesn’t seem to be an indication in the contract language that shows Amazon will be monitoring subsequent readings of books after the first screening. This strategy should allow you to read it at your pace, lingering wherever you choose without anyone eavesdropping. Alternatively, you can choose to purchase the book outright without using Kindle Unlimited. Books that are purchased are not monitored for pages read and authors receive the full royalties.
I have to admit as an author, on many levels this policy change confuses me. Movie theaters don’t pay the studio less if a parent walks out of the theater because a child is fussy or Wal-Mart doesn’t pay the music producers less because you skip a music track on your favorite CD because you don’t like the beat on a particular song.
Please do what you can to stand up for #IndieAuthors like me. We deserve to be paid and you deserve to read your books in private.
http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Dance-Hidden-Beau…/…/ref=sr_1_1…