# The AUSTRALIAN writer's support thread



## NicoleSwan

Fellow Aussies,  you know what I find to be the *worst* aspect of living in Australia?  The fact that the UK/US markets and people are all sleeping and quiet when we're awake and ready to roll.

Honestly, it gets depressing for me during that midday~8pm time slot when things are simply too quiet and all you seem to be able to do is twiddle your thumbs, waiting.

I thought I'd try start an Aussie/Australian writer thread because I see there's plenty of other good-morning, good-evening and such threads for the UK/US populations, but I feel we're a little too dispersed at the moment ourselves.


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## Sam Winterwood

I agree!
I was surprised to find so many Australians on this board.

Roll call everyone!


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## Bec

Hello! Aussie here. Currently living in Canada, but will be back home by November!


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## Guest

Howdy - A proud Aussie here  

Even more lonely than the writer's forums, is if you write for the Australian Drama category. I have one book, 1,035,719 in paid store but it's still ranked #99 in that category. Even just one sale and I'm in the top 20! That's about as niche as it gets


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## NicoleSwan

I wonder if they'll ever consider having an AU split on the Amazon sales?  That said, we're barely larger than NY in terms of population, so in terms of business we don't really carry a lot of weight.


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## Writer1000

Hi everyone! Just joined kboards earlier today and look what I found - the AUSTRALIAN writer's support thread! Glad to be here.


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## BelindaPepper

Yup, Aussie here too. And this little Queenslander is currently freezing her [breasts] off down south. Never thought I'd say this... I miss the humidity! 

edit:
LMAO @ the auto filter. Apparently I've got a dirty mouth.


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## kathrynoh

Great thread    But come on Nicole, the absolute worst thing about living in Australia is being paid by cheque! Not only is it slow and cumbersome but the bloody banks take their $10 or so cut of your money.  And the teller looks at you like "ah, cheques, my grandfather told me about them..."  Hopefully one day we'll either be paid electronically or my cheques will be so huge that $10 will seem like nothing.

Anyway, I'm from Melbourne.  Where is everyone else from?


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## NicoleSwan

Aaaah yes, the cursed cheque from Amazon, really now, for a business that leads the world on internet shopping they're profoundly backward in paying out writers across borders 

I think we lost about $35 on the previous one we cashed.  I wish there was a way to simply tell Amazon to hold the cheque until it breaks at least $1000.

Not too cold here in this rural zone, could do with some rain though ( all us rural people want rain! )


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## Patty Jansen

Sydney.

Apparently, we're all pottymouths. But if I write arse it will go past the American swear filters. MWAHAHAHAHA!!


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## NicoleSwan

I take it you all know about the live-feed page for KBoards? Where you can sit and watch/waste-your-life all day?

http://www.kboards.com/live/min.php

?


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## NicoleSwan

Welcome BigHoneyDog,

  I'm not a big dog person, but I love the kitties on your page - so sad though about Lemon getting sick due to the PetHotel thing, but Museli looks delightful 

  Oh yes, and welcome to the thread   

  Good luck with the release in September.  I have to admit, I've given up on doing big releases or even scheduling them, soooo lazy of me, I just blurt it out when it's finished.


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## RinG

Another Aussie here! And another one surprised to see so many other Australians on the board. Especially given how backward much of australia seems to be in terms of publshing/ebooks. We have a writers festival coming up here in Brisbane in September or something, and I was rather disappointed to see no mention of self-publishing anywhere.


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## AriadneW

Just sticking my nose in to say hi. Though I did have an Australian grandmother, does that count?


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## Patty Jansen

AriadneW said:


> Just sticking my nose in to say hi. Though I did have an Australian grandmother, does that count?


You're unaware that New Zealand is a state of Australia?


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## NicoleSwan

I hope NZ stays its own country, I want to move there one day, has all the right things that I want, well, that or Tasmania


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## kathrynoh

Rinelle, I've seen a few self-pub workshops advertised at things but they tend to be run by academics who either have little to no self pub experience.  I reckon there are a few on here that could tell them a thing or two.  If I had high sales and was writing full time, I'd think about looking into running workshops as an extra source of income -- and tell people how to do it right.

Nicole - I'm originally from Tassie


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## NicoleSwan

kathrynoh said:


> Nicole - I'm originally from Tassie


I just love the place - it invokes for me the feeling of being in the English countryside, with equally miserable weather a lot of the time, a cozy home with a warm fire, and typing away on my next book with the cats snoozing in a warm bed


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## Sam Winterwood

I'm in Wollongong (south of Sydney for those playing at home).
It's a good day when you don't get asked for money in the street.


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## A.A

*waves to all*

Sydney-sider here (Central Coast)

Yes I'm also amazed to see so many writers' workshops & events that have zero information on indie publishing. I think there's a lot of bias in Australia. While much of the rest of the world has accepted indie-books, Australia largely has not. If Amazon set themselves up here, I think that would rapidly change. Australians are big book buyers for the size of the population.

I'd definitely like to run some (super-cheap) workshops aimed at educating writers here on how they can self-publish. Finding the time is another matter though!


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## Patty Jansen

I've been on self-pub forums at SFF cons (latest just this month at CSFG) and without fail, I'm slotted with people who have little idea about self-publishing. They may have self-published a book or two, but haven't a clue about how to sell, where to advertise, where to post freebies, how to do freebies, how to even make their books free on Amazon.

Not. A. Clue. When I say that I make $500-1000 a month (which, in the scheme of this board, is a pittance), their ears just about fall off.


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## NicoleSwan

Ah, the cursed 5pm AEST breakdown of KB, followed soon by the 6pm one...


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## David Adams

NicoleSwan said:


> Ah, the cursed 5pm AEST breakdown of KB, followed soon by the 6pm one...


I know, right? Urgh. Right as I'm trying desperately not to work!


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## Patty Jansen

Hey, I wrote 2000 words yesterday, while supposedly having a weekend off. I'm allowed not to work!


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## NicoleSwan

I'm *supposed* to be working, but instead all I'm doing is playing around with Inkscape, adjusting covers and hunting around for a treasure trove of untapped buyers that I can push my books on


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## Writer1000

I planned to write today but all I've been doing is reading this board... Well, tomorrow's a new day.


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## Sam Winterwood

I did 2000+ today, and more to come later tonight. Productive!!


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## Writerly Writer

SJ Woods said:


> I'm in Wollongong (south of Sydney for those playing at home).
> It's a good day when you don't get asked for money in the street.


I'm in Perth and possibly moving to wollongong next year.


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## Writerly Writer

Patty Jansen said:


> Hey, I wrote 2000 words yesterday, while supposedly having a weekend off. I'm allowed not to work!


Paradoxically, that's when I want to work the most. Bloody contrary muse.


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## NicoleSwan

So what's everyone using for promotional stuff here in Australia?  I've been spreading money around, chasing every opening on blogging and such that I can, but I just can't yet seem to get traction any more 

On a completely separate note, I see that Lightning Source has an Australian printing house now, which would be great if anyone wants print-books.


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## JB Rowley

Thanks for starting this thread, Nicole; great idea.  

I'm in Melbourne and started my direct publishing adventure just over a year ago. I have learnt a lot from the wise ones here on KBoards and thus far the adventure has been a positive one. Indie publishing and the opportunities offered by Amazon have increased my motivation to write tenfold.

My wishlist includes Amazon.com.au. I reckon if a small country like Denmark, with a population of less than 6 million can have their own Amazon page, dear Australia with a population of over 23 million should have her own Amazon page.

Also on my wish list is a better payment option (as someone already mentioned). PayPal would be fine, thanks Amazon.

JB


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## NicoleSwan

JB Rowley said:


> Thanks for starting this thread, Nicole; great idea.


Finally, a good idea in my hat 



> My wishlist includes Amazon.com.au. I reckon if a small country like Denmark, with a population of less than 6 million can have their own Amazon page, dear Australia with a population of over 23 million should have her own Amazon page.
> 
> Also on my wish list is a better payment option (as someone already mentioned). PayPal would be fine, thanks Amazon.


Yes, a local Amazon would be delightful, not sure what's holding them back, I didn't realise that Denmark had their own. As for payments, I doubt we'll see them "stoop" to using PayPal, because eBay is a bit of a competitor to them. Still, they could use direct transfers or whatever Google is using for their AdSense payments program ( which I know pays direct in to AU bank accounts ).

Good to have you along here - hopefully we can keep the thread running, even if I have to shock it a few times (electrically, not by flashing erotica!  )


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## Patty Jansen

Denmark doesn't. DE stands for Germany.

Y'all realise that with every store Amazon splits off, we have ANOTHER damn place that requires a $100 threshold before they'll pay out?

No, I don't want a .AU store. I want Amazon to treat all their stores as one, aggregate all their sales into one, and send us one payment per month, and pay us into our bank account. And while we're at it, I want them to take our Australian TFN.

Kobo can do it.


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## NicoleSwan

Patty Jansen said:


> Denmark doesn't. DE stands for Germany.


Aaah, I was wondering if that was where the confusion was from 



> No, I don't want a .AU store. I want Amazon to treat all their stores as one, aggregate all their sales into one, and send us one payment per month, and pay us into our bank account. And while we're at it, I want them to take our Australian TFN.


Dreams... such dreams... and yes, I forgot about Kobo, I do have my books there already, and I've had a few sales, but I'm currently having some troubles with updating things.


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## David Adams

Hah, well, probably the worst thing is having get paid by cheques, excluded from a lot of Amazon/B&N programs, and the higher prices for everything online. Microsoft, why is Windows 8 so much more expensive in Oz? Gah.


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## kathrynoh

Yeah Patty, I'd like to see that too.  Though if we were getting electronic payments, it'd only be a $10 threshold, wouldn't it?

David, I read someone saying they could fly to the US and get the adobe products they wanted cheaper than they could buy them in Aus.  That's pretty bad  

On the plus side, the exchange rate is starting to swing in our favour for payments


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## Sam Winterwood

KJCOLT said:


> I'm in Perth and possibly moving to wollongong next year.


Wollongong Isnt too bad. Beach on one side, mountains on the other. Sydney about an hour drive away, beautiful scenery north and south. Jobs and culture not great, but it's getting better.


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## NicoleSwan

@David,  what's with your creation of the dollop-of-crap-on-fire?  Does that mean you're under 1/day and you've lost the plot and are just burning everything in sight?


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## Selina Fenech

Aussie here too, on the Central Coast. 
I'm in the process of trying to get internet access on an old UK bank account my husband used to use when he lived there years ago to try and get my royalties paid by EFT into it... seriously, couldn't there be an easier way?   Amazon sure knows how to make a country feel insignificant.


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## David Adams

NicoleSwan said:


> @David, what's with your creation of the dollop-of-crap-on-fire? Does that mean you're under 1/day and you've lost the plot and are just burning everything in sight?


Basically yes!

I'm above 1/day, really. I think I'm getting about 10-15 a day, all things considered, it's just that expressing ones sales rate as a flaming dollup of poop is hilarious to me.


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## Sam Winterwood

Flaming poop is always funny


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## NicoleSwan

Selina Fenech said:


> Aussie here too, on the Central Coast.
> I'm in the process of trying to get internet access on an old UK bank account my husband used to use when he lived there years ago to try and get my royalties paid by EFT into it... seriously, couldn't there be an easier way?  Amazon sure knows how to make a country feel insignificant.


I think as a general rule Australians by and large seem to have a bad case of low-self-esteem or something to that effect. We don't have a long [settler] history, we live quite far away from our original settling compatriots, and while we have an exceptionally diverse multicultural society which we readily integrate in to and accept we lack our own defining mark, other than perhaps some sports ( easier when it's the Commonwealth games, less so on the Olympics  ). Wait, I seem to have forgotten where I was heading with this reply.


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## Guest

SJ Woods said:


> Flaming poop is always funny


Not if you're about to leave for work.


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## NicoleSwan

Mine is more of a single flaming kangaroo pellet, that puts me at the "Above 1 a week" level.  As I've said in some other threads, if you want to learn how best not to campaign or promote, just follow what I do


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## CJArcher

Melbournian here. Patty's right, I don't think getting Amazon.com.au is a good idea. Another cheque in another currency with another threshold. Last month I took 4 cheques to the bank - US, UK, CA, DE. The really annoying thing was that with 4 different currencies, the ANZ wouldn't let me have 1 fee to combine them, it was a separate fee for each cheque. Plus the US one was over their magic imaginary number they plucked out of the sky and had to go to their clearing house, which must be a resort somewhere with exotic massages and pedicures because it costs a fortune! Paypal would be awesome, but it's not going to happen.

Sorry, rant over. Otherwise, we live in the best country. Just sayin'.  

Love connecting with Aussie here on KB. There are a LOT of us. As to educating writers about indie, believe me RWAus members are very aware of it. There are a lot of romance writers who are indie or hybrid, they're just not on KB.


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## Sam Winterwood

ShaneJeffery said:


> Not if you're about to leave for work.


I stand corrected.


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## NicoleSwan

@CJArcher,

  Love the title of your book there "Finders keepers, losers die",  that in itself tweaks the interest almost instantly, absolute gold


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## Colin Taber

I'm checking in, too! I'm in Perth.  

I actually ran into Simon Haynes today, not virtually, but physically, at my local cafe. He lives near by and often cycles through my neck of the woods. He's also often on KB.

Yes, there's quite a few Aussies (and Kiwis) on this board!


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## Writer1000

NicoleSwan said:


> So what's everyone using for promotional stuff here in Australia? I've been spreading money around, chasing every opening on blogging and such that I can, but I just can't yet seem to get traction any more
> 
> On a completely separate note, I see that Lightning Source has an Australian printing house now, which would be great if anyone wants print-books.


I haven't done any Aussie specific marketing. The one thing that worked relatively well for me was the KDP Select free days. As my books are in a series, sales of my others books spike up every time I give one for free. I'm thinking of taking my first series books out of Select when the period ends, though.

In respect of print books, I don't know much about Lightning Source but I believe they charge a one-off payment to upload a book? I'm using CreateSpace and paid for the extended distribution ($25 per book). Because of this, I found my print books on bookdepository.com and the price of my books there are the same as in Amazon (they're owned by Amazon now, I believe). But the good thing with Book Depository is they provide free shipping of books worldwide. I only just found this out recently and I think it's a great option for readers from Oz to pay Amazon prices for my print books without the delivery costs. (Some Aussie online book outlets sell my print books for almost double the price).


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## Scarlett_R

Melbourne here!

As for cheques, I cut that whole thing in half and went with an account from Payoneer. Very easy, and it goes into an American account which I then withdraw from via their Visa Debit card. 

I didn't realise so many of us were Australian, that's awesome.


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## RinG

How does payoneer work? I've heard of them, but didn't know amazon would deal with them? I'm still waiting for my first cheque, and planning the party (getting more and more elaborate) for when it arrives!


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## JB Rowley

Patty Jansen said:


> No, I don't want a .AU store. I want Amazon to treat all their stores as one,


I wouldn't like that at all. I hope they can come up with a better payment system without making us all the same animals in the big Amazon jungle.


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## Shayne Parkinson

*Waves to neighbours across the ditch*

Great to see so many of us from the upside-down of the world!


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## JohnHindmarsh

Another Aussie to the thread...

However, I am living in US [South Lake Tahoe], and enjoying tremendous weather - about 25C, blue sky, possible thunderstorm this evening to cool things off. I'm sitting on my deck, listening to the burble of a man-made creek [landscaped garden] - it compensates for not having a lake view.

Mind you, in winter this deck could end up with 2 - 3 meters of snow [I was going to say 8 - 10 ft, then remembered....].

Originally from Far North Coast/NSW. I have lived in NZ, UK, Ireland, Netherlands, Turkey, USA, Singapore and Thailand, and now again in USA. [Most of the time as a software consultant...]

Commenced writing full time in January. Output so far this year - two novels, one [SF] is 88k, the other [thriller] is 66k words - one is ready for edit and the other one is with an editor. Trying to get into the third story [SF], target 90k words.


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## Patty Jansen

Good morning, all!

Beautiful, beautiful winter day here in Sydney.


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## Sam Winterwood

Morning!
Guess I better go do some work. Unfortunately not writing work but paying the bills work


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## MitchHogan

Another aussie here, in Sydney. Terrible winter weather as Patty said, 22 degrees and sunny today!

Published my first novel 4 days ago and it's doing well.


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## Scarlett_R

For Rinelle (and anyone else interested in Payoneer): http://www.kboards.com/index.php?topic=113549.0


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## NicoleSwan

Morning All. Lazy Monday, my scheduled jobs have been cancelled, so it's just a case of finding something else to do.


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## kathrynoh

Scarlett, what are the charges like with payoneer?  I remember looking at it a while back and thought it was a bit high in charges.


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## JB Rowley

Patty Jansen said:


> Denmark doesn't. DE stands for Germany.


My apologies for the misinformation. I didn't base my erroneous assumption on the web country code for Germany. I saw (or thought I saw) KBoarders discussing the number of sales they had or had not made in Denmark. That's why I thought Denmark was one of the privileged ones. Silly me!


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## JB Rowley

kathrynoh said:


> Scarlett, what are the charges like with payoneer? I remember looking at it a while back and thought it was a bit high in charges.


Yes, I compared them with my bank charges (Bendigo Bank) and found Payoneer more expensive.


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## Bec

MitchHogan said:


> Another aussie here, in Sydney. Terrible winter weather as Patty said, 22 degrees and sunny today!


That's similar to the weather I've got here today in Summery Vancouver!! 24 and sunny! They tend to freak out a bit here at anything over 28 (which I saw described as "extreme heat" in the paper the other day...)


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## Writer1000

Hi All! (waves) Thought I'd say hello before I knuckle down and start typing. I promised myself not to get distracted by anything for the next five hours and make up for the last two weeks of hardly writing anything. Wish me luck! It would be hard when it's so nice outside and I have the notifications on for this thread...


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## JB Rowley

Bec Allinson said:


> That's similar to the weather I've got here today in Summery Vancouver!! 24 and sunny! They tend to freak out a bit here at anything over 28 (which I saw described as "extreme heat" in the paper the other day...)


Hi Bec,

I was having a chuckle the other day because the cricket commentator in the UK described 28C as a 'heatwave'. At the same time we were having a lovely 23C winter day here in Melbourne.

JB  (Looking forward to a catch up in person when you are in town.)


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## A.A

JB Rowley said:


> Yes, I compared them with my bank charges (Bendigo Bank) and found Payoneer more expensive.


JB, what are the Bendigo bank charges? The cheapest I found by ringing about so far has been St George, at $5.50 per cheque (if there's more than one cheque)

Can't believe how warm it is today - I sent my youngest to school in track pants.... I had no idea the temp would rise above 20 C.


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## kathrynoh

I'm with CUA and they said there were no fees but, when I took the cheque in, it suddenly because $15 in fees!  

I want to change banks atm anyway and, if they have low cheque cashing fees that will be deciding factor.


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## Herc- The Reluctant Geek

G'day. What you drongos up to?

*laconic Aussie silence*

From Melbourne.

*wanders off to look up meaning of drongo*


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## NicoleSwan

Yaaay, woke up this morning, no changes on my KDP panel... but as a big bonus, I've got the flu... woohooo.. *bleaaaarh*, sore joins, raw nasal, drinking water hurts, ringing in the ears like I'm stuck in the outback on a Summer evening with the cicadas, oh I hate this


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## JD Nixon

I'm as shy as a wombat, but hello from Brisbane


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## Patty Jansen

Never known wombats to be shy


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## Patty Jansen

Blech. Here we go. 5pm site crash.


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## JB Rowley

Anya said:


> JB, what are the Bendigo bank charges? The cheapest I found by ringing about so far has been St George, at $5.50 per cheque (if there's more than one cheque)


Hi Anya,

BB charge $10.00 (regardless of the amount of the cheque) per foreign cheque deposit. It sounds like St George offers a better deal. Is it $5.50 regardless of the amount of the cheque?

Payoneer charges when I enquired in October 2012 were as follows:
The cost of receiving a payment via the US Payment Service is 1% of the payment amount. 
If you choose to withdraw cash from an ATM, there is a charge of $3.15 per cash withdrawal.


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## NicoleSwan

Patty Jansen said:


> Blech. Here we go. 5pm site crash.


6pm coming up next.


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## Writer1000

JB, Anya, I'm with St. George.  It's $10.50 for one cheque but if you deposit more than one cheque of the same denomination at the same time, each cheque of the same denomination goes down to $5.50.  But if you have, say, one US and one UK cheque, each would still cost $10.50.  Also they are not cleared until after 20 working days.


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## NicoleSwan

The obscenely long clearing time is just silly.  They can move millions of dollars in a microsecond, but it takes them 20 days to clear a cheque, absurd, it's all interest accumulation lies imo.


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## A.A

JB Rowley said:


> Hi Anya,
> 
> BB charge $10.00 (regardless of the amount of the cheque) per foreign cheque deposit. It sounds like St George offers a better deal. Is it $5.50 regardless of the amount of the cheque?
> 
> Payoneer charges when I enquired in October 2012 were as follows:
> The cost of receiving a payment via the US Payment Service is 1% of the payment amount.
> If you choose to withdraw cash from an ATM, there is a charge of $3.15 per cash withdrawal.


JB, that's what I was told over the phone. I called Commonwealth first, and they assured me it was free for foreign cheque deposits (yes, _assured_...) When I went in, it was a different story.
I'm not sure re the amount of the cheque. I have around $4000 in cheques to deposit at the moment - will let you know how I go 
If I used payoneer, they'd take $40 from that. So it's cheaper for me to deposit the cheques in my bank - and I don't need to pay $3.50 to withdraw money.

(Miranda, yes, that's what they told me - good to know they can give the right info over the phone!)


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## Maya Cross

Another Aussie here. I've been putting my Zon payments on hold while I worked out how I wanted to deal with them. I think I'm going to go cheque, although it's not an easy choice. For what it's worth, I'm with St George, and I went in the other day and asked about their foreign cheque policy, and was told the following:

You can do up to three cheques in a bundle, as long as they're the same currency.
It's $10.50 for a single foreign cheque, and then that goes up by about $0.50 per extra cheque you add to the bundle, so $11.50 for three cheques.
They can take up to 60 days to clear.

The 60 day lag is a pain in the ass, but I guess I'll take that over losing 1%.


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## Selina Fenech

Also with St George here. But while you're stashing your cheques so you can bank them together for the discount, also remember that if they get over 6 months old you can't bank them anymore (StG policy at least).


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## Writer1000

Maya Cross said:


> For what it's worth, I'm with St George, and I went in the other day and asked about their foreign cheque policy, and was told the following:
> 
> You can do up to three cheques in a bundle, as long as they're the same currency.
> It's $10.50 for a single foreign cheque, and then that goes up by about $0.50 per extra cheque you add to the bundle, so $11.50 for three cheques.
> They can take up to 60 days to clear.


Maya, I should ask them about that next time.  I wasn't told about bundling three cheques even though I asked how I could reduce the fees further. They did charge me $11 when I deposited 2 US cheques at the same time ($5.50 each).

I wonder if it's got something to do with the kind of account you have? Or maybe the amount of your cheques?

Also my cheques have always cleared about a month (20 working days) after I deposited them, but then again, maybe it depends on the amount.

And yes, as Selina mentioned, I was also told they won't accept cheques that are over 6 months old. I think Westpac also told me that as well.


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## kathrynoh

Anya, it's frustrating when you get differing information from the banks   

It's crazy warm here during the day for a Melbourne winter! Kinda annoying cos I leave the house so early for work, I have to rug up but then I'm sweltering in all my layers on the way home.


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## CJArcher

The problem with the foreign cheques is you really need to find someone who knows what they're doing. I rang around some of the banks recently and while they all told me their fee (ranging from $5 to $20), when I asked what they charge for bigger cheques I was met with silence, followed by "let me check with someone", followed by "<insert reasonably small amount here eg. $40>". BUT, what they fail to tell you over the phone (because they don't know themselves) is that those larger cheques (and I'm not talking massive here, just a few thousand dollars) are sent back overseas (or something like that) and Amazon's bank then charge you THEIR fee, plus a courier fee. When I put that to the employee on the phone, they usually say "Well, that's not OUR fee".

Ugh. Kobo do it right. 1 direct deposit in your local currency. And the fee? $0.

Kboards is always really quiet at this time of night.


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## JB Rowley

NicoleSwan said:


> The obscenely long clearing time is just silly. They can move millions of dollars in a microsecond, but it takes them 20 days to clear a cheque, absurd, it's all interest accumulation lies imo.


Yes, it is a pain. I wait 28 days with Bendigo Bank, although once or twice the cheques went through with no waiting period at all. That was nice!

Here's a hint that might be of use but I have not checked it out myself. A teller at BB told me that Commonwealth Bank offers immediate clearance of foreign cheques on certain business accounts (or maybe it's on any business account, I cannot remember what he said).

JB (Yes, Kathryn, I was out walking in the lovely warm winter's day in Melbourne today.)


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## Guest

With winter this warm, you know summer is going to get ugly again


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## Sam Winterwood

ShaneJeffery said:


> With winter this warm, you know summer is going to get ugly again


Colour me not excited. I am not a fan of the heat.


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## NicoleSwan

CJArcher said:


> Kboards is always really quiet at this time of night.


It's what drove me insane, hence making the thread 

Now as for the weather, yes, given that our "Winter" up here consisted of only ONE night where I almost had misty breath, I am greatly fearing the approaching Summer.


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## JohnHindmarsh

NicoleSwan said:


> Yaaay, woke up this morning, no changes on my KDP panel... but as a big bonus, I've got the flu... woohooo.. *bleaaaarh*, sore joins, raw nasal, drinking water hurts, ringing in the ears like I'm stuck in the outback on a Summer evening with the cicadas, oh I hate this


I hope it's not contagious...

Get well.


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## Bec

Has anyone actually got a list or something with all the different banks and their fees? I started trying to do it the other day, from their websites (after working in an insurance call centre, I quickly learned to trust only things in writing - some of the people on the phone will just say anything to get you to go away - very frustrating when you have to clean up their mess later) but the information was pretty hard to find for some banks. 

Cheques are still really common here in Canada. They only just got Visa Debit cards within the last year or two. I confused a lot of shop keepers with my card three years ago. 

Anyway. 

I have to figure out what to do with my money by October... 

1. Payoneer. ($29.95 annual fee, then percentage of each withdrawal etc.)
2. Cheques. (and find the best bank for that) 
3. Keep Canadian bank account and transfer money to Australia when I need it. Dealing with two different exchange rates, plus fees. Bleh. 

Ugh. Really wish Zon would get with the program and direct deposit to Aus...


----------



## Guest

Hi, I'm from Adelaide. I use the Commonwealth Bank, who charge $10 per cheque in foreign funds, with 28 days for the cheque to clear. They say they have to post the cheque back to the US for verification, which is why it takes so long to clear. I've never deposited a large cheque so I don't know if it's different for a bigger amount.


----------



## JB Rowley

Shayne Parkinson said:


> *Waves to neighbours across the ditch*
> 
> Great to see so many of us from the upside-down of the world!


Right back at ya', Shayne. Congratulations on the success of your books. I have observed some of your posted sales results and noticed the great reviews and high rankings of your books- impressive!

JB


----------



## Sam Winterwood

Good morning fellow Australians. Here's to many words today!


----------



## A.A

kathrynoh said:


> Anya, it's frustrating when you get differing information from the banks
> 
> It's crazy warm here during the day for a Melbourne winter! Kinda annoying cos I leave the house so early for work, I have to rug up but then I'm sweltering in all my layers on the way home.


Sure is frustrating. Seems that the banks themselves are confused...
If Google can manage to pay Australians any amount per month (through their AdChoices program) direct to their bank accounts, with no fees or US taxes and no need for any kind of US EINs or ITINs - why can't Amazon? 
Amazon is making a ton from Australian authors, yet they put us through hoops and we have to pay US taxes. 
Am actually wishing that Google would become a strong competitor.


----------



## Scarlett_R

Charges for Payoneer:

Monthly payment fee ($5 odd)
ATM withdrawal/exchange charge.

I preferred to pay those fees and access funds straight away. I don't use it as a bounce account to then transfer that into my Australian bank account, I treat it like a normal ATM card.


----------



## CJArcher

Amazon CAN do it. They direct deposit my Montlake payments into my ANZ account, just not my KDP payments. That's why it's so frustrating. Different accounting departments and all that.


----------



## Scarlett_R

CJArcher said:


> Amazon CAN do it. They direct deposit my Montlake payments into my ANZ account, just not my KDP payments. That's why it's so frustrating. Different accounting departments and all that.


Ditto- Amazon paid me directly into my ANZ account too for the work I did for them, and their turn around time for it was always on the better side.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Kitten said:


> Hi, I'm from Adelaide. I use the Commonwealth Bank, who charge $10 per cheque in foreign funds, with 28 days for the cheque to clear. They say they have to post the cheque back to the US for verification, which is why it takes so long to clear. I've never deposited a large cheque so I don't know if it's different for a bigger amount.


I've banked cheques of a few thousand $$$ (although not Amazon payments), and when I did this, a few years ago, the $10 was just the same. It's a flat fee.


----------



## JB Rowley

AriadneW said:


> Just sticking my nose in to say hi. Though I did have an Australian grandmother, does that count?


Nothing better than an Australian grandmother! Welcome Ariadne.

JB


----------



## Shayne Parkinson

JB Rowley said:


> Right back at ya', Shayne. Congratulations on the success of your books. I have observed some of your posted sales results and noticed the great reviews and high rankings of your books- impressive!
> 
> JB


Hey, thanks, JB! Yes, I've been very lucky, thanks to my lovely readers.

Joining the chorus of wishing for direct deposits from Amazon to our part of the world!


----------



## NicoleSwan

Morning all, feeling like warmed over death here.  Hope you all have a good day.


----------



## Selina Fenech

I love how this thread has just become all complaining about banks and talking about the weather


----------



## NicoleSwan

Selina Fenech said:
 

> I love how this thread has just become all complaining about banks and talking about the weather


Perhaps we should rename it the Australian Blabber thread ?  All in all though, it's a good place to let out random topics, no doubt they'll move through phases.


----------



## JohnHindmarsh

Selina Fenech said:


> I love how this thread has just become all complaining about banks and talking about the weather


Talking about the weather is hereditary and contagious - weather is the Brits main topic of conversation, and everyone just copies...

As for banks - the Aussie ones work as a cartel with little regard for the consumer, as far as I can tell. So if you are impacted, you let off steam.

Now lets talk about the acceptability of indie writing/self-publishing in Aus... Followed quickly by the rip-off paperback prices artificially inflated by the publishers' cartel, sanctioned by legislation...

['Cartel' in two different topics - how about that for conspiracy theorizing...]


----------



## Selina Fenech

JohnHindmarsh said:


> Talking about the weather is hereditary and contagious - weather is the Brits main topic of conversation, and everyone just copies...
> 
> As for banks - the Aussie ones work as a cartel with little regard for the consumer, as far as I can tell. So if you are impacted, you let off steam.


Oh, totally. I thought it was funny because they are both very Aussie topics to talk about. 

As for paperback prices, they don't worry me anymore now I only read ebooks, but the prices really are ridiculous. I think the last paperback I bought cost $30-40.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Selina Fenech said:


> Oh, totally. I thought it was funny because they are both very Aussie topics to talk about.
> 
> As for paperback prices, they don't worry me anymore now I only read ebooks, but the prices really are ridiculous. I think the last paperback I bought cost $30-40.


Book Depository!


----------



## Writerly Writer

So, I've just had some books ordered from Createspace, and I set the price of purchase on amazon to 11.50... but I noticed that some people set theirs to the price it cost Creatspace to make the book. So this would mean they don't get any royalties... unless there's something I'm missing.


----------



## Patty Jansen

I set mine so that when I do expanded distribution, I still make a dollar or two per book.


----------



## JB Rowley

I'm about to undertake the CreatSpace adventure so would love to hear how people went/go with it.

Talking about the weather .... Another reasonably mild winter day here in Melbourne. (I still remember Mrs Bale, the housekeeper in the British sitcom series _As Time Goes By_, who always started her conversation with a weather report.)


----------



## NicoleSwan

I've used Lightning Source in Australia in the past for other books, the upfront costs aren't too bad and you get the full distribution without any troubles, including Amazon.


----------



## JB Rowley

NicoleSwan said:


> I've used Lightning Source in Australia in the past for other books, the upfront costs aren't too bad and you get the full distribution without any troubles, including Amazon.


I've been wondering about Lightning Source, especially as they have a 'print facility' in Melbourne. That must reduce postage costs. Did you do a cost comparison with CreateSpace? (Not that I'm lazy or anything!)


----------



## RinG

Just been catching up on this thread! 

Payment methods, seems like there's no good way to do this! I'm torn between wanting to see some actual money, and knowing that either way most of it is going to be eaten up by fees! And they're probably worse for the small amounts. 

Weather- enjoying the warmer than usual winter, though we haven't hit August yet, which seems to be when it gets coldest!

Createspace- in the middle of checking my proof. More than happy with everything about them, except the postage costs and time! I'm either going to have to wait months to get the book out while I wait for a second proof to correct issues, pay a fortune (something like $26) to get a copy here in under a week, or send it out without checking the proof a second time. Rather annoying.


----------



## Selina Fenech

Rinelle Grey said:


> Createspace- in the middle of checking my proof. More than happy with everything about them, except the postage costs and time! I'm either going to have to wait months to get the book out while I wait for a second proof to correct issues, pay a fortune (something like $26) to get a copy here in under a week, or send it out without checking the proof a second time. Rather annoying.


If it helps, I've found that the CS shipping times are often much faster than they estimate... although I wouldn't rely on that.


----------



## NicoleSwan

We've had lightning source produce a proof in under 7 days including delivery for us in the past.  I like using LS, particularly now that they've got the Melbourne printing office.  The demands can be slightly higher than CS in terms of your submission, but it's worth it.


----------



## Selina Fenech

You guys are making me want to get my books done with Lightning Source. I got an account with them, but last time I priced shipping, etc (years ago), CS just seemed better. Is shipping actually a good price now if they are being printed in Melbourne?


----------



## kathrynoh

Wow, poor timing hearing all this good stuff about LS after just clicking approve on Createspace.  What do people do with their print copies?  Do you try to get them in small bookshops or sell offline?  I figure I'll order some for Chrissie presents for family


----------



## NicoleSwan

Selina Fenech said:


> You guys are making me want to get my books done with Lightning Source. I got an account with them, but last time I priced shipping, etc (years ago), CS just seemed better. Is shipping actually a good price now if they are being printed in Melbourne?


We had a recent release last year, ordered 40 copies for a release party, I think it was about $130 express freight ( these were BIG books ), but normal freight was down at about $20. Best thing was, because we were short of time we contacted them and they pushed it ahead, so it's wonderful having that sort of human-contact.

Locally we offered the books out to several stores, they were happy to find shelf space and even put up posters for us.


----------



## Selina Fenech

kathrynoh said:


> What do people do with their print copies? Do you try to get them in small bookshops or sell offline? I figure I'll order some for Chrissie presents for family


I've got an established online store which I sell signed copies through (http://www.fairiesandfantasy.com/store/Books-and-Calendars-SF/) but my art books, also printed with CS, are what sell more than my novels. But if I don't give people access to signed copies, my true fans get angry  I also do events and markets, not necessarily book related, and sell books at those, and it's always handy to have paperbacks around to send to reviewers who prefer hard copies, and for giveaways.


----------



## RinG

I've heard a few comparisons between lightning source and createspace, and I think it was the initial cost that put me off lightning source? Once I have the book sorted and up, it won't be a big deal really. Plan to pay for expanded distribution and put it on book depository, where my Aussie friends and family can get free postage. Hard to compete with that. I just don't get why amazon still charges so much!


----------



## JB Rowley

Rinelle Grey said:


> Plan to pay for expanded distribution and put it on book depository, where my Aussie friends and family can get free postage. Hard to compete with that.


Good point.


----------



## Tabitha Levin

Rinelle Grey said:


> Createspace- in the middle of checking my proof. More than happy with everything about them, except the postage costs and time! I'm either going to have to wait months to get the book out while I wait for a second proof to correct issues, pay a fortune (something like $26) to get a copy here in under a week, or send it out without checking the proof a second time. Rather annoying.


I don't order a second proof copy, since it's usually just small changes. I approve the second (if I have one) online using their online proofer thing so it goes live almost immediately.


----------



## Writer1000

Rinelle Grey said:


> I just don't get why amazon still charges so much!


I know, especially when they also own Book Depository (I believe).


----------



## RinG

MirandaPCharles said:


> I know, especially when they also own Book Depository (I believe).


Exactly. And when my proof arrived, the packaging looked suspiciously like the ones I get from book depository!

I'm considering making a few changes to the cover, and possibly the font, so unfortunately I think I'll need to see it in print again. But at least future books should be quicker and easier, since I'll have an effective template, and know what fonts work etc,


----------



## A. S. Warwick

Another Aussie here - currently living in Tassie but soon to be in monotonously flat Perth.  Occasional writer too - when time permits


----------



## JB Rowley

Good morning, Australia.

Re CreateSpace and Lightning Source:

I found this thread comparing CreateSpace and Lightning Source interesting.
'Preach' sets out a cost comparison. (Add the cost of purchasing an ISBN to the LS charges.)
'TexasGirl' and others gave good reasons for using both CS and LS.
http://www.kboards.com/index.php?topic=156424.0

The following blog was also informative:
http://www.selfpublishingcommunity.com/features/self-publishing-with-lightning-source


----------



## Julie Harris

Do you know that Draft2Digital pays Aussies by EFT? I wish they'd been around when I first started, because I wouldn't get writer's cramp filling out two separate forms to deposit one cheque. 
I would love to get all my stories distributed via D2D so payments come in one hit, but I'm a bit wary of losing reviews - I've already lost too many in the great Amazon purge but that's a story for another day.
Indie Publishing has restored the storytelling passion that traditional publishing and a lazy agent hammered out of me fifteen years ago.


----------



## Sam Winterwood

I'm going to publish through D2D.
Has anyone done some hardcore comparison math between D2D/payoneer/cheques? Just to see how much money we have to pay just to get out money?


----------



## Patty Jansen

I've got a LS account, but use CS for everything. I've been happy with their service but to be honest, having books in print is not important for me. Selena and Anya can testify that the books look fine. 

I price so that the books are a little bit cheaper than paperbacks in local bookshops, since I sell my print books at cons locally.

I got all the documentation from LS and just went *AAACCCKK, I have no time for this complicated crap right now!*


----------



## kathrynoh

Julie, isn't that the same as Smashwords?  Or do you mean you can pub to Amazon via D2D and get the electronic payments?


----------



## A.A

Okayyy just back from marathon cheque session at St. George.
Untrue (to a point) that you can bank multiple cheques and only be charged $10.50 for the first and 50c per cheque after that - because they bundle them in lots of 3. It cost $16.70 per bundle of 3. And then there was all the fussing about entering them into the system and signing forms. It easily took half an hour.

SJ Woods, I'm terrible at maths, so can't do a hardcore comparison between Payoneer and D2D.

But here's my quick and dirty comparison:
*
The cheque version: *3 x cheques totalling $1000 will cost you $16.70 to deposit at St. George. *You get $983.30*
*The D2D version:* 10% x $1000 = $100 *You get $900*
*The Payoneer version:* 1% x $1000 = $10 *You get $990*

I think there's a yearly charge with Payoneer, plus a withdraw fee of $3.50.
I only know for certain what the St. George Bank charges are, so I used them as the comparison bank.

(Yep, Patty and Selina's Createspace books look great! And the size they chose looks so much better than the smaller size I chose - just looks like a lot more book )


----------



## MitchHogan

The main problem with foreign currency cheques is the outrageous exchange rates the banks use. I worked in a bank previously and it costs around 0.15% margin for a normal foreign exchange. I'm pretty sure banks get away with 3-5%.


----------



## NicoleSwan

I do wish they'd fix the 5pm, 6pm, and sometimes 6:30pm hiccups on KBoards


----------



## RinG

Thanks JB. I think that might have been the post I saw initially! The costs for LS just don't seem worth it when I really don't expect to sell many paperback copies. If I do, I might reconsider.


----------



## JB Rowley

Rinelle Grey said:


> Thanks JB. I think that might have been the post I saw initially! The costs for LS just don't seem worth it when I really don't expect to sell many paperback copies. If I do, I might reconsider.


Yes, that's pretty much where I am at too.

JB


----------



## Julie Harris

kathrynoh said:


> Julie, isn't that the same as Smashwords? Or do you mean you can pub to Amazon via D2D and get the electronic payments?


Kathryn, D2D is a lot easier to use (more author friendly) than Smashwords, and yes, you can pub via D2D to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Apple AND be paid by EFT. Customer service there is excellent, too.


----------



## NicoleSwan

Good morning all


----------



## Sam Winterwood

Morning!
it's 9:18 and I've already got out 1,777 words. May even hit the 3,000 mark before I go to work.
Productivity is my middle name (it's not really, that would be weird)


----------



## NicoleSwan

SJ Woods said:


> Morning!
> it's 9:18 and I've already got out 1,777 words. May even hit the 3,000 mark before I go to work.
> Productivity is my middle name (it's not really, that would be weird)


Impressive. I've collected the parcels from the letter box, let the kids out ( cats  ), and... and... nothing else


----------



## Patty Jansen

Another nice morning in Sydney!

Better go and write. Also got the edits for my to-be-trade-pubbed book. Ack!


----------



## A.A

Can't write today. It's Education Day and I'll be at my kids' school in a few minutes until 12pm
Also, my house is looking like a bomb hit it, so there goes the afternoon....


----------



## Writer1000

Hi everyone!  My goal today is 5,000 words.  Better get cracking...

Have a great day!


----------



## Sam Winterwood

Well I hit 2,954 before I left for work. Now I just want to go back home and write. It was some of the easiest writing I've done on a long while. Just flowed. 

Hope everyone else has a word flowing day!


----------



## JB Rowley

It's inspiring to read about the word productivity of you all. 

I'm out of action today due to an allergic reaction. My silly body reacts violently to the chemicals in certain perfumes and colognes and other things that emit a smell. I've been trying to sleep it off and it is better - but nowhere near good enough to concentrate on writing. Bummer! I just hate missing out on my planned writing sessions. Never mind, I should be able to slot in an hour or so before work tomorrow. 

Best of luck to everyone.

JB


----------



## RinG

Hope you get some writing done tomorrow JB. And go everyone else planning on achieving lots of words today.

I'm putting new words on pause for a couple of weeks while I concentrate on final edits on my next book. Not getting those done either at the moment though, as I'm sitting at my daughter's trampolining class! My iPad is about to run out of batteries though, so the I shall pull out my proof copy and go through some more.


----------



## A. S. Warwick

Aussie dollar dropped below 90 US cents this morning - lowest it has been in 3 years.  Good news for those being paid in US dollars.  Now if only we could get it down to 60 again...


----------



## Maya Cross

I'm 36 hours from having to deliver my final book to my beta readers. May be freaking out a little


----------



## Sam Winterwood

A. S. Warwick said:


> Aussie dollar dropped below 90 US cents this morning - lowest it has been in 3 years. Good news for those being paid in US dollars. Now if only we could get it down to 60 again...


I saw that this morning too. Good for getting paid, but I buy a lot of mp3s and records from overseas (DJ every now and again). Oh well, can't win em all


----------



## kathrynoh

> Aussie dollar dropped below 90 US cents this morning - lowest it has been in 3 years. Good news for those being paid in US dollars. Now if only we could get it down to 60 again...


I remember those days. I used to write for a web site and get almost double the money with the exchange rate! Think I'm going to have to curb my internet shopping though.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Bwahahahaha!!

Kobo BBoS. All my nice numbers. Gone!


----------



## Selina Fenech

Patty Jansen said:


> Bwahahahaha!!
> 
> Kobo BBoS. All my nice numbers. Gone!


Hasn't hit my account yet... I'll be sad when it does, I had a nice month last month! 
ETA Misread Kobo for KDP


----------



## Patty Jansen

My KDP is not nearly as interesting.

Anyway, the Kobo situation has already been mitigated by a couple of nice buyers in Canada and Australia.


----------



## NicoleSwan

BBoS all reset... time to start the nail-chewing again.


----------



## JB Rowley

Maya Cross said:


> I'm 36 hours from having to deliver my final book to my beta readers. May be freaking out a little


I can relate to that. Scary!

Good luck.


----------



## Writer1000

Bighoneydog said:


> By the way, can I ask a stupid question'? I'm new to the board and everywhere people keep talking abotu BBoS...what on earth are they talking about??
> 
> Hsin-Yi


I was wondering about the same thing!


----------



## kathrynoh

> I'm new to the board and everywhere people keep talking abotu BBoS...what on earth are they talking about??


BBoS = brown bar of shame. It's that brown line you get on your sales report when you have NO sales. So, at the beginning of the month everyone has them because your sales are set back to zero.


----------



## NicoleSwan

Morning all... aah, the banks are already calling me at this hour of the morning, have they no shame


----------



## Selina Fenech

NicoleSwan said:


> Morning all... aah, the banks are already calling me at this hour of the morning, have they no shame


I didn't think banks even opened this early...


----------



## Writer1000

kathrynoh said:


> BBoS = brown bar of shame. It's that brown line you get on your sales report when you have NO sales. So, at the beginning of the month everyone has them because your sales are set back to zero.


Ah! Right now, it's everywhere for me except for 1 lone sale in the UK...

Well, back to writing. Have a productive day, everyone!


----------



## NicoleSwan

Selina Fenech said:


> I didn't think banks even opened this early...


They don't to the public, but their collection team sure does ( I've had calls as early as 8am  )


----------



## Writerly Writer

Does anyone else actually get Amazon responding to their emails. They used to respond to mine but now... nada. Also, I've heard nothing about being 'paid out'. I made over a $100 last month... when does the payment usually go through (using Payoneer).


----------



## Patty Jansen

KJCOLT said:


> Does anyone else actually get Amazon responding to their emails. They used to respond to mine but now... nada. Also, I've heard nothing about being 'paid out'. I made over a $100 last month... when does the payment usually go through (using Payoneer).


Unless you registered an EIN, your earnings need to be $100 + 30% tax.


----------



## RinG

So do they send you an email if you're getting paid by cheque? I'm sure my earnings should be over that by now, but no email.... (And no cheque.)


----------



## Sam Winterwood

A quick thought for Australians.
Does the AUS/USD dollar have an effect on your pricing?
I'm assuming not, but with all the doom and gloom about the Aussie dollar I think it might be something to consider.
The dollar is meant to fall a bit further, therefore we make more money per sale. Yay for us!
What about lowering prices? We would still make the same amount but with the ability to have more perceived value for money.

Just a thought, but probably not something that's going to impact my price settings


----------



## Writerly Writer

Patty Jansen said:


> Unless you registered an EIN, your earnings need to be $100 + 30% tax.


And how do I register and EIN?


----------



## Patty Jansen

Rinelle Grey said:


> So do they send you an email if you're getting paid by cheque? I'm sure my earnings should be over that by now, but no email.... (And no cheque.)


Nope. Amazon communication over payments is really crap. It's very hard to track if they've paid you the right amount.


----------



## Patty Jansen

KJCOLT said:


> And how do I register and EIN?


http://catherineryanhoward.com/2012/02/24/non-us-self-publisher-tax-issues-dont-need-to-be-taxing/


----------



## Sam Winterwood

Ah you beat me to the link.
I haven't done it yet but it looks pretty straight forward to do - one phone call and a form to Amazon/etc


----------



## kathrynoh

If you havent' got your EIN yet, you can ask Amazon to hold your payments until it's all sorted.  That way you don't need to have the 30% tax taken out.


----------



## Writer1000

KJCOLT said:


> I made over a $100 last month... when does the payment usually go through (using Payoneer).


Also Amazon pays around 60 days after the month you've reached the threshold. So if you reached threshold in June, then you'll receive the payment around end of August.


----------



## Writerly Writer

MirandaPCharles said:


> Also Amazon pays around 60 days after the month you've reached the threshold. So if you reached threshold in June, then you'll receive the payment around end of August.


Well then, I have all my answers... Oh man, that means I actually have to do something to get rid of tax. But I'm so unmotivated... *whinges* Why can't I get something for doing nothing? *stamps foot* why?

 -- Yes, I'll get that done before I get paid so Amazon doesn't get to keep their dirty tax money.


----------



## Patty Jansen

KJCOLT said:


> Well then, I have all my answers... Oh man, that means I actually have to do something to get rid of tax. But I'm so unmotivated... *whinges* Why can't I get something for doing nothing? *stamps foot* why?
> 
> -- Yes, I'll get that done before I get paid so Amazon doesn't get to keep their dirty tax money.


One answer: Kobo.

I haven't done anything about the tax either, because we have a company and any tax paid in the US is claimable against tax payable in Australia. I earn little on Amazon, and it just doesn't seem worth the hassle, because I get the money in the end anyway.


----------



## Writerly Writer

Patty Jansen said:


> One answer: Kobo.


Yep, when my next book comes out none will be in select and I will be able to distribute accordingly.


----------



## NicoleSwan

KJCOLT said:


> Yep, when my next book comes out none will be in select and I will be able to distribute accordingly.


Speaking of Kobo... YAAAAAY FINALLY, they updated my covers and prices. Not sure what went wrong but it's been a painful couple of weeks trying to get that sorted out.


----------



## Selina Fenech

I went through the lengthy and somewhat more expensive process of getting an ITIN instead of an EIN. It was just after I got the ITIN that people started talking about this EIN option and getting me ALL CONFUSED! I feel like I did the wrong thing now, but hey, everyone seems to accept my ITIN so far, soooo... I'm not touching it for now unless I hear otherwise (I'll be asking my accountant about it soon!).

Having also just read The Naked Truth about Self Publishing, I feel even more the distance between Aus and the US in terms of self publishing. The book was awesome, but suggests so many things that aren't open to Aussies. Audio books, for one. ACX is US only, and, even if you produce your own audio book, even Audible (the major distributor) is ALSO US only, so there's no where to distribute it. Joining Romance Writers of AMERICA probably isn't going to happen (and RW of Aus just isn't as big of a thing). Aussies can't get a direct B&N account, can't do Kickstarter (and let's face it, indiegogo is just not the same), etc, etc.

On the up side though, I'm REALLY keen now to get together an ALL AUSSIE AUTHOR support group


----------



## JennR

Hi Everyone

I live in Tassie 

I've got an EIN and my cheque arrives usually the first week of the month and ANZ charge me $15 to deposit it.

I'm halfway through The Naked Truth About Self-Publishing   A long time ago I was a member of Romance Writers of America.  Australians could join back then (so maybe you can now?) and they had a special non-US chapter you could join as well (not sure if they still have that).

I totally agree about RWAust not being big enough.

I have one perma-free book that I published through Smashwords to get onto Kobo and B&N.

An Aussie support group sounds great!


----------



## Selina Fenech

JennR said:


> I'm halfway through The Naked Truth About Self-Publishing


I think everyone on this forum is reading it right now, lol.


----------



## NicoleSwan

Aww... a single thread not enough for us  

I gave up on SmashW a while ago when they clamped down too hard regarding the PayPal/Erotica fiasco, from there I decided I may as well just stick with Amazon, and then when Kobo came to life for international writers I pretty much was content ( since Kobo can deliver ePubs, so that solves the "everyone but Amazon" delivery issue ).


----------



## RinG

An ITIN works as well, but an EIN is apparently easier to get.

I really have to do it. I just HATE phoning people. And for some reason, phoning the US seems worse. The only time I've made an international call was calling Australia while I was in Japan! But I should make myself do it.


----------



## JB Rowley

SJ Woods said:


> Ah you beat me to the link.
> I haven't done it yet but it looks pretty straight forward to do - one phone call and a form to Amazon/etc


Yep. It's easy and straightforward. They give you the EIN over the phone and you can start using it straight away even though they will also send you a form to sign as confirmation that your details are correct.

Once you have the number you can fill out the W8-BEN and send it to Amazon (and Smashwords and Draft2Digital etc). Amazon email you when they receive it and from then on they are only required to withhold 5% US tax (as per the treaty arrangement between US and Aus.) That 5% can be offset against expenses.


----------



## kathrynoh

Rinelle, I'm the same about calling people and, to be honest, it was a bit hard for them to understand my accent.  I used skype because I was worried about being on hold for a while (with reason) so maybe the connection didn't help either.


----------



## JB Rowley

Rinelle Grey said:


> So do they send you an email if you're getting paid by cheque? I'm sure my earnings should be over that by now, but no email.... (And no cheque.)


Rinelle, I'm not sure why you would need an email from Amazon.

They send you a sales report via your bookshelf by the 15th of the following month. For instance, your report for July will be available around August 15th. Your cheque for July will correspond with the sales report figures and should arrive in the first week of October (60 days delay). The payment slip that accompanies your cheque shows 'Invoice Amount' (this amount will be the same as the amount on your report) - 'Adjustment' (5% tax withheld) = 'Net Amount'.

Is that the sort of information you were looking for or did I totally misunderstand?


----------



## RinG

I'm not making enough to get a monthly cheque yet. In fact, I haven't had one at all yet. Just wondering if I'll have some idea it's coming, or it will just turn up out of the blue.


----------



## Writer1000

Rinelle Grey said:


> Just wondering if I'll have some idea it's coming, or it will just turn up out of the blue.


It will just turn up out of the blue.  Just keep an eye out for it two months after you reach the threshold.


----------



## JB Rowley

Selina Fenech said:


> Aussies can't get a direct B&N account, can't do Kickstarter (and let's face it, indiegogo is just not the same), etc, etc.


No Kickstarter but I've heard good things about Pozible http://www.pozible.com/


----------



## Bec

Rinelle Grey said:


> An ITIN works as well, but an EIN is apparently easier to get.
> 
> I really have to do it. I just HATE phoning people. And for some reason, phoning the US seems worse. The only time I've made an international call was calling Australia while I was in Japan! But I should make myself do it.


If you _really_ hate phoning people, you can always fax the form to them. That's what I did. Yep, I'm a wimp. They faxed back a week or two later, and I got a copy in the post as well.


----------



## CJArcher

Selina Fenech said:


> Having also just read The Naked Truth about Self Publishing, I feel even more the distance between Aus and the US in terms of self publishing. The book was awesome, but suggests so many things that aren't open to Aussies. Audio books, for one. ACX is US only, and, even if you produce your own audio book, even Audible (the major distributor) is ALSO US only, so there's no where to distribute it. Joining Romance Writers of AMERICA probably isn't going to happen (and RW of Aus just isn't as big of a thing). Aussies can't get a direct B&N account, can't do Kickstarter (and let's face it, indiegogo is just not the same), etc, etc.


The audio thing is a huge problem. I have 3 audios through Montlake, but I'd love to do some of my own. The other drawback is the street team thing and sending swag. I'm not really interested in setting up a street team, but I just wish it was cheaper to send stuff to winners who are mostly based in the US. I tend to do Amazon gift cards, or ebooks as prizes now. Occasionally I'll do a paperback and send it straight from Createspace, but don't sign them which seems to be want readers want. I also have vistaprint stuff I'd love to send to winners too.

I belong to RWAm and RWAus. If I chose to drop one, it would be the American one as I'm probably never going to their conference and have no interest in the contests anymore (give books sales over the hassle of sending in books for comps any day!). I love going to the Aussie conference and meeting other writers here though. It's invigorating and everyone is lovely. Even if you don't go to many of the sessions, just meeting other Aussie romance writers is awesome. I LIKE the fact that it's smaller than the US RWA. It makes the conference less intimidating. I'm not going to the Perth one this year, but hope to make it to Melbourne next year.


----------



## A.A

Selina Fenech said:


> I went through the lengthy and somewhat more expensive process of getting an ITIN instead of an EIN. It was just after I got the ITIN that people started talking about this EIN option and getting me ALL CONFUSED! I feel like I did the wrong thing now, but hey, everyone seems to accept my ITIN so far, soooo... I'm not touching it for now unless I hear otherwise (I'll be asking my accountant about it soon!).


Selina, what's the process in getting a ITIN? 
I was thinking of using these people to do it for me, but don't know if they can: http://www.taxback.com/usa-ITIN-numbers.asp

(I have an EIN, but apparently, I need a ITIN to get back my tax from before I had a EIN)


----------



## Selina Fenech

Anya said:


> Selina, what's the process in getting a ITIN?
> I was thinking of using these people to do it for me, but don't know if they can: http://www.taxback.com/usa-ITIN-numbers.asp
> 
> (I have an EIN, but apparently, I need a ITIN to get back my tax from before I had a EIN)


You need a certified copy of your identification docs (passport most likely), so you have to send the copy and original to some certified official and pay them to put their stamp on your copy so that it's a certified copy, then mail it to the IRS along with the forms, then wait for them to reply back about whether you did it all right or not- which I didn't, the first time, and had to get ANOTHER certified copy (they don't send it back of course) and start again. There's a thread somewhere here that covers the process and options really well.


----------



## JamieCampbell

Yeah for Aussie authors! 

I'm on the Gold Coast, Queensland - it is a beautiful sunny day here today.


----------



## Writerly Writer

I made a group for us on facebook (Aussie Indie Writers -- group name subject to change)

https://www.facebook.com/groups/593237414059959/edit/

If anyone wants to add me personally, and explore the ins and outs of my private life (just kidding) you can add me here.

https://www.facebook.com/MissSueDoenim


----------



## kathrynoh

The group link isn't working   Just takes me to the main facebook page.  If I take the /edit/ off the end, it's fine!


----------



## Writerly Writer

kathrynoh said:


> The group link isn't working  Just takes me to the main facebook page. If I take the /edit/ off the end, it's fine!


ooops

https://www.facebook.com/groups/593237414059959/

Better?

I haven't set the name yet (for the web address). Thought I'd let you guys decide.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Joined.

Last week, I had a huge big rant on my blog over the fact that so many of these Facebook groups and Twitter accounts do nothing except deliver spam. I trust this one will be different!


----------



## Writerly Writer

Patty Jansen said:


> Joined.
> 
> Last week, I had a huge big rant on my blog over the fact that so many of these Facebook groups and Twitter accounts do nothing except deliver spam. I trust this one will be different!


I'm hoping the group will decide on the rules of the group, eventually. I just made it as a place off of Kindleboards to congregate. I want it to be about sharing the craft and business... and by business I mean not expecting others to buy your books (unless we strategise it that way for whatever reason). At this point I am only adding people I recognise from this thread.


----------



## Patty Jansen

I think it could be beneficial to put up a "NO SPAM OR BURN IN HELL" note on the site and throw it open to the masses. I, for one, know a lot of self-published authors who are not on the Kindleboards and could desperately use some more experienced souls to talk to.


----------



## JB Rowley

JamieCampbell said:


> Yeah for Aussie authors!
> 
> I'm on the Gold Coast, Queensland - it is a beautiful sunny day here today.


Spare a thought for those of us here in Melbourne and stop bragging about your sunshine! (Just kidding. )


----------



## Writerly Writer

Patty Jansen said:


> I think it could be beneficial to put up a "NO SPAM OR BURN IN HELL" note on the site and throw it open to the masses. I, for one, know a lot of self-published authors who are not on the Kindleboards and could desperately use some more experienced souls to talk to.


It depends on what the group wants from the facebook group. Selina was talking about making a group and I guessed she was referring to the way the Indie Voice works. I think we'd have to limit our numbers on the facebook group in order to make something like that manageable... or, if we decide we want an open, anyone can join unless they don't spam, group, we should still have a core group of us aside from the main FB group.

Anyone want to jump in here?


----------



## JB Rowley

KJCOLT said:


> I think we'd have to limit our numbers on the facebook group in order to make something like that manageable...


That would be my thought too.


----------



## RinG

Bec Allinson said:


> If you _really_ hate phoning people, you can always fax the form to them. That's what I did. Yep, I'm a wimp. They faxed back a week or two later, and I got a copy in the post as well.


That sounds like a better option! What form did you fax them? I'd have to go out to find a fax machine, so I wouldn't want them to fax back to that number! How long did the post copy take?


----------



## Sam Winterwood

I joined up (at least I think I did... I'm mostly asleep right now) under Sam Woods


----------



## Writerly Writer

SJ Woods said:


> I joined up (at least I think I did... I'm mostly asleep right now) under Sam Woods


Hey SJ are you in Australia?


----------



## Sam Winterwood

KJCOLT said:


> Hey SJ are you in Australia?


Yes, sunny sunny Wollongong on the east coast


----------



## Writer1000

Interested in joining the FB group but having problems with my personal FB account.


----------



## Maya Cross

There's already a decent sized Aussie/NZ author facebook group that has ~160 members. It can be found here:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/314714505323346/

Not sure if I can invite people or not, but you could friend my personal account and I can see if I can add you:

https://www.facebook.com/maya.cross.988


----------



## NicoleSwan

I'm too lazy to go on FB all the time... I just sit here watching the KB live-feed and pounce on topics.  The battles here are considerably more epic


----------



## JB Rowley

Good morning fellow Aussies.

We seem to have moved over to FB but I hope we can keep this group going as well.

In lieu of other topics we could always talk about the weather. 

In Melbourne today we are expecting another mild (ish) winter day and there is snow at all of Victoria's ski resorts.

Maybe we could talk about the importance of first lines. There is a discussion at _Guardian Australia_ about first lines and several authors have listed their favourite ones: (http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/aug/03/favourite-first-lines-booker-longlist-authors


Part of the introduction reads: _In storytelling, a first line plays many parts. It can seduce, or intrigue; advertise, baffle, or inspire. Whatever else it does, it must button-hole the gentle reader but - and this is the tricky part - it must not try too hard. Advice to would-be novelists: avoid that "Look, Mum, I'm dancing" first line. Readers always know when there's too much spin on the ball._

I always take care to try to make my first line intriguing but I have not thought about the problem of putting 'too much spin on the ball'.

JB


----------



## Guest

It's true for me that the first line is often the cut off point. I won't start reading something that doesn't get me interested in the beginning. Pet peeve of mine is having dialogue as the first line. Especially when it's followed by something redundant like 'Renae said'. Who the hell is Renae? Where the hell are we ? What's this story about?


----------



## Patty Jansen

Heeee! I've published a new novella.

To be honest, it was already published before, in a small magazine, and even made io9 in a post ominously titled "Best online stories from February and March 2013"

Yesterday, I realised it was out-of-contract, so I put it up online. It went up on Amazon, still waiting for Kobo.

ETA: I put it in my sig file


----------



## JB Rowley

ShaneJeffery said:


> It's true for me that the first line is often the cut off point. I won't start reading something that doesn't get me interested in the beginning. Pet peeve of mine is having dialogue as the first line. Especially when it's followed by something redundant like 'Renae said'. Who the hell is Renae? Where the hell are we ? What's this story about?


Depending on what the dialogue is, that sort of opening might tempt to read on to find out who Renae is but I can understand how you might find it tiresome. Actually, I don't think I (as a reader) am much bothered by the first line of a book. It's more the first paragraph that either gets me in or loses me.


----------



## NicoleSwan

Morning all.  Starting to get annoyingly warm in this part of the country during the day. I barely had the chance to try out some of my warmer outfits this winter 

At least the BBoS-US is broken.


----------



## JB Rowley

NicoleSwan said:


> Starting to get annoyingly warm in this part of the country during the day. I barely had the chance to try out some of my warmer outfits this winter


I yearn for 'annoyingly warm'!


----------



## RinG

Got myself all psyched up to call to get an EIN, and the offices are closed! ARGH!

So hard to find some time when the house is QUIET enough to make a call.


----------



## JB Rowley

Congratulations on taking the big step, Rinelle. It was just a rehearsal; don't give up now. JB


----------



## Writer1000

Rinelle Grey said:


> Got myself all psyched up to call to get an EIN, and the offices are closed! ARGH!


Good luck with that, Rinelle. I dreaded making that call, too. But it wasn't bad at all and got my EIN on the spot.



JB Rowley said:


> We seem to have moved over to FB but I hope we can keep this group going as well.
> 
> In lieu of other topics we could always talk about the weather.


Hope we can keep this group going here as well.

Sydney is currently 23 degrees - nice and sunny. 

Still waiting for my first paid sale this month for my romance novels. 0 sales for a few days now.  

I can't wait until my KDP Select period is over. I'm looking forward to trying other platforms. But I'm still scratching my head when it comes to marketing and promotions.


----------



## Sam Winterwood

What time of day have people called to get their EIN?


----------



## Writer1000

SJ Woods said:


> What time of day have people called to get their EIN?


I can't remember exactly but I made sure it was business hours there. I used Skype (my husband had credits) as I wasn't sure how long I would be on hold for but I didn't have to wait for too long.


----------



## Herc- The Reluctant Geek

If you call at 6.30 am AEST, it would be just past lunch in most parts of the USA (11.30am Washington, 1.30pm Los Angeles).


----------



## Sam Winterwood

Cool, thanks everyone


----------



## Patty Jansen

Herc- The Reluctant Geek said:


> If you call at 6.30 am AEST, it would be just past lunch in most parts of the USA (11.30am Washington, 1.30pm Los Angeles).


Uhm, wouldn't that be the other way around? 1.30pm in Washington and 11.30am in LA


----------



## NicoleSwan

> I can't wait until my KDP Select period is over. I'm looking forward to trying other platforms. But I'm still scratching my head when it comes to marketing and promotions.


That sure is the killer isn't it... marketing. I've got a lot of adverts/promos going on out there currently, and they're turning in very weak results.


----------



## Patty Jansen

It can take a loooooooong time to get off the ground on any of those other platforms, especially B&N. Don't run back to Select after a month. My books didn't start selling there until more than a year after uploading. For Apple it was even longer. The thing is that they deliver steady sales and I don't have to do a single thing to get those sales.


----------



## RinG

Yeah, I think I only missed it by  half an hour or so! Was waiting until hubby took my daughter out to play, so I would have a quiet house and no pressure. Will have to try earlier next time.


----------



## Writer1000

NicoleSwan said:


> That sure is the killer isn't it... marketing. I've got a lot of adverts/promos going on out there currently, and they're turning in very weak results.


Yeah. I've read from other threads that BookBub is the most effective. I might see if they would accept my highest rating book for a 99cent promo. But with only 9 reviews so far, I doubt it.

I paid for a couple of promos in book bargain sites last month (about $15 each) and didn't get my money back. I wondered if it was because those kinds of promos only work well if you discount your book to, say 99cents? I kept mine at their current price of $2.99.



Patty Jansen said:


> It can take a loooooooong time to get off the ground on any of those other platforms, especially B&N. Don't run back to Select after a month. My books didn't start selling there until more than a year after uploading. For Apple it was even longer. The thing is that they deliver steady sales and I don't have to do a single thing to get those sales.


Thanks, Patty. I like the fact that you just leave them alone on the other sites and you get steady sales.

I'm considering making the first book in my first series permafree on the other sites and hopefully, Amazon would prize match. Some authors seem to find this worthwhile. Has anybody here tried that?

So far, my most effective marketing strategy was the Select free days. The other books in the series sell whenever I offer one for free so I thought permafree could be helpful for me. (But then again, how do people know you have a permafree on Apple, B&N, etc?)


----------



## Herc- The Reluctant Geek

Patty Jansen said:


> Uhm, wouldn't that be the other way around? 1.30pm in Washington and 11.30am in LA


Actually, yes. I got my latitudes all mixed up


----------



## Patty Jansen

Book 1 in my series is free on Smashwords, B&N, Sony and Amazon US, UK and CA. When it first went free, I was picked up by ENT and got about 10K downloads. That resulted in some decent sales that month, but now the sell-on percentage is about 1-2% of downloads, which is about average from free >> paid.

This book is NOT free on Kobo, and some months I sell more on Kobo than I give away on Amazon.


----------



## JohnHindmarsh

Patty Jansen said:


> Uhm, wouldn't that be the other way around? 1.30pm in Washington and 11.30am in LA


Yep - an easy mistake. However - the west coast is three hours behind - just go to google search and type in 'time in washington dc' and it should give you the time there.


----------



## Writer1000

Patty Jansen said:


> Book 1 in my series is free on Smashwords, B&N, Sony and Amazon US, UK and CA. When it first went free, I was picked up by ENT and got about 10K downloads. That resulted in some decent sales that month, but now the sell-on percentage is about 1-2% of downloads, which is about average from free >> paid.
> 
> This book is NOT free on Kobo, and some months I sell more on Kobo than I give away on Amazon.


Thanks, Patty. Good to know.


----------



## NicoleSwan

Hello all.  Warming up even more here... not liking this at all.

I suppose a lot of us are crossing our fingers and hoping for the end of the "summer slump" ?


----------



## kathrynoh

Yeah so far August has been my worst sales month ever.


----------



## NicoleSwan

kathrynoh said:


> Yeah so far August has been my worst sales month ever.


I thought June was bad... July was worse, I thought July was bad... August is so far even worse again... wow, how low can we go?


----------



## Patty Jansen

Nope, not here. June was OK, July was pretty good and August is starting off better than July did. Of course, my main sales venues are away from Amazon and they tend to produce a lot more even sales patterns.


----------



## JennR

This is in reply to a couple of different questions.

When I rang to get my EIN it took me 4 goes! Twice the automated voice told me there was a wait time of 30 minutes. When I hung on for 30 minutes, I got disconnected!

The first time I rang the man told me I had to fill out an SS4 form.  You can download it from the IRS site and fill it out on your computer, it's a pdf file. I think they want you to do that so you have all your information at your fingertips.

I rang between 5-6am Tassie time. The time I was successful, I got a nice lady who said I was her last call of the day as she clocked off at 2.30pm! She started work at 6 or 6.30am.

I used a $10 international phone card I bought from Woolies to make the calls and have some credit left on it.  

The IRS will send you some paperwork about your EIN and once you've got your EIN you need to fill out a W8BEN form for Amazon and anyone else you sell books through.  I mailed mine snail mail and it got there within 2 weeks.  Amazon will email you when they receive it.

Perma-free: I uploaded mine to Smashword's premium catalog + it toook a few weeks to go free on Amazon.  I've been getting 1-2% sales too.

Hope this helps.


----------



## RinG

JennR said:


> Amazon will email you when they receive it.


Thanks Jenn, that was going to be my next question!

Took me all day, but I got the call done, my EIN, filled out the form, and sent it off! (snail mail, wasn't going to pay $40 for express!)

I have to say, thanks to everyone on this thread. Otherwise, I would have just kept putting it off and feeling bad, instead of having it all done and taken care of.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Now you can all prod me into doing it.

Still unsure. I HATE making phone calls.


----------



## RinG

I hate it too! But it was relatively painless, as calls go. I kept telling myself 'What's the worst they can do?' And reminding myself I could always hang up!

My question now is, people have mentioned asking Amazon to hold your payments until they receive the form. How do you do this? I can't see anything about it anywhere, do you just have to email them? 

Now I just have to look into payoneer. And finish editing my next book. The list is never-ending!


----------



## JB Rowley

Rinelle Grey said:


> My question now is, people have mentioned asking Amazon to hold your payments until they receive the form. How do you do this? I can't see anything about it anywhere, do you just have to email them?


Good morning, Rinelle. Just go to the Kindle Direct Publishing page at Amazon and use the '_Contact us'_ button to email them. I have always found them to be very prompt in answering queries.

JB


----------



## Writer1000

Hi everyone!

It's cloudy in Sydney today with a current temperature of 10 degrees .

Hope you have a productive day!


----------



## Patty Jansen

It is absolutely-freaking-cold!


----------



## Sam Winterwood

Windy and wet in Wollongong.
Lucky I'm inside at work, stealing a few minutes to write


----------



## Glenn Wood

MirandaPCharles said:


> Yeah. I've read from other threads that BookBub is the most effective. I might see if they would accept my highest rating book for a 99cent promo. But with only 9 reviews so far, I doubt it.
> 
> I paid for a couple of promos in book bargain sites last month (about $15 each) and didn't get my money back. I wondered if it was because those kinds of promos only work well if you discount your book to, say 99cents? I kept mine at their current price of $2.99.
> 
> Thanks, Patty. I like the fact that you just leave them alone on the other sites and you get steady sales.
> 
> I'm considering making the first book in my first series permafree on the other sites and hopefully, Amazon would prize match. Some authors seem to find this worthwhile. Has anybody here tried that?
> 
> So far, my most effective marketing strategy was the Select free days. The other books in the series sell whenever I offer one for free so I thought permafree could be helpful for me. (But then again, how do people know you have a permafree on Apple, B&N, etc?)


Kiwi writer here - I just got on Bookbub at $1.99 for my book normally $4.99 with only 7 reviews so it is possible - I hit them with a compelling argument including unashamed use of the LOR trilogy even though it has nothing to do with my book!


----------



## AriadneW

Glenn Wood said:


> Kiwi writer here - I just got on Bookbub at $1.99 for my book normally $4.99 with only 7 reviews so it is possible - I hit them with a compelling argument including unashamed use of the LOR trilogy even though it has nothing to do with my book!


Awww. Interesting tactic, I would never have thought of that lol


----------



## L M May

NicoleSwan said:


> Aaaah yes, the cursed cheque from Amazon, really now, for a business that leads the world on internet shopping they're profoundly backward in paying out writers across borders
> 
> I think we lost about $35 on the previous one we cashed. I wish there was a way to simply tell Amazon to hold the cheque until it breaks at least $1000.


Not sure if anyone else has mentioned it, but you can ask Amazon to put a hold on cheques. I did.


----------



## CJArcher

Hi everyone, I'm still here. David Adams has posted a thread about getting tax back, so there might be some posts in there that will help folks. I got my ITIN so long ago that I can't recall all the steps, and it sounds like the EIN route is easier anyway. I do remember that I had Amazon and Smashwords hold off paying me until I had the ITIN in my hot little hands. That way no tax was taken out. Just email them and ask.


----------



## Writer1000

Glenn Wood said:


> Kiwi writer here - I just got on Bookbub at $1.99 for my book normally $4.99 with only 7 reviews so it is possible - I hit them with a compelling argument including unashamed use of the LOR trilogy even though it has nothing to do with my book!


Hmm. Would have to come up with something compelling for mine...


----------



## NicoleSwan

L M May said:


> Not sure if anyone else has mentioned it, but you can ask Amazon to put a hold on cheques. I did.


Any specific indication on how to get them to do that?


----------



## L M May

NicoleSwan said:


> Any specific indication on how to get them to do that?


Use this link: https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/contact-us

Make sure you are logged into your KDP account, choose the 'pricing and royalties' options, then in the 'or ask your question here' box, write something like 'changing my payment threshold'. Then just fill in the box below it, saying what you would like to change it to. They get back to you pretty quickly.

Hope that helps. I also heard (so not sure of the accuracy) that if you put in a few cheques at once, that you only get charged one fee.


----------



## Patty Jansen

URGH. 5pm crap-out. Just now that I've done my editing for today.

I'm releasing book 3 in a series within a month or two (I hope early October). I'm excited!


----------



## Colin Taber

Hi all!

It's been a busy few writing weeks for me, with a few more ahead. 

Winter here has been in full swing in Perth for the past few days, but there's enough green shoots, flowers and the beginnings of my hay fever to tell me that spring isn't too far away.

Good luck with the upcoming new release, Patty!


----------



## Patty Jansen

At 1pm today it was only 9.5C. Urgh.


----------



## Colin Taber

We've had about a third of our monthly rainfall in a day and it hasn't finished yet. The roads are terrible.

Although, on the plus side of things, it's not too chilly here, just cool.


----------



## JB Rowley

Colin Taber said:


> Winter here has been in full swing in Perth for the past few days, but there's enough green shoots, flowers and the beginnings of my hay fever to tell me that spring isn't too far away.


Yesterday, one of my students (I teach English) gave me a daffodil from her garden. That's how I know spring is on the way. Yippee!


----------



## kathrynoh

Yesterday was lovely in Melbourne.  I finally got a chance to bath the dog -- which was long overdue!

Today, I've been in bed with a headache up to now.  I keep getting really bad headaches on the weekend which is really frustrating as it cuts into my writing schedule big time.  And no, they aren't hangovers but I'm considering taking up heavy drinking since I have to endure the pain anyway!


----------



## RinG

We're heading to the beach tomorrow. Supposed to be 28 degrees! Should be a nice day.

Today, I'm trying to make myself write. I have one scene to add to my novel, and a bunch of minor changes from my beta readers to input. But I keep getting distracted by my daughter watching YouTube beside me. *sigh*


----------



## NicoleSwan

Afternoon all.  Been a bit busy the last few days... computer shifting and boring things like that.


----------



## Writer1000

Beautiful day in Sydney today.  22 degrees.  But I'm indoors trying to write.


----------



## Patty Jansen

MirandaPCharles said:


> Beautiful day in Sydney today. 22 degrees. But I'm indoors trying to write.


Lucky you, I've spent most of my Sunday in traffic, most of it stuck on Military Rd GRRRR

Also, daughters ran City to Surf this morning and I had to drop them off.

Hope to have finished edits for my tradepub book later today.


----------



## kathrynoh

> Also, daughters ran City to Surf this morning and I had to drop them off.


Lucky daughters - I've run it a few times but in the last few years my body's too old and run down  Hope they do well.


----------



## JB Rowley

Patty Jansen said:


> I'm releasing book 3 in a series within a month or two (I hope early October). I'm excited!


Good luck, Patty.

JB


----------



## Patty Jansen

Good morning all! 

I also got Amazon money this morning. Not only that, I got paid out for Amazon UK for the first time ever.


----------



## Writer1000

Patty Jansen said:


> I also got Amazon money this morning. Not only that, I got paid out for Amazon UK for the first time ever.


Happy cheque banking, Patty!


----------



## RinG

Finally got around to checking the mail today, and I have my first ever royalty cheque! 

Would have been even nicer if not for the withholding tax.  But I'm not going to sweat it, since I have my EIN now, it will be the only time.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Sent tradepub edits to publisher *phew*

Working like mad on book 3 of the Aghyrians series now. I want to have it done by 1 October... but did I mention that I'm potentially planning an OS trip for two of those weeks. At least plane flights are verrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyy looooooooooooooooooooooooong and booooooooooooooring.


----------



## Sam Winterwood

Been a tad sick the last week, so not a lot of writing. Little bits, but falling behind schedule. 
ANYWAY, I hope no one got blown away with all the wind this week!


----------



## JB Rowley

SJ Woods said:


> Been a tad sick the last week, so not a lot of writing. Little bits, but falling behind schedule.
> ANYWAY, I hope no one got blown away with all the wind this week!


Got blown away this morning here in Melbourne but at least the sun is out. I'm behind schedule too, well I was, so I just rescheduled. Now I'm on schedule!


----------



## kathrynoh

I'm having a little tantrum today.  Mexico gets their own amazon and we don't? Not fair.  *footstamp*


----------



## JB Rowley

kathrynoh said:


> I'm having a little tantrum today. Mexico gets their own amazon and we don't? Not fair. *footstamp*


Yeah. That would make me stomp too - although I think Amazon Mexico is only a rumour at this stage?


----------



## kathrynoh

JB, it came up on the sales report page briefly yesterday then disappeared!


----------



## JB Rowley

kathrynoh said:


> JB, it came up on the sales report page briefly yesterday then disappeared!


Ah, so it was a mistake. Someone got their geography mixed up; it was actually meant to be 'au' not 'mx'. 

JB (I'll hold that thought!)


----------



## Writer1000

JB Rowley said:


> Ah, so it was a mistake. Someone got their geography mixed up; it was actually meant to be 'au' not 'mx'.
> 
> JB (I'll hold that thought!)


Glad you didn't say you'll hold your breath, JB.


----------



## Maya Cross

Hit publish last night, and now I'm just a bundle of nervous energy. Third time's a charm, right?


----------



## Writer1000

Maya Cross said:


> Hit publish last night, and now I'm just a bundle of nervous energy. Third time's a charm, right?


Go, Maya! Now #24 in Amazon. A big congrats!


----------



## David Adams

kathrynoh said:


> I'm having a little tantrum today. Mexico gets their own amazon and we don't? Not fair. *footstamp*


My rage about this is a mountain. I am burning it as fuel for editing.


----------



## David Adams

Maya Cross said:


> Hit publish last night, and now I'm just a bundle of nervous energy. Third time's a charm, right?


If it helps, sales REALLY picked up for Lacuna when I launched the third book. Hoping the forth book will do something similar later this year.


----------



## Sam Winterwood

Smashing it!


----------



## Maya Cross

David Adams said:


> If it helps, sales REALLY picked up for Lacuna when I launched the third book. Hoping the forth book will do something similar later this year.


It appears that is the case here. Can't even comprehend how good this launch has been.



MirandaPCharles said:


> Go, Maya! Now #24 in Amazon. A big congrats!


Thank you!


----------



## JB Rowley

Maya Cross said:


> Hit publish last night, and now I'm just a bundle of nervous energy. Third time's a charm, right?


Congratulations, Maya. I just checked out the books on Amazon. Wow! You are doing so well.

Unfortunately, I was unable to get to the first book in the trilogy through the link in your signature or the link in the Amazon 'Also bought' section. Let's hope it is a temporary glitch. I had no difficulty accessing the other two books so I assume it is not a problem with my browser (Firefox).

JB


----------



## Patty Jansen

Anyone else out there freezing their butts off? My writing room is at the cold and windy side of the house, and guess what? It's cold and windy!

Beavering away to get book 3 of my series finished. I echo David's comment about third books. I've noticed better sales for book 1 of the Aghyrians series when I brought out book 2. Now that I'm bringing out book 3, I'm hoping that the series will start to stand on its own two legs, as my trilogy is doing.

I'm going to try the preorder feature at Kobo.


----------



## Shayne Parkinson

It's wonderful to see your success, Maya!

I don't usually mind the cold too much (it really doesn't get all that cold where I am), but I'm still adjusting after a fab week in Vanuatu, and that wind out there is *chilly*!

I had a rotten headache all morning, so have got very little writing done. Feeling better now, though I can almost feel the painkillers rattling around inside.


----------



## MitchHogan

Congrats Maya!

It seems 3 books is the magic number, better get writing!

And yes, it's a bit chilly here, my hands are freezing and it's making typing hard. Fingerless gloves maybe??


----------



## Sam Winterwood

Its windy in wollongong today and I have a sinus cold. Can barely breathe. Fun times.
I did get about 6,000 words edited today so there's that.


----------



## JB Rowley

Freezing my titties off here in Melbourne.

The cold weather is expensive - I get up at 5.00 each morning to do a couple of hours writing and have to have the gas heater going full blast to keep warm. Now, if only I could sell enough books to go north every winter -yes, north to a warm writer's hideaway.


----------



## Patty Jansen

You'd have to go north a fair way to be truly comfortable. Anywhere north of Rockhampton will do


----------



## RinG

It's still pretty warm here in Brisbane. I'm even wearing a summer dress today. 

I finished editing Reckless Rebellion Sunday night, and sent it off to th editor. Feels really good, I was so over that book! Looking forward to getting it out the into the world. Beta readers have said it's stronger than the last one, so hopefully my sales will pick up. Either way, I'm getting to work on the next one ASAP.

After taking a few days off to visit my mum and cuddle cute puppies.


----------



## JB Rowley

Rinelle Grey said:


> It's still pretty warm here in Brisbane. I'm even wearing a summer dress today.


Ah, Rinelle, perhaps you could offer to turn your home into a winter refuge for Melbourne writers.  (Brisbane would be far enough north for me.)



Rinelle Grey said:


> I finished editing Reckless Rebellion Sunday night, and sent it off to th editor. Feels really good, I was so over that book!


Congratulations! I can empathise with that feeling of being 'so over' a book by the time the writing is finished.

JB


----------



## A.A

Maya Cross said:


> It appears that is the case here. Can't even comprehend how good this launch has been.
> 
> Thank you!


That's so great, Maya!
(And just a little note. I just checked the exchange rates this morning - US$10,000 = AU$11,000 approx.  )

Congrats on finishing edits, Rinelle! I'm re-editing my first book at the moment (Dollhouse) and writing Book 4 and trying to get to the finish line on both.

It's a cooold one here on the Central Coast, Sydney today. Must be snowing somewhere!


----------



## CJArcher

Congrats Maya! Great to see an Aussie doing so well.

Yes, freezing here in Melbourne with no end in sight. Sigh. Bring on spring.


----------



## Writer1000

Have the heater on in my study. Holing myself in here again today as the rest of the house is freezing.



Rinelle Grey said:


> I finished editing Reckless Rebellion Sunday night, and sent it off to th editor. Feels really good, I was so over that book! Looking forward to getting it out the into the world. Beta readers have said it's stronger than the last one, so hopefully my sales will pick up. Either way, I'm getting to work on the next one ASAP.





Anya said:


> I'm re-editing my first book at the moment (Dollhouse) and writing Book 4 and trying to get to the finish line on both.


Good luck with your new books, girls!

Sent Secret Designs to the editor a couple of days ago, too. I'm giving myself another day or two to do some reading (currently reading Maya's books) before I start on the next one.


----------



## Sam Winterwood

Morning Australia!
I've got my Lemsip, my laptop and ready to get some serious editing on today. (Or at least until I go to work)
Whats everyone up to?


----------



## Patty Jansen

Editing.

It's cold.


----------



## NicoleSwan

Morning all.... work work work today, unfortunately none of it is writing work :\


----------



## MitchHogan

mmm Lemsip, lemon flavoured panadol drink! I might have one myself. Bought a packet the other day then realised for the same price I could have bought 50 panadol and a kilo of lemons...

Sat down to have a productive writing day then council trucks/workers appeared in the street and are now making enough noise to be distracting. Must push through and keep writing... or check emails, and twitter, and sales, and kboards again...


----------



## Patty Jansen

Oh man, I've lived in a giant building site since February. They're building a major housing development in the next street on what used to be university car park. Of course now the students have nowhere to park, so they're all down our street. On some days it's nigh impossible to get out of our driveway. Trying to get to the shops might take some time if you meet a truck carrying an earth-moving machine in a narrow street with students' cars parked on both sides, and the only way out is to reverse back 100 metres, but there are ten cars behind you.

There has been major jackhammering every single day since February. Yesterday, they were putting down drainage pipes that have to be drilled underneath properties across the road and connected up with pipes going underneath our street. That underground drilling makes the windows shake.

AAARRGGHH!

We've got two more years of this crap to go.


----------



## Writer1000

I'll probably start on my new book today.


----------



## Maya Cross

Thanks for the congrats everyone. It still seems to be going strong. I haven't written for a few days. I'm trying to take some time to relax and enjoy the launch, but I'm already feeling the itch. Soon me thinks.


----------



## RinG

I spoke too soon on the cold front. Rather chilly here today. Couldn't call it freezing though.

Starting to think about getting back into writing now the editing is done, but I'm in no rush. Other things to catch up on as well.


----------



## JohnHindmarsh

Storms here today. Caused a power outage for most of the afternoon. And the optician dosed my eyes this morning and I cannot see a darn thing. So I've two excuses for not writing today. [South Lake Tahoe, a looong way from Melbourne/Sydney of Brisbane!]

Status - one day off finishing major edit of Mark One - my first thriller. Trying to get it ready to publish for end of September.


----------



## JB Rowley

Patty Jansen said:


> Oh man, I've lived in a giant building site since February. They're building a major housing development in the next street on what used to be university car park. Of course now the students have nowhere to park, so they're all down our street. On some days it's nigh impossible to get out of our driveway. Trying to get to the shops might take some time if you meet a truck carrying an earth-moving machine in a narrow street with students' cars parked on both sides, and the only way out is to reverse back 100 metres, but there are ten cars behind you.
> 
> There has been major jackhammering every single day since February. Yesterday, they were putting down drainage pipes that have to be drilled underneath properties across the road and connected up with pipes going underneath our street. That underground drilling makes the windows shake.
> 
> AAARRGGHH!
> 
> We've got two more years of this crap to go.


I feel your pain, Patty. I have had a building site right next door to me for the past couple of months with another 1.5 years to go. I don't have the traffic problem you have but the noise was a serious issue at first. I am coping better now with the help of good quality ear plugs from E.A.R. Sometimes I also wear industrial ear muffs over the ear plugs. Before the building started I enjoyed the luxury of scheduling my writing for mid morning but I have changed 'my shift' to 5am - 7am. Actually, I like that better but because of the bloody cold it means using the heater and therefore increasing my gas bill. I don't like that bit.

Anyway, I do hope your situation does not become too stressful.

JB


----------



## Sean Sweeney

Not Australian, but a writer who loves Aussie Rules football!


----------



## JB Rowley

Sean Sweeney said:


> Not Australian, but a writer who loves Aussie Rules football!


Well, subscribing to the No.1 denomination of Australia's national religion will get you street cred, Sean!


----------



## JB Rowley

What are all you Aussies doing this fine Sunday morning?

Good news; this time next week winter will be over (officially anyway). Yay!


----------



## JohnHindmarsh

Well, this expat Aussie is wondering what kind of winter we'll be having this year... in the Rockies.


----------



## Writer1000

Yay! Bring on spring!

Beautiful day in Sydney today so hubby and I might go to Manly this afternoon.

In the meantime, I have to resist checking my dashboard constantly. I have Book 2 for free for 5 days and I haven't grown out of the habit of seeing if I had an extra download in the last half an hour.

Have a great day everyone!


----------



## Shayne Parkinson

Thunder and lightning and hail last night! It made for a somewhat broken night.

Today it's grey and dreary, so it's probably quite appropriate that I've spent the morning filing and doing the accounts.  DH has promised to make blueberry muffins for afternoon tea, though, so the day is looking more promising.


----------



## JB Rowley

MirandaPCharles said:


> Yay! Bring on spring!
> 
> Beautiful day in Sydney today so hubby and I might go to Manly this afternoon.
> 
> In the meantime, I have to resist checking my dashboard constantly. I have Book 2 for free for 5 days and I haven't grown out of the habit of seeing if I had an extra download in the last half an hour.
> 
> Have a great day everyone!


_
Heart Robber_ seems to be having a great free run. Congratulations, Miranda! Good luck for the rest of the promo.
(Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #130 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
#5 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Women's Fiction
#6 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary Fiction)

JB


----------



## RinG

Nice weather here in Brisbane, though the nights are still a bit cold.

Saw the new My Little Pony Movie with my daughter, sister and niece this morning, which was lots of fun. We all enjoyed it.

Then this afternoon my sister helped me finish up some if the graphic work for my new book, and my creatspace paperback.


----------



## Writer1000

JB Rowley said:


> _
> Heart Robber_ seems to be having a great free run. Congratulations, Miranda! Good luck for the rest of the promo.
> (Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #130 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
> #5 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Women's Fiction
> #6 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary Fiction)
> 
> JB


Thanks JB! Hope the momentum holds. Also hope Amazon would show the ranking for the Romance categories. It's showing on the Top 100 of Romance and Contemporary Romance but not on the product page.

Anyway, being outdoors today helped me stay away from my dashboard, although I did take a peek a couple of times on my phone. 

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Why are Sundays so boooooooooooring on the internet?


----------



## Sam Winterwood

Finally feeling better (about 85% healthy I'd say).
Even got out a 500 word outline for a short story for this thing we've all been talking about on KB.


----------



## Colin Taber

Sean Sweeney said:


> Not Australian, but a writer who loves Aussie Rules football!


That makes you an honourary Australian for sure!


----------



## Sean Sweeney

JB Rowley said:


> Well, subscribing to the No.1 denomination of Australia's national religion will get you street cred, Sean!


Now if I could only figure out the 50-meter penalties... lol



Colin Taber said:


> That makes you an honourary Australian for sure!


I'm well chuffed by that. Up the Gold Coast!


----------



## JohnHindmarsh

We are choking on smoke - the big fire near Yosemite is sending vast volumes of smoke in our direction. Fortunately it is a distance away - perhaps 100 miles?


----------



## Sean Sweeney

JohnHindmarsh said:


> We are choking on smoke - the big fire near Yosemite is sending vast volumes of smoke in our direction. Fortunately it is a distance away - perhaps 100 miles?


Stay safe, John.


----------



## JohnHindmarsh

I think the main issue for us is breathing smoke, rather than fire. Tremendous amount - it's worse than Hong Kong pollution...


----------



## Writer1000

JohnHindmarsh said:


> I think the main issue for us is breathing smoke, rather than fire. Tremendous amount - it's worse than Hong Kong pollution...


Echoing Sean. Stay safe, John.


----------



## JB Rowley

JohnHindmarsh said:


> I think the main issue for us is breathing smoke, rather than fire. Tremendous amount - it's worse than Hong Kong pollution...


Thinking of you, John.


----------



## Sam Winterwood

Finally upped and published a short story for the Konrath short thing everyone had been doing. (Waiting on [email protected] to do their end)
Didn't feel any nerves. I guess because its the first thing I've published I don't have anyone waiting on what I have to offer.


----------



## Patty Jansen

There was a butcher bird in our kitchen. It took off with one of the biscuits my daughters made this morning. I shooed it out and shut the door (crap, and the weather was so nice, too), and now it's sitting on the door mat wondering how to get back in. It must have liked those biscuits.


----------



## CJArcher

SJ Woods said:


> Finally upped and published a short story for the Konrath short thing everyone had been doing. (Waiting on [email protected] to do their end)
> Didn't feel any nerves. I guess because its the first thing I've published I don't have anyone waiting on what I have to offer.


It sounds really liberating. I might have to try it one day as part of my own challenge - just writing something for the joy of it.

Is anyone else glad the Essendon saga is FINALLY over? Maybe it's just a Melbourne thing, but it's dominated tv, radio and everyday conversations here. As a Bombers fan, I'm sad, but glad we can focus on other, more important things. Isn't there an election or something coming up?


----------



## Patty Jansen

AFL?

Boo-hiss!

Cowboys, cowboys, cowboys, go cowboys!!!


----------



## Sean Sweeney

CJArcher said:


> It sounds really liberating. I might have to try it one day as part of my own challenge - just writing something for the joy of it.
> 
> Is anyone else glad the Essendon saga is FINALLY over? Maybe it's just a Melbourne thing, but it's dominated tv, radio and everyday conversations here. As a Bombers fan, I'm sad, but glad we can focus on other, more important things. Isn't there an election or something coming up?


Heard about it, but don't really know all the details. It is what it is, I guess. Time to move on for playoff footy. There's only one day in September.


----------



## Colin Taber

CJArcher said:


> It sounds really liberating. I might have to try it one day as part of my own challenge - just writing something for the joy of it.
> 
> Is anyone else glad the Essendon saga is FINALLY over? Maybe it's just a Melbourne thing, but it's dominated tv, radio and everyday conversations here. As a Bombers fan, I'm sad, but glad we can focus on other, more important things. Isn't there an election or something coming up?


I'm glad it's wrapped up for now. I'm hoping when ASDA's investigation is over they deal with any charges, findings and whatevers quickly so we don't have to go through months of egos and head butting again.


----------



## JB Rowley

Yesterday was the winter meeting of one of my writer support groups (I belong to two). I couldn't think of a better way to spend an afternoon. 

The moral support, the sense of camaraderie and community underpin the extremely valuable feedback on each other's writing. One member of our group has just been awarded an honour by Children's Book Council for her information book about a lyrebird so there was a little pink champagne flowing!

JB


----------



## Patty Jansen

HOLY CRAP I'VE GOT AN EIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## Sam Winterwood

Nice one!
Consider yourself 30% richer!


----------



## Bec

Patty Jansen said:


> HOLY CRAP I'VE GOT AN EIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


WOOHOOO!!!!

  

I was just looking at my weather app on my iPod. It's summer here in Vancouver. Melbourne's getting better weather...


----------



## JB Rowley

Patty Jansen said:


> HOLY CRAP I'VE GOT AN EIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Congratulations, Patty.

Yeah, Bec - heaters are off, umbrellas are away, thongs are out!

JB  (All right, I lied about the thongs; I'm still wearing boots.)


----------



## MitchHogan

Has anyone looked into opening a foreign currency bank account with HSBC or Citibank? It would be great to not receive cheques, and their exchange rates would be better, but I heard it was hard to open these accounts now.


----------



## Patty Jansen

MitchHogan said:


> Has anyone looked into opening a foreign currency bank account with HSBC or Citibank? It would be great to not receive cheques, and their exchange rates would be better, but I heard it was hard to open these accounts now.


This doesn't work, unless you go to the US and open an account there.


----------



## kathrynoh

> heaters are off, umbrellas are away, thongs are out!


Good thing this is the Australian writer's thread, cos the Americans would interprete that in a completely different way


----------



## MitchHogan

Patty Jansen said:


> This doesn't work, unless you go to the US and open an account there.


Yeah, I have a sneaking suspicion their 'USD accounts' are in-house accounting rather than actual US accounts, but I'll confirm anyway.


----------



## Patty Jansen

MitchHogan said:


> Yeah, I have a sneaking suspicion their 'USD accounts' are in-house accounting rather than actual US accounts, but I'll confirm anyway.


It's something to do with the routing numbers for those accounts. They're not acceptable to Amazon. Believe me, many people have tried.


----------



## JB Rowley

kathrynoh said:


> Good thing this is the Australian writer's thread, cos the Americans would interprete that in a completely different way


Yeah, thongs, you mean? That's one of the good things about this thread; we can 'speak normally' and be understood.

AND we can use coarse language like 'arse' without being censored - 'cos the Americans don't spell it that way.


----------



## Patty Jansen

JB Rowley said:


> Yeah, thongs, you mean? That's one of the good things about this thread; we can 'speak normally' and be understood.
> 
> AND we can use coarse language like 'arse' without being censored - 'cos the Americans don't spell it that way.


shhh, don't tell Betsy...


----------



## Sam Winterwood

There's been a thread about swearing. Something about cattle prods or something.
Do we, Australians, swear more than most other countries (probably not more than the UK!)?
I think we do and my characters reflect that. They swear. Not a lot but I don't censor them.


----------



## Patty Jansen

I have, on my computer somewhere, a story written from the POV of a tradesman. If I'd take out the f-words, I'd lose half the word count


----------



## Sam Winterwood

Common phrasing for me: swearing swear swear. swear swear swear swear.


----------



## Skate

Hi Everyone, I haven't posted to this thread before. I live in the Central Wheatbelt in Western Australia.

So Patti, you got your EIN. Did it hurt? Maybe I could try it, now that I've managed to do that other thing Amazon made us do.


----------



## JB Rowley

Skate said:


> Hi Everyone, I haven't posted to this thread before. I live in the Central Wheatbelt in Western Australia.
> 
> So Patti, you got your EIN. Did it hurt? Maybe I could try it, now that I've managed to do that other thing Amazon made us do.


Welcome, Skate.

Getting the EIN was 'easy as' for me but some people have felt the odd twinge of pain. We have had recent discussions about it on the Aussie Indie Writers Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/593237414059959/)

Cheers

JB


----------



## JB Rowley

SJ Woods said:


> There's been a thread about swearing. Something about cattle prods or something.
> Do we, Australians, swear more than most other countries (probably not more than the UK!)?
> I think we do and my characters reflect that. They swear. Not a lot but I don't censor them.


Most of the people I know rarely swear. Also, I currently have a building site next door to me and have never heard the tradies swear (maybe they do and I just have not heard them). However, on the tram I often hear the great F word bandied around by teenagers. I don't think they see it as a swear word; it's just an easy adjective to access from the limited vocabulary data base in their brains.

I think the incidence of swearing varies according to sub-groups, situations and regions.


----------



## JohnHindmarsh

JB Rowley said:


> Congratulations, Patty.
> 
> Yeah, Bec - heaters are off, umbrellas are away, thongs are out!
> 
> JB  (All right, I lied about the thongs; I'm still wearing boots.)


There was a story about an American company with an Australian branch. The Americans couldn't understand why there was an Aussie dress rule - 'Thongs not allowed in the office'.

Um - as long as I don't have to explain...


----------



## JB Rowley

JohnHindmarsh said:


> There was a story about an American company with an Australian branch. The Americans couldn't understand why there was an Aussie dress rule - 'Thongs not allowed in the office'.
> 
> Um - as long as I don't have to explain...


That's funny, John.

I wonder what those sexy young American gals think when they try to enter an Aussie pub or night club and see a sign above the door 'No thongs allowed'. Do they stop and wonder how that rule is being policed inside the establishment?


----------



## Patty Jansen

Yeah, I always had to laugh at the story told by an old neighbour. When her husband got an academic position in the UK, she taught physics at a local girls' private school. This was in the 1950's (yeah, I said she was old), and imagine the consternation when she asked the girls to bring their rules, pencils and rubbers.


----------



## Revolution

Bec Allinson said:


> WOOHOOO!!!!
> 
> 
> 
> I was just looking at my weather app on my iPod. It's summer here in Vancouver. Melbourne's getting better weather...


It's been so freaking mild. Spring arrived on a point rather than a gradient this year.


----------



## Revolution

Oh no, I'm being prompted to get my tax thingie underway  

Is it easier than I think?


----------



## JB Rowley

Revolution said:


> Oh no, I'm being prompted to get my tax thingie underway
> 
> Is it easier than I think?


Yes!


----------



## RinG

Yay Patty!


----------



## Selina Fenech

A question for all Aussies-
Anybody here done an audiobook? I know ACX (that makes audio books) and Audible (that distributes audio books) both don't allow users outside of the US. So even if I managed to have an audio book made somehow, where would I be able to distribute it? Are there any options that are available to Aussies that are big enough to be worth it? Would I have to find some kind of middleman in the US for publishing it? I'd love to know if any Aussies have managed to self publish in audio, and how!


----------



## JB Rowley

I'd like to know the answer to that too, Selina. 

As a listener I love audio books but as an author I have not yet ventured down the path of audio books. I was not aware that ACX and Audible were only for US citizens - dunno what people in other countries do. Maybe there is an audio option via the UK for Aussies.


----------



## Patty Jansen

I really, really haven't bothered even thinking about audiobooks. I'm barely bothered with print.


----------



## Writer1000

Just dropping by to say hope everyone had a great first day of spring (yay!) and a wonderful Father's Day celebrations.


----------



## RinG

I haven't given much thought to audiobooks, the startup costs seem a little too high to me at this point. I'm still working on my first print book!

Got my edits back for my next book yesterday, but haven't really had a chance to look at them yet. Family stuff has just been crazy, and that comes first. Have set a release date of the 18th though, and I should have no trouble getting it all done by then. Hopefully the print book of my first novel too. 

My payoneer card arrived today too, so I've set all that up, and am eagerly awaiting my first payment! Guess it will take a while. Also trying to find a decent accountant, my last one changed hands and I had a horrible time getting my taxes done at all!


----------



## Patty Jansen

Went out for dinner at a local Thai restaurant.

Then I came back and changed my sig file LOL!


----------



## Sam Winterwood

Your sig sold me. Straight to your website.


----------



## Writer1000

Patty Jansen said:


> Then I came back and changed my sig file LOL!


Hey, great new sig, Patty!



Rinelle Grey said:


> Have set a release date of the 18th though, and I should have no trouble getting it all done by then. Hopefully the print book of my first novel too.


Rinelle, I'm releasing my next book around mid to late Sept too! Good luck with that and with your print book for the first.


----------



## Shayne Parkinson

Love your banner, Patty!

Gorgeous spring weather here for the third day in a row. It lifts the spirits quite wonderfully.


----------



## JB Rowley

I enjoyed the first day of spring with a trip to my favourite dress shop. Their prices are way above my budget but the winter sale was on and I got myself a bargain. Yay!

After that excitement I put the finishing touches to a short story I am working on. According to Raymond Carver: _Evan Connell said once that he knew he was finished with a short story when he found himself going through it and taking out commas and then going through the story again and putting commas back in the same places._ That's the stage I am at with this story so I guess it is ready!

JB


----------



## Patty Jansen

Today is the day that I get up at 5am to drop my HB off at Central so he can catch the bus to Canberra. Since I got my camera in May, I've been going somewhere to take dawn pictures, but...

1. Geez, it's really starting to get light early. The best pictures (on my blog, under "photography") I've taken while it's still dark, but nah, not this time of the year.
2. Man, those cloudless skies are BORING for photography. 

So... bring on daylight saving (I'll be getting up at 4am instead of 5am, hence more time in darkness) and bring on summer humidity (more clouds and interesting skies).

Anyway, McMahon's Point was quite nice, but who'da thunk it'd be hard to park there at 5.30am? *G*


----------



## Sam Winterwood

5am is a time I never want to see.
There's a few clouds in Wollongong but not a lot to get excited about.

Starting a new job today! Well, a new contract at work. Still call centre duties but it will be a bit more interesting + better pay + more hours.
So writing may be a bit slim for a little while. Not that I've written much since I had a sinus infection 2 weeks or so ago.

How do people get back into the swing if writing? I need to get my writing mojo back


----------



## kathrynoh

Patty, I usually get up early for work so I can commute without too many people to deal with but I've noticed as it's got lighter, more people on the early trains. I guess I'll have to be even earlier.



> How do people get back into the swing if writing? I need to get my writing mojo back


I find it best to just do something, even if it's just a read through of a WIP. Gets it into the brain and gets the ideas brewing


----------



## Patty Jansen

Yup, it was damn busy this morning.

People often ask if you're a morning person or night owl, and my answer is: both.


----------



## Writer1000

I am most definitely a night owl. Sometimes I think to myself how wonderful it would be to watch the sunrise, but...(shrugs)



SJ Woods said:


> How do people get back into the swing if writing? I need to get my writing mojo back


I just force myself to write a few paragraphs - whatever comes to mind. Then, slowly, I get into the zone.


----------



## kathrynoh

I'm most definitely a night owl but my sheer intolerance for other people makes it hard for me to commute during peak hour.  I either go in early or wait until after the rush.  It's safer for everyone


----------



## RinG

I have no trouble staying up late, but I can't work then, I work best in the morning. (Which means whenever I wake up.) luckily, I don't have to commute, though my work does involve getting up early to take advantage of that early morning light. Luckily, I do most of my photography under studio lights these days.

Lovely spring weather here in Brissy, although it goes from cold to hot so quickly. I wouldn't mind a few weeks of just warm weather!


----------



## JB Rowley

Where have all the Aussies gone, long time passing?
Where have all the Aussies gone, long time ago?


----------



## Patty Jansen

Writing, writing, writing, writing.

Trying to get that damn novel finished before I go overseas on the 23rd. Not sure if I'll make it.


----------



## Writer1000

Got my book back from my editor so readying that book for publishing in mid-September. Tomorrow I'll be re-formatting the Lifestyle by Design series books for uploading to D2D/SW. I'm not sure how long that'll take me. Hopefully it wouldn't be too painful. But I'm really looking forward to having my books available in other platforms. 



Patty Jansen said:


> Trying to get that d*mn novel finished before I go overseas on the 23rd. Not sure if I'll make it.


Good luck, Patty! You'll make it!


----------



## RinG

Like Miranda, I've been editing and formatting, and not doing much else. Had a drama with sending the wrong file to the editor, but I'm over it now, and have decided that the file is pretty clean anyway (changes weren't as drastic as I thought at first), so I'm moving on.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Aaaargh!

Anyone who mentions the word "election" today is dead.

DEAD DEAD DEAD

I'm sick of it


----------



## kathrynoh

Yeah and aren't we supposed to be in black out today? That should apply to all social media as well.


----------



## RinG

I promise not to mention the unmentionable. Over it here too.


----------



## Sam Winterwood

There's an election? Hadn't noticed.
Don't worry. It's only one more day. Plus, election drinking games!


----------



## Patty Jansen

SJ Woods said:


> There's an election? Hadn't noticed.
> Don't worry. It's only one more day. Plus, election drinking games!


We'll need drinking games when it's all over!


----------



## JB Rowley

Yes, I think we'll be drowning our sorrows just because the choices were so limited. Can't believe Tony Abbott is going to be PM - better than Rudd but still.....


----------



## Patty Jansen

Mr Rabbit

I refuse to call him by his name


----------



## kathrynoh

The whole election campaign has been so depressing.  Is that the best we can expect from our leaders?

There's been a lot of talk about arts funding cuts which I figure doesn't effect me.  I'm never going to get an arts grant or any kind of funding from the govt because I don't play their games and I'd rather write stuff that is fun to read.  Writers in this country (and I mean literary/trad published) seem to write specifically to get Arts Council funding which, I think, has really weakened the publishing industry.  I like reading literary fiction but I don't like reading wank.


----------



## JB Rowley

Yeah, the Libs have been keeping schtum about the arts. 

I'm worried that the Gonski Report will become ineffective under a Lib Government - one of Julia Gillard's excellent initiatives which she started before she became Prime Minister.


----------



## Sean Sweeney

Rinelle Grey said:


> I haven't given much thought to audiobooks, the startup costs seem a little too high to me at this point. I'm still working on my first print book!


Rinelle, try acx.com. It's an Amazon company. They will allow you to split 50/50 royalties, no start up cost.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Sean Sweeney said:


> Rinelle, try acx.com. It's an Amazon company. They will allow you to split 50/50 royalties, no start up cost.


They do not take anyone outside the US


----------



## sunnycoast

Has anyone received this month's cheques yet?

I'm sure I usually get mine before the second week of every month.


----------



## Patty Jansen

I stopped my payments pending their receipt of my tax forms


----------



## Writer1000

x2far said:


> Has anyone received this month's cheques yet?
> 
> I'm sure I usually get mine before the second week of every month.


Not yet although I haven't checked my PO box this week. Usually I get mine around the second week of every month.


----------



## JB Rowley

I haven't received my cheques either. Good to know it's not just me.

I'm bloody annoyed that my last cheques have not been credited to my bank account yet. The 28 days holding period were up on September 7th but now it's been extended to September 18th for reasons only known to the bankers.So frustrating - isn't 28 days enough! Every time this happens I question yet again why on earth Amazon cannot come up with a better system to pay us. (I don't see Payoneer as an option because the fees are too high on large cheques.)


----------



## NicoleSwan

I think I'm going to take a break again from the whole writing scene.  TWO months now and despite 5 different promotions there was nothing in terms of activity.  I did get a pair of buy-then-return's yesterday, so nothing like a brief moment of happiness and then doom.

... doesn't help that we now have a conservative government that's ruining my NBN dreams... and I really hope they don't start tearing down old growth forests again  

My book sales aside, I thought the economy was doing quite well compared to the rest of the globe


----------



## JB Rowley

My US cheque arrived today. Yippee!!

I'm sorry things are not working for you at the moment, Nicole.


----------



## NicoleSwan

At least my other pen-name is doing okay.  Maybe it's still just too hot over in the US to be snuggled up in bed with naughty words.


----------



## Julie Harris

I'm helping a friend get her EIN by calling the IRS. She's older, gets confused easily and doesn't hear all that well.
We had four attempts last Tuesday morning. First bloke rattled on forever about their new phone system dropping out. I had the feeling he didn't want to do it, maybe it was five minutes before he knocked off for the day, so we hung up and tried again. 
Got the same man. Instant hang up. 
Tried again, got someone else. This time we got all of the way through the questions, were put on hold, so close to getting the magic number, then we were cut off. 
After a cuppa, we tried again but the line was so bad, we didn't proceed. 
We will try again this coming Tuesday. I'm wondering how long it will take to fix the 'new phone system' at the IRS - surely a week is long enough to wait? 
Has anyone else had this experience?


----------



## kathrynoh

I made $99 that month so no cheque for me.  If I'd realised it was so close, I'd have gifted a couple of copies!  I guess it's better to have a bigger chq the next month and pay less fees.


----------



## Darren Wearmouth

Am I allowed to plug Melbourne girl, Scarlett Ruger on this thread? I lived in Aussie for a few years (Sydney, inner west).

She created a great site for us, and went above and beyond our requests for the website! I can't say enough about the service we received


----------



## JB Rowley

DAWearmouth said:


> Am I allowed to plug Melbourne girl, Scarlett Ruger on this thread? I lived in Aussie for a few years (Sydney, inner west).
> 
> She created a great site for us, and went above and beyond our requests for the website! I can't say enough about the service we received


Melbourne girls are the best! I assume Scarlett is a website designer?


----------



## Darren Wearmouth

JB Rowley said:


> Melbourne girls are the best! I assume Scarlett is a website designer?


Cover and website designer, she was fantastic. I think Jason from Polgarus studio is from Tasmania, he was also great.


----------



## Selina Fenech

Heads up, y'all! Not really writing or self pub related BUT possibly exciting anyway- Kickstarter has opened its doors to Aussies!!! Here's hoping it's just the first of these big companies that are holding out on non-US folk to do so. A great chance for those wanting to crowd fund their editing, cover design or whatever. Maybe audio book creation? If we could only work out how to distribute the a-book once it was done without access to Audible


----------



## Patty Jansen

Egads. As soon as someone starts banging on about Some kickstarter thing, I'm outta here. Does that mean a whole bunch of Australian writers and small presses will be clogging my inbox with screams of "Support our Kickstarter!"

*barf*

I can see the use for some types of projects, but the problem is that it becomes so terribly overused that it degenerates into white noise.


----------



## Selina Fenech

Eh, I like crowd funding. I like the community feel of it and enjoy lending a hand to creative projects I see value in. But yeah anything can be overused or used badly. Anything. 
Patty, I'll be sure to keep news of my animated short I plan to crowd fund away from you


----------



## sunnycoast

Okay... same question as the last one I had. This time with regards to the Amazon UK -- Did anyone receive this month's GBP check yet?


----------



## sunnycoast

Bump ... for the locals getting out of bed.


----------



## JB Rowley

x2far said:


> Okay... same question as the last one I had. This time with regards to the Amazon UK -- Did anyone receive this month's GBP check yet?


My UK sales for June did not make the threshold so I am not expecting a cheque. I hope someone else can help you. JB


----------



## CJArcher

x2far said:


> Okay... same question as the last one I had. This time with regards to the Amazon UK -- Did anyone receive this month's GBP check yet?


Got my cheque for June UK sales. It arrived late last week.


----------



## sunnycoast

CJArcher said:


> Got my cheque for June UK sales. It arrived late last week.


Thanks, CJ.

Time for me to go email Amazon. I've been lucky. Up until this point they've never missed a monthly cheque.


----------



## JB Rowley

Looking forward to two things today:

1: 27 degrees! Now, that's what I call spring weather.

2: The start of the school hols and thus a reduced teaching workload and consequently more time to write. Yay!


----------



## CJArcher

JB Rowley said:


> Looking forward to two things today:
> 
> 1: 27 degrees! Now, that's what I call spring weather.
> 
> 2: The start of the school hols and thus a reduced teaching workload and consequently more time to write. Yay!


1 - yes!
2 - no  I have primary school kids so I don't get much writing done during hols. On the up-side, this is why I love indie publishing. I can schedule my down time to coincide with the holidays.
3 - I have a Bookbub ad today, yay! (Refresh, refresh, refresh)


----------



## Writer1000

Looking forward to writing lots and lots of words today. Haven't done much of it in the last couple of weeks that I'm way behind with my word count goal.

Good luck with your BookBub ad, CJ. Let us know how you go. Mine's not 'til October.


----------



## JB Rowley

[
3 - I have a Bookbub ad today, yay! (Refresh, refresh, refresh)
[/quote]

All the best for spectacular success, CJ.

JB


----------



## Selina Fenech

Just headed over to BookLikes to check it out...










Seriously, what do these organisations have against Aussies?
Poland even got onto their "countries worth mentioning" list when Australia didn't... I'm starting to get paranoid here. Is this some kind of conspiracy!?


----------



## A.A

Poop, the Aust dollar has weakened a bit against the US dollar. That'll learn me to head down to the bank when things are good and not put it off.

What is book likes, Selina?


----------



## Scotty Weeks

Ahhh, Aussie. 

I miss it. I lived in Sydney (Newtown) from 2003-2008. A fancy kangaroo adorned passport to prove it as well. Haven't been back in a couple years.

Speaking of Aussie dollar though, I moved down at ~.60 and by the time I got my USD down there it was ~.85. That was super fun


----------



## Selina Fenech

http://booklikes.com/ 
Some kind of new Goodreads alternative. There's a thread about it downwind (probably still on page 1 of KB).


----------



## cdvsmx5

Expected this would be here:
http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2013/09/30/big-ws-new-ebookstore-sign-impending-ebook-bubble-australia/#.UkozZ4PD8qQ


----------



## JB Rowley

Selina Fenech said:


> Just headed over to BookLikes to check it out...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Seriously, what do these organisations have against Aussies?
> Poland even got onto their "countries worth mentioning" list when Australia didn't... I'm starting to get paranoid here. Is this some kind of conspiracy!?


*
It seems rather odd. I wonder how they came up with the list? *

JB  (*No matter who ignores us, we know we're sensational. That's all that matters, eh?)*


----------



## CJArcher

cdvsmx5 said:


> Expected this would be here:
> http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2013/09/30/big-ws-new-ebookstore-sign-impending-ebook-bubble-australia/#.UkozZ4PD8qQ


Not sure how successful Big W's venture will be. I looked into it and you need to download adobe digital editions. I did that once years ago. Got myself into all sorts of trouble when I upgraded computers and lost my books. That right there put me off going through the whole rigmarole again. Seriously, who's got the time to download all this extra stuff? I'll keep my kindle thanks - Amazon just make everything so easy.


----------



## A.A

Selina Fenech said:


> http://booklikes.com/
> Some kind of new Goodreads alternative. There's a thread about it downwind (probably still on page 1 of KB).


Thanks Selina - will check it out 

Yay-hey Amazon cheques arrived today  The cheques included two from the UK - one of those for only $103 that goes all the way back to March this year. Is that from the German Amazon? I didn't think I'd ever even made enough there to make it to $100.


----------



## Writer1000

Anya said:


> Yay-hey Amazon cheques arrived today  The cheques included two from the UK - one of those for only $103 that goes all the way back to March this year. Is that from the German Amazon? I didn't think I'd ever even made enough there to make it to $100.


Thanks, Anya. I have to go check my PO Box.


----------



## Selina Fenech

Thanks Anya, just checked the mail and mine was there! Which reminds me I really need to go to the bank. Still haven't banked last months.


----------



## A.A

Selina Fenech said:


> Thanks Anya, just checked the mail and mine was there! Which reminds me I really need to go to the bank. Still haven't banked last months.


Better off waiting for three cheques (of the same currency) so that it's cheaper (at least, it's cheaper at St George that way)
Wishing this kind of convo will soon become redundant - when Amazon finally wheels out an amazon.au...


----------



## K. D.

Selina Fenech said:


> Seriously, what do these organisations have against Aussies?
> Poland even got onto their "countries worth mentioning" list when Australia didn't... I'm starting to get paranoid here. Is this some kind of conspiracy!?


I think I read that it was founded in Poland, and they still are new. Just chuck them an email to add Aus ...


----------



## Writerly Writer

*gushes* Amazon.com.au ... what a wonderful experience that will be.


----------



## RinG

KJCOLT said:


> *gushes* Amazon.com.au ... what a wonderful experience that will be.


While I think the payment options will be cool, I'm not sure about the consumer experience. I'm willing to bet we'll be paying more for almost every book...


----------



## JB Rowley

I didn't know the Kindle Fire was available in Australia until yesterday. 

One of my young students received one for her birthday and she is in love with it -cannot stop reading. She related to me how she spent most of her school holidays hiding away from friends and family (even during her birthday party) just so that she could read, read, read. That's exactly what I used to do as a kid except I had paper books.

I love my Kindle Paperwhite and wouldn't swap it for the world but I can see how 'seductive' the Fire is because of the colour (especially to kids). I am hoping this will encourage more Aussie kids to 'go Kindle'.


----------



## A.A

Please stay safe those in fire affected areas today! In NSW alone, there's up to 100 fires burning this morning 
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/hundreds-left-homeless-as-the-gravest-bushfire-emergency-in-a-decade-strikes-nsw-this-is-as-bad-as-it-gets-says-barry-o8217farrell/story-fni0cx12-1226741636446


----------



## Writer1000

Anya said:


> Please stay safe those in fire affected areas today! In NSW alone, there's up to 100 fires burning this morning
> http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/hundreds-left-homeless-as-the-gravest-bushfire-emergency-in-a-decade-strikes-nsw-this-is-as-bad-as-it-gets-says-barry-o8217farrell/story-fni0cx12-1226741636446


Echoing Anya. Please stay safe.

My husband is in Newcastle on a work trip and is due to come home this afternoon. He said part of the highway is currently blocked near Swansea because of fires so he might have to go a different route on his drive home.


----------



## Patty Jansen

My HB will soon be on the bus for his weekly trip from Canberra back home. Apparently parts of the Hume Highway were closed yesterday. Let's hope it remains open today.

It's his birthday.


----------



## JohnHindmarsh

Everyone in fire risk areas - keep safe.


----------



## CJArcher

Have any Aussies tried getting their books on Google Play yet? I'm stuck on the Payment Profile section. The Bank Code and Branch Code fields only allow a total of 3 characters each which doesn't allow for the length of our Swift codes or BSB. I've fired off a question, but have only received a response that it's been forwarded to another department. I don't want to go ahead and enter any books until the Payment thing is sorted out. Sigh. Why is this always so much harder than it needs to be


----------



## RinG

No, haven't tried Google Play.

Anyone using Payoneer, did you have to jump through hoops to 'verify your US payment service'? Received an email about it the other day, but when I logged in, I couldn't find anything requesting it on my payoneer account. Sent an email to payoneer asking if the email was actually from them, and they just sent me the same text again, without acutally saying anything new! Grr. I'm sure it's legitimate, but I just don't get what it's about?


----------



## Writer1000

Has anyone noticed that their book prices have changed to an Australian dollar equivalent when browsing from Australia?   Apart from my permafree, my books are priced at 2.99USD. Now I have one book showing $3.77 and two showing $3.15.

I emailed KDP about the $3.77 book (it was the only weird one then). They confirmed my price is listed at $2.99 but if I'm browsing outside the US, I may see a different price.

"All items available in the Amazon.com Kindle Store are listed in U.S. dollars (USD). The availability and pricing of titles in global Kindle Stores may vary by home country or region, including taxes and other operating costs."

Even my permafree pricing is weird. It's at 97cents, although I'm pretty sure it still shows 0.00 in the US as the ranking for it is still the Free ranking. Where the 97cents came from is beyond me. It should be higher if they were converting to AUD.


----------



## CJArcher

The prices on my books are all over the shop too. Some are the same as the price I've set, others are cheaper, 1 permafree is free, but another isn't for me (although is for the US). Some time ago, they told me they were price matching to Aussie iTunes prices, but that was when the USD was worth less than AUD, so doesn't explain why the prices are still lower now the currencies have reversed.  

I gave up trying to work it out and now just go with the flow.


----------



## Writer1000

CJArcher said:


> The prices on my books are all over the shop too. Some are the same as the price I've set, others are cheaper, 1 permafree is free, but another isn't for me (although is for the US). Some time ago, they told me they were price matching to Aussie iTunes prices, but that was when the USD was worth less than AUD, so doesn't explain why the prices are still lower now the currencies have reversed.
> 
> I gave up trying to work it out and now just go with the flow.


Thanks CJ. They don't seem like price-matching as the Aussie iTunes and Aussie Kobo prices are different. And my permafree is free everywhere else so the 97cents is very strange (I priced it at 99cents on Amazon).

Anyway, I think you're right. I'll quit worrying about it and go with the flow.


----------



## JB Rowley

That is very interesting, Miranda. Thanks for the alert. My prices are stable but I will keep an eye open now that you have mentioned it. JB


----------



## Writer1000

It must be conversion to AUD. One of the books that was at $3.15 is now at $3.13.

BTW, JB. Your book is #2 Free on the Kindle store. Congrats! Hope you get lots of sales from this.


----------



## JB Rowley

MirandaPCharles said:


> BTW, JB. Your book is #2 Free on the Kindle store. Congrats! Hope you get lots of sales from this.


Thank you, Miranda. I am thrilled! I will report back about the after free sales - always had excellent results in the past so fingers crossed it will be the same this time. JB


----------



## Patty Jansen

New book release day!

My tradepub book is out today!

I kept the e-rights, so the ebook went up on Amazon last night, and it's live right now.


----------



## Bec

My 2.99 book is at 3.77 now... :/

And, yay! I'm back in Australia!


----------



## AriadneW

I came looking to see if anyone else had noticed that or just me. My $2.99 books show as $3.74.


----------



## JB Rowley

Patty Jansen said:


> New book release day!
> 
> My tradepub book is out today!
> 
> I kept the e-rights, so the ebook went up on Amazon last night, and it's live right now.


Congratulations, Patty! Was it difficult to negotiate a deal where you keep your e-rights?


----------



## RinG

One of my 2.99 books is now at 3.74, the other is still 2.99.

Very annoyed at the price difference! I'm tired if Australians being way overcharged for everything. What's their excuse? I mean, that isn't it displaying in Australian dollars is it? It doesn't say it is.


----------



## Patty Jansen

JB Rowley said:


> Congratulations, Patty! Was it difficult to negotiate a deal where you keep your e-rights?


Not really. At the time I sold the book, the publisher didn't buy e-rights because they concentrate on print books. Their business is to make and sell really beautiful books and they didn't have much interest in ebooks.


----------



## Writer1000

Patty Jansen said:


> New book release day!
> 
> My tradepub book is out today!
> 
> I kept the e-rights, so the ebook went up on Amazon last night, and it's live right now.


Congrats Patty! All the best with it.



Rinelle Grey said:


> One of my 2.99 books is now at 3.74, the other is still 2.99.
> 
> Very annoyed at the price difference! I'm tired if Australians being way overcharged for everything. What's their excuse? I mean, that isn't it displaying in Australian dollars is it? It doesn't say it is.


I hope the new price is AUD! But you're right, Rinelle. It actually doesn't say it is.

I also don't like that the prices are all over the place--I have a couple at $3.13, 1 at $3.15 and 2 at $2.99. And they seem to keep changing. Yesterday, one of them was $3.77.


----------



## RinG

MirandaPCharles said:


> I hope the new price is AUD! But you're right, Rinelle. It actually doesn't say it is.


I'm pretty sure it's not. I had a bit of a look at Amazons local currency info, and it says you can set it to local or US yourself, but it only appears to be possible at the checkouts. Have sent an email to Amazon about the price, so will see what they say. Maybe if enough of us complain, they'll look into it?


----------



## Writer1000

I've emailed them and it seems I originally didn't pay enough attention to their response. I highlighted the part where it said the price is US Dollars.

"I can confirm your Kindle book is listed at a price of $2.99.

If you're browsing in the Kindle Store from a location outside of the United States, you may see a price higher than what you listed on the KDP website. In your case for Australia, the price will show at $3.77.

*All items available in the Amazon.com Kindle Store are listed in U.S. dollars (USD)*. The availability and pricing of titles in global Kindle Stores may vary by home country or region, including taxes and other operating costs."


----------



## RinG

So what's their excuse for charging more in Australia? That's what I'd like to know.


----------



## Wansit

*edges in quickly*

I found this story by/about an Australian author & royalties, thought it might be of interest: http://wheelercentre.com/dailies/post/a0b46c4cd856

*drops package & runs*


----------



## JB Rowley

I noticed this morning that the price of one of my books displays as $3.74 instead of $2.99 which is roughly the conversion rate for AUS dollars but as Miranda said it does not say it is AU$. I think we need further explanation from Amazon. I'm off to email them.


----------



## CJArcher

I thought maybe they were adding on GST (only to some books at the moment), but if it's displayed in USD then it's still too much.


----------



## Patty Jansen

I have no such problem at Kobo 

Hehe


----------



## hyh

I've just noticed my book price change too! But it only happened yesterday - been showing the $4.99/$2.99 prices fine since Sept 1st...

Also, I"ve noticed that other KB authors books are showing up as $3.74 to me as well, instead of $2.99 - so it's not just our own books but all books we're buying on Kindle, if we're in Australia.

What I don't understand is that I've been buying books from Kindle for almost 3yrs now and my credit card & account has an Australian address - so Amazon hs known that I'm in Australia for ages - why only start to show me higher prices now?

Plus, it's not a straight conversion coz US$2.99 is AU$3.20, not AU$3.70 - and as others have said, it's actually listed as the US price - which means that Australian customers have to pay a higher US price??!! 

It's bad enough that we only make 35% royalty on all Australian sales - but now, Australian readers have to pay more too??

Hsin-Yi


----------



## Patty Jansen

Kobo.

I sell lots more there anyway. 

I'm really pissed off with Amazon, for charging us more for no reason, for cutting our royalties for no reason, and for allowing serial returners. As soon as I have a new book, someone comes, buys it, rips it and returns it. I can almost set my watch to it.

Urgh. My sales are bad enough this month already.


----------



## CLMills

A quick question unrelated to anything if I may, does anyone know of a post (here or elsewhere) outlining the necessary steps for an Aus self pub author covering whether business creation is necessary, any common tax issues etc?

I keep getting lost in blog posts, the boards here - so an and so forth. I've already spent 4 days researching, and I'm starting to feel guilty for falling behind on my writing


----------



## Patty Jansen

1. Ask an accountant.
2. As long as your income is under 15K, don't worry about it
3. You can set up as sole trader, but you'll need to register this.
4. You can set up as company, but a. you'll need to re-register every 3 years & file tax returns, and b. you'll need to hire an accountant to do this (IMO this is not worth it unless you have substantial income)
5. Really, ask an accountant 

Disclaimer: IANAA (I Am Not An Accountant)


----------



## CJArcher

I'm not an accountant either but I am married to one  

Patty's right, ask your accountant about YOUR situation. Everyone's is different. It depends on weather this is your sole income, how much you earn etc etc. How the ATO treats you depends on how you treat yourself - is writing/publishing your business & earning you an income, or is it a hobby earning you just enough for a burger? If you go the business route, get the accountant, claim everything you're entitled to, get an ABN, and if you earn over whatever the GST threshold is at the moment, submit a BAS every 3 months.


----------



## Patty Jansen

We have a company, but it does a lot more than writing. Administration of a proper company is a royal pain in the butt, plus PAYG and GST. And your bank account will be more expensive and less likely to attract cheapie deals by banks. Basically, if you have a company, you pay at least twice as much for pretty much every bank, post office and insurance service.

It's really only worth it or necessary if you sell a lot.


----------



## CLMills

Thanks to both of you. In that case, I think I'll just keep working on building a back catalog for the moment. It seems that it may make significantly more sense for me to have 20 - 30 works to release before doing battle with the ATO. Regardless, it certainly requires more thought, and perhaps a visit with the family accountant.

Once again, thank you!


----------



## Maya Cross

With regards to the pricing, mine are doing the opposite of all of you. My $2.99 titles are sitting at $2.81 when I load Amazon, but are $2.99 if I go through a US proxy. Meanwhile, my permafree went to $0.97 about three days ago while still being free in the US, but I reported the cheaper price again and yesterday, it reverted back to free everywhere.

I don't really understand the difference. $2.81 makes no sense however you slice it. It's frustrating.

I do however have some semi-good news. I recently got a KDP rep and I mentioned the cheque thing to him, and while he couldn't say much, he did imply that wouldn't be an issue for too much longer. Fingers crossed for .com.au I guess.


----------



## Writer1000

Maya Cross said:


> I do however have some semi-good news. I recently got a KDP rep and I mentioned the cheque thing to him, and while he couldn't say much, he did imply that wouldn't be an issue for too much longer. Fingers crossed for .com.au I guess.


Hmm. Interesting. Crossing my fingers, too.


----------



## kathrynoh

I was wondering if the screwing around with Aussie prices meant something good was coming our way   Fingers crossed.  If it happens, I wonder if I can get those cheques sitting in my drawer cancelled and repaid into my account.


----------



## Maya Cross

Haha, what timing. I just refreshed my book page, and saw this!

_Great news! You can now shop for digital content at Amazon.com.au in Australian Dollars. Learn more about transferring to Amazon.com.au

Have you moved recently? You may change your country on the Manage Your Kindle page._

Fingers crossed this means EFT payments!


----------



## Ryan Sullivan

Okay, I just came to this thread. Hi, guys!

My book's stayed at $2.99 in my browser, until a few hours ago. PLEASE let this mean EFT!


----------



## Maya Cross

Well, it let me put in my Australian bank details, but it only let me assign EFT payments to that account from .com.au. The other amazon subsidiaries don't have AUD payments under EFT as yet, but perhaps that's coming.


----------



## David Adams

Maya Cross said:


> Well, it let me put in my Australian bank details, but it only let me assign EFT payments to that account from .com.au. The other amazon subsidiaries don't have AUD payments under EFT as yet, but perhaps that's coming.


You can select wire transfers, yeah? It seems functionally identical to cheques except they arrive sooner and don't require me to drive to the bank. Seems like a win.

Crossposting from the other thread:

Okay, as far as I can tell:

- You CAN receive EFT if you've got an Australian bank, but ONLY from the Amazon.com.au region. However...
- You CAN receive wire transfers if you have an Australian bank account from every region (except Brazil, see below).
- You can receive money in NZD or AUD. Grats to the kiwis!
- Minimum $100 per region, fees apply. My bank will charge me "up to $11" in fees for receiving an international wire transaction, and considering it's $10 per cheque per region right now, paying one human dollar to get paid months in advance is a good deal. That said, the fees so far for Kindle Worlds payments have been $0, and we're being paid in AUD so there's no currency translation fees (at least, none from my bank). Your mileage may vary.
- You CANNOT receive wire transfers from Brazil. I don't know why this is, but that's what it is. That's fine because I've sold like nothing there.
- *EDIT*: When you change your banking details, you'll receive a notice saying: _There is a mandatory 3-day security hold before any changes to bank account information take effect. Transfers of funds cannot be initiated until after that period, which starts on the date you submit your new bank account information in your seller account._ So change your details ASAP!
- They use American banking terminology, so they deal in Routing Numbers and BIC codes, rather than BSBs. I'm *fairly* sure I set mine up correctly since I had to do it for Amazon's Kindle Worlds program. If it works, I'll confirm what I did was correct, but so far:

Account Number: Your account number goes in here.
Routing Number: Your BSB goes in here.
BIC code: Your bank's SWIFT/BIC code goes in here. Your bank should be able to tell you what it is, or you might be able to google it. For Commonwealth Bank, their SWIFT/BIC code is CTBAAU2S.

So the good news is, unless I get over $100 worth of sales in Brazil, I never have to leave the house again!


----------



## JB Rowley

kathrynoh said:


> I was wondering if the screwing around with Aussie prices meant something good was coming our way  Fingers crossed. If it happens, I wonder if I can get those cheques sitting in my drawer cancelled and repaid into my account.


My $2.99 books are at $3.99 on _amazon.com.au_ and still at $3.74 on _amazon.com_.

I have had an email response from their help desk but it does not offer an explanation that makes sense to me so I have asked for clarification.


----------



## CJArcher

The .com.au store pricing is all over the shop for my books. One thing to note that you'll have to go into each book and manually adjust the price unless you want it to keep the default based on the US price (which makes the AUD price higher). I'm going to leave mine for now and see how it washes out over the next few weeks. The main thing is that my permafree is still $0.


----------



## Maya Cross

I hadn't even noticed wire transfers. Selected! Fingers crossed it goes through before the next payment cutoff.


----------



## RinG

I can't get my account info to save! I guess there are a lot of people trying to do this right now, and the site isn't coping.


----------



## CJArcher

Maya Cross said:


> I hadn't even noticed wire transfers. Selected! Fingers crossed it goes through before the next payment cutoff.


I thought I read somewhere that we'll still get a cheque for all payments up to this point. Eft/wire transfers will only be for money earned after today. But now I can't find where I saw it.


----------



## Writer1000

CJArcher said:


> I thought I read somewhere that we'll still get a cheque for all payments up to this point. Eft/wire transfers will only be for money earned after today. But now I can't find where I saw it.


I found this: http://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/help?topicId=AE24XS35AM53P

"Payment Method Changes
If you switch your payment method or currency preference mid-month on the 15th, you will receive a payment in the old currency for sales accrued over the first 15 days as long as payment threshold is met. A separate payment will be sent in the new currency for sales accrued the last 15 days of the month."

Since it's not the 15th yet, does that mean November sales will be paid by EFT/wire transfer?


----------



## JB Rowley

MirandaPCharles said:


> I found this: http://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/help?topicId=AE24XS35AM53P
> 
> "Payment Method Changes
> If you switch your payment method or currency preference mid-month on the 15th, you will receive a payment in the old currency for sales accrued over the first 15 days as long as payment threshold is met. A separate payment will be sent in the new currency for sales accrued the last 15 days of the month."
> 
> Since it's not the 15th yet, does that mean November sales will be paid by EFT/wire transfer?


Yes, that seems to be badly worded; surely they mean 'on or before the 15th'.


----------



## hyh

Help! I'm really confused. After reading all the excitement from everybody this morning, I rushed over to my KDP (which is still .com) and tried to change my EFT details to my Australian bank - but it wouldn't let me have any other location except US...if I try to select "Other", I just get an error message saying it's unavailable. 

Where are you guys putting in your Aussie bank details for EFT?

Is this because you've swapped your Amazon acount over to the Amazon.com.au? I haven't swapped my account yet - it's still on .com 
So does my KDP remain on .com until I switch my Amazon account over to Australia? And will I not be able to choose Aussie banks as a option unless I swap my account first?

It seems from David Adam's post that only royalties earned from Australian sales will be eligible for EFT to Aussie banks...But then what about the money that's been earned so far on my KDP.com account from non-Australian territories? Will that remain in US$? Or can I get that transfered over to KDP.com.au and into my Aussie bank account? 

I've got a Payoneer US account set up at the moment for KDP.com which allows me to transfer all the currencies into US$ and into a virtual US bank account - of course, I'd rather dispense with this and just transfer directly into my Aussie account but I'm scared to swap over and then lose the US account - if the "existing" royalties earned can't be transferred as well. I don't want to lose my US account set-up and end up having to get cheques - if I can't transfer that money over with me! 

Argh. So confused now... I feel like I ought to change my account over to Amazon.com.au but am scared too, in case it affects how I can receive the money I've earned so far. My first royalty cheque is coming up at the end of Nov - although I feel like I need to get things sorted before the 15th?

 Hsin-Yi


----------



## Patty Jansen

I have no idea if there is some sort of technical issue going on, but I put in my Australian bank account early this morning. It told me I'd be paid electronically everywhere except Brazil (but I'm yet to sell a book there).

Also, I don't actually HAVE an Amazon account, so it has nothing to do with a buyers account, because y'know, I don't have one.


----------



## hyh

Patty Jansen said:


> I have no idea if there is some sort of technical issue going on, but I put in my Australian bank account early this morning. It told me I'd be paid electronically everywhere except Brazil (but I'm yet to sell a book there).
> 
> Also, I don't actually HAVE an Amazon account, so it has nothing to do with a buyers account, because y'know, I don't have one.


Oh Patty - so the money from your US sales will be going direct into your Aussie bank account also? That's great! I think that answers my question! I was confused coz it seemed that you could only get EFT to your Aussie bank for com.au sales... but if they'll transfer the other currencies too, that would be wonderful.

I think the Amazon buyer's account is the same as KDP - you only have one Amazon account that covers everything, including Author Central (unless you want to open a new one there with a different email address). When you look at your KDP dashboard, Patty - what does it say in the URL at the top? kdp.com.au? or kdp.com?


----------



## RinG

I had trouble setting it up too. You have to delete your old account, (If you have one, like payoneer), before you can add a new one.

I changed all mine back though, because while they will EFT for the .com.au store, they'll only do wire for the others, and my bank charges $40 for a wire transfer! Make sure you check that before you change over.


----------



## Bec

Rinelle Grey said:


> I had trouble setting it up too. You have to delete your old account, (If you have one, like payoneer), before you can add a new one.
> 
> I changed all mine back though, because while they will EFT for the .com.au store, they'll only do wire for the others, and my bank charges $40 for a wire transfer! Make sure you check that before you change over.


Not necessarily. You can have more than one, if you add the new one from the appropriate Marketplace tab thingy.

So, if you want to keep Payoneer for American etc. payments, but use your Aussie account for the com.au payments, just expand the Amazon.com.au section, change the Check to EFT, and a ADD BANK ACCOUNT button will appear.

Then you can add your Aussie account, but still also have your old account available for other marketplaces.

Theoretically you could have each different marketplace being paid into different local bank accounts.

Until they make it all Aussie EFT, I'll keep using my Canadian bank account for everything else.


----------



## JB Rowley

JB Rowley said:


> My $2.99 books are at $3.99 on _amazon.com.au_ and still at $3.74 on _amazon.com_.
> 
> I have had an email response from their help desk but it does not offer an explanation that makes sense to me so I have asked for clarification.


*This is the explanation offered:*

'I've investigated into the matter for you, and found that a price of AUD 3.99 for "Mother of Ten" has been automatically based on the US pricing for your title in the Amazon.com.au Kindle Store.
As such, Australian customers will be offered the AUD pricing when browsing Amazon.com, and this is converted into a USD price for display on the website.'


----------



## Writer1000

JB Rowley said:


> *This is the explanation offered:*
> 
> 'I've investigated into the matter for you, and found that a price of AUD 3.99 for "Mother of Ten" has been automatically based on the US pricing for your title in the Amazon.com.au Kindle Store.
> As such, Australian customers will be offered the AUD pricing when browsing Amazon.com, and this is converted into a USD price for display on the website.'


^ *frowning as I don't really get it.*

One of my $2.99 books is now at $2.97 on .com. It says it's discounted from $3.74. I hope I still get my 70% even though it's now below $2.99! The same book is at $3.16 on .com.au, showing as discounted from $3.99.

I wonder what's the deal with the discounting.


----------



## JB Rowley

I wonder if this discounted price thingo is a separate issue. The same thing has happened with the paperback version of one of my books.

The price shows as $13.38 instead of $15.00 and in the ‘Add to Cart’ window it says:
                  $13.38
    List Price: $15.00
    Save: $1.62 (11%)

It looks like Amazon are offering books at a discount as some sort of promotion which is marvellous IF we still get the royalty based on the full price.


----------



## Glenn Wood

Hey Aussies, 
My books are about the exploits of a NZ Policeman who is rubbish at the job.  They're pretty funny but I wonder if they'd be interesting for an Aussie audience.  Thoughts?


----------



## MrPLD

Anyone noticed that there's now Amazon.com.au ?


----------



## Bec

MrPLD said:


> Anyone noticed that there's now Amazon.com.au ?


See this thread http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,167421.0.html

And a few posts over the last couple of pages of this thread...


----------



## JB Rowley

Anybody else still waiting for August cheque to arrive?


----------



## Patty Jansen

I think I was too late un-blocking payment after obtaining my EIN to have made this month's payout.


----------



## Writer1000

Yes, still waiting for the August cheque.


----------



## JB Rowley

Thanks, Miranda. I won't panic just yet. Maybe we will get it next week.


----------



## JennR

Anyone still waiting for August cheque to arrive? I live in Tassie so mail can take an extra 2-3 days to get here, but I know some Aussies got theirs last week.


----------



## JB Rowley

I am still waiting for mine. Just checked the mail box and tis not there.

What about others?


----------



## Patty Jansen

I got one this morning. It might have been in the PO box for a while, though, since I don't check it every day.


----------



## Writer1000

Last time I checked, it wasn't there yet.


----------



## JB Rowley

Well, since there seem to be a few of us who have not received the payment yet, I guess I'll hold off emailing them.

Last time the payment was very late I emailed them, then the cheque arrived a few days later, but of course it had been cancelled and was no use to me so I had to wait for the new cheque. I sure hope the wire transfers work better than this!


----------



## JennR

Still hasn't arrived so I emailed them and they said to wait another week and if it hasn't arrived by then to email them again.


----------



## Patty Jansen

I was at the Digital Publishing day at the NSW Writers' Centre today, and another writer who is quite cluey about Amazon told us that she had asked KDP about upcoming payment by ETF, and said that someone at KDP told her that it was for sales on the Australian site only.

I think we concluded that EFT was going to cover all sales except to Brazil, didn't we?


----------



## hyh

Patty Jansen said:


> I was at the Digital Publishing day at the NSW Writers' Centre today, and another writer who is quite cluey about Amazon told us that she had asked KDP about upcoming payment by ETF, and said that someone at KDP told her that it was for sales on the Australian site only.
> 
> I think we concluded that EFT was going to cover all sales except to Brazil, didn't we?


Patty - the EFT is only for your local currency. So you can only get payment by EFT from sales on the .com.au marketplace. Sales from all the other territories CAN now be transferred to your Aussie bank (when previously they couldn't) but it would have to be via WIRE TRANSFER and the problem with that is you then pay fees per transfer at your Aussie bank. The only way to get payment via EFT from the non-Aussie territories is to have a foreign bank account - eg. a US bank account via Payoneer or UK bank account left over from your OE or something...

I've changed my Aussie marketplace over to EFT but for the others, have not selected wire transfer as with the fee my bank charges for each transfer and the amounts I currently earn, it would be too big a % cut.

Payoneer have started this new pilot scheme where you can transfer money direct from your Payoneer account into your Aussie bank account (without going through the card) - via EFT (coz they have an Aussie branch now) and you pay them 3% for the pleasure - so you still lose but for smaller amounts, that's better than the amount my bank charges for wire transfer. If I was earning more (eg. $1,000 monthly royalties), then I would probably opt for the wire transfer option as then the bank fee (flat rate of $20 in my case) is better than the Payoneer 3%. But until then, I'm using the Payoneer US account to collect all my royalties from all the other territories into one place in USD and then move them once (through Payoneer's EFT) into my Aussie bank account.

So basically for US & the other territories, you either have the option of choosing:
- wire transfer to your Aussie bank (and paying a fee at your bank per transfer)
- cheque (the old way) 
- EFT to FOREIGN bank account but ONLY if you have a Payoneer US bank account or other foreign bank account (eg., UK, Canada, etc)


----------



## Patty Jansen

Blergh it wouldn't be Amazon if they didn't do something daft and different from everyone else.

I don't get the difference between EFT and wire transfer. I have no idea what my bank charges for them.

Anyway, this writer thought that for all other stores you still had to receive a cheque.


----------



## hyh

Patty Jansen said:


> I don't get the difference between EFT and wire transfer. I have no idea what my bank charges for them.
> 
> Anyway, this writer thought that for all other stores you still had to receive a cheque.


Yes, I think if you haven't added a foreign bank account, then you will only have the cheque or wire transfer option. If you DO have a foreign bank account, then you get 3 options.

Go into your KDP page with the "Marketplace" table that shows each country - click on the "+" sign next to each territory and it will expand - and you will see that you now have a drop down menu for "Payment method".

In my case, because I have added my Payoneer US bank account details as well as my Aussie bank details, I get 3 options in the US territory menu: Wire transfer, Cheque and EFT.

But if you don't have a US bank account added, you'll only get 2 options for the US territory: Wire transfer and Cheque.

The difference between EFT & wire transfer is that the former is for the same currency. So you can only do EFT from Aussie company/bank to Aussie bank or US company/bank to US bank...but not US company to Aussie bank. 
To move money from Amazon (US company) to Aussie bank, you have to use a wire (aka. telegraphic) transfer.

Your bank will not charge fees for EFT coz that's just local (eg. like you paying your electric bill direct from your bank - Aussie to Aussie) but your bank WILL charge fees for a wire transfer becasue they usually come from overseas. And those fees can be quite high. It's $20 per transfer for my bank - but I heard some of the other authors say their banks charge $40. It's worth you finding out. Just go to your bank website and look up fees and see what they charge for "telegraphic transfer".


----------



## Derek Pedley

So pleased to have stumbled across this thread. I'm a West Australian, living in voluntary exile in South Australia, simply because it has the weirdest crime (I'm a print journalist and the police rounds rooms is my spiritual home). My third book, Dead By Friday, has been out on Kindle for a year and aside from a couple of small Facebook ad campaigns (which got plenty of "likes" but failed to translate into sales) I've not done any online promotion. 

A few months back, I applied for a BookBub listing but was rejected. My ego was so affronted I sent a churlish reply, which I immediately regretted. But with the continued growth of the BookBub mailing list and the number of authors raving about it, I decided I had to try again. Since the first rejection, the book had attracted more reviews (55), picked up a journalism award and was shortlisted in a national crime writing award, so I thought these factors might help. I asked for any date before Christmas, offered to discount from $7.99 to $1.99 from December 23-29 and then added an apology for my previous churlish reply for good measure

They said yes! But... I'm now hesitant to go ahead because they've allocated December 24 for the email promo. Can't decide if this is a really good day or a really bad day. $360 is a lot to pay for a one-off email promo, even if it does go to 270,000 subscribers. Or do I just go ahead, reassured by the overwhelming evidence that books featured by BookBub enjoy huge sales boosts?

Opinions welcome on whether Christmas Eve is the right day to be investing heavily in an eBook marketing email.


----------



## JB Rowley

JennR said:


> Still hasn't arrived so I emailed them and they said to wait another week and if it hasn't arrived by then to email them again.


Thanks, Jenn. I will do wait another bluddy week, too. JB


----------



## JB Rowley

Derek Pedley said:


> ... the book had attracted more reviews (55), picked up a journalism award and was shortlisted in a national crime writing award,


Congratulations, Derek!


----------



## rchapman1

So pleased to have found this thread!  We Aussies certainly have some issue peculiar to us.  I was thrilled to see amazon.com.au arrive but it only seems to list e-books and not paperbacks at this stage.  Anyone else noticed their paperbacks are not listed?


----------



## Writer1000

Derek Pedley said:


> So pleased to have stumbled across this thread...


Hi Derek! Congrats on your book.

Can't give you a definitive answer as to whether Christmas Eve would be a good time to run your BookBub ad because I don't know either.

I've run a couple of BookBub ads (both free promos for the first books of my two series) and I've had excellent results. But I'd be thinking hard too if the promo would be running on December 24th (although I'll probably take the chance given my previous experience with them).

Maybe you can post your question to this BookBub-specific thread. Someone else might have run a BB ad on a major holiday.

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,130094.0.html


----------



## Writer1000

rchapman1 said:


> So pleased to have found this thread! We Aussies certainly have some issue peculiar to us. I was thrilled to see amazon.com.au arrive but it only seems to list e-books and not paperbacks at this stage. Anyone else noticed their paperbacks are not listed?


Hi Rita! My paperbacks don't show on the .com.au site either. Maybe that'll come later.


----------



## JB Rowley

Yes, only ebooks at AusAmazon at this stage. Here is a brief article about it at SMH. http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/digital-life-news/amazon-books-in-20131120-2xtsc.html


----------



## Derek Pedley

MirandaPCharles said:


> Maybe you can post your question to this BookBub-specific thread. Someone else might have run a BB ad on a major holiday.


Thanks JB, and thanks Miranda - I'll check out that thread. I'm new here and clearly have lots of exploring to do!


----------



## JennR

Still waiting for my cheque (sigh).


----------



## Derek Pedley

JennR said:


> Still waiting for my cheque (sigh).


Me too. I emailed them a few days ago and they said the cheque was processed on October 30. Almost a month - ridiculous!


----------



## JB Rowley

Yes, waiting....waiting...waiting...not happy, Jan!


----------



## RinG

Derek Pedley said:


> Me too. I emailed them a few days ago and they said the cheque was processed on October 30. Almost a month - ridiculous!


So, typical of Amazon's postage speed to Australia then?

I really don't see why they can't do better. Seems a bit outdated.


----------



## JennR

Wednesday 27th and it still hasn't arrived! Will email them today about it.


----------



## CJArcher

Wow, I can't believe you guys haven't got yours yet! I would definitely ask for another to be sent. I got mine over 2 weeks ago (I'm in Melbourne).


----------



## JB Rowley

I'm in Melbourne and mine has not arrived; there must have been a bad batch or something.


----------



## JennR

They asked me to confirm my mailing address which I did, now waiting to hear back.


----------



## sunnycoast

I got my Amazon.es cheque this morning. Still no sign of the UK one though.


----------



## JB Rowley

My payment has still not arrived so I have contacted KDP Support. NOW the cheque will probably arrive on Monday but I will not be able to bank it as it will have been cancelled.


----------



## JennR

Grrr.  So after telling KDP that my address was correct, I receive another email telling me they need to look into it and I will receive an answer by 3/12! :-(


----------



## Writer1000

Just got my August cheque. Finally.


----------



## Derek Pedley

MirandaPCharles said:


> Just got my August cheque. Finally.


I hope that means mine will arrive tomorrow. Also, to give you an idea of how well the new Australian Amazon store is going, this is what happened when I sold two copies of Dead By Friday:

•	Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #774 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
o	#1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Biographies & Memoirs > True Accounts > Murder & Mayhem
o	#5 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Biographies & Memoirs > True Accounts > True Crime

No.1 with two sales! Woo hoo!


----------



## Patty Jansen

Derek Pedley said:


> I hope that means mine will arrive tomorrow. Also, to give you an idea of how well the new Australian Amazon store is going, this is what happened when I sold two copies of Dead By Friday:
> 
> •	Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #774 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
> o	#1 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Biographies & Memoirs > True Accounts > Murder & Mayhem
> o	#5 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Biographies & Memoirs > True Accounts > True Crime
> 
> No.1 with two sales! Woo hoo!


That happened to me in France recently LOL LOL LOL


----------



## Derek Pedley

Cheque arrived!!


----------



## JB Rowley

Yes, mine arrived - the same day Amazon emailed me to tell me they had cancelled the cheque (at my request) and started proceedings for issuing a new one!  

Well, I guess the lesson I learned is that the cheque from Amazon can take a very long time to arrive; in this case over 30 days. So next time I will wait and wait and wait.......


----------



## Writer1000

JB Rowley said:


> Yes, mine arrived - the same day Amazon emailed me to tell me they had cancelled the cheque (at my request) and started proceedings for issuing a new one!


Oh, no.


----------



## RinG

How frustrating!


----------



## JB Rowley

JB Rowley said:


> Yes, mine arrived - the same day Amazon emailed me to tell me they had cancelled the cheque (at my request) and started proceedings for issuing a new one!


Good news! I contacted KDP Support and they managed to stop the cancel and reissue process of the cheque. Phew! Off I go to the bank.

JB  (Bouquets to KDP who have been very prompt and helpful every step of the way with this problem.)


----------



## Mike_Author

How much is it costing everyone to cash their cheques?  (I'm with CBA btw)


----------



## Patty Jansen

Mike_Author said:


> How much is it costing everyone to cash their cheques? (I'm with CBA btw)


CBA charges $10

But you should fill out the details to get your money via wire transfer into your bank account. No more waiting around at the bank counter!


----------



## JB Rowley

Patty Jansen said:


> CBA charges $10
> 
> But you should fill out the details to get your money via wire transfer into your bank account. No more waiting around at the bank counter!


YES! Cannot wait for that to take effect.

JB  (Bendigo Bank charges a $10 flat fee.)


----------



## Derek Pedley

NAB charge $15 but only take 2 working days to clear it. I took the latest cheque to CBA and they laughed - said it would be a minimum of 28 days to clear. I laughed back and returned to NAB. With the much improved exchange rate, losing $15 is no big issue.


----------



## Mike_Author

Patty Jansen said:


> CBA charges $10
> 
> But you should fill out the details to get your money via wire transfer into your bank account. No more waiting around at the bank counter!


woah - I thought the wire transfer option was only for sales in the Aussie store? Are they now doing wire transfers for the other currencies now? If so, that's fantastic.


----------



## JB Rowley

Mike_Author said:


> woah - I thought the wire transfer option was only for sales in the Aussie store? Are they now doing wire transfers for the other currencies now? If so, that's fantastic.


Yes, check out David Adams' post (scroll down to tenth post) on this thread:

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,158050.450.html

JB


----------



## Mike_Author

JB Rowley said:


> Yes, check out David Adams' post (scroll down to tenth post) on this thread:
> 
> http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,158050.450.html
> 
> JB


awesome - many thanks! I will try this today...fingers crossed.


----------



## Derek Pedley

JB Rowley said:


> Yes, check out David Adams' post (scroll down to tenth post) on this thread:
> 
> http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,158050.450.html
> 
> JB


This is fantastic. David's step-by-step guide made this so easy - thanks!


----------



## Patty Jansen

ZOMG I finally managed to get into a promo. Book Blast will be featuring me on 3 Jan. Now if only I could get Bookbub to accept me in that same week. Probably not. Mind you, I've already applied way too many times.

BTW, I actually chose that date, because people have their new ereaders, and have time off to look for stuff to fill them with.


----------



## Tony Richards

This is an interesting thread, with a really diverse bunch of writers. Keep going and I'm sure you'll get some interest from the outside world.


----------



## RinG

Congrats Patty! Hope it goes well for you!

Check with your bank on the charges for wire transfer. It's different to EFT, and does have a charge. I stuck with using Payoneer, as it costs me less at this point.


----------



## JB Rowley

Tony Richards said:


> This is an interesting thread, with a really diverse bunch of writers. Keep going and I'm sure you'll get some interest from the outside world.


Hi Tony,

Thanks for your comments although I'm not sure that we need to attract the 'outside world' to this thread - unless they can contribute to or help with our specifically Aussie issues, of course.

I have found it extremely beneficial to be able to 'chat' within our time zone and with other Aussies about things relevant to our world. 'Tis noice. JB


----------



## Patty Jansen

Oh ZOMG, I got accepted for BookBub as well

*faints*

How did they know it's my birthday?


----------



## CJArcher

Patty Jansen said:


> Oh ZOMG, I got accepted for BookBub as well
> 
> *faints*
> 
> How did they know it's my birthday?


Happy birthday, Patty! The universe is showering you with gifts. Jan 3rd should be an awesome day for a BB promo. Best of luck to you.


----------



## Shayne Parkinson

What a great birthday present, Patty! Enjoy the day - and your promo.


----------



## JB Rowley

Patty Jansen said:


> Oh ZOMG, I got accepted for BookBub as well
> 
> *faints*
> 
> How did they know it's my birthday?


Yay! Good luck for a spectacular promo.


----------



## Writer1000

Patty Jansen said:


> Oh ZOMG, I got accepted for BookBub as well
> 
> *faints*
> 
> How did they know it's my birthday?


Excellent! Congrats, Patty! Happy birthday!


----------



## Colin Taber

Patty Jansen said:


> Oh ZOMG, I got accepted for BookBub as well
> 
> *faints*
> 
> How did they know it's my birthday?


Great stuff!

What title are you doing, Fire & Ice?


----------



## Patty Jansen

Colin Taber said:


> Great stuff!
> 
> What title are you doing, Fire & Ice?


Yup.

I'm running a 99c promo for Watcher's Web on the same day (3 Jan) on Bookblast. I couldn't submit Watcher's Web to BookBub because I'm doing another promo on it this weekend.

3 Jan is going to be interesting.


----------



## Colin Taber

Patty Jansen said:


> Yup.
> 
> I'm running a 99c promo for Watcher's Web on the same day (3 Jan) on Bookblast. I couldn't submit Watcher's Web to BookBub because I'm doing another promo on it this weekend.
> 
> 3 Jan is going to be interesting.


Excellent, I hope it goes great for you!


----------



## Mike_Author

JB Rowley said:


> Yes, check out David Adams' post (scroll down to tenth post) on this thread:
> 
> http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,158050.450.html
> 
> JB


I think this worked - cheers for the advice!


----------



## JB Rowley

Mike_Author said:


> I think this worked


You sound as confident as I was.  I guess we will have to wait to find out for sure!


----------



## Patty Jansen

UK cheque in the PO Box this morning.

It's dated 19 Nov


----------



## Derek Pedley

Christmas bonus: Received September cheque today, five days after August cheque. Hoping that the switch to wire transfer will mean October payment will come through before the end of the year.


----------



## S. Elliot Brandis

Hi everyone!

I'm new to the forum. I'm a Brisbane based writer, currently editing my first novel. Surprised to see so many Aussies here.

Quick question - when you self-publish your work, are you using American spelling or Australian/British spelling? I naturally write in the latter (obviously), but am considering converting my work to match the former.


----------



## Patty Jansen

S Elliot Brandis said:


> Hi everyone!
> 
> I'm new to the forum. I'm a Brisbane based writer, currently editing my first novel. Surprised to see so many Aussies here.
> 
> Quick question - when you self-publish your work, are you using American spelling or Australian/British spelling? I naturally write in the latter (obviously), but am considering converting my work to match the former.


Not necessary. Readers are not stupid. These days I put "published in Australia" on the title page.


----------



## RinG

Hi S Elliot. I'm from Brissy as well!

I stuck with British/Australian spelling. I write fantasy/sci-fi, so I didn't see that it mattered that much. I haven't had any complaints on the spelling so far. I think people can tell, and as long as you're consistent, it's not a problem. I did question this when I first started, and people pointed out that no matter how hard I tried to convert, I'd miss some words, and that would stand out far worse than just using the spelling I'm familiar with in the first place.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Photo of my book launch: https://www.facebook.com/patty.jansen/posts/10201367609776274


----------



## Colin Taber

Hey Patty, I hope it went well!


----------



## JB Rowley

S Elliot Brandis said:


> Hi everyone!
> 
> I'm new to the forum. I'm a Brisbane based writer, currently editing my first novel. Surprised to see so many Aussies here.
> 
> Quick question - when you self-publish your work, are you using American spelling or Australian/British spelling? I naturally write in the latter (obviously), but am considering converting my work to match the former.


I stick to British Spelling but have added a short note to the front matter indicating that is the case. JB


----------



## S. Elliot Brandis

Rinelle Grey said:


> Hi S Elliot. I'm from Brissy as well!
> 
> I stuck with British/Australian spelling. I write fantasy/sci-fi, so I didn't see that it mattered that much. I haven't had any complaints on the spelling so far. I think people can tell, and as long as you're consistent, it's not a problem. I did question this when I first started, and people pointed out that no matter how hard I tried to convert, I'd miss some words, and that would stand out far worse than just using the spelling I'm familiar with in the first place.


Thanks for the feedback, everyone. I was worried that British/Aus spelling might be a restraint, as I'd assume the largest market of buyers on Amazon is still very much Americans. If they don't tend to mind, then I'll stick with my natural spelling. Changing the spelling would be quiet simple, but since my book is set in (post-apocalyptic) Brisbane, I probably use a lot more Australianisms than I think (especially in dialog).


----------



## JB Rowley

Now that we have AusAmazon we might be able to upload a BrE version to the Aussie (and perhaps UK) Amazon websites and and AmE version to amazon.com and other countries that use AmE but I have not checked that out as yet.


----------



## JB Rowley

Derek Pedley said:


> Hoping that the switch to wire transfer will mean October payment will come through before the end of the year.


As far as I know, we still have to wait 'approximately sixty (60) days following the end of the calendar month during which applicable sales occur' before payment is made. I estimate the wire transfer payment will come through in the first week of January 2014 or thereabouts.


----------



## Writer1000

S Elliot Brandis said:


> Hi everyone!
> 
> I'm new to the forum. I'm a Brisbane based writer, currently editing my first novel. Surprised to see so many Aussies here.
> 
> Quick question - when you self-publish your work, are you using American spelling or Australian/British spelling? I naturally write in the latter (obviously), but am considering converting my work to match the former.


Hi S Elliot!

I also use Australian/British spelling. My novels are set in Australia.

I've only had two readers mention 'misspellings' or 'spelling errors'. One was kind enough to point out it was the use of 's' instead of 'z', eg. realise, etc. The vast majority don't mind and are aware of the different spellings.


----------



## CJArcher

JB Rowley said:


> As far as I know, we still have to wait 'approximately sixty (60) days following the end of the calendar month during which applicable sales occur' before payment is made. I estimate the wire transfer payment will come through in the first week of January 2014 or thereabouts.


Didn't we get .au during November? I'm too lazy to go back through this thread and check, but if so, October sales will still be by cheque. I'm hoping all of November's sales will be EFT/wire and not split - sales accrued before bank details were entered by cheque, and all money accrued after that by transfer. The wording was a little vague from memory. Anyone know what happened in Canada and Europe when they switched to EFT?


----------



## antonnaseton

Derek Pedley said:


> This is fantastic. David's step-by-step guide made this so easy - thanks!


This is so Out of topic but I saw your e-book cover in the SA Writer's Centre magazine! I don't know, I just find it cool that we live in the same state 

Hello everyone, I'm from Adelaide and I'm glad to find this support thread for Aussie writers. I'm extremely new to the board and to ebook publishing and I am in awe of all of you!

A question I've been meaning to ask. I read that now that there's an Amazon.com.au we don't have to worry about getting an ITN? Is that true?


----------



## Guest

Hi I'm from Adelaide too 

Usually writer's get an EIN as opposed to an ITIN for being paid from the US. I'm not quite sure how to answer your question but if you're being paid by Amazon for sales in the other stores, i.e. not the Amazon.com.au store, then I imagine you'd need an EIN otherwise you'd get charged the 30% tax. If you get an EIN and fill in the right form and post it to Amazon, they'll only charge you 5% tax for foreign payments. Maybe you don't need any kind of US tax ID for being paid in AUD, but most of your payments would come in USD or other currencies.

I hope that helps. Good thing is you won't have to be paid by cheque, but by wire transfer. Getting paid by cheque sucks haha


----------



## Rachel Macwhirter

I just got my EIN today. You need it for compliance with tax withholdings (in plain English: to stop them from taking an extra 25% off of you) on Amazon KDP, CreateSpace and Smashwords. It's relatively painless. The guy I spoke to on the phone was nice and helpful. Took about five minutes after holding for ten. They won't even ask very complicated questions. It's a streamlined process compared to what I thought it'd be!


----------



## antonnaseton

Kitten said:


> Hi I'm from Adelaide too
> 
> Usually writer's get an EIN as opposed to an ITIN for being paid from the US. I'm not quite sure how to answer your question but if you're being paid by Amazon for sales in the other stores, i.e. not the Amazon.com.au store, then I imagine you'd need an EIN otherwise you'd get charged the 30% tax. If you get an EIN and fill in the right form and post it to Amazon, they'll only charge you 5% tax for foreign payments. Maybe you don't need any kind of US tax ID for being paid in AUD, but most of your payments would come in USD or other currencies.
> 
> I hope that helps. Good thing is you won't have to be paid by cheque, but by wire transfer. Getting paid by cheque sucks haha


Oh so cool! Another Adelaidean!

Anyway, this was based on an article I read here: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/technology/personal-tech/amazon-lights-local-kindle-fire/story-e6frgazf-1226759288159

Annoyingly, you can't access it anymore, but here's the quote that I literally saved:

"At present, Australian authors who publish through Amazon in the US face a 30 per cent US tax slug on their revenue, unless they have a US ITIN number that provides for a tax exemption. And unless they set up a US bank account, often with hefty fees attached, Australian authors can wait weeks to receive Amazon cheques.

The new system will allow local independent authors to receive their hard-earned revenue in Australian dollars, and for it to be paid electronically into their local bank account. Amazon will offer Australian authors the same royalty options - 35 per cent of the list price or 70 per cent of the list or sale price minus delivery costs - as those available globally."

Are they just jumping the gun here?


----------



## antonnaseton

Rachel Macwhirter said:


> I just got my EIN today. You need it for compliance with tax withholdings (in plain English: to stop them from taking an extra 25% off of you) on Amazon KDP, CreateSpace and Smashwords. It's relatively painless. The guy I spoke to on the phone was nice and helpful. Took about five minutes after holding for ten. They won't even ask very complicated questions. It's a streamlined process compared to what I thought it'd be!


Wow, I must ask you how you do it one day ... LOL, I have not even set up my Amazon account properly ... (PROCRASTINATE PROCRASTINATE...)


----------



## Guest

Yes we now get paid in Australian dollars, but I don't think that negates the need to get an EIN. I don't think getting paid in Australian dollars would stop Amazon taking the 30% tax. That's the only reason to get an EIN - you can still get paid without one (at least I think you can) but you want to avoid getting slugged 30% when you only need to pay 5% tax. Someone else might know for sure, but I still think you'd need to get an EIN and fill in the form or else you'd pay the extra tax.


----------



## antonnaseton

Kitten said:


> Yes we now get paid in Australian dollars, but I don't think that negates the need to get an EIN. I don't think getting paid in Australian dollars would stop Amazon taking the 30% tax. That's the only reason to get an EIN - you can still get paid without one (at least I think you can) but you want to avoid getting slugged 30% when you only need to pay 5% tax. Someone else might know for sure, but I still think you'd need to get an EIN and fill in the form or else you'd pay the extra tax.


I guess I better start cracking then ... yes. Nothing I love better to do than handle taxes...


----------



## JB Rowley

CJArcher said:


> Didn't we get .au during November? I'm too lazy to go back through this thread and check, but if so, October sales will still be by cheque.


Yes, you're absolutely right, CJ, it was November. Must have been wishful thinking on my part.

So, October sales by cheque due to arrive early January (with luck). November sales by wire transfer due to arrive early Feb but as we changed our bank details very close to Amazon's cut off date of the 15th of the month, it is possible we will not get all of November royalties by wire transfer. I think I've got it now!


----------



## Writer1000

Just got my September cheque today.


----------



## Colin Taber

MirandaPCharles said:


> Just got my September cheque today.


Me too. And early enough in the day to bank it.


----------



## Derek Pedley

Kindle Countdown Deal/Bookbub promotion for an Australian true crime book.

The Countdown Deal for Dead By Friday started yesterday at .com and co.uk and the sales have started to trickle in. Today I've discovered that .com won't offer the discount to Australian buyers who ignore Amazon's advice to go to the new Australian store (where I can't do a countdown deal OR discount to this level - the pricing box tells me I'm not allowed). I bought a copy through .com and they're right.... I was charged the full amount of $7.99, not the deal price of $1.99. 

I had (naively) assumed that if we Aussies could still shop at .com, surely we're still entitled to the same discounts. I hope their team hasn't clocked off for Christmas - I've sent a request for an explanation, but I'm not holding my breath expecting that they're going to fix this one easily. But I do have a BookBub promotion (hallelujah!) in about 48 hours and I'm hoping to somehow prevent a situation in which every Australian BookBub non-fiction subscriber gives up in disgust because Amazon tries to hit them up for the full price. 

I also plan to report back here, and the main Bookbub/Countdown Deal threads, on my results (good or bad), since so many other people share information generously on these boards. I can't find much data or anecdotal evidence on the performance of non-fiction on Bookbub, since it is so strongly focused on serial fiction. And non-fiction is obviously a huge catch-all for many genres, so I expect results vary wildly. (and who knows what the world will make of a deadly bogan sex killer!) Anyways - it's scheduled for Christmas Eve, so we'll see what Santa brings.

(And a big g'day and Merry Christmas to the handful of other Adelaideans I've seen pop up on this thread!)


----------



## RinG

I'm pretty sure kindle countdown deals were never available in Australia, even before the Australian store. I ran one when they first started, but being in Australia, couldn't see the red line or discount price.


----------



## JB Rowley

Derek Pedley said:


> I had (naively) assumed that if we Aussies could still shop at .com, surely we're still entitled to the same discounts.


That's what I assumed as well. I'll be interested to know what the explanation is. Thanks for alerting us and good luck with your Countdown Deal.


----------



## Patty Jansen

I'm pretty pissed off with the Countdown deals anyway, because they cancelled a promotion of mine, saying that the book was available elsewhere (which it wasn't) and now I've wasted 90 days in Select with this book.


----------



## CraigInOregon

I like writers from the great Down Under.

What I don't get is how you all can write upside down, with all that blood rushing to your head? How do you keep the words from falling off the planet as you type them? 

Teasing aside... if I ever had to move to a completely different country, it's probably be Aussie-Land.


----------



## VickiT

Derek Pedley said:


> Kindle Countdown Deal/Bookbub promotion for an Australian true crime book.


Looks fascinating. Have grabbed my copy. Thanks, Derek. 

Merry Christmas to you and my fellow Aussies/Kiwis.

Cheers
Vicki


----------



## JB Rowley

CraigInTwinCities said:


> I like writers from the great Down Under.
> 
> What I don't get is how you all can write upside down, with all that blood rushing to your head? How do you keep the words from falling off the planet as you type them?


I'm not sure what you mean. I'm looking at my map right now and I see most of the world underneath Australia. Perhaps you don't have proper maps in your country. Take a look here: http://flourish.org/upsidedownmap/rotatedmap-large.jpg.

JB


----------



## VickiT

CraigInTwinCities said:


> What I don't get is how you all can write upside down, with all that blood rushing to your head? How do you keep the words from falling off the planet as you type them?


Magnets.


----------



## Writer1000

Good luck with your BB/Countdown promo, Derek!


----------



## CraigInOregon

JB Rowley said:


> I'm not sure what you mean. I'm looking at my map right now and I see most of the world underneath Australia. Perhaps you don't have proper maps in your country. Take a look here: http://flourish.org/upsidedownmap/rotatedmap-large.jpg.
> 
> JB


----------



## CraigInOregon

VickiT said:


> Magnets.


Clever response!


----------



## Derek Pedley

Amazon's prompt but unsurprising response: 

"Your Kindle Countdown Deals promotion has begun successfully, and your book’s detail page is updated with the promotional price and countdown clock display.

What happens is that this promotion is only available for customers which countries are designed to buy at the US or UK Kindle store, and countries that do have its own marketplace such as Australia (amazon.com.au), are not going to be able to see the promotion since they are not supposed to buy at another marketplace. 

We understand and share your concern about our promotion not being available yet at all our marketplaces, however we will continue our efforts to improve this, I'll make sure to pass your feedback to our appropriate team."

Translation: Bad luck, mate - Aussies pay extra. As it stands, my sales last week were better than the first couple of days on the Countdown deal (So thanks Vicki, your purchase is appreciated!). 
BookBub email should start going out late on Christmas Day, Australian time, to 280,000 non-fiction subscribers (if BookBub's figures are to be believed.) I've followed the fate of their last five nonfiction deals and they've all gone to number 1 in their main genres, and some have reached as high as top 500 in the paid store. I'll be happy just to earn back the $360 ad price!


----------



## Harpurr

Hi Fellow Aussies (and Kiwis) Merry Christmas!!

I'm pretty new to this whole Kindle publishing thing but I'm committed to focusing on erotic romance in 2014 because it seems to be a good seller and I enjoy writing it. I do wonder however about the whole English spelling thing. I see some books come out in different editions with appropriate spellings for different countries. With Kindle being such an American market do you guys use American spellings or stick with Aussie English?

Thanks

Deb


----------



## VickiT

Merry Christmas, Deb.

I write using Australian spellings, but because my primary market is the US, I change spellings for those words where pronunciation doesn’t change e.g. colour/color, neighbour/neighbour. However, I try to stay true to our Australianisms e.g. mum not mom, footpath not sidewalk, arse not ass.

Here's to a creative 2014.

Cheers
Vicki


----------



## Shayne Parkinson

Merry Christmas to my fellow Antipodeans!

Deb: I use New Zealand (British) spellings consistently, and readers have been great about accepting it. I use quite a few NZ/Aussie words and phrases, so they're already taking a leap into the unknown with me.


----------



## Derek Pedley

Here's the details of my Christmas Eve promotion of a true crime book in BookBub's Non-Fiction section ($360 for $1.99 listing). It's running in conjunction with a Kindle Countdown Deal. 
Sales peaked about 12 hours after the email went out. _Almost_ made Top 100 Paid.





I'll post full results when the Countdown Deal ends.

Best bit was waking up on Christmas morning to discover that I'd sold 500 books in about five hours. Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus!


----------



## psychotick

Hi Guys,

Greg here. I'm a kiwi author though my father was an Aussie. Personally I use kiwi spellings for everything and occasionally get comments about it. But I don't think it's been a major issue and I'm far too lazy to write different versions for different markets.

Cheers, Greg.


----------



## Bec

That's great, Derek!


----------



## Writer1000

Great results, Derek!


----------



## JB Rowley

Congratulations, Derek!


----------



## CJArcher

Awesome results, Derek. I heart Bookbub so much  

Merry (belated) Christmas to all the Aussies and Kiwis on this thread. It's so nice to have a place of our own where we can talk all things Aussie publishing. I don't know about you guys, but I'm so looking forward to 2014. I think it's going to be another great year.


----------



## JB Rowley

CJArcher said:


> Awesome results, Derek. I heart Bookbub so much
> 
> Merry (belated) Christmas to all the Aussies and Kiwis on this thread. It's so nice to have a place of our own where we can talk all things Aussie publishing. I don't know about you guys, but I'm so looking forward to 2014. I think it's going to be another great year.


I second all of that.


----------



## JB Rowley

A short article about AusAmazon from Adam Turner in The Age: http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/digital-life-news/amazon-kindle-ebook-stores-australia-v-us-20131226-2zwza.html

*His summary:* _The cheapest option is to set up a US Amazon account to access true US prices. Avoid state-based US sales tax and it works out cheaper than shopping from Australia, depending on how you convert your Aussie dollars into greenbacks. But if you're currently paying Amazon's inflated US rate then the Australian Amazon store offers a better deal, especially if you want e-books which aren't in the US store._


----------



## nomesque

JB Rowley said:


> A short article about AusAmazon from Adam Turner in The Age: http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/digital-life-news/amazon-kindle-ebook-stores-australia-v-us-20131226-2zwza.html
> 
> *His summary:* _The cheapest option is to set up a US Amazon account to access true US prices. Avoid state-based US sales tax and it works out cheaper than shopping from Australia, depending on how you convert your Aussie dollars into greenbacks. But if you're currently paying Amazon's inflated US rate then the Australian Amazon store offers a better deal, especially if you want e-books which aren't in the US store._


I think he's wrong on this point:



> It's important to note that Amazon inflates its US pricing for Australian customers.


Nah, they provide different editions from different publishers, and generally the US publisher prices lower. But not always. Welcome to the bizarre world of ebooks.


----------



## JB Rowley

nomesque said:


> I think he's wrong on this point:
> 
> Nah, they provide different editions from different publishers, and generally the US publisher prices lower. But not always. Welcome to the bizarre world of ebooks.


Yes, US$16.13 is roughly equivalent to the Australian price AU$17.99 which tallies with the explanation given to us by KDP Support a few weeks ago:


> _Australian customers will be offered the AUD pricing when browsing Amazon.com, and this is converted into a USD price for display on the website._


 I suspect that is what Turner meant, actually.

I was interested (being a little backward when it comes to the latest IT stuff) in his suggestion about using a VPN:


> _It's important to note that Amazon inflates its US pricing for Australian customers. If you log out of Amazon, amazon.com still lists Eyrie as US$16.13. Switch on a virtual private network, or VPN, so Amazon thinks you're in the United States, and the price drops to $US12.99 - but you lose access to some Australian books such as Matthew Reilly's The Tournament. Log back into Amazon and Winton's Eyrie jumps up to $US16.13 again if your account is associated with Australia._


----------



## Patty Jansen

I'm not selling anything on the AU store. Zip. Nada. It's the only one where I still have a BBoS.


----------



## nomesque

His example, though, is of a book that has a different publisher in the US than it has in Australia. Not to mention a different cover - http://www.amazon.com/Eyrie-Tim-Winton-ebook/dp/B00DGEZH7S/ . While Amazon is changing the pricing for Aussies on the US site (grrr), they're also only showing books which are available in each geographic region. If the customer's in Australia, they see the Australian publisher's edition of the book. If they're in the US (or seem to be), they'll see the US publisher's edition.

The VPN's an OK idea, but be aware that Amazon tend to keep an eye out for anomalies between apparent buying location and download location, and they will crack down on customers they consider to be gaming the system. The writer of the article is being a bit irresponsible to recommend that method without warning of the possible consequences.


----------



## S. Elliot Brandis

Patty Jansen said:


> I'm not selling anything on the AU store. Zip. Nada. It's the only one where I still have a BBoS.


I know a lot of people who simple haven't chosen to switch over.

There's really no compelling reason to.


----------



## JB Rowley

S Elliot Brandis said:


> I know a lot of people who simple haven't chosen to switch over.
> There's really no compelling reason to.


On the other hand, there's no compelling reason not to either is there? After all, we can still shop at 'amazon.com' and 'amazon.com.uk' after we switch. It's easier to find Aussie authors at AusAmazon so I like it for that reason. I know we miss out on some of amazon.com deals but then, according to Amazon's Vice President of Kindle Marketing, Neil Lindsay, 'there will also be localised "special deals" on eBooks for customers using the Australian Kindle store.'

(I guess those deals won't be as good as the deals in US and UK.)


----------



## S. Elliot Brandis

JB Rowley said:


> On the other hand, there's no compelling reason not to either is there? After all, we can still shop at 'amazon.com' and 'amazon.com.uk' after we switch. It's easier to find Aussie authors at AusAmazon so I like it for that reason. I know we miss out on some of amazon.com deals but then, according to Amazon's Vice President of Kindle Marketing, Neil Lindsay, �there will also be localised "special deals" on eBooks for customers using the Australian Kindle store.�
> 
> (I guess those deals won't be as good as the deals in US and UK.)


There are some inconveniences.

For example:

- instead of showing the full reader review details you get the "There are no customer reviews yet on Amazon.com.au." line. It does show a couple of reviews, but you have to go to amazon.com to see them - so what's the point. I find reviews to be a key feature of amazon.

- similarly, amazon.com.au doesn't seem to have details regarding editorial reviews, etc, it a lot of instances.

- you can't buy giftcards via the .au website. I know someone who buys themselves amazon giftcards, to avoid having a string of micro-transactions on their credit card bill. I have also bought people amazon gift cards before.

- It doesn't show you any details regarding other available versions.

I switched to .au when it came it, but I think I'm going to switch back -- it's more annoying than useful.


----------



## JB Rowley

Yeah, fair enough. I wonder when/if those things will change.


----------



## Harpurr

Happy New Year to all Aussie and Kiwi writers here experiencing the first of 2014 around the world.

I'm a bit of a cross-Tasman bunny-hopper currently enjoying beautiful weather in  Hawkes Bay (North Island NZ)

Deb


----------



## Shayne Parkinson

Happy New Year, everyone! It's raining here, which is better than last summer's drought.


----------



## JB Rowley

Yes, Happy New Year to all. The first day of 2014 here in Melbourne is cool with a promise of warmth later - but we all know better than to rely on ANY promises relating to Melbourne weather.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Yeah happy New Year.

I've decided that for the next xis weeks, I'm going to call every day that the temperature is below 35C a win to remind myself that if you take those days away, summer in Sydney is actually really nice.


----------



## CJArcher

Happy New Year to all of us who experience it first!!


----------



## VickiT

Happy New Year! A whole 365 days to fill with new memories.


----------



## Writer1000

Happy new year, everyone!


----------



## Patty Jansen

Remember I'd call a win any day that the temperature stayed under 35C?

Well, today is NOT a win.

Thankfully, I've managed to contain the damage by shutting all the windows at 7am this morning, but as soon as you stick your nose out the door it's like URGH.


----------



## RinG

Ugh, yes, it's been awful! And it's only supposed to get worse. Thankfully, I'm heading to the beach tomorrow.


----------



## JB Rowley

If you have temps above 35, just send it all south. I actually had the heater on last night!


----------



## Bec

Same, JB. Although I had it on about an hour ago too :/ I was wearing fur-lined boots, coat and scarf when we went into town this afternoon... 

"Welcome to summery Australia," I say to my Canadian boy. "Where it's gotten over 25 degrees about three times since we got back..."


----------



## MrPLD

Can't recall if I've signed in to this thread or not... but, if not... hello all


----------



## Patty Jansen

MrPLD said:


> Can't recall if I've signed in to this thread or not... but, if not... hello all


You can share some of the heat around.

Townsville or Cairns?


----------



## MrPLD

Patty Jansen said:


> You can share some of the heat around.
> 
> Townsville or Cairns?


Charters Towers actually, inland from Townsville by about 135km... very toasty out here


----------



## Patty Jansen

MrPLD said:


> Charters Towers actually, inland from Townsville by about 135km... very toasty out here


Ergh yeah. I used to do work at Lansdowne occasionally


----------



## MrPLD

Patty Jansen said:


> Ergh yeah. I used to do work at Lansdowne occasionally


I believe they've actually pulled it back out of retirement and given it a whole new lease of life ( assuming you're referring to the CSIRO station? )


----------



## Patty Jansen

MrPLD said:


> I believe they've actually pulled it back out of retirement and given it a whole new lease of life ( assuming you're referring to the CSIRO station? )


Yup, that's the one. I'd be interested to see what they've done with it.


----------



## MrPLD

It's always been a curiosity as I drive past when ever doing the CT-TSV-CT round trip during the course of the last 25 years or so


----------



## Patty Jansen

MrPLD said:


> It's always been a curiosity as I drive past when ever doing the CT-TSV-CT round trip during the course of the last 25 years or so


I'm sure you must have seen some weird people (aka scientists) doing some pretty weird things at times. Heck, some of them might have been me.


----------



## MrPLD

Getting on to the topic of books/sales - anyone seeing any activity on the AU Amazon?  To be fair I'm seeing nothing, because I've taken far too long a break from marketing, so everything is dead ( very VERY dead ),  busy right now just trying to get a typing system setup for my wife ( the novelist, I'm just the spanner ).


----------



## nomesque

Nah, I've seen a few free downloads, and all of one sale since the AU store opened...


----------



## Patty Jansen

Nope. I got one sale, but none of my freebies are free on the AU store.

TBH, I can't see why people would change over.

Then again, not a Kindle user myself.


----------



## Skate

I had 12 free downloads last week when I had a Select promotion, and I've had one review, but no actual sales.


----------



## Writer1000

Just free downloads on .au. No sales.


----------



## JB Rowley

I made a total of 6 sales on AusAmazon last month!

This morning I received an email from Amazon advising me of the Kindle Daily Deal on .au and that book (_Wattle Creek_ by Fiona McCallum) seems to have shot up through the rankings as a result. I also noticed that one of my books was in the 'Recommended For You' section. That's nice (except there are probably not that many Aussie Kindle readers over there as yet).

Anyway, I'm glad I switched over - I love having an Aussie Amazon.


----------



## Shayne Parkinson

I've had a handful of sales on Amazon AU - only a dozen or so, but every little helps.  iTunes Australia is quite a good outlet for me, though.


----------



## AriadneW

I've had a few on .au. I've kind of been surprised considering how many people I know haven't changed and won't be any time soon. I have so much <3 for iTunes Australia right now too Shayne.


----------



## nomesque

Nice! I'm glad to hear that the Aussie stores are working well for some of our Aussie authors.


----------



## Sean Sweeney

Haven't seen anything on Amazon AU yet. Have there been any stories in the Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane papers about the availability of the Kindle?

As for the weather, you lot should be happy it's arm. All across the States, snow. Getting about a foot today.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Sean Sweeney said:


> Haven't seen anything on Amazon AU yet. Have there been any stories in the Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane papers about the availability of the Kindle?
> 
> As for the weather, you lot should be happy it's arm. All across the States, snow. Getting about a foot today.


Kindles have always been avalaible. They're just not advertised much. Kobo, now that's another matter. I even get Kobo ads on this forum LOLOL.

Nothing much had changed. There was an article in a major newspaper recently where the need to switch was discussed. It came out pretty lukewarm and not in much favour of the AU store.

It's a bit like Canada, I guess. I've been selling more in Germany than in Canada.


----------



## antonnaseton

Hello guys,
I'm a little desperate here - I'm trying to publish my very first story on Amazon but I'm really confused by the "Tax Interview" it's making me take. 

I was thinking of just letting them withold the 30% first and go ahead and publish the story, but I'm afraid of sending off the W8-Ben letter. What if I shoot myself in the foot when I'm trying to apply for the EIN number?

My question is: Do you need an EIN to publish? Because I know a few authors who published without getting it first.


----------



## Writer1000

Hi Anton!

I didn't have an EIN when I published my first book. I applied for one, then sent my completed W8-BEN, after I've published and _before_ I was due to receive my first pay. (I didn't want them to withhold 30%).

I'm not sure what the "Tax Interview" is about. I don't remember having to take that.

Good luck with your first book.


----------



## JB Rowley

Hi Anton,

I agree with Miranda. I did not get my EIN until months after I had published my first book. The 30% tax withheld was a right pain in the butt although my accountant did offset the cost.

I am not sure what 'Tax Interview' is either - never had that.


----------



## antonnaseton

Hello Miranda and JB Rowley,
I did the Tax Interview thing again, took a deep breath, and pressed enter. And I could publish!! (Does a wild jig.) My short story is below in my sig - I feel like I've reached some kind of milestone.

Actually I have since I dithered about this for years.

Anywa, the Tax Interview is just a series of questions they ask you about the tax bit. I kinda got worried when I saw the W8BEN form because I didn't understand it. forms usually make me confused and I do everything to avoid them.

But glad I pressed on. Thank you all for the help!


----------



## JB Rowley

Congratulations, Antonna. Isn't it a wonderful feeling to see your book up there - shining in the big Amazon jungle?

I share your love for Star Trek; they are showing reruns here in Melbourne at the moment and I cannot get enough of them.

BTW, I clicked on the 'twitter' link in your signature and got 'problem loading page'.

Anyway, all the best for much success with your book.

JB  

PS: What part of Australia do you call home?


----------



## antonnaseton

Thanks about the note on Twitter. Will fix that tomorrow. Oh yes seeing that book up there - it's as if a huge weight has fallen off my shoulders. I wrote that short story two years ago and only gotten around to publishing it now because I kept procrastinating. A little sad no one has bought it yet but must remind myself that in 2014 my primary focus is to produce more work.

I hail from Adelaide  

Ah Star Trek was the balm to my soul while Stargate was my crack. Miss them both!!


----------



## Gee Greenslade

Antonnaseton! Me too! Im up Mitcham way!!!

Yayyy! Australians! AND AUSTRALIAN SCI FI FANS! Im a Battlestar galactica fan myself.


----------



## antonnaseton

Gee Greenslade said:


> Antonnaseton! Me too! Im up Mitcham way!!!
> 
> Yayyy! Australians! AND AUSTRALIAN SCI FI FANS! Im a Battlestar galactica fan myself.


Small world, Greenslade! I'm also in Mitcham! 

Love Battlestar - both the original and reimagination. Though I can only watch the new Battlestar one episode time instead of ten at one go - it'll make me so depressed I'll want to eat a bullet


----------



## Gee Greenslade

Hahahaha I totally agree, only the new series (Old series Starbuck is not anywhere near as badass!!!) and only one or two episodes at a time to save oneself from a deep dark depression.

Small world indeed! Nice to meet you


----------



## JB Rowley

My royalty payment cheque for October sales arrived today. Fingers crossed payments will be wire transfer for now on. Yay!


----------



## Harpurr

Double or Single Quotation Marks?

According to one source I checked when writing in Australian English single quotation marks are used (as for British English), however a few checks from books by authors on this thread shows that you are using double quotation marks? Is this because Amazon is such an American institution?


----------



## kathrynoh

I was always told it's okay to use either so long as you are consistent.  I didn't even realise it was an American vs British thing until I come on here.

Personally, I prefer the look of double quotes.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Australian trade pub uses single. I used to use single, but changed to using double quotes for the reason that it's easy to change double quotes to single ones, if you decide to do so, but high impossible to change them the other way around.


----------



## Harpurr

Very smart thinking!! Thanks


----------



## JB Rowley

Harpurr said:


> Double or Single Quotation Marks?
> 
> According to one source I checked when writing in Australian English single quotation marks are used (as for British English), however a few checks from books by authors on this thread shows that you are using double quotation marks? Is this because Amazon is such an American institution?


The _Australian Style Manual_ recommends that direct speech be enclosed in single quotation marks and indicates: 'Double quotation marks are used only for quotations within quotations.'

According to the _Oxford Style Guide_ it is the same in Britain.

In American English (according to _Oxford Dictionary_) 'the rule is to use double quotation marks.'

I have always ignored the_ Australian Style Manual_ on this one because I prefer the look of double quotations.

However, as a reader it does not make any difference at all to me. (That probably just confirms that I am quirky! )


----------



## Writer1000

I use double quotations. I prefer the look of it.


----------



## kathrynoh

JB, I reckon if a reader is even thinking about double quotes vs single quotes while they are reading, the story has much bigger issues! Other than grammar or spelling issues, I never notice details when I'm immersed in a book.


----------



## antonnaseton

This is a question I've always wanted to ask: Do any of you write in American English?

I was told to write in American English cos it'll sell better, but I'm not that keen on that idea because I may just end up with far too many mistakes in my manuscript.

Wondering what you guys think about his


----------



## JB Rowley

antonnaseton said:


> This is a question I've always wanted to ask: Do any of you write in American English?
> 
> I was told to write in American English cos it'll sell better, but I'm not that keen on that idea because I may just end up with far too many mistakes in my manuscript.
> 
> Wondering what you guys think about his


I think we had a discussion about this a few pages back, Antonna.

I use BrE (which is the Australian standard) but I include a comment at the beginning of my books indicating that those accustomed to AmE might notice differences in spelling. I also try to minimise use of words that are spelled differently in AmE.


----------



## JB Rowley

kathrynoh said:


> JB, I reckon if a reader is even thinking about double quotes vs single quotes while they are reading, the story has much bigger issues! Other than grammar or spelling issues, I never notice details when I'm immersed in a book.


Yes, that's true, Kathryn. One punctuation style that did have a significant impact on my reading enjoyment was the complete lack of quotation marks for direct speech in _Angela's Ashes_ and I never read another of his books.


----------



## kathrynoh

I don't mind his books because you do get caught up in them but I was flying back from hols in Vietnam once and the only book I had was one of Irvine Welsh's, with all the phonetic spellings   I quickly gave up on that.

I actually get amazed at people who prefer first person/third person or past/present tense because I don't even notice things like that when I'm reading.


----------



## nomesque

antonnaseton said:


> This is a question I've always wanted to ask: Do any of you write in American English?
> 
> I was told to write in American English cos it'll sell better, but I'm not that keen on that idea because I may just end up with far too many mistakes in my manuscript.
> 
> Wondering what you guys think about his


Hate it. Oh wait, THINK... I think it's an OK idea. One that I'm militantly against for my own fiction (although I used to write in US English in one workplace), because I like to provide the whole Aussie experience - language, idioms, spelling, slang, the works. But I have received quite a few bad reviews for 'all the typos and bad spelling' in my books... from Americans. And if you use Aussie English, you'll come across the same at least occasionally. There are a large number of Americans who just don't realise that there are different flavours of English, because most books were 'translated' by US publishers before printing.


----------



## antonnaseton

nomesque said:


> Hate it. Oh wait, THINK... I think it's an OK idea. One that I'm militantly against for my own fiction (although I used to write in US English in one workplace), because I like to provide the whole Aussie experience - language, idioms, spelling, slang, the works. But I have received quite a few bad reviews for 'all the typos and bad spelling' in my books... from Americans. And if you use Aussie English, you'll come across the same at least occasionally. There are a large number of Americans who just don't realise that there are different flavours of English, because most books were 'translated' by US publishers before printing.


Oh Lordy, that was what I was worried about. Perhaps I should write in my books that this ebook is in BRITISH ENGLISH.


----------



## nomesque

antonnaseton said:


> Oh Lordy, that was what I was worried about. Perhaps I should write in my books that this ebook is in BRITISH ENGLISH.


Doesn't stop the complaints. Probably because people skip over forewords and the like. And book descriptions. I warn people about the weird-arse spelling and the swearing in my book descriptions. They still complain about the spelling mistakes and the swearing.  The only books they don't complain about are the ones with swear-words IN THE TITLE. Success! Maybe we should all call our books, ": An AUSSIE ENGLISH story of <insert genre here>" <-- bet people would still complain about the spelling, though.


----------



## antonnaseton

Gee Greenslade said:


> Hahahaha I totally agree, only the new series (Old series Starbuck is not anywhere near as bad*ss!!!) and only one or two episodes at a time to save oneself from a deep dark depression.
> 
> Small world indeed! Nice to meet you


You too, Gee! Sorry for the late reply. Have been a bit crook with a cold ;(


----------



## Sam Winterwood

Hello Australians!

I have returned! I took a while off from writing (got sick, lost some drive) but I am back in 2014.
Just dropping a post to say hello again.


As for complaints in spelling: Don't worry about it. If people are going to whine, they can go complain to their mum/mom


----------



## AriadneW

nomesque said:


> Doesn't stop the complaints. Probably because people skip over forewords and the like. And book descriptions. I warn people about the weird-arse spelling and the swearing in my book descriptions. They still complain about the spelling mistakes and the swearing.  The only books they don't complain about are the ones with swear-words IN THE TITLE. Success! Maybe we should all call our books, ": An AUSSIE ENGLISH story of <insert genre here>" <-- bet people would still complain about the spelling, though.


People will complain whatever you do. I got a one star review the other day for one of my books complaining it was x-rated. Yeah, it's in the erotica section with people in bed on the cover and says it has explicit sex. I don't think you can win. lol

I did once get into an argument with someone on Facebook because they tried to correct my spelling of the word realise. They didn't know there was another way to spell it.


----------



## nomesque

AriadneW said:


> People will complain whatever you do. I got a one star review the other day for one of my books complaining it was x-rated. Yeah, it's in the erotica section with people in bed on the cover and says it has explicit sex. I don't think you can win. lol
> 
> I did once get into an argument with someone on Facebook because they tried to correct my spelling of the word realise. They didn't know there was another way to spell it.


 It must be rough to grow up with absolutely no indications that other nations spell things differently... then hit the ebook revolution and OMG WEIRD SPELLING.

But you're right, some people will complain no matter what. I swear you could have a cover with full-frontal nudity, and an explicit title like 'Roger gets rogered by Roger' and you'd still get complaints about the sex.


----------



## nomesque

M R Mortimer said:


> Hello fellow Aussies!
> 
> I know I am late to the party, but we're all Aussies, so I doubt the party has ended yet!


Never! *cracks open a beer and hands it over*


----------



## AriadneW

nomesque said:


> It must be rough to grow up with absolutely no indications that other nations spell things differently... then hit the ebook revolution and OMG WEIRD SPELLING.


Mind you, my 8 year old looked at the TV one day and I can't remember what was on, but he laughed and said "Mum, they can't spell colour." Of course it was a cartoon or something and it was on the screen written as "color".


----------



## nomesque

AriadneW said:


> Mind you, my 8 year old looked at the TV one day and I can't remember what was on, but he laughed and said "Mum, they can't spell colour." Of course it was a cartoon or something and it was on the screen written as "color".


Nawwww, cute. It's cute when they're 8. Not so much when they're 38.


----------



## JB Rowley

AriadneW said:


> Mind you, my 8 year old looked at the TV one day and I can't remember what was on, but he laughed and said "Mum, they can't spell colour." Of course it was a cartoon or something and it was on the screen written as "color".


Give him a star sticker from me! He's an alert 8-year-old. Not many of my English students pick up on that one; they see 'color' so often on computer games and such that they just accept it. Of course we will all probably have to accept it sooner or later what with some of our Aussie newspapers adopting American spelling.


----------



## AriadneW

JB Rowley said:


> Give him a star sticker from me! He's an alert 8-year-old. Not many of my English students pick up on that one; they see 'color' so often on computer games and such that they just accept it. Of course we will all probably have to accept it sooner or later what with some of our Aussie newspapers adopting American spelling.


He's a smart cookie. I feel like I have forgotten so much from my school days when he comes home and tells me about his english lessons.


----------



## Patty Jansen

So, people in Melbourne and Adelaide (and Canberra)... have you melted yet?


----------



## Guest

Patty Jansen said:


> So, people in Melbourne and Adelaide (and Canberra)... have you melted yet?


I'm in Adelaide. It's going to be almost a week of 40+ temps. Almost melted!


----------



## JB Rowley

I'm in Melbourne lapping up the heat.


----------



## Bec

I'm in Melbourne. Definitely melting. Househunting and this weather do not go well together...


----------



## kathrynoh

I didn't go to work today because it involved going outside.  I'd take the rest of the week off work too but it's the last week of my contract and I need the money plus have a desk full of stuff to bring home!


----------



## Sam Winterwood

Wollongong isn't too bad. Yet.
At least I work in aircon. But my apartment is horrible. I may have to sleep in the bathroom since its the coolest room in the place.


----------



## kathrynoh

I find commuting is the worst part.  Yesterday I had a 15 min wait transferring from the train to the bus with no shade or shelter.  

This is the first place I've lived in with air con.  I don't know how I lived without it.


----------



## Harpurr

Hi Guys
Yes Melbourne is not a particularly nice place to be just at the moment. What did people do before aircon?

I'm trying to sort out my INTN W-7 form and it all seems pretty straight forward except that I can't find the Australian Treaty Article number. Does anyone know where this can be found, or know what it is?

Thanks and may everyone stay as cool as possible.

Deb


----------



## Scarlett_R

My air con works but so long as you don't run it for long times- and it's limited only to the lounge which means my office turns into an oven  Will have to head over to my mum's to be able to function!

How'd you guys fair on a 30C night sleep? I've been awake since 4.30am


----------



## Shayne Parkinson

Harpurr said:


> Hi Guys
> Yes Melbourne is not a particularly nice place to be just at the moment. What did people do before aircon?
> 
> I'm trying to sort out my INTN W-7 form and it all seems pretty straight forward except that I can't find the Australian Treaty Article number. Does anyone know where this can be found, or know what it is?
> 
> Thanks and may everyone stay as cool as possible.
> 
> Deb


Deb, try this (quoting from documentation of my own experience, hence the NZ refs):

- Look for your country here: http://www.irs.gov/businesses/international/article/0,,id=96739,00.html
- Open the file for your country. E.g. for New Zealand: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-trty/newzld.pdf
- Search for the Article relating to royalties. For New Zealand, this is Article 12.

Edited to add: most people are going the EIN route these days, which sounds much simpler (and which I didn't know about when I got my ITIN!). But it sounds as if you're finding your way just fine along the ITIN trail.


----------



## CJArcher

I'm holidaying in Tassie at the moment and it's beautiful! The weather is perfect. I feel for everyone in the hot areas, and those poor tennis players!! I hope my plants at home in Melbourne are doing ok.


----------



## JB Rowley

Harpurr said:


> I'm trying to sort out my INTN W-7 form and it all seems pretty straight forward except that I can't find the Australian Treaty Article number. Does anyone know where this can be found, or know what it is?


Aus number is 12.

JB (Don't want any bushfires but a few more of these hot days would be excellent. I love the heat!)


----------



## Patty Jansen

Sydney is beautiful! We just went to the beach and now my daughter went for a run. There are little kids riding bikes in the street. The sky is deep blue.

But, poor people in Adelaide. Mona, I hope you're OK. Poor tennis players. OK, not so poor. They could just choose not to come to the Aus Open, because I swear this happens every year. Maybe they see it as feat of endurance.


----------



## Mike_Author

howdy all,

Sorry, quick finance-related question - does anyone here have any experience getting a new home loan using your self-employed writing income (assuming you are writing full time)?

I have gone full time in 2013 and now talking to the wife about the house situation.  I am assuming that banks would need a few years of tax returns showing high income to be able to borrow much.  Obviously more difficult when you have gone from zero to a reasonably comfortable number in under a year...

I am thinking that if we want to move, I will need to go back to 9-5 at least until we have the new loan and are settle in.

However keen to hear if anyone has experience either to the contrary or that backs this up.  (Naturally, borrowing large sums of money on those zero doc loans at 9%+ is not an option...)

Appreciating any comments


----------



## JamieCampbell

Mike_Author said:


> howdy all,
> 
> Sorry, quick finance-related question - does anyone here have any experience getting a new home loan using your self-employed writing income (assuming you are writing full time)?


You'll need to prove your new income. They may require bank statements to show the deposits. Sometimes they also request a letter from your accountant to verify the income.

Normally your past 2 year's tax returns are the key. However, if you've change circumstances you will need to prove your new income.

Good luck!


----------



## Glenn Wood

Any Aussies got mates in the Police?  I'm trying to work out how best to publicise my books to Aussie cops (with a sense of humour) and would appreciate any advice.


----------



## sunnycoast

Glenn Wood said:


> Any Aussies got mates in the Police? I'm trying to work out how best to publicise my books to Aussie cops (with a sense of humour) and would appreciate any advice.


Glenn, I'd suggest offering to write a piece for IPA-Australia Police Magazine.

Maybe you could send them in an excerpt. They might be interested.


----------



## pcawdron

28 pages of Australian authors... awesome. 

Hi, everyone. I'm a moderately successful science fiction author living in Brisbane


----------



## Patty Jansen

Hi.

You say moderately successful. Do you mean just self-pub or have you sold to magazines or anthologies? Are you part of the SFF scene up there?


----------



## nomesque

pcawdron said:


> 28 pages of Australian authors... awesome.
> 
> Hi, everyone. I'm a moderately successful science fiction author living in Brisbane


Welcome, Peter!  I'm in Brisbane too... well, sort of... one of the islands out in the bay. Tell us more!


----------



## antonnaseton

Patty Jansen said:


> So, people in Melbourne and Adelaide (and Canberra)... have you melted yet?


 Discovered that my air conditioner is busted. So I'm melting into goo. Even my laptop is HOT. It's 45 today. And tomorrow it'll be 46. I'm counting the hours till the cool change comes.


----------



## nomesque

antonnaseton said:


> Discovered that my air conditioner is busted. So I'm melting into goo. Even my laptop is HOT. It's 45 today. And tomorrow it'll be 46. I'm counting the hours till the cool change comes.


*boggle* That's not humane.


----------



## antonnaseton

nomesque said:


> *boggle* That's not humane.


I'm literally dripping sweat. Gah. I hateee summer.


----------



## Patty Jansen

In weather like that without AC I wouldn't use the computer. They're very heat-sensitive things and you can permanently damage your computer by overheating it. I'd copy my files onto the tablet and type on that. They don't produce as much heat.


----------



## Writer1000

Hi Peter! (waves)

Gosh, I feel for you guys in SA and VIC. Not too bad yet here in Sydney.


----------



## DLaughlin

Hi All,

I'm Perth based, although I work FIFO (Fly-In/Fly-Out) in the Pilbara. I'm not published yet, but one of my goals for 2014 is to finally finished a book. I spent a lot of time thinking about writing and reading about writing but never got much further than that. To date I have outlined and started writing my first book, a supernatural thriller.

Anyway I just wanted to say hello and it was a lovely 43 degrees for me today.


----------



## Writer1000

Hi DLaughlin! All the best with your first book!


----------



## Patty Jansen

43 degrees is pretty normal summer day in the Pilbara, isn't it?


----------



## Mike_Author

JamieCampbell said:


> You'll need to prove your new income. They may require bank statements to show the deposits. Sometimes they also request a letter from your accountant to verify the income.
> 
> Normally your past 2 year's tax returns are the key. However, if you've change circumstances you will need to prove your new income.
> 
> Good luck!


Thanks Jamie. As far as I can tell, most banks want two years of tax returns so we may just have to stay put until I have two years of decent Amazon earnings under my belt...


----------



## DLaughlin

MirandaPCharles said:


> Hi DLaughlin! All the best with your first book!


Thanks Miranda. It's hard getting back into it again. I'm finding there is a lot to learn (relearn?) but I am enjoying the journey so far.



Patty Jansen said:


> 43 degrees is pretty normal summer day in the Pilbara, isn't it?


Yeah it is Patty. I'm lucky that I work in an office, but not so lucky when the air-conditioning doesn't cope well with anything over 35 degrees.


----------



## Guest

I'm surviving in the Adelaide heat, but only barely. We don't have air conditioning so I'm permanently stuck in front of a fan. It's revolting - you have a cool shower and ten minutes later you're sweating. Yuck. Bring on the cool change!


----------



## nomesque

antonnaseton said:


> I'm literally dripping sweat. Gah. I hateee summer.


Ice pack to the back of the neck. It helps a surprising amount.


----------



## Glenn Wood

x2far said:


> Glenn, I'd suggest offering to write a piece for IPA-Australia Police Magazine.
> 
> Maybe you could send them in an excerpt. They might be interested.


Cheers mate, I'll give that a try. Much appreciated.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Calling out to Adelaide, which has the dubious honour of being the hottest city in the world today. According to the BOM, the temperature has just passed 43C.


----------



## Guest

Stupid Adelaide. I want to kill myself.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Kitten said:


> Stupid Adelaide. I want to kill myself.


Heatwave-induced depression is a real thing. Keep talking here if you want.

Do you have ice cubs? Put some in a bucket, put some water in and put your feet in there. Don't forget to put new water in the freezer.


----------



## DLaughlin

We're looking at a 43 up in the Pilbara today, with a possible storm (which will cool things down a bit I hope).

I have a few (read a lot) of questions about writing and publishing from an Australian perspective. And they range from craft to tax issues.

What's the best way to ask these without inundating the thread?


----------



## Guest

Patty I'm fine, I was just expressing my frustration at this heat wave. I was being silly, it's just so awful today after a few awful days. And it's 40 tomorrow! It's horrible and the cool change couldn't come sooner!


----------



## Patty Jansen

DLaughlin said:


> We're looking at a 43 up in the Pilbara today, with a possible storm (which will cool things down a bit I hope).
> 
> I have a few (read a lot) of questions about writing and publishing from an Australian perspective. And they range from craft to tax issues.
> 
> What's the best way to ask these without inundating the thread?


How about ask the questions one by one?


----------



## kurzon

Or read the thread first, and check for other threads.  There's quite a lot of information out there.

The AU Amazon sells mildly for me (17 last month, 6 so far this month).  I don't think many Australians have switched to it, but new users of Amazon/kindle are more likely to use it.


----------



## Patty Jansen

I have more than 300 sales on .com so far this month, but I cannot seem to sell ANYTHING at AU.


----------



## DLaughlin

kurzon said:


> Or read the thread first, and check for other threads. There's quite a lot of information out there.


I read this thread the other day, it's one of the main reasons I joined this forum.

I am finding that getting back into fiction writing (I did a little when I was younger) is not like riding a bike. You can't just climb on and off you go. I think it's more like having to learn how to build the bike, then build it and then go for a ride, hoping that it doesn't all fall apart underneath you.

My first question would be how did you go about networking? I have looked at a number of Perth based writing groups and associations as well as writing classes. Have people participated in these or your local equivalent?

At this early point in my career, I am interested in fostering relationships with people who may help me improve my writing and in turn I might be able to pass on the knowledge in the future. My current FIFO lifestyle makes it difficult for me to make regular meetings but I am still interested in other ways of connection with other Australian writers.


----------



## nomesque

D - are you on Facebook? Your best bet might be to search for a Perth NaNoWriMo group. Most of them are at least partly active year-round, and being full of writers, they'd probably be able to direct you to a few local options.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Do not be parochial. Do everything online. The internet is your oyster.

Rather than try to forge relationships with local authors who may write different (sub) genres or are at different stages of their careers, find writers who want to engage and are at the same stage of their careers. This is much more important than the local aspect.

What genre do you write?


----------



## nomesque

Patty Jansen said:


> Do not be parochial. Do everything online. The internet is your oyster.
> 
> Rather than try to forge relationships with local authors who may write different (sub) genres or are at different stages of their careers, find writers who want to engage and are at the same stage of their careers. This is much more important than the local aspect.


:-o I don't disagree exactly, but... OMG, I'm trying to imagine my life without my writers/drinkers group buddies. I've never been to a 'writers' group' meeting, as such, in my life... but socially it just makes so much sense to me to hang out with people who understand the weird stuff that comes out of my mouth.


----------



## JB Rowley

kurzon said:


> The AU Amazon sells mildly for me (17 last month, 6 so far this month). I don't think many Australians have switched to it, but new users of Amazon/kindle are more likely to use it.


Maybe more than you think; I noticed that the people in the Aussie Readers Group on Goodreads seem to have made the switch. When they supply a link to a book it is to the AU store or they supply both Aus and the American link.


----------



## DLaughlin

Patty Jansen said:


> What genre do you write?


Currently I am writing a Supernatural Thriller (I loathe the word paranormal, people get mental images of shiny vampires and buff cliches), but I want to write in other areas that could be lumped together under the term "Speculative Fiction".


----------



## Patty Jansen

DLaughlin said:


> Currently I am writing a Supernatural Thriller (I loathe the word paranormal, people get mental images of shiny vampires and buff cliches), but I want to write in other areas that could be lumped together under the term "Speculative Fiction".


If you want an ace writing group you should become a member of SF-OWW. I was there for four years.

http://sff.onlinewritingworkshop.com/index.shtml


----------



## Sam Winterwood

Hows everyone coping with the heat today?
On the east coast its okay but my apartment seems to be filled with lava. No writing today for me!
At least I'll be in aircon for work in a few hours.


----------



## Patty Jansen

We went to Freshwater beach. It was awesome (if rather over-populated with waaayyyy too many nippers and their parents). The beach will be awesome once school holidays finish.


----------



## Writer1000

It's 27degrees in my room right now. Writing all day. My electric fan's on stand by.


----------



## Rin

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good lawyer and/or accountant in Brisbane?

*The lawyer: *I'll need them to be able to write up a couple of boilerplate contracts for my micropress stuff. (TLDR: I'm having a couple of other authors write books in my universe, and I need a "expanded universe writers" contract).

*The accountant: *I just want to ensure I'm above board for everything tax-related, especially as I'll be paying royalties (as above).


----------



## RinG

Patty Jansen said:


> I have more than 300 sales on .com so far this month, but I cannot seem to sell ANYTHING at AU.


I can't even give them away! Running a free promo, and I've had over 1000 downloads on .com, and only 8 on .au. All of those came after I posted on the Aussie readers group on GoodReads too!

I'm sure more people would use the .au site if it didn't limit the books you had access to, and charge you $1 more than the .com site. I know the .com site have put up their prices to Aussie buyers anyway, but it still doesn't equal what they're charging on the .au site, and besides, it's the principle of the thing. Why should we pay more just because we're in Australia, when the exchange rate is in our favour?


----------



## Colin Taber

I'll confess that I'm surprised that Amazon is not pushing harder for Australians to use .com.au.

My sales there seem small, but when you look at the rank jump you get it becomes clear that there is hardly anyone using it.

I'm up to 8 sales there this month so far, so I'm set for some kind of personal record.

The weather tells me it'll be 38 today in Perth.  

Damn you summer! *shakes fist*


----------



## Patty Jansen

Rinelle's post lists all the good reasons why I don't buy on Amazon at all. 

I find enough to read on Kobo without ever needing to look elsewhere.


----------



## nomesque

Yeah, I'm a little grouchy about that whole 'gotta charge at least $3.99 to Aussie readers to be in KDP Select' thing. To be fair, maybe it's partly to do with the costs of doing business here in Australia, or something of the sort. But still... grrrr.


----------



## Mike_Author

Colin Taber said:


> I'll confess that I'm surprised that Amazon is not pushing harder for Australians to use .com.au.
> 
> My sales there seem small, but when you look at the rank jump you get it becomes clear that there is hardly anyone using it.
> 
> I'm up to 8 sales there this month so far, so I'm set for some kind of personal record.
> 
> The weather tells me it'll be 38 today in Perth.
> 
> d*mn you summer! *shakes fist*


just upgraded to 39


----------



## RinG

nomesque said:


> Yeah, I'm a little grouchy about that whole 'gotta charge at least $3.99 to Aussie readers to be in KDP Select' thing. To be fair, maybe it's partly to do with the costs of doing business here in Australia, or something of the sort. But still... grrrr.


I don't think it has anything to do with Select does it? It's to get the 70% royalty.

If it is to do with the cost of doing business here, then they need to explain what that is. I'd love to know.


----------



## Colin Taber

It's based on a range of things I think, such as exchange rates and what the local market expects to pay (and will pay) for books. I don't actually think Amazon is the culprit here. Sure, they made the decision to go for $3.99, but like all things at Amazon, they made it as a business decision based on their (Australian) target market. The book trade in Australia is still controlled largely by the major publishers, not bookshops, readers or Amazon.


----------



## JB Rowley

Rinelle Grey said:


> I don't think it has anything to do with Select does it? It's to get the 70% royalty.
> 
> If it is to do with the cost of doing business here, then they need to explain what that is. I'd love to know.


Yes, it's to do with the 70% royalty. 
*
Below is a copy of the response from KDP when I first queried the disparity in prices:*

'....a price of AUD 3.99 for "Mother of Ten" has been automatically based on the US pricing for your title in the Amazon.com.au Kindle Store.
As such, Australian customers will be offered the AUD pricing when browsing Amazon.com, and this is converted into a USD price for display on the website.

If you specify different List Prices for your book in different marketplaces, we may use one of those List Prices for sales to customers in a given country on all of our websites, to provide consistency across those marketplaces.

For example, if you provide us with a UK Pounds List Price and a US Dollar List Price for a Digital Book, we may use the UK Pounds List Price for sales to UK customers from all of our websites, including Amazon.com, and we may convert it as provided above.

For more details, please refer to section 5.3.1 of our Terms and Conditions here:
https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/help?topicId=200627430

Should you wish to change the AU list price of your title, please follow these steps:

1. Visit kdp.amazon.com and log in.
2. From the "Bookshelf,"check the box at the left side of the book and then click on the "Actions" button at the top left.
3. Select "Edit rights, royalty and pricing."
4. Under "Choose Your Royalty," edit your list price in USD; if you have rights to publish in Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Spain, the UK, India, Canada and Brazil your list price will automatically convert to British Pounds (GBP) and Euros (EUR), Indian Rupees (INR), Canadian Dollars (CAD) and Brazilian Real (BRL) respectively, or you can set your own.
5. Click on "Save & Publish."


----------



## kathrynoh

Not being able to gift book and not having the same selection to buy from is more annoying to me than the higher prices.  Look at what we had to pay for paper books for all those years.  Even if we are paying a bit more, it bets the $20+ price tag for new releases.  

Australian publishing has pretty much shit me anyway.  They've ignored genre fiction years and pretty much only published literary fiction and bios of sportspeople.  I hope Amazon takes a big swipe at them.


----------



## JB Rowley

Rinelle Grey said:


> I'm sure more people would use the .au site if it didn't limit the books you had access to,


I have made the switch and it doesn't limit the books I have access to so I am not sure what you mean, Rinelle. I still shop at .com; the only difference is that when the item I want is available at .com.au I am redirected there. If the item is not available at .com.au I am not redirected and I buy through .com.

What I don't like about the Aus site is that the 'look inside' function is not yet available so if someone recommends a book and gives me the direct .com.au link, I cannot check out the book without going over to .com.


----------



## nomesque

Rinelle Grey said:


> I don't think it has anything to do with Select does it? It's to get the 70% royalty.
> 
> If it is to do with the cost of doing business here, then they need to explain what that is. I'd love to know.


Errr, yeah, that. *lol* Brain-dead moment.

Good luck with getting Amazon to explain their costs and decision-making processes.


----------



## JB Rowley

I just got my first wire transfer remittance advice. Yay! The system works. Of course, I can't make head nor tail of it but I guess I'll have to study and learn. As far as I can make it out it looks like it relates to the AUS store only. If so, I assume we get a separate remittance for each country.


----------



## Patty Jansen

I got it, too. I've only ever made one sale in the AU store. But I guess this means the process works.


----------



## nomesque

JB Rowley said:


> I just got my first wire transfer remittance advice. Yay! The system works. Of course, I can't make head nor tail of it but I guess I'll have to study and learn. As far as I can make it out it looks like it relates to the AUS store only. If so, I assume we get a separate remittance for each country.


Yup, sure do.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Trust Amazon to make everything to do with back-end accounting and payments SO FREAKING COMPLICATED.

Seriously, if Kobo, Smashwords, D2D and others can have one payment per month per author, why does Amazon need eight? Oh, and incurring eight separate bank fees, too.

They're better than they used to be, but they're still into subsidising the banks.


----------



## nomesque

I think it's because of the way they incorporate in each country they move into - they become separate entities and so can't consolidate payments without dodgy rerouting of money.


----------



## CJArcher

I got one for the AU store and one for UK. The AU amount matches the amount on my November report, but the UK one is nowhere near. Any thoughts on why? I've had in the back of my mind that they're going to split the November payments - a cheque for the amount accrued BEFORE I switched to EFT/wire and a wire for the amount AFTER. I think I'll email support and ask.


----------



## nomesque

Sounds like an idea to ask, CJ. Did you check the sales numbers on the remittance advice? Are they correct?


----------



## CJArcher

nomesque said:


> Sounds like an idea to ask, CJ. Did you check the sales numbers on the remittance advice? Are they correct?


They're impossible to compare. The remittance advice is in Au dollars, the report is in pounds. The remittance lists a bunch of invoice numbers which I *think* corresponds to each book, but I can't be sure as there are no titles and the numbers don't reference the ASIN. There is a dollar value for each invoice number. I've sent a question and am waiting for the reply. Sigh.


----------



## Guest

I'm confused about the minimum payment threshold for wire payments. Do we still need to earn $100 on .com to be paid by wire? I think there's no minimum to be paid by eft for .au payments, but I don't know about wire for the other countries. Does anyone know?


----------



## nomesque

CJArcher said:


> They're impossible to compare. The remittance advice is in Au dollars, the report is in pounds. The remittance lists a bunch of invoice numbers which I *think* corresponds to each book, but I can't be sure as there are no titles and the numbers don't reference the ASIN. There is a dollar value for each invoice number. I've sent a question and am waiting for the reply. Sigh.


Eurgh. You're right. I could've sworn I'd seen a way to get the correlation, but I can't find it now.


----------



## Writer1000

Kitten said:


> I'm confused about the minimum payment threshold for wire payments. Do we still need to earn $100 on .com to be paid by wire? I think there's no minimum to be paid by eft for .au payments, but I don't know about wire for the other countries. Does anyone know?


Kitten, my understanding is that there's still a minimum threshold of $100 for wire payments for .com and all other stores except for .au EFT payments which has no minimum.


----------



## Sam Winterwood

I have two questions for fellow Australians.
I KNOW they have been answered, most likely in this very thread, but I can't seem to find them.

1) Applying for EIN.
Do you have to have a a company etc? Everything I've looked at seem to be that I need to provide that information. I'm pretty sure you don't need to provide info like that.
Can someone who has rung up the IRS for an EIN tell me what personal info they actually ask for?

2) Amazon banking EFT/Wire info.
I've been out of the loop for a while. Can we get electronic transfers now?
I tried to fill out my banking info on Amazon today but they kept asking for information (swift codes, etc) that doesn't exist even though it says its for information for Australian accounts.
I'm thoroughly confused about it (and life in general, but thats a whole other topic).


Any help will be rewarded by me eating a pie for dinner.
THank you!!


----------



## Patty Jansen

Everything you ever wanted to know about getting an EIN: http://catherineryanhoward.com/2012/02/24/non-us-self-publisher-tax-issues-dont-need-to-be-taxing/

SWIFT code: I think I just filled in the BSB here. It must have worked because I got a payment today.


----------



## Writer1000

SWIFT codes are different from BSB. Here's the website where you can check the SWIFT code for your bank:

http://www.theswiftcodes.com/australia/


----------



## CJArcher

The swift code is the number the bank is known as internationally for transferring money. ANZ's is ANZBAU3M which I found on their website. If your bank's website doesn't have it, there must be a list somewhere online.


----------



## Sam Winterwood

Patty Jansen said:


> Everything you ever wanted to know about getting an EIN: http://catherineryanhoward.com/2012/02/24/non-us-self-publisher-tax-issues-dont-need-to-be-taxing/
> 
> SWIFT code: I think I just filled in the BSB here. It must have worked because I got a payment today.


Thats the page I've been reading. Must have missed the company info bit.
_So I need to become a sole trader? _

In regards to the bank account details:
On Amazon its asking for Acc Number, Routing number and BIC number. Even thought I've got an Australian bank account selected.
BUT I found this: http://www.jayverney.net/add-your-australian-bank-account-to-your-amazon-kindle-kdp-account-in-10-easy-steps/
Step 6 explains what it means but now I have to find the right SWIFT code.

Thanks everyone for the info!

My treasure hunt continues

EDIT:
So I've got the banking info in. Lets hope something works.
So I'm assuming that wire transfer and EFT are essentially the same thing?
Back to editing!


----------



## JB Rowley

CJArcher said:


> I got one for the AU store and one for UK. The AU amount matches the amount on my November report, but the UK one is nowhere near. Any thoughts on why? I've had in the back of my mind that they're going to split the November payments - a cheque for the amount accrued BEFORE I switched to EFT/wire and a wire for the amount AFTER. I think I'll email support and ask.


Yes, I've got my UK remittance and it does not tally with the November report - short by $30.00 according to my reckoning. I'll be interested to hear what KDP have to say, CJ.


----------



## JB Rowley

Sam Winterwood (SJ Woods) said:


> _So I need to become a sole trader? _


No, just tell the lovely people on the other end of the phone in the USA that you sell your books through Amazon.


----------



## Colin Taber

JB Rowley said:


> Yes, I've got my UK remittance and it does not tally with the November report - short by $30.00 according to my reckoning. I'll be interested to hear what KDP have to say, CJ.


I'm kinda guessing here, but is it possible the deficit is because of (UK) with holding tax?


----------



## Guest

I'm one of those people that takes a while to earn $100 on Amazon - it usually takes me 2-3 months to earn enough to get paid for .com. Anyway if I take the money I earned in October, November and December it equals about $150 USD. Do you think I'll get paid that by wire transfer in late Feb, or will I get another cheque because part of the payment was earned in October?

For those of you who have been paid by wire transfer already, did you get paid for all of November, or only from the middle of the month when the wire transfer thing started? I know there's some confusion with payments from the UK but I was hoping the USD payments made sense 

Thanks


----------



## RinG

Sam Winterwood (SJ Woods) said:


> So I'm assuming that wire transfer and EFT are essentially the same thing?


No! Not the same thing at all. Your bank probably charges a fee to receive a wire transfer, whereas EFT is free. Check with your bank, a lot seem to be cheaper than to cash a cheque, but not all of them. Mine quoted me $60! So not worth it to receive my $20 UK payment!



JB Rowley said:


> Yes, I've got my UK remittance and it does not tally with the November report - short by $30.00 according to my reckoning. I'll be interested to hear what KDP have to say, CJ.


Mine tallied as soon as I converted from UK (in the reports) to US (in the remittance).

Made my first .au sale today! Hope it's the start of many.


----------



## MitchHogan

JB Rowley said:


> Yes, I've got my UK remittance and it does not tally with the November report - short by $30.00 according to my reckoning. I'll be interested to hear what KDP have to say, CJ.


Mine's out by a lot as well. Something's gone wrong, the exchange rate used couldn't be that far out. From my calculation the exchange rate was close to 1, not 1.8 as it should have been.



Colin Taber said:


> I'm kinda guessing here, but is it possible the deficit is because of (UK) with holding tax?


I've only been paid by .co.uk the last 3 months, but they've never taken withholding tax out before and it isn't stated in the remittance advice as it should be if they do. Plus it means they would have taken out close to 40%.


----------



## Colin Taber

Just a thought; the Australian payment is just an electronic funds transfer, so there should be no fee (it's from .au). The payments from the other stores which are wireless transfers (telegraphic transfers) can be subject to charges from the receiving bank (if they charge for receipt, which in Australia I think most of them do). 

Years ago, when I used to work at a bank, compared to paying the foreign cheque fee, the telegraphic transfer charge was a lot more. At the time I think it was $45 versus cheques at $8.

I'd suggest people call their banks and confirm what was received, what was banked, and if there is a discrepancy ask why and seek a breakdown of any charges.


----------



## Patty Jansen

I asked my bank and they couldn't tell me


----------



## Guest

All EFT transfers should be free, or at the very least subject to a normal transaction charge as it is the same as paying a bill on-line or receiving funds from your salary etc.,


----------



## Colin Taber

TobiasRoote said:


> All EFT transfers should be free, or at the very least subject to a normal transaction charge as it is the same as paying a bill on-line or receiving funds from your salary etc.,


The overseas Amazon payments are not clearly *described *as EFT, there is also a reference to wire transfers. That's a telegraphic transfer. They usually incur high fees.

From the KDP web page:

Your Royalty Payments
Add a bank account in order to receive EFT or Wire payments (direct deposit) for royalty earned on Amazon marketplaces. Click here for more details. If you do not set-up a bank account, your royalties will be paid by check in the default currency of the marketplace. Be sure your royalty payment settings are correct before publishing a book, as your currency selection will be used to calculate your royalties as soon as a purchase occurs.

Getting Paid
Separate royalty payments for each Kindle Store in which you have chosen to distribute your title will be paid automatically by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), Wire Transfer (where available), or check approximately sixty (60) days following the end of the calendar month during which applicable sales occur, once threshold is met.
Keep in mind that your bank may charge fees for some payments. If you're not sure whether they do, you may want to contact them.

As for the missing monies, I am also wondering if the timing has something to do with it:

Payment Method Changes
If you switch your payment method or currency preference mid-month on the 15th, you will receive a payment in the old currency for sales accrued over the first 15 days as long as payment threshold is met. A separate payment will be sent in the new currency for sales accrued the last 15 days of the month.


----------



## Colin Taber

Patty Jansen said:


> I asked my bank and they couldn't tell me


Hooray for bank staff! 

Call the international desk/dept for your bank, but they'll only be available during office hours.


----------



## Guest

JB Rowley said:


> Yes, I've got my UK remittance and it does not tally with the November report - short by $30.00 according to my reckoning. I'll be interested to hear what KDP have to say, CJ.


are they retaining 30% of your income?


----------



## MitchHogan

Here's the response I received on the UK royalties, it makes no sense to do this but I suspect arguing with them won't change anything:

I see that you've changed your payment method from Check in GBP to WIRE in AUD for UK store in the month of November 2013.

So some royalties were accrued while your payment currency was GBP and some were accrued after making the payment method and currency change. So those accrued after the change are accrued in AUD.

Royalties accrued in the GBP will be paid to you as check at the end of January 2013.


----------



## CJArcher

I got my response from Support too. Basically the royalties earned before you switched to EFT are paid by cheque and the royalties earned afterward are paid by EFT, even if you switched middle of the month. I changed mid-November, so November's payment will be split up and half a month's worth of royalties need to find their way to me as cheques.


----------



## nomesque

What a pain in the backside. I'm still using Payoneer (looks cheaper for me for now) - haven't switched to my Aussie account.


----------



## Writer1000

Oh, what a pain!


----------



## Sam Winterwood

Just used Amazon to publish for the first time instead of D2D.
Now its under review so the waiting game begins!
I'm super nervous.


----------



## nomesque

Sam Winterwood (SJ Woods) said:


> Just used Amazon to publish for the first time instead of D2D.
> Now its under review so the waiting game begins!
> I'm super nervous.


Good luck!  It usually gets through review in 3-4 hours, if I remember correctly.


----------



## JB Rowley

CJArcher said:


> I got my response from Support too. Basically the royalties earned before you switched to EFT are paid by cheque and the royalties earned afterward are paid by EFT, even if you switched middle of the month. I changed mid-November, so November's payment will be split up and half a month's worth of royalties need to find their way to me as cheques.


Thanks, CJ.


----------



## kathrynoh

Have people got actual cash money in their bank accounts or just the remittance advice (which I must say is very ugly!)?


----------



## nomesque

kathrynoh said:


> Have people got actual cash money in their bank accounts or just the remittance advice (which I must say is very ugly!)?


The money's usually deposited about the 28th, from memory.


----------



## Writer1000

Has anyone received remittance advice for .com already? Haven't got mine yet.


----------



## Patty Jansen

I've received the email, but no money.

Also, does anyone know how the heck to get sales on AU. I've got over 500 sales, but a big fat 0 on Amazon AU.


----------



## JB Rowley

kathrynoh said:


> Have people got actual cash money in their bank accounts or just the remittance advice (which I must say is very ugly!)?


Payment date is 30th Jan, 2014 but: 'Please allow up to five business days following the payment date for the funds to appear in the available balance of your bank account.'

Yes, it is rather ugly.


----------



## JB Rowley

MirandaPCharles said:


> Has anyone received remittance advice for .com already? Haven't got mine yet.


Haven't got mine yet, either.


----------



## Writer1000

JB Rowley said:


> Haven't got mine yet, either.


Thanks, JB. No need to email them yet, then.



Patty Jansen said:


> Also, does anyone know how the heck to get sales on AU. I've got over 500 sales, but a big fat 0 on Amazon AU.


No idea. Even my permafree has only been downloaded 5 times on AU this month. I figured as long as my .com sales are ticking along, I shouldn't worry. Would be nice to get at least one sale though, and experience being paid by EFT with no threshold and bank fees.


----------



## Colin Taber

I Spoke to NAB today just to confirm about charges relating to telegraphic transfers (TT). They told me the following:

1) They don't charge for incoming TTs.

2) When someone sends you a TT, they can issue instructions via a tick a box which instructs the banks sending and the one receiving that all charges (for handling and the currency conversion) are to be charged to the receiving party.

I'd suggest we all keep an eye on amounts for now. If anyone receives a payment and wants to post about it, it might also be worth mentioning which bank you're with.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Colin Taber said:


> I Spoke to NAB today just to confirm about charges relating to telegraphic transfers (TT). They told me the following:
> 
> 1) They don't charge for incoming TTs.
> 
> 2) When someone sends you a TT, they can issue instructions via a tick a box which instructs the banks sending and the one receiving that all charges (for handling and the currency conversion) are to be charged to the receiving party.
> 
> I'd suggest we all keep an eye on amounts for now. If anyone receives a payment and wants to post about it, it might also be worth mentioning which bank you're with.


That's pretty much what the bank told me, too.


----------



## MitchHogan

MirandaPCharles said:


> Has anyone received remittance advice for .com already? Haven't got mine yet.


Nothing yet either.



Colin Taber said:


> I'd suggest we all keep an eye on amounts for now. If anyone receives a payment and wants to post about it, it might also be worth mentioning which bank you're with.


I'm with Westpac and they've been taking $25 out for each wire remittance. I've had .co.uk, .de and .com, all $25 short of the amount on the remittance.
If you're wondering how I've received all these I had my September and October cheques cancelled and repaid to my new wire transfer account details.


----------



## nomesque

MitchHogan said:


> I'm with Westpac and they've been taking $25 out for each wire remittance. I've had .co.uk, .de and .com, all $25 short of the amount on the remittance.


Holy crap, OUCH!


----------



## Patty Jansen

The Commonwealth does that, too, I'll be back to cheques PRONTO!

Trust Amazon to find a method to pay us that costs us the greatest amount of money possible.

I ask again: if Google Play, Kobo, D2D and a host of other companies can have reasonable payment processes for people all over the world, why does Amazon have to continue to be such a frakking pain in the butt?


----------



## Writer1000

St George takes out $25, too.

I do wonder if the conversion rate by cashing foreign cheques is worse than if we get the money straight into our account, and therefore the higher TT fees could be worth it? There's also that fact that I have to wait one whole month to get access to my money when I bank a cheque.


----------



## Patty Jansen

MirandaPCharles said:


> St George takes out $25, too.
> 
> I do wonder if the conversion rate by cashing foreign cheques is worse than if we get the money straight into our account, and therefore the higher TT fees could be worth it? There's also that fact that I have to wait one whole month to get access to my money when I bank a cheque.


This is true, but when your total average sales are just over $100 a month, this is a huge amount of money, percentage-wise. Amazon is not my best sales venue, and I'm only just at the point where I've been getting monthly cheques.

Still hugely pissed off about this. It's like Amazon makes a point of being a pain in the butt, just because it can, because it's Amazon, and we all have to worship it like obedient little prawns.


----------



## CJArcher

I've been getting Amazon Montlake payments via wire this entire time, and there's a fee of $25 or $15, I can't recall right now. Interestingly, on the notification from ANZ that comes in the mail it says there's $0 transaction fee, but that's not true. The wire comes via Westpac and *they're* the ones who charge the fee. Unfortunately you have to ring up the number on the letter and get someone who knows where to look for this. You only have to do it the first time and then after that it's always the same amount. It's important to get this amount for your tax records - you can claim the fee as a business expense. So yes, there IS a fee for wire/TT.


----------



## MitchHogan

The exchange rate Amazon uses is terrible as well. Abysmal really. I thought it would be ok but it looks like they're skimming another 5% margin off the top.

I'm seriously thinking about opening a HSBC or Citibank multi-currency account. It looks like the HSBC fee is $10 for TT and their exchange rate for conversion would be much better as well.


----------



## CJArcher

On the good news side of things, I see the Aussie dollar is sinking.   Yay! I didn't like it when it was parity.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Except multi-currency accounts don't work, because there's something with the routing that still doesn't make it a US account (see the earlier pages of this thread)


----------



## kathrynoh

Wow, this talk of fees has me worried now. 

So what happens with Amazon not having a payment threshold any more?  If you get say $5 in France, do they pay it and you end up in negative with the fees?


----------



## MitchHogan

kathrynoh said:


> Wow, this talk of fees has me worried now.
> 
> So what happens with Amazon not having a payment threshold any more? If you get say $5 in France, do they pay it and you end up in negative with the fees?


No, from my KDP account information for wires all currencies require a minimum of $100 in royalties. But $100 less $25 less 5% skimming from currency conversion and your $100 = $70...


----------



## nomesque

Hrmmm... I think I might stick with Payoneer for now. Amazon treats the payments as US bank deposits, they're available as soon as they're deposited, and the fee is a straight 1% of deposits (possibly a currency conversion skim when you pay in anything but USD too - I forget). If anyone does want to go with Payoneer, I know there are a few of us using them - and if you post on the boards before signing up, one of us can give you a signup link that'll get you $25 when your received payments hits $100.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Wasn't there an announcement somewhere that you could now also have Payoneer pay out in you Australian bank account?


----------



## kathrynoh

Thanks Mitch, I'd forgotten they said that.  And yeah, if it's a $30 fee, I'll go back to cheques.  My credit union told me they don't charge a fee but they route through another bank which, I'm guessing will.

It's tough when you are only getting paid small amounts.  You can't claim the deductions if this is a hobby.


----------



## kurzon

I've had all my Amazon payments on hold for a while (I'd rather bank bigger amounts less frequently for less charges), and if even the wire transfers are racking up silly charges I guess I'm going to only pay myself a couple of times a year.

Tch.

Oh well - will make the taxes quicker to do.


----------



## nomesque

Patty Jansen said:


> Wasn't there an announcement somewhere that you could now also have Payoneer pay out in you Australian bank account?


Here's the FAQ: https://myaccount.payoneer.com/MainPage/WithdrawalFAQ.aspx?processor_type=1

Pay careful note to the foreign exchange rate. Exchange + 2.75% skimmed is a bit painful.


----------



## Writer1000

I applied for a Payoneer card a while back but they told me I couldn't have an account under my company name, only with my personal name.


----------



## phillberrie

Hi,

Newbie to the kboards here and it's nice to find some other Aussie writers. 

And now I'll go and start reading through the other responses.

phillberrie.


----------



## Patty Jansen

phillberrie said:


> Hi,
> 
> Newbie to the kboards here and it's nice to find some other Aussie writers.
> 
> And now I'll go and start reading through the other responses.
> 
> phillberrie.


Hello Phill!


----------



## phillberrie

Patty Jansen said:


> Hello Phill!


Hi Patty... Yes, I know I should have been here a long time ago. My bad. Still better late than never.


----------



## Writer1000

Hi Phill!


----------



## phillberrie

MirandaPCharles said:


> Hi Phill!


Hi Miranda. Thanks for starting this thread. I'm reading through the old listings now and finding lots of interesting comments about things I knew and things I don't know. Will start commenting when I'm up to speed.

Keep writing.

Phill.


----------



## Patty Jansen

phillberrie said:


> Hi Miranda. Thanks for starting this thread. I'm reading through the old listings now and finding lots of interesting comments about things I knew and things I don't know. Will start commenting when I'm up to speed.
> 
> Keep writing.
> 
> Phill.


Is anyone EVER up to speed with this place?


----------



## phillberrie

Patty Jansen said:


> Is anyone EVER up to speed with this place?


Okay... Let's make that thinking I know enough to be dangerous, see my signature below.


----------



## CarlSinclair

NicoleSwan said:


> Fellow Aussies, you know what I find to be the *worst* aspect of living in Australia? The fact that the UK/US markets and people are all sleeping and quiet when we're awake and ready to roll.
> 
> Honestly, it gets depressing for me during that midday~8pm time slot when things are simply too quiet and all you seem to be able to do is twiddle your thumbs, waiting.
> 
> I thought I'd try start an Aussie/Australian writer thread because I see there's plenty of other good-morning, good-evening and such threads for the UK/US populations, but I feel we're a little too dispersed at the moment ourselves.


I'm a Kiwi living in Australia. I was having this problem too, then I decided that I would just not sleep anymore. Now i work during those hours and talk/play/sell whatever during US business hours. I'm sure I'm going insane, but it's been about a year now and me and my 5 personalities and imaginary friend Tom are doing good.

So there you have it. Quit sleeping.

Oh and hi there fellow Australians!


----------



## Guest

Patty Jansen said:


> The Commonwealth does that, too, I'll be back to cheques PRONTO!
> 
> Trust Amazon to find a method to pay us that costs us the greatest amount of money possible.
> 
> I ask again: if Google Play, Kobo, D2D and a host of other companies can have reasonable payment processes for people all over the world, why does Amazon have to continue to be such a frakking pain in the butt?


So Patty are you with the Commonwealth Bank? I'm with them. I just want to confirm - they took $25 as a fee for the wire transfer? If they do I'll probably have to go back to cheques because that's a hell of a fee to take. I thought David Adams said that the Commonwealth Bank takes $11 for a wire transfer, but I guess it depends who you speak to. The proof would be in actually getting some money and seeing the fee come out.

ETA: I mean it depends who you speak to at the bank.


----------



## JB Rowley

CarlSinclair said:


> I'm a Kiwi living in Australia. I was having this problem too, then I decided that I would just not sleep anymore. Now i work during those hours and talk/play/sell whatever during US business hours. I'm sure I'm going insane, but it's been about a year now and me and my 5 personalities and imaginary friend Tom are doing good.
> 
> So there you have it. Quit sleeping.
> 
> Oh and hi there fellow Australians!


Welcome, Carl.


----------



## Writer1000

Hi Carl!


----------



## Patty Jansen

Kitten said:


> So Patty are you with the Commonwealth Bank? I'm with them. I just want to confirm - they took $25 as a fee for the wire transfer? If they do I'll probably have to go back to cheques because that's a hell of a fee to take. I thought David Adams said that the Commonwealth Bank takes $11 for a wire transfer, but I guess it depends who you speak to. The proof would be in actually getting some money and seeing the fee come out.
> 
> ETA: I mean it depends who you speak to at the bank.


I don't know yet. I haven't had any payments. I notice that the word "if" was missing from the beginning of my reply.


----------



## kathrynoh

Hi Phil and Carl  

I've found the only way to deal with banks is via email.  If you talk to them in person or on the phone, you get people saying whatever.  At least if they are putting something in writing, they seem to be a bit more careful about what they say.


----------



## CJArcher

Hi Phil and Carl. Welcome to KBoards and the Aussie thread.


----------



## phillberrie

kathrynoh said:


> Hi Phil and Carl


Hi back at you.

And for the record, I found out about Payoneer and started the sign up process a couple of days ago. Some long accumulated monies have gone into my account, but I haven't received my debit card yet.


----------



## phillberrie

CarlSinclair said:


> I'm a Kiwi living in Australia. I was having this problem too, then I decided that I would just not sleep anymore. Now i work during those hours and talk/play/sell whatever during US business hours. I'm sure I'm going insane, but it's been about a year now and me and my 5 personalities and imaginary friend Tom are doing good.
> 
> So there you have it. Quit sleeping.
> 
> Oh and hi there fellow Australians!


Hi Carl, fancy meeting you here.


----------



## phillberrie

CJArcher said:


> Hi Phil and Carl. Welcome to KBoards and the Aussie thread.


Thanks CJ.


----------



## phillberrie

phillberrie said:


> And now I'll go and start reading through the other responses.


... 32 pages later and I've caught up on the conversation. Phew. But great to see some sort of confirmation for the stuff I've done so far.

1. Got an EIN - Check, only 5% withholding tax for both Amazon & Smashwords.
2. Got a payment system in place - Check, still waiting on my Payoneer debit card, but I'm liking the sound of the convenience.
3. Promotional activities...

I've currently got an ad running on Goodreads, which is scoring very few click-throughs. I'm also the current sponsor of the Adventures in Sci Fi Publishing, which gets me an ad on their website and in the podcast. I did these as an experiment hoping that cheap, focused marketing might be more economical, but it's obviously not as this has not generated any sales.

What do you guys do?

Is trying to score a Bookbub promotion the only way? I've got decent reviews on Goodreads and Amazon for the book I want to promote (i.e. 'The Changeling Detective').

Thanks. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

And apologies if I don't respond in the short term as I'm visiting friends in Yass today and so will probably not be online.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Phill, I think the best thing you could do for your books is to get better covers. The one on the right is OK, the one in the middle acceptable but amateurish, but the one on the left, urgh, what even is that thing?


----------



## phillberrie

Looks like I'm not going to Yass today after all.



Patty Jansen said:


> Phill, I think the best thing you could do for your books is to get better covers. The one on the right is OK, the one in the middle acceptable but amateurish, but the one on the left, urgh, what even is that thing?


Sigh... The middle and the right-hand one are ones I made up myself. The one on the left is one I paid a local artist for (they have won prizes at local SF conventions). It looks much better at a larger size and I really like the question mark footprint-I use it as a motif through out the book-but the detail of the cover seems to be lost in the miniature form... Sigh.

And of course, the biggest problem is that the artist is a friend.


----------



## Mike_Author

phillberrie said:


> Looks like I'm not going to Yass today after all.
> 
> Sigh... The middle and the right-hand one are ones I made up myself. The one on the left is one I paid a local artist for (they have won prizes at local SF conventions). It looks much better at a larger size and I really like the question mark footprint-I use it as a motif through out the book-but the detail of the cover seems to be lost in the miniature form... Sigh.
> 
> And of course, the biggest problem is that the artist is a friend.


I had a similar dilemma - a friend created an amazing cover for me that just didn't sell. It's like the whole romance/erotica thing - the only covers that sell are boring cookie cutter covers with a muscle bound beefcake or a couple in embrace.

Plus, I like to change my covers all the time to experiment with what sells - so I haven't asked my friend for another cover as it's just not fair for someone to create something fantastic that I am going to have to ditch soon anyway if it doesn't work...


----------



## Patty Jansen

artist =/= cover designer

Grab a $25 premade cover from some other place. IMO that cover is so unsuitable that it harms your sales. You can't read it. The red is horrible.


----------



## phillberrie

Patty Jansen said:


> artist =/= cover designer
> 
> Grab a $25 premade cover from some other place. IMO that cover is so unsuitable that it harms your sales. You can't read it. The red is horrible.


Patty

Just out of interest, how do you rate my original cover?










Though from memory I had to change the question mark and the wording to blue to be accepted on some sites; they required some colour.


----------



## phillberrie

Mike_Author said:


> Plus, I like to change my covers all the time to experiment with what sells - so I haven't asked my friend for another cover as it's just not fair for someone to create something fantastic that I am going to have to ditch soon anyway if it doesn't work...


Hi Mike. I have a question for your regarding changing covers.

Doesn't this make the book a new edition? Which would require new ISBNs for sites where they are required.

I've changed covers before, but always with a new text and new edition.

Confused.

Phill.


----------



## CJArcher

Happy Australia Day!!


----------



## kathrynoh

Not looking forward to Australia Day.  Just got the beagle through the trauma of NYE fireworks and they happen again!


----------



## Patty Jansen

Do you live close to where the fireworks are held?

People two houses down lost a dog that way. Admittedly, I don't think they look after their dogs very well, and they're loose and outside all the time. No fences. At NYE, the dog got scared and ran away. They never found out what happened to it. My guess? It ran into the National Park and ate a fox bait 

Look after the doggie!

(what do you do about thunder?)


----------



## kathrynoh

We aren't close, about 15 km out of the city but she's very sensitive to noise.  We keep her inside unless she needs to go out and have found putting her in her dog coat helps - she won't sit still and be comforted but the coat wraps around and makes her feel protected.  

The past few years we've had kids going down in the bush near our place and letting off crackers.  Totally illegal, gets all the dogs in the neighbourhood going nuts plus is a big bushfire hazard.  I wish they'd do a big blitz on the shops selling them.


----------



## Rin

phillberrie said:


>


Immediately makes me think of this guy:


----------



## phillberrie

Rin said:


> Immediately makes me think of this guy:


Do you think that's a problem?

They're both playing off the gumshoe detective trope and although their gimmick both involves their faces, the Question has none, while my guy has many. Both rely on an anonymity of sorts to do their jobs.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Phill, the function of a cover is to make people click it. You have to have better typography. Don't add the title as an afterthought, in an utterly boring font, tucked away at the margins. The white is far too stark in that image. The rest of the cover is too dark. The font is really crowded.


----------



## Guest

Can anyone give me an idea how strong Amazon is in Australia. Is it a decent proportion of the reading population, or still just a small niche?

I ask because I'm getting a good response from readers there and I would like to know more about the market.


----------



## Patty Jansen

TobiasRoote said:


> Can anyone give me an idea how strong Amazon is in Australia. Is it a decent proportion of the reading population, or still just a small niche?
> 
> I ask because I'm getting a good response from readers there and I would like to know more about the market.


Not very. All the people I know buy on Kobo or Apple.

I'm Australian and my sales on Amazon AU are zip, nada. By comparison, my sales on .com are 400. Some people also still buy on .com, because they're used to it.


----------



## Guest

Patty Jansen said:


> Not very. All the people I know buy on Kobo or Apple.
> 
> I'm Australian and my sales on Amazon AU are zip, nada. By comparison, my sales on .com are 400. Some people also still buy on .com, because they're used to it.


Thank you, my sales in .com.au are in the 40's, my .com's in the 1700's - its interesting that in the UK my sales are in the low 20's. I was just rather impressed with the sales in Australia.


----------



## phillberrie

TobiasRoote said:


> Thank you, my sales in .com.au are in the 40's, my .com's in the 1700's - its interesting that in the UK my sales are in the low 20's. I was just rather impressed with the sales in Australia.


Australia's only just got its own Amazon store. Most Aussie Kindle owners are probably still buying direct from the .com store even though there's no pricing reason to do so any more. I suspect the main reason for this is there's no distinct benefit in changing. I have a Kindle and the only reason I have just changed is to get rid of the annoying message.


----------



## Patty Jansen

> I have a Kindle and the only reason I have just changed is to get rid of the annoying message.


LOL, Phill, how Australian.


----------



## Guest

I use Amazon.com to buy my ebooks. I don't want to switch to the .au store because I'm used to where I am. I sometimes buy from Apple but never from Kobo. My friend buys ebooks from Kobo.


----------



## phillberrie

Patty Jansen said:


> LOL, Phill, how Australian.


But to be truly Australian I should have said 'bloody message', shouldn't I? ;-)


----------



## RinG

Actually, I still find the books on the .com store about 50c cheaper. Actually debating putting my books up by a dollar so I can make the .com.au prices the same and still keep my 70%.

Questions - what stores can we upload to directly from Australia? Can we go direct to B&N or Apple, or do we have to go throught one of the distributors?


----------



## kathrynoh

My people I know have kindles rather than other devices but my son did just buy a kobo.  I got my kindle from Woolies but I'm not sure they sell them any more.  Other than that, I'd say most people I know shop at JB hifi for stuff like that so they'd go with whatever was sold there.

I havent' changed to the .com.au and have no intention of doing so.  Maybe if they start offing Prime to Aussies, they'll get more take up.

Rinelle, I think you can load direct to Apple if you have an apple computer but not to B&N as far as I know.


----------



## JB Rowley

Went to the Australia Day fireworks at Docklands last night. Such a balmy evening. Soooo many people.

One of the street activities in the lead up to the fireworks was a thong throwing contest.

*American woman to passer by*: Excuse me, what is a thong throwing contest?
*Passer by*: People throw their thongs. The person who throws their thong the furthest wins a prize.
*Am woman:* Where do they get the thongs from?
*PB:* They just take off the thongs they are wearing.
*Am woman* (incredulous): You mean they take off their thongs right here in the street?
*PB* (mystified): Of course.
*Am woman to husband*: Did you hear that, honey?
*Husband*: I'd like to see that event, my dear.


----------



## Patty Jansen

JB HiFi sells kobos by the truckload. When I bought mine there, there was not a kindle in sight. They also sell Sony ereaders. Dymocks also sells kobos. TBH other than online, I have no idea where to buy a kindle. I've never seen one in a shop. Many people read on their tablets, and there you can of course install several apps so you can read all formats. I suspect that a lot of Australians read on kindle for iPad.


----------



## phillberrie

phillberrie said:


> Hi Mike. I have a question for your regarding changing covers.
> 
> Doesn't this make the book a new edition? Which would require new ISBNs for sites where they are required.
> 
> I've changed covers before, but always with a new text and new edition.
> 
> Confused.
> 
> Phill.


FYI and in answer to my own question.

As far as I have been able to discover, if a book has an ISBN then a new cover would require a new ISBN.

However, as books in different e-book formats should also have different ISBNs and Amazon doesn't require an ISBN (and I haven't included an ISBN in my '.mobi' edition) then I should be able to change the cover on the Amazon version whenever I like.

The other sites, where an ISBN is required (the ePub version?), are a different story however. One that I will have to think about if I want to change my cover and have a consistent presentation across all sites.


----------



## Patty Jansen

phillberrie said:


> FYI and in answer to my own question.
> 
> As far as I have been able to discover, if a book has an ISBN then a new cover would require a new ISBN.
> 
> However, as books in different e-book formats should also have different ISBNs and Amazon doesn't require an ISBN (and I haven't included an ISBN in my '.mobi' edition) then I should be able to change the cover on the Amazon version whenever I like.
> 
> The other sites, where an ISBN is required (the ePub version?), are a different story however. One that I will have to think about if I want to change my cover and have a consistent presentation across all sites.


Who in the world on ebook selling cares about ISBNs? ISBNs are for bookshops to identify their stock and for libraries. Your ebook is never going to end up on either. So why pander to bureaucracy that says that you have to shell out money for exactly what advantage? Who enforces these silly rules anyway? I've changed cover without changing ISBNs on the books that still have them (my later books don't). Who's going to care?

"To look professional" people tell you.

I don't think the reader cares one iota. TBH I think the ISBN is one of the things lingering from tradepub that's neither necessary nor important in ebook selling of the kind that we are doing.


----------



## phillberrie

Patty Jansen said:


> Who in the world on ebook selling cares about ISBNs? ISBNs are for bookshops to identify their stock and for libraries. Your ebook is never going to end up on either. So why pander to bureaucracy that says that you have to shell out money for exactly what advantage? Who enforces these silly rules anyway? I've changed cover without changing ISBNs on the books that still have them (my later books don't). Who's going to care?
> 
> "To look professional" people tell you.
> 
> I don't think the reader cares one iota. TBH I think the ISBN is one of the things lingering from tradepub that's neither necessary nor important in ebook selling of the kind that we are doing.


Overall I would have to say I agree with you with regard to the ISBN system; it's not up to the job of keeping track of digital documents.

However, I do think something is needed in the way of a unique identifier for the purposes of bibliographical indexing, after all there is nothing preventing two different books having the same title according to the current laws of trademarking and as author names aren't guaranteed to be unique either some sort of unique reference that will be valid long-term is needed.

I suppose your viewpoint on this will depend on whether you believe the e-book format/paradigm has any longevity at all (previous life as a humanity's computing researcher coming to the fore here). But believe me, some people (e.g. librarians) care about this sort of thing a lot.


----------



## Patty Jansen

phillberrie said:


> Overall I would have to say I agree with you with regard to the ISBN system; it's not up to the job of keeping track of digital documents.
> 
> However, I do think something is needed in the way of a unique identifier for the purposes of bibliographical indexing, after all there is nothing preventing two different books having the same title according to the current laws of trademarking and as author names aren't guaranteed to be unique either some sort of unique reference that will be valid long-term is needed.
> 
> I suppose your viewpoint on this will depend on whether you believe the e-book format/paradigm has any longevity at all (previous life as a humanity's computing researcher coming to the fore here). But believe me, some people (e.g. librarians) care about this sort of thing a lot.


I care about the $$$ value at the end of each month, and if I spend money, it will be because I can see the value of it in increased sales. Or the amount is so insignificant that it's "what the heck" money. $80 for 10 ISBNs (and then subsequently being thwarted by the Australian ISBN registry site when trying to attach the books to numbers) is NOT my definition of value. At the moment, $80 is not yet "What the heck" money for me.

I do put ISBNs on my print books (or let Createspace put them).

I really don't care about preserving my ebooks for posterity. I write for my readers now.


----------



## phillberrie

Patty Jansen said:


> I care about the $$$ value at the end of each month, and if I spend money, it will be because I can see the value of it in increased sales. Or the amount is so insignificant that it's "what the heck" money. $80 for 10 ISBNs (and then subsequently being thwarted by the Australian ISBN registry site when trying to attach the books to numbers) is NOT my definition of value. At the moment, $80 is not yet "What the heck" money for me.
> 
> I do put ISBNs on my print books (or let Createspace put them).
> 
> I really don't care about preserving my ebooks for posterity. I write for my readers now.


Fair enough. I agree that it isn't the sort of thing that creative people trying to make a living should have to worry about, but due to my background I can see the other side of the issue as well.

To my mind we are currently living (and creating) in the electronic dark ages and future generations are going to have an interesting time trying to work out what popular culture was like in our times.

Nuff said on this topic.


----------



## CJArcher

I'm almost positive you don't need a new ISBN if you get a new cover. It's the content inside that matters - if you've substantially changed the content, then you need a new ISBN. I've changed covers and not changed the ISBN - frankly, no one cares anyway. I wouldn't bother with the extra cost.

Rinelle - B&N is the only place Americans can upload to and we can't. Apple is fine if you have an Apple computer.


----------



## Paul K

Is there a cost associated with getting an ISBN assigned in Aus?

I live in NZ, but lurk around here cause... well its only a long swim away. But ISBN's are free over here.


----------



## nomesque

JB Rowley said:


> *American woman to passer by*: Excuse me, what is a thong throwing contest?
> *Passer by*: People throw their thongs. The person who throws their thong the furthest wins a prize.
> *Am woman:* Where do they get the thongs from?
> *PB:* They just take off the thongs they are wearing.
> *Am woman* (incredulous): You mean they take off their thongs right here in the street?
> *PB* (mystified): Of course.
> *Am woman to husband*: Did you hear that, honey?
> *Husband*: I'd like to see that event, my dear.


*LOL* Ahh, the vagaries of the English language.


----------



## CJArcher

sockmerchant said:


> Is there a cost associated with getting an ISBN assigned in Aus?
> 
> I live in NZ, but lurk around here cause... well its only a long swim away. But ISBN's are free over here.


I think they're also free in Canada.

It costs us $42 for 1, $84 for 10, and steeper discounts for 100 and more. I always buy mine in increments of 10, but maybe it's time I looked at buying 100.
https://www.myidentifiers.com.au/Get-your-isbn-now


----------



## RinG

Thanks. My sister has a mac, so I guess I could get her to help me upload to apple. Do you also need a mac to check stats and stuff?

I think I've seen kindles advertised in grocery stores, like woolworths? I just use the kindle app on my iPad.


----------



## JB Rowley

Rinelle Grey said:


> I think I've seen kindles advertised in grocery stores, like woolworths? I just use the kindle app on my iPad.


Dick Smith stores stock Kindles. That's where I bought mine a year ago (and I'm still in love with it).


----------



## CJArcher

I think Big W does too. I got mine from Dick Smith. Before I had a kindle I used the kindle app on my phone and computer.


----------



## Writer1000

I saw an ad on TV the other night for the kindle at $20 off. Can't remember the store now, but I thought it was cool they were starting to promote kindles on primetime TV.


----------



## JB Rowley

My amazon.com remittance has arrived! Like the UK one it is a little short so I assume that is because payment for a small number of sales will be sent per cheque. Will wait and see.


----------



## Writer1000

JB Rowley said:


> My amazon.com remittance has arrived! Like the UK one it is a little short so I assume that is because payment for a small number of sales will be sent per cheque. Will wait and see.


Mine, too. I guess a couple more weeks waiting for the cheque.


----------



## Patty Jansen

JB Rowley said:


> My amazon.com remittance has arrived! Like the UK one it is a little short so I assume that is because payment for a small number of sales will be sent per cheque. Will wait and see.


I haven't received anything for either UK or .com.


----------



## Colin Taber

CJArcher said:


> I got mine from Dick Smith. Before I had a kindle I used the kindle app on my phone and computer.


Me too! 

Dick Smith was advertising them (Paperwhites, I think) at $20 off. They are also in Big W and Woolworths.

When I used to catch the train to work in the city in the morning the carriages were full of people ereading. Of dedicated ereaders, I would say about a third were Kindles. The majority of people were reading or websurfing on their phones. The people I know with ereaders have Kindles (five), although there are two Kobo-ers as well.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Meh. Our local Dick Smith closed a few years ago. Maybe that's why.


----------



## nomesque

Do you ever use a word as you're typing away at a story, then pause and think, "is that anywhere near right?"  Mine, tonight, was 'cavil'. I typed it, then looked at it and thought, "is it even a word, or did I imagine it?"


----------



## phillberrie

phillberrie said:


> ... 32 pages later and I've caught up on the conversation. Phew. But great to see some sort of confirmation for the stuff I've done so far.
> 
> 1. Got an EIN - Check, only 5% withholding tax for both Amazon & Smashwords.
> 2. Got a payment system in place - Check, still waiting on my Payoneer debit card, but I'm liking the sound of the convenience.


Update on my Payoneer card: I have it in my hot little hands and all my recent Amazon payments are accessible through it.

The whole process took less than two weeks.

And the weirdest thing is that the card arrived almost two weeks earlier than the official due date given me via one of their emails.


----------



## Rin

nomesque said:


> Do you ever use a word as you're typing away at a story, then pause and think, "is that anywhere near right?"  Mine, tonight, was 'cavil'. I typed it, then looked at it and thought, "is it even a word, or did I imagine it?"


All the time. >_<

It's probably a version of semantic satiation.


----------



## CJArcher

Good news if you're with ANZ (well, I think so). I just got my Amazon.com November part payment deposited into my bank. Only a $15 fee was charged. As I said above somewhere, some of my Montlake ones go through an intermediary bank and the fee is $25. Now to see if the other currencies are just as low. 

It will be interesting to see how much the other banks charge.


----------



## nomesque

Rin said:


> All the time. >_<
> 
> It's probably a version of semantic satiation.


Phew. :-D


----------



## Writer1000

Something strange happened with my Nov .com TT payment that I just received. It was exactly the same amount that Amazon said in their remittance advice. No bank fees were taken out. 

St George definitely took $25 off my UK remittance and also my .com Oct payment (I asked them if I could stop the Oct cheque and pay it via TT with my Nov payments. But they've paid it separately a couple of weeks ago).

I'm not sure if the fee was just missed for this particular transaction or if I'll get charged the fee again next month. We'll see. (Wouldn't it be great if St George don't charge incoming TT fees anymore?)

In any case, I'd still have to pay fees when I bank the cheque for the first half of Nov sales.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Why are you all getting your payments and I'm getting nothing? Nothing from Amazon, nothing from my bank. No emails. AAARRRGGHHHHHH!!!


----------



## Hopeful Writer

Patty - I'm in the nothing group too. Why am I getting nothing?


----------



## JB Rowley

MirandaPCharles said:


> Something strange happened with my Nov .com TT payment that I just received. It was exactly the same amount that Amazon said in their remittance advice. No bank fees were taken out.
> 
> St George definitely took $25 off my UK remittance and also my .com Oct payment (I asked them if I could stop the Oct cheque and pay it via TT with my Nov payments. But they've paid it separately a couple of weeks ago).
> 
> I'm not sure if the fee was just missed for this particular transaction or if I'll get charged the fee again next month. We'll see. (Wouldn't it be great if St George don't charge incoming TT fees anymore?)
> 
> In any case, I'd still have to pay fees when I bank the cheque for the first half of Nov sales.


I have received my money from .com too. Bendigo Bank took a transfer fee of only $2.00.


----------



## Patty Jansen

AR Winters (the artist formerly known as HopefulWriter) said:


> Patty - I'm in the nothing group too. Why am I getting nothing?


Have you made the minimum threshold? I know I definitely have, even for a cheque payout.


----------



## Hopeful Writer

Patty Jansen said:


> Have you made the minimum threshold? I know I definitely have, even for a cheque payout.


Yup - definitely met the threshhold.

I'm beginning to think something funny's going on. I've only *just* transferred over to EFT payments, so that might be it. I didn't get a USA cheque recently - so I'll probably email them for both months' payments at once! 

I got the remittance advice and the payment for .com.au sales though - all $1.04 of it


----------



## JB Rowley

I hope you have been able to sort out your payments, Patty and AR.

My UK royalties have been paid into my account without a hitch. As with the US payment Bendigo Bank have charged only $2.00 for the wire transfer. It's so nice not to have to wait for cheque, take cheque to bank, wait for cheque to clear.


----------



## kathrynoh

I've got nothing either.  No cheque, no wire payment. It did take me a while to change over to the wire payments because I wanted to check things out with my credit union first.  I actually think I need to sit down and reconcile all my payments from Amazon because there seems to be 2 months at the beginning of 2013 that I've not been paid for!  I wish they made it easier, like maybe updating the monthly spreadsheets to include a payment reference when you are paid.

JB, 2 bucks is awesome.  I'm still not sure what my credit union charges since they go through someone else who might add charges.  

In good news, I got Amazon to cancel my cheques for smaller amounts and combine it into one cheque so I could avoid charges for that.  Banked it yesterday and now waiting for it to clear.  It will be the first time I've got real, actual money from this


----------



## Patty Jansen

There is nothing to be sorted out. They paid me the couple of dollars from the AU store and that was not a problem, so they have my account and it works.


----------



## Hopeful Writer

kathrynoh said:


> I've got nothing either. No cheque, no wire payment. It did take me a while to change over to the wire payments because I wanted to check things out with my credit union first. I actually think I need to sit down and reconcile all my payments from Amazon because there seems to be 2 months at the beginning of 2013 that I've not been paid for! I wish they made it easier, like maybe updating the monthly spreadsheets to include a payment reference when you are paid.
> 
> JB, 2 bucks is awesome. I'm still not sure what my credit union charges since they go through someone else who might add charges.
> 
> In good news, I got Amazon to cancel my cheques for smaller amounts and combine it into one cheque so I could avoid charges for that. Banked it yesterday and now waiting for it to clear. It will be the first time I've got real, actual money from this


Whhoo! Congrats on the "real, actual money". Isn't money fabulous? 

Hmm. Not happy with the Zon. Yup, they missed two checks for me in 2013 too, the last check I haven't followed up on. I'll wait to see what happens to this EFT mess. I am just so not in the mood to deal with support staff today - though I've got calling some insurance people lined up for tomorrow. I'll check this thread in the a.m., and if no-one's gotten their cash I'll suck it up and email them. Grr.

By the way, speaking of money... I'm not sure how many people will find this worth doing. BUT if you're earning over a certain amount, apparantly you should get a business banking account instead of a regular account.

My husband works for an evil bank, and he says that a business account will give you a better exchange rate. All banks add 4 percentage points to the reserve bank rates, so .88 instead of the official .84. But if you've got a business account, you can press them to give you a better rate, which is usually 2 points worse instead of 4. So it's .86 instead of .88.

Ok, I know I've gotten my math all wrong by now, but what it works out to is, if you make 5k a month, you get $200 extra per month by getting a business account.
I don't have a business account myself, and I'm sure all banks do it differently.
But this might be worth looking into, methinks.

Standard legal disclaimer: I'm not a financial adviser (duh!), check with a finance professional before proceeding and I'll accept no risk if taking my advice makes your bank kick you to the curb or any other bad things happen.
But I do hope that business account thing helps someone


----------



## Patty Jansen

A business account requires you to have an actual business. Apart from the higher bank fees this type of account attracts, it is my guess that the costs of having an official business (for one, you HAVE to hire an accountant) for outweighs any benefits. Also, I've put my cheques in either my personal account or my business account and have never seen a difference in the (lousy) exchange rate.


----------



## MitchHogan

My first few payments to Westpac they charged $25, with the last 2 they only took out $12.
But my .com.au payments gone missing while all the others are fine.

And just on the exchange rates and business accounts, that only works if your bank is doing the FX. For all Amazon remittances where you've chosen wire they do the FX, so you're still screwed on the rate...


----------



## Hopeful Writer

Mitch - totally forgot that Amazon does the FX! I'd gotten this advice when I was still depositing cheques - someone at NAB Business told me they'd shave the 2 points off for me. And accounts vary - my NAB Business one is no-fee, and the charges would've worked out to less than my current non-business account.

Oh well, I guess we're still stuck with the Worst. Exchange Rates. Ever.
That is, if the Zon even sends us our payments!


----------



## RinG

Patty Jansen said:


> A business account requires you to have an actual business. Apart from the higher bank fees this type of account attracts, it is my guess that the costs of having an official business (for one, you HAVE to hire an accountant) for outweighs any benefits.


Have to hire an accountant? I haven't heard of that one. To be a business, you just need an ABN (which you're probably going to need anyway after you earn enough?). As far as I know, that's it.

I do hire an accountant to do my taxes just because I hate doing taxes, but I haven't heard that you need to anywhere?


----------



## Patty Jansen

Are you a sole trader or a business as in Pty Ltd? Sole traders also need an ABN.


----------



## VickiT

Patty Jansen said:


> Are you a sole trader or a business as in Pty Ltd? Sole traders also need an ABN.


Patty, I am an accountant by trade. There is no legislation that requires a company in Australia to employ an accountant.

Cheers
Vicki


----------



## RinG

Yes, I'm a sole trader. But you don't need to be a Pty Ltd to get a business account. All you need is an ABN.


----------



## JB Rowley

MitchHogan said:


> But my .com.au payments gone missing while all the others are fine.


I am still waiting on AUS payment as well.


----------



## Scarlett_R

I got mine. All .30c!  It goes into my Payoneer account, and then sits there forever and does nothing lol.


----------



## CJArcher

Still waiting on the AU payment too.

I might have to look into a business account or something else to see if the fees are less for TT. But I already have $0 monthly fees on my personal account so it'll have to be good!


----------



## Guest

Did people get their .com payment by wire transfer at the end of Jan? What were the fees like?

How are the people in Adelaide coping with the heat? It should be illegal to be this hot for this long! I can't stand it


----------



## CJArcher

Kitten said:


> Did people get their .com payment by wire transfer at the end of Jan? What were the fees like?


Kitten, this was discussed up-thread. I got mine.

Has anyone received their .au payment?


----------



## Patty Jansen

Just for the record, I've received NO payment from Amazon yet. Anyone else?


----------



## Selina Fenech

I'm with you Patty, no payment yet. I DID get the remittance advice email for .AU, telling me I should have a few bucks coming in 5 business days. That was about two weeks ago.
I'm thinking there must be something wrong with my bank details   Pretty sure I used exactly the same details for KPD as I gave Google Play, and Google managed to pay me... 
Time to email the Zon and see if I can fix it I guess. Can't be missing out on my coffee money! Girl's gotta get her cafe fix.


----------



## RinG

I haven't sold in the .au store yet, but I did get my .com and .uk money through payoneer. (And it's already been spent!)


----------



## JB Rowley

CJArcher said:


> Has anyone received their .au payment?


Have not got mine,yet. I guess we have to wait 'up to five days from payment date' (which is 30.1.14) before we get too worried.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Wowee, now we got reports, and mine shows that there was an EFT payment of a few bucks for the only sale I've ever made on AU. I received this. They also sent a cheque for October, which I haven't received yet (which could be my fault because I haven't been to the PO box for a while), and nothing else so far.

Wouldn't it be awesome if they, like Smashwords, D2D and Kobo, had a "money currently owing" function?


----------



## kathrynoh

I love the new payments report  

By my reckoning, I should've got a UK payment in Nov but it's not showing up.  Because it was very close to the payout amount, does anyone know if it's 100 gross or after the deductions are taken out?


----------



## CJArcher

I also love the new reporting feature. It does say I've been paid my AU amount (tiny that it is), but I haven't received it yet. I'll give it another couple of days before I send an email. An amount owing would be a great feature! Apple does this too.


----------



## JB Rowley

CJArcher said:


> I also love the new reporting feature. It does say I've been paid my AU amount (tiny that it is), but I haven't received it yet. I'll give it another couple of days before I send an email. An amount owing would be a great feature! Apple does this too.


Yes, the status for my (also tiny) AUS amount is 'paid' although it is not yet paid. The status for the UK and AM royalties is 'pending' yet they have both been paid by wire transfer. Also, the payment amounts do not tally with my November KDP Report so I will have to query that.

I would also like to see the exchange rate listed on the remittance advice. As far as I can tell we have not received any indication of what exchange rate was used to convert our royalties from US/UK currency to AUS dollars. Maybe I am just not looking in the right place?


----------



## nomesque

JB Rowley said:


> I would also like to see the exchange rate listed on the remittance advice. As far as I can tell we have not received any indication of what exchange rate was used to convert our royalties from US/UK currency to AUS dollars. Maybe I am just not looking in the right place?


If you go to your KDP Reports page, there's a new option titled 'Payments'. You can see exchange rates from November payments onwards (ie, only Nov payments atm ).


----------



## kathrynoh

That's the xrate from non-US countries to $US not from $US to $AUD


----------



## Writer1000

My Payment Status and FX rate still show pending even though they've paid me already.


----------



## JB Rowley

MirandaPCharles said:


> My Payment Status and FX rate still show pending even though they've paid me already.


Yeah, same. I thought I'd give them a few more days to get things right before I query it.


----------



## nomesque

kathrynoh said:


> That's the xrate from non-US countries to $US not from $US to $AUD


Darn, I assumed they'd show the final exchange rate too.


----------



## CJArcher

Has anyone received a .com.au payment via EFT yet? My payments report says that I was paid on Jan 30th, and KDP support confirmed this. I checked with my bank & they have no record of it, so I'm back to contacting KDP support and waiting for an answer. It's impossible to double-check if the account details were entered incorrectly because the field displays *** for security. Sigh. I just wanted to know if ANYONE has had any success yet. I also want to get it sorted before next month's payment.


----------



## Selina Fenech

I'm in exactly the same spot as you, CJ. Same payment date for the .au royalties, but nothing in the bank. I'm talking with KDP as well and just getting the message "hold on, we're looking into things". I'm only waiting on a couple of bucks so I'm not worried so much about it, but I just want to make sure it IS possible to get the money to my bank account for when the bigger .com and .uk payments come in.


----------



## JB Rowley

CJArcher said:


> Has anyone received a .com.au payment via EFT yet? My payments report says that I was paid on Jan 30th, and KDP support confirmed this. I checked with my bank & they have no record of it, so I'm back to contacting KDP support and waiting for an answer. It's impossible to double-check if the account details were entered incorrectly because the field displays *** for security. Sigh. I just wanted to know if ANYONE has had any success yet. I also want to get it sorted before next month's payment.


I was just about to ask the same question - have not received mine either. The payment status on my Payment Report is still up the creek. I think I had better contact KDP as well.


----------



## CJArcher

Selina Fenech said:


> I'm in exactly the same spot as you, CJ. Same payment date for the .au royalties, but nothing in the bank. I'm talking with KDP as well and just getting the message "hold on, we're looking into things". I'm only waiting on a couple of bucks so I'm not worried so much about it, but I just want to make sure it IS possible to get the money to my bank account for when the bigger .com and .uk payments come in.


At least you've gotten further with support than I have. My US and UK payments went through without a hitch, so this seems to be a separate issue and isolated only to AU payments, thank goodness. Since a few of us here have this issue, hopefully it's something at their end they need to do and they'll figure it out soon.


----------



## JB Rowley

The message I got from KDP suggests I got my bank to see if they have a record of the payment being made.


----------



## CJArcher

JB Rowley said:


> The message I got from KDP suggests I got my bank to see if they have a record of the payment being made.


That was the first message I received too. I checked with my bank and no payment. Contacted KDP again and they've put a trace on it. Apparently that can take about 10 days! Interesting that no one in this thread seems to have received an AU payment.


----------



## Patty Jansen

CJArcher said:


> That was the first message I received too. I checked with my bank and no payment. Contacted KDP again and they've put a trace on it. Apparently that can take about 10 days! Interesting that no one in this thread seems to have received an AU payment.


I have!

That's the only one I've received. I have not received payments from anywhere else. Nor are any listed in my payments list.


----------



## CJArcher

Patty Jansen said:


> I have!
> 
> That's the only one I've received. I have not received payments from anywhere else. Nor are any listed in my payments list.


I'd love to know what you did right! The annoying thing is that I can't check what I entered because the fields are all ***


----------



## JB Rowley

CJArcher said:


> I'd love to know what you did right! The annoying thing is that I can't check what I entered because the fields are all ***


But since our wire transfers have come through without a hitch, that would indicate we have done our bit correctly - assuming we have used the same bank account for all the payments (which I did).


----------



## Writer1000

JB Rowley said:


> But since our wire transfers have come through without a hitch, that would indicate we have done our bit correctly - assuming we have used the same bank account for all the payments (which I did).


I'm not due any AU payments from November but my .com and .uk wire transfers came through fine.

I'm assuming that the AU EFT payments are coming from an Australian bank account. Strange how they would have problems with EFT since wire transfers from overseas have gone through, as JB pointed out.

By the way, I got my first-half-of-November cheque in the mail yesterday. The last payment by cheque for Aussies!


----------



## Quentin Clarkson

MirandaPCharles said:


> By the way, I got my first-half-of-November cheque in the mail yesterday. The last payment by cheque for Aussies!


Well, unless you start selling a lot in Brazil. That seems to be cheque only for some reason.


----------



## JB Rowley

MirandaPCharles said:


> By the way, I got my first-half-of-November cheque in the mail yesterday. The last payment by cheque for Aussies!


Yep. Got mine too. Yay!


----------



## Derek Pedley

Cheque from.com arrived today. But there's a big difference (in Amazon's favour) between the cheque amount and the transaction report amount, far exceeding the usual 5% withholding. No sign of any bank payments, nothing from .au, and nothing from .uk, even though I know I've finally cracked 100 quid and I'm due for a payment. Looking forward to a clear and concise exchange with the helpful Amazon team.


----------



## richpritch

Hi I'm new to all this but been writing screenplays for the last 5 years and working the film industry for 10 years  now excited to get into novels and ebooks. Currently living in Victoria.


----------



## kathrynoh

Got my cheque today 

Derek, the cheque will only cover the portion of Nov sales up to the point where you changed to wire payment.


----------



## Laurieh

Hi, just found this Aussie connection, recently pubbed children's illustrated. Writing from the Gold Coast .hello everyone. Write a best seller 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## JB Rowley

Welcome, richpritch and Laurieh.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Shhh. The amount they say they've sent by cheque actually exceeds the amount in the Nov statement.

I know. WTF?


----------



## kathrynoh

My cheque was about $10 out which matched my KOLL earnings.  Are they paid separately? I've not got them before.


----------



## JB Rowley

kathrynoh said:


> My cheque was about $10 out which matched my KOLL earnings. Are they paid separately?


Not normally, but I have received a separate cheque for KOLL payments on at least one occasion.


----------



## Derek Pedley

Thanks  Kathy, I should have realised - that makes complete sense. I've also just noticed that January sales reports are available - early this month.


----------



## JB Rowley

Anybody else still waiting on the Nov payment from AUS Amazon? I received one answer from KDP Support (asking me to check with the bank) but have not heard back from them after that.


----------



## Patty Jansen

I got mine by cheque last Monday


----------



## CJArcher

JB Rowley said:


> Anybody else still waiting on the Nov payment from AUS Amazon? I received one answer from KDP Support (asking me to check with the bank) but have not heard back from them after that.


EFT? I'm still waiting too. Apparently they're running a trace on it which can take up to 10 days. I'll give them until mid next week then I'll email again. I wanted it to be sorted before the Dec one, but it looks like that's coming on the 28th, so I don't like my luck.


----------



## nomesque

I hope you all get your payments soon. What a pain in the rear.


----------



## JB Rowley

CJArcher said:


> EFT? I'm still waiting too. Apparently they're running a trace on it which can take up to 10 days. I'll give them until mid next week then I'll email again. I wanted it to be sorted before the Dec one, but it looks like that's coming on the 28th, so I don't like my luck.


Yes, I meant EFT. Yes, I was hoping to get it sorted before the next payment too. Thanks, CJ; it helps to know I am not the only one.


----------



## kathrynoh

I've not got mine either.  I really should follow up on that.  I've had a few payment issues lately and had to contact Amazon.  They have always been super helpful but I'd much rather not have to do it at all.


----------



## Bec

I haven't got my EFT either.


----------



## JB Rowley

Bec A said:


> I haven't got my EFT either.


This is weird. There is clearly something wrong with the way they have the EFT set up. We will need to keep on at them until it is fixed. 
(Yes, I agree Kathryn, the support staff bend over backwards to help and I do appreciate that.)


----------



## kathrynoh

It'd be interesting to know which banks those who have or haven't got payments are with.  I'm with Credit Union Australia and haven't received it.


----------



## CJArcher

ANZ for me. It definitely seems to be happening to a few of us. I'll give them a few more days then follow up again.


----------



## Selina Fenech

ANZ here too, and still no .au EFT payment yet. Payment date was Jan 30 and I started chasing it up 5 business days afterwards. Support replied timely at first saying they were checking things, but haven't heard from them for ages. Seems like some bigger issue so I'm guessing they are working on it still. We'll see what happens with the .com wire transfer coming on the 28th, I guess!


----------



## JB Rowley

I am with Bendigo Bank.


----------



## Selina Fenech

Finally got a response from support again re. the missing .au EFT payment. All they say is that "After working a while with our Accounts Payable department we've decided to reissue the payment to your account." and that I need to make sure my bank details are correct first by entering them in my account again. 

Anyone else who's been missing their .au EFT payment get the same thing?


----------



## Patty Jansen

Holy crap I just made a sale in the AU store. Pigs will fly.


----------



## CJArcher

Selina Fenech said:


> Finally got a response from support again re. the missing .au EFT payment. All they say is that "After working a while with our Accounts Payable department we've decided to reissue the payment to your account." and that I need to make sure my bank details are correct first by entering them in my account again.
> 
> Anyone else who's been missing their .au EFT payment get the same thing?


Not here yet. They said they're putting a trace on it and to give them 10 business days. It'll be 10 days this Wednesday and I'll email if I haven't heard back. What I want to know is, if you did enter you details correctly (lets assume we all did since it's happening to quite a few of us) and they reissue the payment, won't the same problem reoccur? Hopefully they're doing something their end beforehand. Fingers crossed!



Patty Jansen said:


> Holy crap I just made a sale in the AU store. Pigs will fly.


I wondered what those pink things going past my window were.


----------



## Patty Jansen

LOL, yeah so far the ratio of .com vs .au sales has been something staggering to the order of 800:1. I've sold more in France than on .au. Go figure.


----------



## JB Rowley

Selina Fenech said:


> Finally got a response from support again re. the missing .au EFT payment. All they say is that "After working a while with our Accounts Payable department we've decided to reissue the payment to your account." and that I need to make sure my bank details are correct first by entering them in my account again.
> 
> Anyone else who's been missing their .au EFT payment get the same thing?


Not yet. I am still waiting on a reply to my second email indicating that I had contacted the bank and thus put the the ball back in their court.


----------



## Derek Pedley

I'm with NAB. Same issue - No EFT payment for .au for November. KDP support has fobbed me off until Feb 26. Clearly the same issue is affecting all of us. They'd better get the first wire transfer to process correctly next month!


----------



## Bec

I'm with NAB too.


----------



## A.A

I'm totally confused with what I'm owed. I'm getting some payments via wire and others via cheque. I received one last week and two today - one for Dec and Nov and the other for May to Oct (!?!) but the actual attached cheque just says VOID all over it in big letters.

What in the hey now


----------



## Selina Fenech

Derek Pedley said:


> They'd better get the first wire transfer to process correctly next month!


Something possibly new- when I logged back in to change my bank account details, I noticed that it now says EFT for ALL payments (except Brazil). Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't it originally say EFT for .au, and then WIRE for .com and all other countries, back when they first finally made the switch to bank transfers? Is it new that it's saying EFT for everything or am I just imagining it?


----------



## CJArcher

I have that too, Selina, and I'm sure the others used to be WIRE. Interesting.

I got another payment email this morning saying my AU payment was coming Feb 26th, even though I got one a few days ago saying Feb 28th. The Payments dashboard still says Feb 28th. I wonder if the 26th is a reissue of the previous one. No communication on it yet. Sigh. I'm so confused. I'm just glad we're not talking big dollars here or I'd be a bit more stressed.


----------



## kathrynoh

I got the same email but couldn't see another payment on my payment screen.  Maybe it is a reissue.


----------



## Patty Jansen

I got that email, too.

But, I didn't even SELL anything on the AU store until yesterday, and the on sale I made previously, I've already been paid for. It sounds like a goof-up to me.


----------



## CJArcher

Patty Jansen said:


> I got that email, too.
> 
> But, I didn't even SELL anything on the AU store until yesterday, and the on sale I made previously, I've already been paid for. It sounds like a goof-up to me.


OK, definitely sounds like a goof-up then. Unless you have some phantom sales that are yet to reveal themselves.


----------



## JennR

I haven't received my November Aussie royalties either, but I did receive my first wire transfer on 29 January for the .com store.

I'm with Bendigo Bank, same bank account for all my payments.


----------



## JB Rowley

Payment has arrived! Yes, my November Aussie royalty payment has appeared in my bank account. Fingers crossed it is the same for everyone else.


----------



## Derek Pedley

JB Rowley said:


> Payment has arrived! Yes, my November Aussie royalty payment has appeared in my bank account. Fingers crossed it is the same for everyone else.


Me too! Finally! Although it's five times the amount I was expecting. Hopefully this means the wire payments (all of which have also mysteriously switched to EFT in my account settings) will arrive promptly. (and more than happy for those to be multiplied by five, too!)


----------



## Selina Fenech

Derek Pedley said:


> Me too! Finally! Although it's five times the amount I was expecting.


My .au payment is in too! Well, I'm assuming it's my .au payment... since like Derek it's more than expected ($5 something instead of $3 something). Looks like they've sorted out whatever the issue was anyway and everything is coming through now. Fingers crossed for the .Com payment coming in a few days!


----------



## JB Rowley

Selina Fenech said:


> My .au payment is in too! Well, I'm assuming it's my .au payment... since like Derek it's more than expected ($5 something instead of $3 something).


Bugger, they didn't give me any extra!


----------



## CJArcher

I got my November AU payment too! No extra though.


----------



## kathrynoh

No money love for me as yet 

Is anyone on here using the latest version of Office?  I just got it when I had to replace my laptop and noticed that even though everything is set to English (Australian), it uses American spelling, including autocorrect.  I did some googling and found out that Microsoft have decided that American spelling is a perfectly acceptable alternative for Australians.  This makes me so angry.  I've tried to delete all the 'ize' from autocorrect so that I don't have inconsistencies in my WIP and will do a check when I'm finished.  Maybe I need to try the English (UK) dictionary?

Anyway, screw Microsoft and their cultural imperialism.  It makes me so angry.


----------



## Patty Jansen

I haven't had that, but just yesterday, I received (fortunately) a PM from someone who enjoyed my story but there were SO MANY ERRORS! put in capital letters.

This just encapsulates everything that annoys me about stupid Americans (yeah, I know there are ones who aren't stupid, but there are so many who are, or who seem to carry their stupidity into the wider world in loud and ignorant voices).

I could go into a big political rant here but I won't. It's just that it's raining and I'm in a foul mood. And ranting here won't do me any good, because the KB folk are mostly the ones who are not stupid.

But still. GRRRR


----------



## nomesque

Microsoft's Aussie English dictionary always seemed so dodgy, I'm not surprised at the idea that they'd can it. More and more Aussies are writing in US English (most places it's an acceptable option). That said, though... yes, I'm using the latest version of Office (Home and Student on the laptop, Professional on the desktop), and yes, it still highlights most US English spellings as incorrect when the language is set to English (Australian). Hrmmm... maybe you're missing a dictionary file?


----------



## JB Rowley

kathrynoh said:


> No money love for me as yet
> 
> Is anyone on here using the latest version of Office? I just got it when I had to replace my laptop and noticed that even though everything is set to English (Australian), it uses American spelling, including autocorrect. I did some googling and found out that Microsoft have decided that American spelling is a perfectly acceptable alternative for Australians. This makes me so angry. I've tried to delete all the 'ize' from autocorrect so that I don't have inconsistencies in my WIP and will do a check when I'm finished. Maybe I need to try the English (UK) dictionary?
> 
> Anyway, screw Microsoft and their cultural imperialism. It makes me so angry.


Yes, I always set my programs to UK English and advise all my students to do the same. The so-called Australian English in Word has been up the (American) creek for years. Never use it.


----------



## JB Rowley

JB Rowley said:


> Bugger, they didn't give me any extra!


I tell a lie! I have just received a couple of extra hundred Aus dollars so I do seem to have been paid 'extra'. One payment is apparently from the 'UK App store' and the US one is labelled 'rebate'. I am wondering if these payments cover the shortfall from the first wire transfer payments. I just don't have time to go through and cross check everything to try to make sense of it. That's a job for the upcoming long weekend.

I did report the problems with the Payment Report being inaccurate with its status and they have indicated they will look into it but it might take some time.


----------



## MrPLD

Urugh, I've found the dictionaries so unpredictable, even on other systems.  At times you wonder if it isn't some sort of global conspiracy *grr*


----------



## Rob Ryan

Just a quick hello to introduce myself. I live in sunny Brisbane. Had no idea until I discovered this thread that there were so many Aussie writers out there.

On the subject of Australian/US spelling, I've set Word to US spellings, and that's all I use now. It used to grate on my nerves, but after a while I got used to it. In fact, I quite like it now. One thing I struggled to understand, and now omit, is their tendency to capitalize after a colon:It just doesn't look right...


----------



## Derek Pedley

kathrynoh said:


> Is anyone on here using the latest version of Office? I just got it when I had to replace my laptop and noticed that even though everything is set to English (Australian), it uses American spelling, including autocorrect. I did some googling and found out that Microsoft have decided that American spelling is a perfectly acceptable alternative for Australians. This makes me so angry. I've tried to delete all the 'ize' from autocorrect so that I don't have inconsistencies in my WIP and will do a check when I'm finished. Maybe I need to try the English (UK) dictionary?
> 
> Anyway, screw Microsoft and their cultural imperialism. It makes me so angry.


Hi Kathryn, can you let me know where you found details confirming this. It's outrageous. I'm a news editor and I'm going to assign a reporter to do a story on it if it can be confirmed. Meanwhile, in other news, I received my first wire payment today, in full and on time. Woo hoo!


----------



## Patty Jansen

Yay, I got my money, too!

History in the making.


----------



## MrPLD

Derek Pedley said:


> Hi Kathryn, can you let me know where you found details confirming this. It's outrageous. I'm a news editor and I'm going to assign a reporter to do a story on it if it can be confirmed. Meanwhile, in other news, I received my first wire payment today, in full and on time. Woo hoo!


In the back of my head, I've noticed this before ( with MS Office ). Shouldn't be too difficult to verify it, though you would be strongly advised to do so with a clean Windows installed explicitly with AU settings and likewise a clean AU-based install of Office.

Sometimes they (Microsoft) can slip some odd behaviours due to the default installs being non-AU on a lot of computers, and don't forget you've got a US-type keyboard, so clearly you must be wanting to use the US English


----------



## kathrynoh

Derek, have sent you a PM.

MrPLD, I set everything to Australian when I installed.  I use Excel a lot and the date thing can be a nightmare! Even with it all set up, you still get both unless you explicitly set up an exclude file for US spellings.  Seems there are some companies out there who will sell you one! ATM. I just want to get stop the autocorrect.

Patty, I totally understand.  I've been researching stuff for my Europe holiday and so much advice is aimed at Americans who seem to be afraid to travel outside their country's borders!

Nomesque - I'm downloading the UK dictionary now.  Seems you need to install it as an add-on.

Thanks for the comments, guys.


----------



## MrPLD

It really is frustrating, I completely agree.  It's not just Microsoft either (or Windows software creators ), I know in Linux I frequently have to fight to avoid the ingress of US quirks ( US letter paper, dates the wrong way around, and yes, bad spelling ).  Naturally software where the primary creator is not in the US tends to be a lot less invasive in that respect.


----------



## Derek Pedley

kathrynoh said:


> Derek, have sent you a PM.


Thanks Kathryn. That's an interesting thread. The self-appointed expert isn't actually a Microsoft employee, and his condescending views are quickly seized on by some straight-talking Aussies. It's a complicated thread, but it seems that it is still possible to have an Australian English dictionary for Word. I've just checked our Word 2010 at work, and it recognised colour and minimise, but flagged color and minimize as errors. (Unlike good ole Kboards, of course, which is doing the opposite as I type!)


----------



## RinG

I don't have any problems with my copy of word. It is an older one though (2010), so perhaps it's only the newer versions?


----------



## kathrynoh

I never had a problem with older versions but am now using Office 2013.


----------



## RinG

That's bizarre. I wonder why they changed something that was working the way it was?

Oh, I forgot, it's Microsoft... 

Have you deleted all the dictionaries except for the Australian one? Apparently there is also a setting somewhere to tell it not to detect the language automatically, that you can untick.

Glad I stuck with 2010 in my last upgrade. That would have driven me mad.


----------



## Ceinwen

Hi all, complete newbie here. I live in Perth and I'm working on my first novel, which I'm aiming to publish in the next few months. It's really nice to see so many Australian indie authors  I hope to learn a lot from you guys. 

And, on Word, I can't get the stupid thing to change from the American dictionary. It's been doing my head in for years. Especially the ise -> ize autocorrect. Something's gone wrong with it and it doesn't even have alternative options.


----------



## JB Rowley

Ceinwen L. said:


> Hi all, complete newbie here. I live in Perth and I'm working on my first novel, which I'm aiming to publish in the next few months. It's really nice to see so many Australian indie authors  I hope to learn a lot from you guys.
> 
> And, on Word, I can't get the stupid thing to change from the American dictionary. It's been doing my head in for years. Especially the ise -> ize autocorrect. Something's gone wrong with it and it doesn't even have alternative options.


Welcome, Ceinwen.

I am currently using Word 2007 and, as with all previous versions of Word, I simply set the default language to UK English and thereafter never have any problems with Word trying to make me use American spelling.


----------



## nomesque

Ceinwen L. said:


> Hi all, complete newbie here. I live in Perth and I'm working on my first novel, which I'm aiming to publish in the next few months. It's really nice to see so many Australian indie authors  I hope to learn a lot from you guys.
> 
> And, on Word, I can't get the stupid thing to change from the American dictionary. It's been doing my head in for years. Especially the ise -> ize autocorrect. Something's gone wrong with it and it doesn't even have alternative options.


It's usually (in my experience) one of these problems:

- the Australian dictionary isn't installed on your machine
- your Normal template is set to US English (so that every single document you create uses US English by default)
- your paragraph styles are set to use US English (so that even if your default language is Australian English, and your document is using Australian English, your spelling checks will be US English)
- your Normal template is corrupted.


----------



## CJArcher

JB Rowley said:


> I tell a lie! I have just received a couple of extra hundred Aus dollars so I do seem to have been paid 'extra'. One payment is apparently from the 'UK App store' and the US one is labelled 'rebate'. I am wondering if these payments cover the shortfall from the first wire transfer payments. I just don't have time to go through and cross check everything to try to make sense of it. That's a job for the upcoming long weekend.
> 
> I did report the problems with the Payment Report being inaccurate with its status and they have indicated they will look into it but it might take some time.


I also have one from UK App store and another that says Rebate, but my Rebate one is also from the UK. When I add the amounts, they almost make up the UK December total. I think I'll wait for the Payment Reports module to update before I enter any data into my spreadsheets.


----------



## RinG

I so should have touched wood after my comment yesterday.

Started working on the print copy for my latest book, and even though both the original and destination documents were in Australian English, as soon as I copied and pasted from one document to another, they changed to US!

Solved it by using the language button on the ribbon. But I suspect that it will still change every time I copy and paste! Too late for me to figure out how to change that permanently tonight.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Yup, copy & paste will do that every time.

If I copy something out of an email from my editor (who is American) into my Australian file, I have to decontaminate it after importing. If you're not careful, it infects the entire file. Don't ever START a new document with something you copy & paste from a website.

It's also very important that when you get a new computer you set the language before installing software.

I want to play around with translations and am afraid to instal non-English dictionaries on my computer. I've had schizophrenic bilingual versions of software and that's not a process I'm keen to repeat again.

At the moment I have one partial translation, but have disabled all dictionaries, autocorrect and everything else for that file. Which means that my crappy typing skills shine through in all their glory


----------



## nomesque

Rinelle Grey said:


> I so should have touched wood after my comment yesterday.
> 
> Started working on the print copy for my latest book, and even though both the original and destination documents were in Australian English, as soon as I copied and pasted from one document to another, they changed to US!
> 
> Solved it by using the language button on the ribbon. But I suspect that it will still change every time I copy and paste! Too late for me to figure out how to change that permanently tonight.


Word sets language by:

- document
- paragraph
- paragraph style
- preferences

... so you can have the language set correctly in three places, and the fourth can still screw you up. It can be frustrating as hell, especially with Word's dodgy implementation of paragraph styles, but it's deliberate on their part. It's so that you can have several languages - say, quotes from ancient classics - in the one document, and spellcheck can run through them seamlessly, only flagging words that are spelt incorrectly in the language of that paragraph. Pretty neat, huh?


----------



## JB Rowley

CJArcher said:


> I also have one from UK App store and another that says Rebate, but my Rebate one is also from the UK. When I add the amounts, they almost make up the UK December total. I think I'll wait for the Payment Reports module to update before I enter any data into my spreadsheets.


I'm unable to reconcile mine so I have contacted those lovely helpful people at KDP support and asked them to explain. I'll let you in on the secret as soon as I hear from them.


----------



## Graham Storrs

Hello. I'm an Aussie sci-fi writer living in the Granite Belt and a KB newbie. I've jumped on here because I'm in a dialogue with Amazon Support at the moment about whether I can get EFT from Amazon.com to my Australian bank account (they seem to say that I should be able to, but can't explain quite how that would work). Anyway, Patty mentioned that it was being discussed on KB so I came to take a look. I've just read everything from about page 20 of this thread and, to be honest, I'm just as confused as ever.

However, it seems like a nice thread, so I thought I'd say hello.

Graham.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Graham Storrs said:


> Hello. I'm an Aussie sci-fi writer living in the Granite Belt and a KB newbie. I've jumped on here because I'm in a dialogue with Amazon Support at the moment about whether I can get EFT from Amazon.com to my Australian bank account (they seem to say that I should be able to, but can't explain quite how that would work). Anyway, Patty mentioned that it was being discussed on KB so I came to take a look. I've just read everything from about page 20 of this thread and, to be honest, I'm just as confused as ever.
> 
> However, it seems like a nice thread, so I thought I'd say hello.
> 
> Graham.


Hi, Graham!


----------



## Graham Storrs

Hi Patty. I just sent off my third email to Amazon today. I must say they respond quickly. However, the quality of the responses have been abysmal. Maybe if they actually took the time to understand what my problem is before shooting off an irrelevant reply... This time, as you suggested, I asked to speak to a supervisor. 

In the two responses I've had from them so far, one said I should be able to set up EFT from Amazon.com to an Aussie bank (but then gave me the standard process, which doesn't work), and the other said it's not possible (I think - their English wasn't very good) and gave me the process for a wire transfer instead.

*sigh*


----------



## MrPLD

Graham Storrs said:


> In the two responses I've had from them so far, one said I should be able to set up EFT from Amazon.com to an Aussie bank (but then gave me the standard process, which doesn't work), and the other said it's not possible (I think - their English wasn't very good) and gave me the process for a wire transfer instead.


Oooh, they're finally permitting alternative ( modern! ) methods of money transfer?


----------



## RinG

From everything I've seen, you can get EFT for payments from the .au store, but everything else is wire transfer.

I still use payoneer. Not a perfect solution, but the best I've found so far.


----------



## MrPLD

Wire transfer is fine... certainly worlds better than the filthy cheques.  Now I'll have to go investigate how to set it up ( already have all the details I should need, as I did TT's for years in my previous business )


----------



## RinG

Depends on your bank. Mine was going to charge me a stupid amount to receive them. Might be ok if I was making a large amounts, but it would have dwindled my small amounts to almost nothing.


----------



## MrPLD

True, some banks will try hit you for $20~$25/transaction, though normally that's paid by the sender, though I suppose in the absence of a fee payment agreement it's just going to come out of your money, rather than Zon's.


----------



## kathrynoh

I realised last night that after 18 months, I have not yet got any actual cash in my pocket.  That's partly because I had my payments on hold for a while and I do have some cheques in the bank waiting to clear but there's been a load of screw ups as well.

I spent ages trying to get payments sorted with Smashwords and they say they will pay me in April.  Then I had major screw ups with Amazon, basically because I changed my payment details ages ago, it showed as changed + I got the emails etc but it hadn't changed in their system.  Then because of my payments being on hold, it's take ages for me to realise.  The whole thing has been a total mess so far and now they are having issues with my Aus payments, and I bet the wire transfers go screwy too.

Just as I thought my US payments were getting fixed, I realised my UK ones were screwy as well and had to go through ALL my kdp payment reports and check the figures and send it to them.

It's driving me nuts.  The amount of time I have to spend just to deal with these issues is really getting out of hand.  I just want to get my correct payments every month on time in a form that doesn't cost ME money.  That's not too much to ask.


----------



## Laura_Wingfield

Hi there. I'm kind of new (I lurk) but I'm kind of having the opposite problem with Word. I'm an American in Sydney and my spell check in Word is all, well, Australian. I don't know why, I never messed with the settings. I just go with it since I'm still working on my first draft but am wondering about whether or not to edit out all these extra u's when I finish or not. Do you have readers complain about how you spell?


----------



## MrPLD

Just got all my banking changed over on Amazon... *yay*.  

btw, for commonwealth bank people, the SWIFT/BIC code is CTBAAU2S, but certainly double check that with your branch.

So nice now to not have to process those damned cheques.


----------



## JB Rowley

Laura_Wingfield said:


> Hi there. I'm kind of new (I lurk) but I'm kind of having the opposite problem with Word. I'm an American in Sydney and my spell check in Word is all, well, Australian. I don't know why, I never messed with the settings. I just go with it since I'm still working on my first draft but am wondering about whether or not to edit out all these extra u's when I finish or not. Do you have readers complain about how you spell?


Hi Laura,

You need to be consistent with your spelling. So, make sure your spelling follows the rules of whichever system you choose: American English or British English. Standard Australian English is in fact a dialect of British English BUT that is not what Microsoft mean by 'Australian English'. They don't seem to know much about Australian English at all! The written form of Australian English follows the British spelling but has some American spellings (and many of those have crept into British spelling in the UK as well). (It is in the spoken form that Australian English is most clearly defined because of our accent, pronunciation, and frequent use of colloqualisms and slang.)


----------



## JB Rowley

Graham Storrs said:


> Hi Patty. I just sent off my third email to Amazon today. I must say they respond quickly. However, the quality of the responses have been abysmal. Maybe if they actually took the time to understand what my problem is before shooting off an irrelevant reply... This time, as you suggested, I asked to speak to a supervisor.
> 
> In the two responses I've had from them so far, one said I should be able to set up EFT from Amazon.com to an Aussie bank (but then gave me the standard process, which doesn't work), and the other said it's not possible (I think - their English wasn't very good) and gave me the process for a wire transfer instead.
> 
> *sigh*


EFT seems to Amazon speak for 'EFT and wire transfer'. My Aussie payments come via EFT and the others via wire transfer but according to my account details they are all paid via EFT.

If you have not already checked it out, you might find David Adam's post helpful. 
Try this link and scroll down to post number 10: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,158050.450.html

Cheers

JB


----------



## Selina Fenech

Speaking of supports cut and paste answers- I emailed them to let them know I received more money than the remittance advice said I would be getting, even though it's only a small amount I thought it was the right thing to do. I said clearly that I've successfully received the payment but the amount was more than it was supposed to be.  
Their reply was that their accounts department definitely did send the payment through fine now and to just wait a few more business days for it to show up in my account *facepalm*. Well, I did my part and the heck if I'm going to keep chasing them over earning a few extra dollars.


----------



## Graham Storrs

I must say I was shocked when I first leaned Amazon.com would only pay me by cheque. How could a Web-based company be so incredibly primitive? Amazon's cheques are the only ones I've seen in at least 10 years - maybe fifteen. I haven't had a cheque account at my bank since the mid 90s! So it was exciting news that they were going to allow EFT from overseas stores. 

The excitement has worn off rather now that I'm coming to realise that it's not really EFT but wire transfers that they're talking about. My bank charges $20 for a wire transfer (and it takes 3-5 days - WTF? Do they use especially slow electrons?) which is outrageous for something that is (should be) completely automated. Yes, cheques can be even more expensive (and inconvenient and painfully slow) but I'm not paying my bank $20 for doing absolutely nothing!

I think I'll look into the Payoneer option as that seems to offer the cheapest, most convenient solution. Thanks to those who suggested it.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Seems you're with the wrong bank. Commonwealth does not make the distinction between EFT or wire transfer. I didn't get charged for the payment. Now that might have been a mistake, but I still didn't get charged.


----------



## Graham Storrs

I'll check that out. If they don't charge, I'll be setting up an account!

Thanks.


----------



## Graham Storrs

The Combank website says they charge "up to $11" for an incoming wire transfer - whatever that means. Could mean $0 

I need to drop into a branch and have a chat.


----------



## Scratchy_Bitey

I'm with Bank of Melbourne (St. George) and don't get charged a fee for deposits, either. 
I did ring them and ask and they said it would probably be $15, but I've yet to be charged anything.


----------



## Sam Winterwood

Hows everyone going other than payment woes?
I'm struggling to write anything today. Maybe because the sun hasn't been out in Wollongong for about four or five days. I just want to go back to bed and sleep


----------



## Patty Jansen

Graham Storrs said:


> The Combank website says they charge "up to $11" for an incoming wire transfer - whatever that means. Could mean $0
> 
> I need to drop into a branch and have a chat.


They charge $10 per cheque, so even if they charge me $11 in the future, I win, because I don't have to go into the bank and wait while the teller prints out ten sheets of paper, rips them at the correct perforations, checks, signs them etc etc. That's worth $1 per month to me


----------



## MrPLD

Is there a way you can tell Amazon to not bother doing a transfer until you're up to about $500 or more?


----------



## JennR

I'm with Bendigo Bank and they only charge $2 for an incoming wire transfer in AUD. So far I've had a few and I've been charged $2 for each and nothing for the Aussie royalties because they're EFT.


----------



## RinG

MrPLD said:


> Is there a way you can tell Amazon to not bother doing a transfer until you're up to about $500 or more?


You can ask them to hold your payment, but then you have to unhold it again when you want payment.


----------



## Graham Storrs

After much correspondence, I now have a definitive answer from Amazon on the EFT issue. I quote:

"As your bank account is located in the Australia, at this time, EFT in USD for our Amazon.com Kindle Store is not accepted. Though your bank accepts deposits in USD, you'll not be able to set EFT in USD as your payment method as this option is available only if you use an U.S. bank account."

However, all is not lost. My final email from them said,

"I do confirm that we're working on expanding our payment options to our publishers worldwide. I'm unable to promise a timeframe at this time, however, we are still evolving and feedback like yours motivate us to dive deep and unearth ways and means which helps us in making publishing on KDP a happy experience."

So, while they are diving deep, I'll look into low-cost (i.e. free) wire transfer options or Payoneer.

So glad that's over!


----------



## Patty Jansen

Seriously, Graham, WHAT? What the actual EFF?

Amazon paid me by EFT on Friday. They did this with most of us on this thread. Wire/EFT it's all the same thing. My bank doesn't make the distinction. I asked about it, and they said "some people call it wire but it's essentially the same thing".

That's canned reply from last year.

This:



> "As your bank account is located in the Australia, at this time, EFT in USD for our Amazon.com Kindle Store is not accepted. Though your bank accepts deposits in USD, you'll not be able to set EFT in USD as your payment method as this option is available only if you use an U.S. bank account."


Is utter, utter rubbish. BULLSHIT.

It's like you live in a little bubble of 2012. Sure you're not taking your novels too seriously? *grin*

But I really cannot believe this. They made EFT/wire an option for everyone in Australia. We've all been paid through it, last Friday.

This is so strange I cannot even begin to comprehend.


----------



## JB Rowley

Graham Storrs said:


> After much correspondence, I now have a definitive answer from Amazon on the EFT issue. I quote:
> 
> "As your bank account is located in the Australia, at this time, EFT in USD for our Amazon.com Kindle Store is not accepted. Though your bank accepts deposits in USD, you'll not be able to set EFT in USD as your payment method as this option is available only if you use an U.S. bank account."


Why do you want EFT in US$? Why not accept the Amazon method - EFT in AUS$?


----------



## JB Rowley

CJArcher said:


> I also have one from UK App store and another that says Rebate, but my Rebate one is also from the UK. When I add the amounts, they almost make up the UK December total. I think I'll wait for the Payment Reports module to update before I enter any data into my spreadsheets.


Unfortunately, my communication with KDP support has left me flummoxed rather than enlightened! The first one suggested I should ring them to get to discuss the 'charges' I was concerned about. I thought they must have misunderstood so contacted them again explaining that I was asking about 'payments' NOT 'charges' but got another (similar) response indicating they 'couldn't find any charges' in the amounts I had asked about and again suggested I should call them because email 'is not a secure method of transmitting sensitive information.' They asked that I have my credit card details to hand when I phoned them! Clearly their response has nothing to do with my query.

It's bizarre. I am finding it impossible to cross check my royalty payments against my sales reports 'cos the payments are all over the place and the exchange rates are not indicated on the Payment Report. Not sure what to do next. :-(


----------



## CJArcher

JB Rowley said:


> Unfortunately, my communication with KDP support has left me flummoxed rather than enlightened! The first one suggested I should ring them to get to discuss the 'charges' I was concerned about. I thought they must have misunderstood so contacted them again explaining that I was asking about 'payments' NOT 'charges' but got another (similar) response indicating they 'couldn't find any charges' in the amounts I had asked about and again suggested I should call them because email 'is not a secure method of transmitting sensitive information.' They asked that I have my credit card details to hand when I phoned them! Clearly their response has nothing to do with my query.
> 
> It's bizarre. I am finding it impossible to cross check my royalty payments against my sales reports 'cos the payments are all over the place and the exchange rates are not indicated on the Payment Report. Not sure what to do next. :-(


The Payments section under Reports updated for me yesterday. There are 2 UK payments for Dec that match the 2 I received (even though the dash says pending), so I'm now all caught up with my spreadsheets and everything is accounted for. Almost. The Dec AU payment hasn't hit yet even though it says it was paid.


----------



## kathrynoh

More payment woes! I've not received any wire payments yet and spoke to my credit union.  They said they have TWO swift codes that have to be used! I think the best option is going to be to put my payments on hold for a while and then open another account.  Bendigo Bank seems to be the go.

Btw I'm with Credit Union Australia.


----------



## MrPLD

Kathryn,  yes, unfortunately because Credit Unions are typically operating via one of the larger banks you do get that complication.


----------



## sunnycoast

Has anyone calculated their FX rates for the wire transfers. 

The rate seems horrendous.


----------



## Selina Fenech

As noted above, my AU payment came through fine the other day, and now my US payment also has. Although they are calling everything EFT online now, there's still clearly a difference- AU came through looking like a normal domestic transfer, while the US looked different on my statement and the bank even sent me a letter to let me know it had been received. For those bank shopping- ANZ didn't charge me for either deposit (neither was a huge amount, under $200).


----------



## Writer1000

St George didn't seem to have charged me fees for the wire transfers either (I got the letter from the bank and the deposit amount is the same as the amount they said was sent to me). But I also can't figure out the exchange rate they've used.


----------



## JennR

I'm having problems with my UK wire transfer for Dec too. I received 2 funny amounts like JB Rowley and so far Amazon have said they're not KDP royalties and they have to look into my UK wire transfer situation.

Then yesterday 2 UK wire transfer amounts for Dec appeared in my Payments dashboard, but the amount in pounds doesn't correspond to the 2 amounts I received. Using the exchange rate of 60p, there's a discrepancy of $35 (not in my favour). For my Nov UK cheque (the last cheque) I received an exchange rate of 56p from my bank.  So if these 2 funny payments are somehow my UK royalties, they must be using an exchange rate of approx 70p!

Amazon said they need further time to look into my Dec UK wire transfer situation :-(


----------



## JB Rowley

CJArcher said:


> The Payments section under Reports updated for me yesterday. There are 2 UK payments for Dec that match the 2 I received (even though the dash says pending), so I'm now all caught up with my spreadsheets and everything is accounted for. Almost. The Dec AU payment hasn't hit yet even though it says it was paid.


How are you calculating the exchange rate, CJ? (I'm assuming you have been able to do that since you've successfully matched up all your payments.)


----------



## NicoleSwan

Surprised to see this thread still going, 40 pages  

Been away, hope you've all been having a good time.  Can't wait for this Summer heat to go away


----------



## Patty Jansen

I think we've had the most awesome summer in Sydney. We've had zilch days over 40C, and maybe two or three over 35, and one of those was in October.  The nights have been wonderfully cool, especially in February, and now it's gone clear so I can still go to the beach in the mornings.

Love it. Nothing like last summer because that was horrible.


----------



## NicoleSwan

Patty Jansen said:


> Love it. Nothing like last summer because that was horrible.


That is true. It has been more sedate in comparison and the 'wintery evenings' have returned earlier. It's still hot today though


----------



## Ceinwen

Today actually almost felt like Autumn over here. It's coming!


----------



## Patty Jansen

Ceinwen L. said:


> Today actually almost felt like Autumn over here. It's coming!


Must be the first day in--what--three months that the temperature has dropped below 30 over there?


----------



## Ceinwen

Patty Jansen said:


> Must be the first day in--what--three months that the temperature has dropped below 30 over there?


Haha pretty much! It was 38 yesterday.


----------



## Colin Taber

It's been 50 days since rain in Perth, and that "rain" was 0.2mm on January 16th. I'm looking forward to the Autumn rains starting sooner or later.


----------



## RinG

Some rain would be nice. My area just hit the drought declared list. Haven't had enough rain to fill our tanks since last summer. Usually it would have been overflowing for the last couple of months.


----------



## Sam Winterwood

Come to wollongong! Rainy, rainy Wollongong.
I think we've had one or two sunny days in a month


----------



## JB Rowley

JennR said:


> I'm having problems with my UK wire transfer for Dec too. I received 2 funny amounts like JB Rowley and so far Amazon have said they're not KDP royalties and they have to look into my UK wire transfer situation.
> 
> Then yesterday 2 UK wire transfer amounts for Dec appeared in my Payments dashboard, but the amount in pounds doesn't correspond to the 2 amounts I received. Using the exchange rate of 60p, there's a discrepancy of $35 (not in my favour). For my Nov UK cheque (the last cheque) I received an exchange rate of 56p from my bank. So if these 2 funny payments are somehow my UK royalties, they must be using an exchange rate of approx 70p!
> 
> Amazon said they need further time to look into my Dec UK wire transfer situation :-(


At least they seem to understand that your query is about royalty payments which makes you one step closer than me, Jenn. Please do post an update when you get one.


----------



## JennR

I will, JB. It's taken them a week so far to look into it!


----------



## JB Rowley

JennR said:


> I will, JB. It's taken them a week so far to look into it!


I believe I have sorted my payments out, Jenn. The two 'odd' payments from UK (APPSTORE UK and REBATE) when converted back to GBP reconcile with my December UK royalty payments on the Payment Report (which is split in two). Added together they match the UK royalty amount on the December Sales Report. (I think CJ also worked her payments out and they matched.)

One thing I gleaned from this exercise is that the foreign exchange rates from Amazon's bank are not as good as what I got at Bendigo Bank when I received foreign cheques. 

I also received an email from KDP support concerning my confusion over the October and November amounts which I had been unable to reconcile with the Sales Report. It seems the October payment did not include the KOLL payment (because of the changeover to wire transfer). The October KOLL payment was included in the November payment. (I've included this comment here as I know others also had concerns about their Oct/Nov payments.)


----------



## JennR

Thanks, JB. I was going to post last night but the board was down.  Yes, my 2 funny payments like yours are my UK royalties. I received a reply yesterday but still don't know why they were split into 2, unless one was the KOLL payment.

And you're right about the exchange rate! I worked it out to be approx 72p :-(  In January with my last UK cheque I received 56p from Bendigo Bank.

But my US wire transfer for end of Feb worked out at approx 92c which I didn't think was too bad.

I'll see what exchange rate I get this month for UK and if it's still not very good, I might switch to USD wire transfer although that will cost me $10 at Bendigo instead of the $2 for AUD wire transfer. Then I'll get Bendigo's exchange rates.


----------



## Patty Jansen

This week reminds me of how much I don't like winter.


----------



## MrPLD

Oddly Patty, this week reminds me of how much I don't like Summer.  Cracked back up to 35'C today. Not liking it at all.


----------



## RinG

I could do with a little winter. Mid to high thirties here the last couple of days!


----------



## MrPLD

The nights are nice, down to about 22'C, which makes for lovely star watching weather ( though the moon is currently a bit full, ruining the best viewing ).


----------



## Patty Jansen

I've had some nice clear sunrises for photography (http://pattyjansen.com/blog/), but this morning (the most recent post) it was friggin cold


----------



## JB Rowley

Well cold autumn mornings in Melbourne remind me that I would love to live in Brisbane.


----------



## kathrynoh

I love crispy Autumn mornings  

I got my first ever *real* Amazon money yesterday - real as it's in my bank account, cleared and available to spend! Took about 7 weeks for the cheque to clear though. And it's all going towards my trip to Europe this year


----------



## rinny

Howdy all!

I'm a Sydney girl currently living in the Philippines but I should be returning home in the next few months. 

At the moment I'm receiving my Amazon KDP payments into a UK account but I want to change it over to an Aussie bank account. I also use Payoneer for Amazon Associates payments.

Which Aussie bank do you think gives the best exchange rates (most of my Amazon sales are from the US) and charges the least for international transactions? I've seen a few people mention Bendigo Bank and I remember someone mentioning that business bank accounts give better exchange rates?? I'm a sole trader so I guess it would be easy enough to set up a business account. 

I'm so used to UK accounts that don't charge that many fees, I'm in two minds about where to receive the payments... 

Thanks in advance!


----------



## JB Rowley

Hi Rinny,

If you decide to stick to cheque payments I think you'll find Bendigo Bank offers a pretty good deal. 

You will also be able to opt for wire transfer payments, in which case the exchange rates seem to be much worse than what the Aussie banks offer. I am waiting for Amazon to repair the flawed new Payment Reports. At this point in time the exhange rates are not shown so it is difficult to do a proper comparison but I am wondering whether it would be better to go back to the cheque by mail system.


----------



## CJArcher

Hi Rinny, welcome to the Aussie corner of KB!

I can't tell you which bank has the best exchange rates, but I know it's not the ANZ   The thing to weigh up with a business account vs a personal one is the monthly fees. International transfers might be cheaper, but if the monthly fees are higher, there may be no benefit. Just a thought.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Whichever way you go, the exchange rates are ridiculous.

Got my January payment email today.

Also: new book release! See my sig file


----------



## rinny

CJArcher said:


> Hi Rinny, welcome to the Aussie corner of KB!
> 
> I can't tell you which bank has the best exchange rates, but I know it's not the ANZ  The thing to weigh up with a business account vs a personal one is the monthly fees. International transfers might be cheaper, but if the monthly fees are higher, there may be no benefit. Just a thought.


Thanks for the welcome!! 

I've been looking online and I have found some business accounts that have no monthly account keeping fees. I think it was an NAB and Bendigo bank that say they are fee free but I'm sure there's hidden charges.

Maybe I'll keep the payments going to the UK for now, it seems easier...

Thanks for all the advice and I'm glad I found our little corner of the forum.


----------



## rinny

Congrats Patty on the new book releases!! Seems like you've got a few newbies selling at the moment!


----------



## Patty Jansen

I'm aiming to be the Australian Elle Casey. Working on the production side of things. Selling as well as she does is quite another matter, though


----------



## Derek Pedley

OK fellow Aussies, here's a situation I've encountered which may well affect many of you. Several months ago, I noticed that I'd finally reached the 100 quid threshold for payments from Amazon UK. Woo hoo! A hundred quid! I waited a couple of months to see if the payment would materialise, and in the meantime of course I swapped over to wire transfers when Amazon finally came to their senses and gave us that option. So I sent a message to them yesterday asking when I could expect to see my Amazon UK royalties. Here's their reply: 

"I checked our records and see that you had previously chosen to receive KDP royalties via check in GBP for the UK market place. 

However, you had recently changed the payment method and currency to WIRE in AUD for the same. 

Please know, when updates are made to your payment details, they will only apply to royalties collected after the change has been made. And hence the previous royalties that were accrued in GBP and was supposed to be processed in GBP did not meet the 100 GBP minimum threshold. 

As a result, there was no payment made yet. 

However, I see that currently you have royalty earnings, in GBP  that are under the payment threshold of 100 GBP. Hence, in order to meet our customers expectations, we have requested a one-time exception to pay these royalties according to the current currency (AUD) and payment method (WIRE) selected.

In the one-time exception all the royalties that were previously accrued in GBP for the UK market place will be converted to AUD (current payment currency) and then processed in WIRE (current payment method chosen) separately for each market place.

It will take up to 15 days for the conversion to be done.  Further, all the royalties after the conversion, which have already met the 100 AUD minimum threshold and the 60 day time period will be processed to your account."


What they seem to be saying - in their wonderfully convoluted English - is that because I swapped from the 19th century form of payment that they insisted that Australians use, it "reset the clock" on the payment threshold. (And there is definitely no mention of this on the payment threshold page).

So they'll pay me for what I had accrued before the switch to wire, but money earned after the switch will again have to reach  100 (although it's now $A, not pounds).

That means two payments, not one, (double the bank fees) and another delay of many months while I wait to reach the threshold again. This won't matter much to writers who reach the threshold quickly, but for many of us, it can take a LONG time. 

So now I'm sending off an angry rant to the KDP help desk demanding payment in full of all outstanding UK royalties in a single wire payment. I'd welcome your views.


----------



## rinny

Interesting...

I received this email from Amazon in December saying that all minimum payment thresholds had been removed with the exception of the Brazilian market. Perhaps I received this as I still receive payments to a UK bank account.

"Hello,

We'd like you to know about an important update to your Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) account. As of December 16, 2013, the minimum threshold amount has been removed for accounts selecting Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) as their payment method.* You will now be paid 60 days after the month your royalties are earned without needing to meet a minimum threshold amount prior to receiving payment.

You will receive an EFT payment from KDP for any royalties earned that were previously under the minimum threshold. To see if you have royalties awaiting payment, check your Royalty Reports at: http://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/reports

While there is no action necessary, you can review or update your EFT banking information by Amazon marketplace any time, by visiting the "Your Royalty Payments" section in your KDP Account at: http://kdp.amazon.com/account

Kind regards,
The Kindle Direct Publishing Team

*Note: The EFT threshold for royalties earned from sales on Amazon.com.br is still R$20 for Brazilian publishers and $100/£100/€100 for non-Brazilian publishers.

Questions?

Please visit out Help page to learn more about royalty payment thresholds and available currencies at:
http://kdp.amazon.com/help?topicId=A3E24YJK5O82TD
or
Contact us at: http://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/contact-us"


----------



## CJArcher

I got the UK remittances from KDP today. Again, there are 2 so it looks like my Jan payments will be split up, just like Dec was. I've fired off a question to support asking why and if I can have them combined into one so my bank only charges me 1 fee. In the mean time, did anyone else ever receive an answer about this? Is anyone NOT having their UK payment split into 2?


----------



## Writer1000

I also got my UK payment notification today and I only have one payment. But the amount doesn't make sense so I shot them an email querying it. I wouldn't be surprised if I also end up with two payments.


----------



## JennR

Last month my UK payments were split into 2, it was the first month I received them by wire transfer and initially they told me they weren't KDP payments, then they finally said they were, but didn't say why they were split into 2.

Today on my payment dashboard my UK payments for January are again split into 2! I have no idea why.  My US payments aren't.


----------



## JB Rowley

CJArcher said:


> I got the UK remittances from KDP today. Again, there are 2 so it looks like my Jan payments will be split up, just like Dec was. I've fired off a question to support asking why and if I can have them combined into one so my bank only charges me 1 fee. In the mean time, did anyone else ever receive an answer about this? Is anyone NOT having their UK payment split into 2?


They did not seem to understand what we were talking about when we queried the two payments so we just used our own superior brain power to work out that it was the UK payments split in two. Mine are split in two again this month. I want them combined too so I will be interested to know what answer they give you, CJ.


----------



## CJArcher

JB Rowley said:


> They did not seem to understand what we were talking about when we queried the two payments so we just used our own superior brain power to work out that it was the UK payments split in two. Mine are split in two again this month. I want them combined too so I will be interested to know what answer they give you, CJ.


They seemed to understand me - maybe because I told them point-blank that the 2 amounts totalled my report amount. They got back to me today saying it'll take them until Friday to work out why it's happening. Sigh. Will keep the thread updated when I get an answer.


----------



## Derek Pedley

I'm still waiting on a reply from KDP Support. Re-reading my eloquent yet slightly deranged rant, I probably should have stuck to the rule of never writing or sending an email while angry.


----------



## Patty Jansen

I haven't been paid for the UK for ages. They allowed us bank transfers, but are keeping the stupid threshold?


----------



## JamesOsiris

Wow. Bizarre. You'd think they'd have sorted this problem out by 2014.

I wonder if it has something to do with the banks in the USA. My girlfriend is American and I spend a bit of time there... and their banks are really, really dreadful. It makes me truly grateful for Westpac.

"So you have $15 in your account? This is below the minimum threshold, so we'll charge you a $25 Under Minimum Account balance fee. Oh look! Now you're overdrawn! Here's a $50 overdrawn fee."

Bank of America literally does this to people all the time


----------



## Guest

CJ I just saw your book The Medium in a Bookbub email. Well done! I noticed that book being very popular on Wattpad. Good luck


----------



## CJArcher

Kitten said:


> CJ I just saw your book The Medium in a Bookbub email. Well done! I noticed that book being very popular on Wattpad. Good luck


Thanks, Mona. It's going well so far. Over 12k downloads in less than 24 hours and currently #9 in the free list. I heart Bookbub so much.


----------



## Guest

That's amazing! I hope you sell loads of the rest of the series


----------



## kathrynoh

I'm thinking of setting up a google doc/survey to collect info about Amazon payments to Aus.  Not wanting to get people's actual sales figures or anything personal but more about how you get paid and what it costs.  I know there are bits and pieces through this thread but I thought it'd be helpful to have something all in one place where we can compare and also have somewhere to point newbies wanting this info.

This is the info I'm thinking about collecting (let me know if you think I should include anything else):

- payment type (cheque or wire)
- bank name
- charges per payment
- are these the advertised charges for your bank (eg. if your bank says it charges $10 to cash an international cheque but they don't actually charge you that much when you deposit one)
- time lag in getting payment (time to cash a cheque from deposit or time to receive wire transfer from Amazon)
- any problems with payments from the bank's end, not Amazon's.

Do people think it'd be helpful?


----------



## rinny

kathrynoh said:


> I'm thinking of setting up a google doc/survey to collect info about Amazon payments to Aus. Not wanting to get people's actual sales figures or anything personal but more about how you get paid and what it costs. I know there are bits and pieces through this thread but I thought it'd be helpful to have something all in one place where we can compare and also have somewhere to point newbies wanting this info.
> 
> This is the info I'm thinking about collecting (let me know if you think I should include anything else):
> 
> - payment type (cheque or wire)
> - bank name
> - charges per payment
> - are these the advertised charges for your bank (eg. if your bank says it charges $10 to cash an international cheque but they don't actually charge you that much when you deposit one)
> - time lag in getting payment (time to cash a cheque from deposit or time to receive wire transfer from Amazon)
> - any problems with payments from the bank's end, not Amazon's.
> 
> Do people think it'd be helpful?


Yes - that would be extremely useful!


----------



## JB Rowley

Congratulations to all the Aussie Indies having success - CJ and Patty have been mentioned. I read with interest Rosalind James' success story in the latest edition of the KDP newsletter. She mentions that she garnered 7,500 copies in a Kindle Countdown deal over six days in December. 

I am wondering if anyone here has had success/experience with Kindle Countdown.


----------



## NicoleSwan

Haven't tried it myself - but I am doing nicely with the permafree.


----------



## kathrynoh

I've created the form and would love to get as many responses as possible.

You can fill it in here - http://bit.ly/1eHX6bz - no personal information needed, just bank charges etc.


----------



## RinG

I've run a couple of countdown deals, and have been happy with the results, but nothing on that scale! I suspect it has to do with how popular you are to start with! Running another one in a couple of weeks with some paid advertising, so hoping that will do better.

I would fill in the survey, but I'm using payoneer, and there's no option for that.


----------



## JennR

Haven't tried a Countdown deal.


----------



## Writer1000

Completed the survey, Kathryn.

JB, I don't have any more books in Select so I haven't tried Countdown. It's interesting to note people's results from it, though.


----------



## Patty Jansen

I had my pen name novellas in Select. I tried a Countdown, but Amazon cancelled it unilaterally because "the books were available elsewhere" which was BS because I never uploaded them anywhere else. I argued with KDP support, but no banana. I cancelled all my Select enrolments and I'm not going back. Like, never.


----------



## NicoleSwan

Patty Jansen said:


> I cancelled all my Select enrolments and I'm not going back. Like, never.


Select-free was great back in the early days, really launched a lot of us along the road to success, but yes, these days it's lack lustre at best. Easier to just put a book or two out to pasture with permafree and get on with things.


----------



## kathrynoh

Thanks Miranda.  Rinelle, I didn't include Payoneer because i wanted to collect info about Aussie banks.  I think Payoneer are fairly transparent about their charges and fees.

I just checked the countdown deal I did.  I set it up for my pen name book then forgot about it until it started running so did very little promo.  I got 287 sales in the US with it at 99 cents for the whole period.  In the UK, i got 66 sales with 42 sales at 99 cents then 24 at 1.99.  Surprisingly, the UK countdown increased visibility a lot.  I've never sold much of anything in the UK but got a good bump in sales for at least a month after the countdown promo.  I wish I'd not done the increment increase though, i think it would've been better to get more sales at the lower price.


----------



## RinG

Wow, that's some nice results on countdown. I haven't had those sort of numbers either. I did decide not to have the second increment though, as my sales were half as much at double the price, so not really worth it.


----------



## kathrynoh

This turned up in my email this week and I thought I'd pass on the details if anyone's interested: Australian Antarctica Arts Fellowship http://www.antarctica.gov.au/about-antarctica/antarctic-arts-fellowship

If I had a project in mind that would fit the criteria, I'd be all over it.


----------



## JB Rowley

Thanks everyone for your responses re Amazon's Countdown Deal. Here is a brief summary of the replies so far:

Some of us have not tried it. Nicole is happy with Permafree. (Something I would like to try in the future.) Patty had problems; Amazon cancelled hers because they believed the book was available elsewhere.

Kathryn got some good sales and a bump in sales in UK in the month after the promo but feels it would have been better to get more sales at the lower price rather than doing the increment increase.

Rinelle pointed out that other factors might influence how successful the deal is for individual authors. (I noticed that Rosalind James is a ‘former marketing executive’ so I guess she knew how to work the deal to the best advantage.)


----------



## JB Rowley

kathrynoh said:


> I've created the form and would love to get as many responses as possible.
> 
> You can fill it in here - http://bit.ly/1eHX6bz - no personal information needed, just bank charges etc.


Done. Thanks for taking the time to do this, Kathryn.


----------



## JB Rowley

Still on book promotion:

I am thrilled that Amazon have been promoting both the books I have in Select. The books appeared at the top of the list in the Biographies and Memoirs section of their Today's Deals email on March 21 and again today. I am not sure how that works. I assume people who have shown interest in biographies/memoirs get that particular email promotion. However it works, I love it!


----------



## Patty Jansen

The miserable, rainy day starts with a Bookbub acceptance!


----------



## The Bass Bagwhan

Hi guys, checking in and saying hello, and offering a word of advice for Ozstralians. I've been having a few computers problems lately and having a few IT skills had a dig around inside the PC. After our long, hot summer (which is still happening here in WA) I discovered my computer was absolutely chockers with dust, dirt and dead insects all choking the fans, heat sinks... So if you're not scared to take the cover of your PC, I highly recommend a spring clean (well... Autumn clean).
Yep, some of us are knee-deep in water, and our colleagues on the other end of the planet are shovelling snow from their mouse pads, but you know what I mean.
Happy and exciting writing to everyone.
Graeme Hague.


----------



## Colin Taber

Hi Graeme 

Great news Patty! Which title?

I got my first electronic payments today (.com and .com.au), on the day they said they'd be paid (I'm with NAB). Doesn't look like any fees were taken out, but I'll check that in detail later.

Sorry I haven't been able to get in here much of late. I hope everyone is well.


----------



## Patty Jansen

They don't take out any fees, but the exchange rate is abso-effing-lutely atrocious. I'm seriously considering going back to cheques once I start to reliably get more income.

The Bookbub is for Watcher's Web, which I've made permafree. I'm determined to make every first book of a series permafree and use only permafree and series for BB promotion. I have terrible luck with 99c promos.


----------



## Colin Taber

I find 99c has worked fine for my USV title, but not so well for Ossard.

I'll switch to permafree when USV#3 is out, which should be later this year.


----------



## kathrynoh

Congrats Patty.  I've got a Bookbub running tonight on my NA book.  I'm not sure how it will go because the NA category doesn't have a lot of subscribers anyway but it was only $50 so worth a shot


----------



## Patty Jansen

So they are running these lists now? Because I've been submitting to the MG list for ages, and others to the LGBT lists, but they never seem to pick anyone, nor send out any mailings.


----------



## JennR

I received my January wire transfers yesterday and worked out the exchange rate with my calculator.  My US royalties seem to have been calculated at US 0.9345 = good.

My 2 UK royalties (split into 2 again) worked out at 0.693p and 0.724p. I have no idea why different exchange rates were used.

I went to Bendigo Bank today and asked for today's exchange rates for depositing a foreign cheque (they didn't have yesterday's).  US 0.958 and UK 0.58P

The way I calculated the exchange rates:

Foreign amount divided by Aussie amount I received = exchange rate used.


----------



## NicoleSwan

Check for built-in fees at either end.  The exchange rate might have been okay, but then you were slapped with a transfer fee?


----------



## Writer1000

Kathryn, congrats with the results of your BB ad!

Patty, good luck with your second one.

Re: January payments

The exchange rate used for my US royalties seems to be 0.9369. Pretty close to Jenn's. And I haven't been charged any fees either.

I'm still communicating with KDP regarding my UK royalties. The amount on the Payments report is wrong (less than what was on the KDP monthly report), and the money I received in the bank yesterday was less than the AUD amount that the KDP rep told me I'd be getting (which was based on the incorrect GBP amount). *sigh*


----------



## JB Rowley

JennR said:


> I received my January wire transfers yesterday and worked out the exchange rate with my calculator. My US royalties seem to have been calculated at US 0.9345 = good.
> 
> My 2 UK royalties (split into 2 again) worked out at 0.693p and 0.724p. I have no idea why different exchange rates were used.
> 
> I went to Bendigo Bank today and asked for today's exchange rates for depositing a foreign cheque (they didn't have yesterday's). US 0.958 and UK 0.58P
> 
> The way I calculated the exchange rates:
> 
> Foreign amount divided by Aussie amount I received = exchange rate used.


Thanks for this, Jenn. My calculations last month indicated the exchange rate offered by Amazon was very poor but I suspect my calculations were wrong - cannot remember how I did it but I know I do not have a good head for these things. Using your formula I calculated this month's exchange rates which seem to be similar to yours.

I am still communicating with KDP re getting the exchange rate to appear on our Payment Reports. They tell me they are still working on fixing the problem.


----------



## JennR

Bendigo Bank charge me a $2 fee for incoming wire transfers in AUD. The fees were displayed on the print out and they take the fee out separately from my bank account balance (they don't take it out of the incoming wire transfer, if that makes sense).


----------



## JB Rowley

JennR said:


> Bendigo Bank charge me a $2 fee for incoming wire transfers in AUD. The fees were displayed on the print out and they take the fee out separately from my bank account balance (they don't take it out of the incoming wire transfer, if that makes sense).


Yes, the fees appear on the statement as separate items.


----------



## Writer1000

St George haven't charged me any transfer fees at all. There are no separate charges appearing on my account.

It's a business account with an account service fee of $5/month. I'm not sure if they would charge transfer fees on a personal account (which could have $0 account service fee if you deposit a certain amount every month--otherwise it's $3/month).


----------



## Guest

I have some info for people with the Commonwealth Bank. I received my first wire transfer at the end of March. I earned $202 USD and the bank said it turned out to be $220 AUD. That's a good exchange rate. I received $195 AUD. No fee was shown in my online banking, and I was sure I was meant to receive more than $195. After speaking to several people who had no idea, someone said a fee of $25 was taken out. He said the payment went from the US to the UK then to NAB then to the Commonwealth Bank. He said if my next Amazon payment is sent differently, not through those channels, the fee might be $11, the wire transfer fee.

Long story short - if you're with the Commonwealth Bank the exchange rate used is fine, but you might have a $25 fee taken out. I'm considering going back to cheques.


----------



## CJArcher

Kitten said:


> I have some info for people with the Commonwealth Bank. I received my first wire transfer at the end of March. I earned $202 USD and the bank said it turned out to be $220 AUD. That's a good exchange rate. I received $195 AUD. No fee was shown in my online banking, and I was sure I was meant to receive more than $195. After speaking to several people who had no idea, someone said a fee of $25 was taken out. He said the payment went from the US to the UK then to NAB then to the Commonwealth Bank. He said if my next Amazon payment is sent differently, not through those channels, the fee might be $11, the wire transfer fee.
> 
> Long story short - if you're with the Commonwealth Bank the exchange rate used is fine, but you might have a $25 fee taken out. I'm considering going back to cheques.


This is what happens with my payments. Sometimes. It seems to be a little bit random and i have no idea why. I'm with the ANZ. If the payment goes straight to ANZ, the fee is $15. If the payment goes through NAB to ANZ, it's $25. I have to ring a special number to get this figure. It's not shown on the statement they send every time I get a wire payment.

Why can't the Zon do it the way Kobo does Not only does Kobo bundle all the currencies together into 1 single payment, there's no fee taken out anywhere. Sigh.


----------



## Guest

CJArcher said:


> This is what happens with my payments. Sometimes. It seems to be a little bit random and i have no idea why. I'm with the ANZ. If the payment goes straight to ANZ, the fee is $15. If the payment goes through NAB to ANZ, it's $25. I have to ring a special number to get this figure. It's not shown on the statement they send every time I get a wire payment.
> 
> Why can't the Zon do it the way Kobo does Not only does Kobo bundle all the currencies together into 1 single payment, there's no fee taken out anywhere. Sigh.


I know - Google Play bundles the currencies together into one payment, and you get paid monthly. No fees taken out at all. It's lovely! I hate having to reach the payment threshold in all the currencies for Amazon, because I mostly sell in the US and hardly at all in the other Amazon stores. I's taken me three years to earn enough to be paid from Amazon UK, but they're not paying me because of the change to wire transfer. They said they'd issue the payment after I complained, but they just weren't going to pay me! Grrrrrrrr


----------



## Writer1000

MirandaPCharles said:


> St George haven't charged me any transfer fees at all. There are no separate charges appearing on my account.
> 
> It's a business account with an account service fee of $5/month. I'm not sure if they would charge transfer fees on a personal account (which could have $0 account service fee if you deposit a certain amount every month--otherwise it's $3/month).





Kitten said:


> I have some info for people with the Commonwealth Bank. I received my first wire transfer at the end of March. I earned $202 USD and the bank said it turned out to be $220 AUD. That's a good exchange rate. I received $195 AUD. No fee was shown in my online banking, and I was sure I was meant to receive more than $195. After speaking to several people who had no idea, someone said a fee of $25 was taken out. He said the payment went from the US to the UK then to NAB then to the Commonwealth Bank. He said if my next Amazon payment is sent differently, not through those channels, the fee might be $11, the wire transfer fee.
> 
> Long story short - if you're with the Commonwealth Bank the exchange rate used is fine, but you might have a $25 fee taken out. I'm considering going back to cheques.


Argh! I think this is what's happening with my UK payments too. I've been communicating with KDP re an incorrect royalty amount on my Payments report. Turns out they haven't processed part of my UK payments from November when I changed from cheque to wire.

Anyway, they quoted an AUD amount that I was supposed to receive in March, and what I got in my bank account was $25 less. The confirmation letters I received from St George for my previous payments didn't mention any fees, just the amount they said they received from Amazon so I couldn't tell that fees were taken from them.


----------



## JB Rowley

Well, banks not outlining what fees they take out is not on. Any fee they subtract has to be shown to the customer. Thank goodness I am with Bendigo Bank. 

Amazon is not helping this situation with the new Payment Record so stuffed up it does not show the foreign exchange rate. I know they are 'working on it' but it sure is taking a long time.


----------



## kathrynoh

Do any Aussies do "swag" giveaways (I hate that word but I guess that's what it's called)?  I find it hard because postage costs are so expensive -- if I do giveaways, I stick to ebooks but was wondering if it was worth spending the money.


----------



## Patty Jansen

It's one of those things I haven't bothered doing, and I've decided is low priority. I give stuff to my existing fans through my mailing list. All of it is digital. To be honest, I feel very uneasy giving away needless bits of paper (much less printing them in full colour). I may yet make this publicly-stated policy:

"I did not make an effort to make my household carbon-neutral so that I can send bits of paper halfway across the world."

LOL. About three-quarters serious.


----------



## kathrynoh

I agree Patty, and i don't really see the point of things like bookmarks when most of your sales are ebooks!  Maybe someone needs to invent an ebookmark app 

Actually how does it work with licencing if you use your cover image and that's using stock photos.  Is that covered in the licence the cover designer originally uses?


----------



## Patty Jansen

> Actually how does it work with licencing if you use your cover image and that's using stock photos. Is that covered in the licence the cover designer originally uses?


I keep forgetting how many reasons there are that I don't use stock art and I do my own covers...


----------



## Andykay

Something that may interest Sydney based writers. I've recently taken up a desk in the Sydney Writer's Room. It's basically a shared workspace in the middle of the CBD specifically for writers. There's a fantastic array of people working from here, including journalists, published novelists and some eminent Australia screenwriters (eg: the woman who wrote Little Fish). The room has a great vibe. I've found coming in to a desk each day and being surrounded by people who are working on things similar to me has been really productive, and while the room is silent 95% of the time, it's nice to have like-minded people who you can duck out into the corridor with for a chat.

Anyway, membership is fairly cheap to begin with, but the reason I'm posting is that the president has just organised a short story content, with memberships given as prizes. First prize is a full time, three month membership, which is worth just shy of $1k. The contest is $12 to enter, and the word limit is 2500. You can find more info here if you're interested:

https://sydneywritersroom.submittable.com/submit

Like I said, I can't recommend this place strongly enough, which makes the prize pretty awesome in my mind.


----------



## JB Rowley

Here is the latest from KDP re the problem with the FX rates not appearing on the Payment Report.

_Our technical team is aware of this problem and is working hard to fix it as soon as possible. We have received the following message from them:

"we have not received trade summary file from bank, because of this reason exchange rate not populated in OFA/reports."

They are continuing to work on this issue on priority and will resolve it as soon as possible.

Thanks for your patience while we fix this problem._


----------



## JennR

Thanks, JB


----------



## Sean Sweeney

Hopefully one of you guys are awake.

Scene I'm writing involves a shooting at Dowling Harbour. Which hospital in Sydney would the ambulance take him to?


----------



## Patty Jansen

Darling Harbour.

St. Vincents.


----------



## Sean Sweeney

Thank you! (And yes, my mistake on the location. Fixed it in the MS.)


----------



## Patty Jansen

I go to Darling Harbour sometimes for my Monday dawn photography, if you want to know what it looks like. Like this one: http://pattyjansen.com/blog/photography-darling-harbour-waterfront/


----------



## MitchHogan

kathrynoh said:


> Do any Aussies do "swag" giveaways (I hate that word but I guess that's what it's called)? I find it hard because postage costs are so expensive -- if I do giveaways, I stick to ebooks but was wondering if it was worth spending the money.


I'm planning a Goodreads giveaway soon, and like Kurzon I'll be sending them straight from CS. The cost to ship them here to sign then back to the US or UK isn't worth it.
Bookmarks etc I'm not a fan of but if I ever do a book signing I'd consider them.
What I'd love to do are the USB's with my cover on them containing the book as mobi and epub. They're expensive though and probably only something you should do once you've made it big... 
Here's one place that does them: http://www.usb-flash-drives.com.au/plastic-usb-flash-drives/slim-card-usb-thumb-stick.htm


----------



## Colin Taber

I do the same as Mitch for Goodreads giveaways. I just send the book from CS/Amazon if it's to a US address.

I don't have much swag as such, but do have book marks I use at Supanova and soon OzComicon. I also take a handful of flyers that I give to people at those events who ask if my work is available as an ebook.

I'm looking at a few other special things to sell/gift at those events, like T shirts, badges and stickers. I'll only be doing those if I can dig something up that's cool, cost effective and clever. They won't be book covers, but related quotes and images.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Things are happening.

Bookbub tomorrow. *bites nails*

KBT the day after
KND on the 6th

Just confirmed that Colin and I will be sharing a stand at Supanova Sydney on 13-15 June. Come and say hi if you're around.

I need to buy a Pikachu onesie because one does not go to Supanova if one is not dressed in a Pikachu onesie or other costume. Seeing as it's mid-winter and frikken freezing in that hall, a Pikachu onesie sounds like THE thing to wear.


----------



## kathrynoh

There had better be photos of the pikachu onesie!


----------



## S. Elliot Brandis

I have a short story coming soon out in a Gold Coast Anthology called Undertow. The launch is May 10, as part of the National Trust Heritage Festival (the project is funded by government grants).

Anyone been a part of a community project like this?


----------



## Patty Jansen

kathrynoh said:


> There had better be photos of the pikachu onesie!


With me in it, you mean?


----------



## Patty Jansen

S. Elliot Brandis said:


> I have a short story coming soon out in a Gold Coast Anthology called Undertow. The launch is May 10, as part of the National Trust Heritage Festival (the project is funded by government grants).
> 
> Anyone been a part of a community project like this?


I've been part of a fair number of anthologies, most of them SFF and mostly published or put together by small genre presses. Some of them were for charity causes. Sometimes you get big names to participate. I got to share a TOC with Neil Gaiman in the anthology put together for the Christchurch earthquake relief fundraising.


----------



## S. Elliot Brandis

Patty Jansen said:


> I got to share a TOC with Neil Gaiman in the anthology put together for the Christchurch earthquake relief fundraising.


Wow, that's cool.

I believe I'm appearing as part of the launch's panel discussion. I told them I'm probably not interesting enough, but they wouldn't believe me.


----------



## Selina Fenech

Patty Jansen said:


> Things are happening.
> 
> Bookbub tomorrow. *bites nails*
> 
> KBT the day after
> KND on the 6th


Congrats on the Bookbub! They are still well and truly the leaders. I did a bookbub+other advertisers hit in March...










Nuff said.



Patty Jansen said:


> Just confirmed that Colin and I will be sharing a stand at Supanova Sydney on 13-15 June. Come and say hi if you're around.
> 
> I need to buy a Pikachu onesie because one does not go to Supanova if one is not dressed in a Pikachu onesie or other costume. Seeing as it's mid-winter and frikken freezing in that hall, a Pikachu onesie sounds like THE thing to wear.


I'll be there! Grabbed two tables in artists alley and will be spreading out this year. Can't wait! P.S. I still think you'd do a great Captain Janeway. I was considering trying to get together a Sarah from the Labyrinth costume together (jeans and a vest, not too hard right?) but probably won't dress up


----------



## kathrynoh

> With me in it, you mean?


Yes


----------



## JB Rowley

Selina Fenech said:


> Congrats on the Bookbub! They are still well and truly the leaders. I did a bookbub+other advertisers hit in March...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Nuff said.


Very interesting. Thanks for sharing those results.


----------



## kathrynoh

I have been trying to untangle the mess that is my payments, the latest being a weird amount of GBP.  In my email, I asked why I was even getting a wire transfer because the amount is below GBP100 which I thought was the payment threshold.  They told me because the wire transfer is in AUD, the threshold is AUD100 instead.  Is this normal or is it more bollocks they are telling me?


----------



## Guest

Is the GBP amount equal to what you were owed prior to Nov 15 2013, when they changed to wire transfer? If so, that might be why you received it, even if it's less than GBP100. I think them saying the threshold is AUD100 is rubbish. Honestly sometimes they just seem to make stuff up!


----------



## kathrynoh

That's what I think, Kitten.  It's my Feb payment plus some random months out of the 12 months+ they owe me in UK payments!


----------



## AriadneW

I've seen a few posts around the place from people with Amazon payment issues. I asked them if they could reissue a couple of cheques as wire transfers because the bank were being difficult and they agreed to add it to the next wire transfer. Then,  they missed the payment date they gave me and ended up doing it as a separate payment anyway. I actually think the person taking care of it just forgot, to be honest.


----------



## Colin Taber

kathrynoh said:


> There had better be photos of the pikachu onesie!


I'll make sure that there is a picture! 

It should be a lot of fun!

Actually, I forgot how wet and cold it was last year. Will need to pack appropriately. I'm all booked for flights and a flash hotel.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Colin Taber said:


> I'll make sure that there is a picture!
> 
> It should be a lot of fun!
> 
> Actually, I forgot how wet and cold it was last year. Will need to pack appropriately. I'm all booked for flights and a flash hotel.


Can't guarantee another complete washout of a weekend, but cold, certainly, we can do that for you. It will actually be more cold if the weather is clear. Great for Pikachu onesies.


----------



## JamesOsiris

Sounds like Amazon is a bit all over the place.


----------



## kathrynoh

I got an email from Amazon tonight saying they will be paying all my money owed from the US store soon by wire transfer.  Now hopefully I just need to get my UK payments sorted + a few other issues!


----------



## CJArcher

I've been waiting for my UK payments to be clarified since March 29th. This is the issue about 2 payments per month instead of 1. Every now and again a rep named Karol lets me know their payments team is still looking into it. However I just noticed the remittance I received for the UK payment this month matches my Feb report exactly so it looks like it's fixed. Now all I need is the money in the bank.


----------



## JB Rowley

CJArcher said:


> ... I just noticed the remittance I received for the UK payment this month matches my Feb report exactly so it looks like it's fixed....


Yep, mine too.


----------



## JennR

My UK payment for this month is under 100 pounds too but it's in my Payments dashboard in one lump sum for once!


----------



## Writer1000

I just had a look at the Accounts section and it now shows a minimum of *$100* threshold for wire payments for each store. Not quite sure if it's AUD or US, but it's probably AUD as that's what they've told Kathryn.


----------



## RinG

I'm so glad I'm not dealing with wire transfers. Sounds like it would make me pull my hair out.

Mines all nicely in Payoneer. No idea why it says it's in pounds if I try to use it through PayPal though!

I'm having issues with my postal address for my mailing list. I was using a PO box, but it's just too much hassle (I don't tend to go near the post office often enough, and I kept getting stacks of mail from people who hadn't bothered to change their address, making me avoid it even more, to the point where I missed the renewal notice), and too expensive. I'm considering trying Aussie Mailman, a mail forwarding service. Has anyone used them, or something like them? Any other alternatives to PO boxes?


----------



## Patty Jansen

LOL tell me about previous owners. I've had my PO Box since 1998. The previous owners were the Dept of Defence Housing. I STILL get their mail, mostly from real estate agents who can't be bothered to change their databases.


----------



## JB Rowley

MirandaPCharles said:


> I just had a look at the Accounts section and it now shows a minimum of *$100* threshold for wire payments for each store. Not quite sure if it's AUD or US, but it's probably AUD as that's what they've told Kathryn.


The threshold is a minimum of $100 for all stores except AUS. That's not new; it has always been so.


----------



## Writer1000

JB Rowley said:


> The threshold is a minimum of $100 for all stores except AUS. That's not new; it has always been so.


Oh, for some reason I thought the threshold used to be for whatever the local currency was.


----------



## Marina Finlayson

Hi all! I've been lurking for a few months but have just bitten the bullet and joined up, so I thought I'd pop in to say hello to my fellow Aussies.

I'm writing SFF and hope to have my first urban fantasy out in 3 to 4 months. I'm a complete newbie to self-publishing so there's a steep learning curve ahead. Part nervous and part excited to be joining you all!


----------



## Patty Jansen

Marina Finlayson said:


> Hi all! I've been lurking for a few months but have just bitten the bullet and joined up, so I thought I'd pop in to say hello to my fellow Aussies.
> 
> I'm writing SFF and hope to have my first urban fantasy out in 3 to 4 months. I'm a complete newbie to self-publishing so there's a steep learning curve ahead. Part nervous and part excited to be joining you all!


Heeeeee, Marina!


----------



## Marina Finlayson

Hi, Patty! *waves*


----------



## JB Rowley

Welcome, Marina. All the very best with your writing.

JB


----------



## Sam Winterwood

Hello there!!

In other news I finally got Wonderland #3 out. Only a week late.


----------



## JennR

Hi Marina


----------



## MrPLD

hi Marina,  nice to see the lurkers joining in


----------



## Marina Finlayson

Hi, everyone, thanks for the welcome!

Can't believe how cold it was in Sydney today. It's as if someone flicked a switch and BAM! it's winter. Hope some of you are enjoying warmer weather.


----------



## Patty Jansen

I was thinking how we were going to be pissed off if the heater wasn't going to fire up (it has a history of being temperamental), because I hadn't had the chance to check it out. Fortunately there were no problems. Winter is definitely here.


----------



## CJArcher

Hi Marina. Welcome to the Aussie thread.


----------



## Sam Winterwood

Its freezing in Wollongong tonight. Beautiful yesterday (even went for an hour long walk) and today... horrible.


----------



## Guest

I LOVE winter! Anything's better than the ridiculous summer we just had in Adelaide.


----------



## Donna Alam

Hot still in FNQ but not as humid, thankfully, which makes me murderous. Send some winter this way, please!


----------



## Ceinwen

Cold in Perth! I've got the heater on for the third night running. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Marina Finlayson

Donna Alam said:


> Hot still in FNQ but not as humid, thankfully, which makes me murderous. Send some winter this way, please!


You're welcome to it, Donna! Spent so long in the wind and rain watching netball today I had to resort to a hot bath and cups of tea just to defrost when I got home. I'm definitely not a winter person.


----------



## Donna Alam

Marina Finlayson said:


> You're welcome to it, Donna! Spent so long in the wind and rain watching netball today I had to resort to a hot bath and cups of tea just to defrost when I got home. I'm definitely not a winter person.


I'll send some humidity to warm your rain! I might keep the sunshine, we've had enough rain, lately.

Thankfully I'm no longer a netball/soccer/touch footy parent devotee. But on the downside, the sports are now more extreme.


----------



## L M May

Great thread - found this while looking up how to get paid via kindle and found everything I needed to know about EFT and wire payments. Very helpful.


----------



## Rin

Overcast in Brisbane, a lovely way to finish out a Friday.


----------



## Donna Alam

Pisitvely possing down in Cairns.


----------



## JB Rowley

Marvellous Melbourne is turning on the warm weather and it looks like staying that way for the weekend. Yay!


----------



## Patty Jansen

Winter came, looked around for a bit, thought "nah!" and left again.


----------



## RinG

Cold and windy at Redcliffe today. Didn't stay long! Pity there isn't a bit more rain though, my tanks could do with it.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Not really relevant to writing, but if you happen to be listening to ABC Classic FM, there is a live concert from the Opera House of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra with two choirs, one of which is the entire student population of the Conservatorium High School. My son is in that


----------



## Naomi

Hi everyone,

I'm an Aussie author, and I'm in need of a copy editor. I have pretty high standards because I edit and critique for other writers all the time. I've done a bit of research for editors, but I've been finding spelling mistakes on editors' websites. I also look at the books which editors have worked on and always find a typo in the first few chapters. It's disheartening.

I've had a sample come back from an editor who completely changed my voice. I know enough to see how she changed POV, added in errors, and I'm not in the mood to pay for that. I'd really like someone who is skilled in Queen's English and has a bit of experience with novels.

My book/s have been through multiple betas and proofers (25+), developmental editing with my group, extensive editing from me, but I need that copy edit before I publish. My readers deserve it. I've gone through the list on Kindle boards, but I'm not thrilled with some because it's hard to see what books they've worked on. I'd like to get an idea of an editor's writing skills or books they've worked on before I send them an email. I'm not in any rush as this is book one and I want to finish book two before I publish. I'm also writing another book as well. By the end of the year, going into next year, I plan to have six books completed.

If anyone has found a treasure, please let me know.

Thanks.


----------



## Patty Jansen

I've been using Abigail Nathan at Bothersome Words (http://www.bothersomewords.com/). She also freelances for big tradepubs. She has a very high standard. Warning: she is also not cheap. In general, you tend to get what you pay for.

She edited Watcher's Web (which is free in Australia, in sig file below)


----------



## S. Elliot Brandis

Hi Naomi. 

I use Felicia A. Sullivan. She's American, but she edited my novel in Australian English without a problem. She's very respectful of voice and style.

She has a complete list of books she's edited on her website--about a hundred or so.


----------



## Naomi

Patty Jansen said:


> I've been using Abigail Nathan at Bothersome Words (http://www.bothersomewords.com/). She also freelances for big tradepubs. She has a very high standard. Warning: she is also not cheap. In general, you tend to get what you pay for.
> 
> She edited Watcher's Web (which is free in Australia, in sig file below)


Thanks for the recommendation. I was reading through your book sample on Amazon to gauge the editor's eagle eye. Is this meant to have a period after hand?

[She inched closer, holding out her hand Come on, look me in the eye, if you dare.]

With independent clauses joined by a conjunction and a comma--you don't use a comma when second part isn't independent. This can be stylistic though:

[She didn't know what to call it, and had learned not to talk about it to anyone.]

I really liked your voice in the sample from the Look Inside feature, which is what I'm going for. I have the same concerns about a copy editor respecting my voice. There were some inconsistencies as sometimes an Oxford comma was used, and other times, not. I know some of this can be a stylistic choice as a writer might want to add a pause somewhere for a certain effect. Thanks again for taking the time to recommend someone. Your book sounded extremely interesting and I liked your heroine.


----------



## kathrynoh

Bloody fees! I changed my account over to the Bendigo Bank so I could get my wire transfers with minimal fees but I noticed they seemed a bit short.  I thought it was just a bad exchange rate but the other day got a smallish payment from the UK and it had over $20 taken out as far as I could tell.  Contact the bank about it and they said that any intermediary banks can take out fees during the transfer and they can't even tell me what they are! 

At $20 or more a pop, that's worse than the fees on cheques!


----------



## JB Rowley

kathrynoh said:


> Bloody fees! I changed my account over to the Bendigo Bank so I could get my wire transfers with minimal fees but I noticed they seemed a bit short. I thought it was just a bad exchange rate but the other day got a smallish payment from the UK and it had over $20 taken out as far as I could tell. Contact the bank about it and they said that any intermediary banks can take out fees during the transfer and they can't even tell me what they are!
> 
> At $20 or more a pop, that's worse than the fees on cheques!


That seems very odd, Kathryn. I am with Bendigo Bank and have never had anything other than BB's $2.00 transfer fee taken out - as far as I can tell. It is difficult to be sure because Amazon still have not fixed the payment report to show the foreign exchange rate.


----------



## Patty Jansen

JB Rowley said:


> That seems very odd, Kathryn. I am with Bendigo Bank and have never had anything other than BB's $2.00 transfer fee taken out - as far as I can tell. It is difficult to be sure because Amazon still have not fixed the payment report to show the foreign exchange rate.


It seems that way, because neither the bank nor Amazon state the fee, but when you match up what Amazon says they'll pay and what ends up in your bank account, there is a gap. This really sucks, because when no party is stating the fee, you can't claim it as a tax deduction either. In fact, I'm not entirely sure it's legal.


----------



## kathrynoh

Yeah, like Patty says, it's not mentioned as a fee on your statement, it's just taken out and you can't find out who is doing it.  I hadn't even thought of it from a tax perspective.  This is what the bank said when I queried it:

Bendigo & Adelaide Bank do charge a $2.00 fee for funds received in AUD and a $10.00 fee applies to funds received in another currency. The reason why you have been receiving less than was sent by the overseas bank is because Intermediary Banks deduct their fees from the payment prior to passing them on to the receiving bank. There is no way of knowing the amount of any fee deducted by Intermediary Banks.


----------



## kathrynoh

I don't mind the $2 fee because you know about that upfront.  But these other fees.  It's like if I went to buy a loaf of bread for $2 but gave the shop $1.50 and told them that someone took about 50 cents off me on the way to the shop but I don't know who they were or exact how much they'd taken.


----------



## Patty Jansen

kurzon said:


> Even if the fee was only $2 for each transaction, that's a constant drip drip drip of excess charges considering you could have multiple small payments from a number of different Amazons every month.
> 
> I've got my Amazon payments all on hold, and tell them to take it off every six months or so. Makes end-of-year accounting a lot easier too.


I would do this, too, except I really like seeing money going into my account. I'm funny like that


----------



## CJArcher

I reported this upthread somewhere a while ago after learning the hard way through my Montlake payments that this is how international funds are transferred. I'm with ANZ. When you ask them what their fee is for international wire, you get told it's nothing. Lo and behold, when the transfer goes through, there's $25 taken out or $15. Further investigation shows that it's the intermediary bank taking out the fee and that fee is different depending on who that bank is. Westpac is higher than NAB. When I've called and asked about this, the international money folks tell me there's nothing they can do but its quite common for overseas banks to only deal with one preferred bank in another country. Apparently Amazon's bank don't deal directly with ANZ.

And if you don't go direct with other vendors, then be warned that it happens with Apple too (at least with the ANZ anyway). Google and Kobo money land in my bank without any fees taken out at all. Needless to say I love them - or I would if I earned as much through them as I did at Apple and Amazon


----------



## kathrynoh

I prefer my money in meaty chunks and often!

If I was only paying $2 per transfer, I'd gladly take it every month.  You could make more in interest over 6 months than you'd save in fees anyway. But if it's going to be $20+ I might get my payments held.  At the moment, I am finally getting unpaid money going way to 2012 paid out so I'm just going to wear it rather than having my payments screwed up again.  Every time I've had payments on hold then got them released, Amazon have sent the money to the wrong account!


----------



## JennR

My UK wire transfers are at least $20 less than I expect but I put it down to the bad exchange rate from Amazon. The exchange rate still isn't showing in my payment dashboard so maybe it's not a bad UK exchange rate but an extra fee from an intermediary bank?  Grr.

I'm wondering whether to get my UK payments paid by cheque again. I don't have any problems with my US payments via wire transfer.


----------



## Patty Jansen

JennR said:


> My UK wire transfers are at least $20 less than I expect but I put it down to the bad exchange rate from Amazon. The exchange rate still isn't showing in my payment dashboard so maybe it's not a bad UK exchange rate but an extra fee from an intermediary bank? Grr.
> 
> I'm wondering whether to get my UK payments paid by cheque again. I don't have any problems with my US payments via wire transfer.


I've been wondering that, too, but:

1. I tend to pile cheques up for a while, and I'm always afraid I'll lose one.
2. It takes cheques four weeks to clear, plus the fact that I've probably left some of them lie for a while, so it takes me an awfully long time to actually see the money in my account.
3. Given 2, what could I do with that money in that time that will earn me $20 or more? Pay for ads, formatting and editing, in other words, invest it in my writing. At this point in time, I think it's worth not having to wait so long for my money.


----------



## kathrynoh

Jenn, I thought it was the exchange rate too until I got a small amount payment.  I might try getting my UK payments held until they reach a decent amount once all the mess with my payments is sorted.  They are never that big anyway so $20 or so is a huge chunk out of them.  

Patty, I'd add point 4 - having to leave the house and go to the bank to deposit the cheques!


----------



## JennR

Yes, it is a bit of a pain having to go to the bank to deposit a cheque, although my local Bendigo only takes about 5 mins to do it, but it takes 28 (I think) working days to clear :-(


----------



## nomesque

JennR said:


> Yes, it is a bit of a pain having to go to the bank to deposit a cheque, although my local Bendigo only takes about 5 mins to do it, but it takes 28 (I think) working days to clear :-(


Yeah, I think I'm glad I went with Payoneer, and didn't switch over when Amazon started offering wire transfers. Just seems too much of a pain right now. That said, Payoneer take about 2% in fees in the end (1% of Amazon payments, 1% on all purchases - I think), so it's only cost-effective over wire transfers if you're getting less than $1000 or so in each payment.


----------



## Patty Jansen

nomesque said:


> Yeah, I think I'm glad I went with Payoneer, and didn't switch over when Amazon started offering wire transfers. Just seems too much of a pain right now. That said, Payoneer take about 2% in fees in the end (1% of Amazon payments, 1% on all purchases - I think), so it's only cost-effective over wire transfers if you're getting less than $1000 or so in each payment.


I'm getting very close to the $1000 a pop, so I think I'll just stick with it.


----------



## CJArcher

kathrynoh said:


> Patty, I'd add point 4 - having to leave the house and go to the bank to deposit the cheques!


I would add point 5 - dealing with tellers who don't know what to do with foreign cheques then waiting while they find someone who does only to discover the branch has run out of those envelopes they have to order in specially. Ugh.


----------



## Patty Jansen

CJArcher said:


> I would add point 5 - dealing with tellers who don't know what to do with foreign cheques then waiting while they find someone who does only to discover the branch has run out of those envelopes they have to order in specially. Ugh.


Aaaarrgh, yes!


----------



## kathrynoh

I've never had to deal with the "special envelopes" but I don't really get how cheques are processed.  Surely they could put a barcode or something on them that could be scanned and dealt with electronically rather than having to post a piece of paper all around the place.  

Of course, it'd be much easier if you could just get paid electronically without it having to pass through the money-grubbing banking industry *cough, paypal*.


----------



## Patty Jansen

How Cheques Are Processed (Commonwealth Bank Edition):

1. Teller takes cheque and frowns at it.
2. Teller asks (quietly, but not so quiet that I can't hear it) the next teller "Do we accept these?"
3. Teller calls supervisor.
4. Supervisor assures that yes, the bank takes cheques.
5. Supervisor advises me to come to inquiry counter.
6. Supervisor opens my account on her screen. Asks me what account I want the cheque to go into.
7. I tell her. She starts typing.
8. Supervisor goes to the back room to collect some forms
9. Puts forms in printer
10. Prints out three sheets of paper. One has a duplicate sheet.
11. Checks all numbers. Tells me that it will cost $10 and gives me a really crap exchange rate.
12. Signs the duplicated sheet of paper. Rips front sheet off. Puts back sheet with cheque.
13. Gets me to sign back of cheque
14. Gets me to sign both remaining pieces of paper.
15. Folds one, puts cheque + previous sheet of paper inside folded sheet
16. Prints out cover sheet
17. Gives the remaining sheet of paper to me.

Seriously, what a waste of perfectly good paper!


----------



## garyhbanks

Hi. Check out PAYONEER. My Amazon earnings go straight onto this plastic debit card which can be accessed via ATM. Fees are modest, far cheaper than the bank fees on US checks.
Gary



kathrynoh said:


> Great thread  But come on Nicole, the absolute worst thing about living in Australia is being paid by cheque! Not only is it slow and cumbersome but the bloody banks take their $10 or so cut of your money. And the teller looks at you like "ah, cheques, my grandfather told me about them..." Hopefully one day we'll either be paid electronically or my cheques will be so huge that $10 will seem like nothing.
> 
> Anyway, I'm from Melbourne. Where is everyone else from?


----------



## kathrynoh

Gary, it depends.  My next US payment will be over $3000 so 2% of that makes it far more expensive.  I don't know much about payoneer but isn't it even more in fees if you withdraw cash rather than use it as a debit card?


----------



## JB Rowley

kathrynoh said:


> Gary, it depends. My next US payment will be over $3000 so 2% of that makes it far more expensive. I don't know much about payoneer but isn't it even more in fees if you withdraw cash rather than use it as a debit card?


I believe the Payoneer fee is 1%. That still makes it too expensive and I doubt that their exchange rate would offer advantages. There's also the $30 up front fee. When I contacted them in September 2012, the fee to withdraw cash from an ATM was $3.15 per cash withdrawal. The good news is that (apparently) it is now possible to link your Payoneer account to your Aussie Bank Account and transfer your royalty payments.


----------



## JB Rowley

JennR said:


> The exchange rate still isn't showing in my payment dashboard ...


Have you contacted them about this, Jenn? I think its time they had another nudge about this problem.


----------



## nomesque

JB Rowley said:


> I believe the Payoneer fee is 1%. That still makes it too expensive and I doubt that their exchange rate would offer advantages. There's also the $30 up front fee. When I contacted them in September 2012, the fee to withdraw cash from an ATM was $3.15 per cash withdrawal. The good news is that (apparently) it is now possible to link your Payoneer account to your Aussie Bank Account and transfer your royalty payments.


They seem to charge 1% on all payments. I could be wrong there - couldn't find it in the fees page last I looked, but I'm sure I've paid for items in USD and the amount taken out has been 1% more.

Minimum withdrawal is $500.


----------



## JennR

No, I haven't contacted them because I think someone else said a few weeks ago Amazon said something about why it's not showing - can't exactly remember what the reason was :-(


----------



## kathrynoh

I've had the exchange rate for a few of my payments and it's not awful,  not great either.  Around 1.02 for US payments and 1.80 for UK payments.


----------



## JennR

Has anyone received their March US royalties from Amazon via wire transfer? I received my UK and Aussie ones on 27/5 but I checked my bank account this morning (4/6) and the US royalties haven't been paid. On my payment dashboard the date for the US royalties is 30/5.


----------



## Writer1000

JennR said:


> Has anyone received their March US royalties from Amazon via wire transfer? I received my UK and Aussie ones on 27/5 but I checked my bank account this morning (4/6) and the US royalties haven't been paid. On my payment dashboard the date for the US royalties is 30/5.


Yes, I received mine on 30/5. I think I read somewhere it could take up to 5 days from the date on the dashboard.


----------



## Sam Winterwood

No payments for me (then again, I haven't earned anywhere near as much!)

Hope everyone has been writing well this week.
I'm up to 13k this week. Aiming for 20K+ so looking well on the way for that.


----------



## JennR

Thanks, Miranda. Might have to email them if it doesn't arrive tomorrow :-(


----------



## CJArcher

I got my US one on the 30th as well.


----------



## markhealy

Hey all, new Aussie here just dropping in to say hello.


----------



## Marina Finlayson

Hi and welcome, Mark!


----------



## CJArcher

Hi Mark. Good to see some more Aussies around here.


----------



## Writer1000

Hi Mark!


----------



## Patty Jansen

Hi, Mark. I have this odd feeling I've heard your name before, in the genre SFF con scene. Yes? No?


----------



## markhealy

Hi all and thanks for the welcome!  Patty I was writing quite a lot ten years and go and had a few short stories published here and there in Antipodean SF and Andromeda Spaceways amongst others, so you may have heard my name there.

Either that, or there's some other Mark Healys kicking around, which is quite possible since it's a pretty common name.


----------



## JB Rowley

JennR said:


> No, I haven't contacted them because I think someone else said a few weeks ago Amazon said something about why it's not showing - can't exactly remember what the reason was :-(


Well, I stirred the pot again. The response from KDP was prompt and courteous. They were apologetic and indicated their 'tech team' is 'currently working on a permanent fix.' They promised to contact me 'with more information by the end of the day on Thursday, June 12, 2014.' So there you go - at least we have some sort of time line. Fingers crossed that means they feel they are close to a solution.


----------



## Patty Jansen

markhealy said:


> Hi all and thanks for the welcome! Patty I was writing quite a lot ten years and go and had a few short stories published here and there in Antipodean SF and Andromeda Spaceways amongst others, so you may have heard my name there.
> 
> Either that, or there's some other Mark Healys kicking around, which is quite possible since it's a pretty common name.


I edited ASIM for a while and read slush for them.


----------



## markhealy

Patty Jansen said:


> I edited ASIM for a while and read slush for them.


Ok great, I always found the folks at ASIM to be a great bunch!


----------



## JB Rowley

JB Rowley said:


> Well, I stirred the pot again. The response from KDP was prompt and courteous. They were apologetic and indicated their 'tech team' is 'currently working on a permanent fix.' They promised to contact me 'with more information by the end of the day on Thursday, June 12, 2014.' So there you go - at least we have some sort of time line. Fingers crossed that means they feel they are close to a solution.


Well, the good news is KDP Support did get back to me as promised. The bad news is 'it's taking longer than usual to resolve this', and they'll be back in touch 'with an update as soon as possible'. In other words we are back to square one.


----------



## Writer1000

JB Rowley said:


> Well, the good news is KDP Support did get back to me as promised. The bad news is 'it's taking longer than usual to resolve this', and they'll be back in touch 'with an update as soon as possible'. In other words we are back to square one.


Thanks for following this up with KDP, JB. It would be so helpful when they finally fix that FX Rate column.


----------



## Jenny Schwartz

Waving hi and feeling a bit shy  

Will now happily lurk and learn.


----------



## Marina Finlayson

Hi, Jenny! Don't be shy!


----------



## Jenny Schwartz

Hi Marina 

Having an Aussie thread is great for helping the shyness. I joined KB a while back but never really found a home. Trying again -- and seriously impressed by people's helpfulness and info they share -- not to mention the friendly welcome


----------



## Writer1000

Hi Jenny! *waves back*


----------



## Jenny Schwartz

Hi Miranda 

Look at your gorgeous covers! I'm now stalking you  on Facebook!


----------



## kathrynoh

Hi Jenny  Definitely don't be shy, this thread has been a bit quiet lately!


----------



## Jenny Schwartz

Maybe we should invite your Bad Girls over?


----------



## Jenny Schwartz

I think I'm getting over any shyness fast!

Is anyone else signed up to the Australian Women Writers Challenge? So far I've managed one review. Been a busy year!

http://australianwomenwriters.com/


----------



## baldricko

I am very shy, so shy I won't even show my picture. I'm not Australian but since I live here -- 'hi' to you all.


----------



## Jenny Schwartz

*waves back carefully* don't want to frighten you away with enthusiasm 

More seriously, I just looked at Hunting for Yayoi. Great story premise. A very different take on the current enthusiasm for rock god heroes!


----------



## kathrynoh

Baldricko, don't you know that if you live in Australia, you are considered Australian


----------



## Writer1000

Jenny Schwartz said:


> Look at your gorgeous covers! I'm now stalking you  on Facebook!


Thanks, Jenny! Stalk away 



baldricko said:


> I am very shy, so shy I won't even show my picture. I'm not Australian but since I live here -- 'hi' to you all.


Hi Baldricko!


----------



## DarkScribe

kathrynoh said:


> Baldricko, don't you know that if you live in Australia, you are considered Australian


There are one or two people in Immigration who might argue that point with you. They can be a little picky.


----------



## Marina Finlayson

Jenny Schwartz said:


> I think I'm getting over any shyness fast!
> 
> Is anyone else signed up to the Australian Women Writers Challenge? So far I've managed one review. Been a busy year!
> 
> http://australianwomenwriters.com/


No, I'm not, but maybe I should. Just went and checked, and I've read three books by Australian women so far this year, and even reviewed one on my blog (that would be _The Edge of the Woods_ by KBer Ceinwen Langley -- great book!).


----------



## Jenny Schwartz

I hope you do try the AWW challenge, Marina. I've been doing it since it started in 2012 and the community is friendly and there are so many great books covered.


----------



## CJArcher

Hi Jenny and welcome. I think I recognise you from RWA (yes?)


----------



## Jenny Schwartz

Hi CJ! Yes, I'm RWAus too - you were one of the lovely, generous authors when I was going quietly crazy organising the online conference a couple of years back. Lovely to meet you here


----------



## Sam Winterwood

DarkScribe said:


> There are one or two people in Immigration who might argue that point with you. They can be a little picky.


Just one or two?
Okay, I'll back away before I get political...  I should be editing anyway


----------



## CJArcher

Jenny Schwartz said:


> Hi CJ! Yes, I'm RWAus too - you were one of the lovely, generous authors when I was going quietly crazy organising the online conference a couple of years back. Lovely to meet you here


Ah yes, I remember now. Glad you made your way here.


----------



## Jenny Schwartz

It was the "quietly going crazy" bit that you remembered   Glad to be here


----------



## Avril Sabine

I just joined kboards and the first thing I noticed was there's an Aussie thread. So of course I had to pop in and say hello.


----------



## Writer1000

Hi Avril! Welcome!


----------



## baldricko

Jenny Schwartz said:


> *waves back carefully* don't want to frighten you away with enthusiasm
> 
> More seriously, I just looked at Hunting for Yayoi. Great story premise. A very different take on the current enthusiasm for rock god heroes!


That is probably because I wrote it as a screenplay back in 1997.  Long time ago now. I made a lot of updates and changes in re-adapting it to a novel format but the main characters didn't change. I suspect at the time there was probably this same interest in rock and pop icons.


----------



## baldricko

kathrynoh said:


> Baldricko, don't you know that if you live in Australia, you are considered Australian


My daughter sure considers herself one. She sounds like an Australian. It hurts my ears.


----------



## Avril Sabine

MirandaPCharles said:


> Hi Avril! Welcome!


Thank you.


----------



## markhealy

Hi Avril, welcome aboard.


----------



## Avril Sabine

markhealy said:


> Hi Avril, welcome aboard.


Nice to see a fellow Queenslander on here.


----------



## Jenny Schwartz

Baldricko, everything does seem to be returning to the 1990s - fashionwise at least. I keep seeing things -- like khaki anoraks -- and thinking "daggy" only to hear they're the latest thing


----------



## Jenny Schwartz

Hi, Avril!


----------



## Avril Sabine

Hi Jenny. I've also noticed that things are coming back into fashion that I wore as a teenager and in my early twenties. Maybe we're entering a fashion time warp.


----------



## baldricko

Jenny Schwartz said:


> Baldricko, everything does seem to be returning to the 1990s - fashionwise at least. I keep seeing things -- like khaki anoraks -- and thinking "daggy" only to hear they're the latest thing


Phew. That's good to know. If there's an interest in past trends then there's hope for writers of retro stories like me. I have a story set in the early 1990's in the works.

Hi Avril.


----------



## Jenny Schwartz

Well, I posted a message and it vanished. Will probably return to embarrass me later -- quoting Rocky Horror show for "let's do the timewarp again", Avril 

Baldricko, let's hope you ride that nostalgia wave!


----------



## kathrynoh

Fashion always goes in cycles.  Do you know the saying - if you wore it the first time around, you are too old to wear it this time


----------



## Jenny Schwartz

I'd not heard that saying -- but will live by it in future! No leg warmers for me


----------



## Joe Ducie

I... honestly can't remember if I've ever posted in this thread. So hello, everyone!

I'm Joe - writer from Perth, Western Australia. The books, as you can see, are urban fantasy. I'm also traditionally published with some YA stuff through Hot Key Books in London.

Currently making the shift to full time indie publishing. Got 3 new releases on their way. Eager to be a bit more active on KB, and thought I'd start with the Aussies!

Cheers.


----------



## Avril Sabine

Hi Baldricko.  

Jenny, I'll try not to mention how many times I've seen that movie over the years. I wanted to see the stage production, but no one was interested in going on the couple of hours drive with me to get there, let alone wanting to see it with me.

Hi Joe, your books look interesting. I also write YA and some of them are Urban Fantasy. Good luck with your shift to full time indie publishing. I'm interested in hearing how it goes for you.


----------



## Jenny Schwartz

Hi Joe!


----------



## kathrynoh

Ha Jenny, I actually started wearing leg warmers a few years ago when I lived in Japan.  In winter it'd be warm during the day but freezing cold when I was walking home from the station at night... and I figured it was dark and no one could see me 

Hi Joe


----------



## JB Rowley

Here is the latest update from John R at KDP Support re the problem of FX rates showing as pending on our Payment Reports. (I appreciate his courtesy and efficiency in staying in touch.)

...............................
‘Our tech team has confirmed that this is caused by a bug in our system and our engineers are working towards resolving it as soon as possible.’
..............................

Maybe a little bug spray wouldn't go astray.


----------



## Jenny Schwartz

_Ha Jenny, I actually started wearing leg warmers a few years ago when I lived in Japan. In winter it'd be warm during the day but freezing cold when I was walking home from the station at night... and I figured it was dark and no one could see me _

Kathryn, I guess the lesson there is "never say never!" -- and at least it was dark


----------



## Patty Jansen

Holy crap it's cold!


----------



## Guest

Patty Jansen said:


> Holy crap it's cold!


You're telling me!


----------



## Patty Jansen

Kitten said:


> You're telling me!


*checks Adelaide*

Hehe, we win!


----------



## Rin

Brisbane here: I'm starting to wear a light jacket on the way into work...but I can still take it off by 7am unless I'm standing in the wind.


----------



## A.A

Ffffffrreeeeezing....


----------



## Avril Sabine

I was beginning to think winter would never arrive, now I'm wondering how long it will be until it leaves again. Can't wait for spring.


----------



## Sam Winterwood

Winter can stay. I love it.
Although the wind banging around the loose roof it starting to get to the end of its enjoyment


----------



## Avril Sabine

Sam Winterwood said:


> Winter can stay. I love it.
> Although the wind banging around the loose roof it starting to get to the end of its enjoyment


Winter is all yours. I'm not sure I'd survive snow, good thing I'm in Queensland. Spring and autumn are the best seasons. I'd rather avoid summer and winter. Lucky there's air-con and heaters.


----------



## Escapee

Hi all, this thread has been a big help so far, but I was wondering if any of you could confirm something for me.

I noticed on my KDP payments tab that I'm being taxed 5% of my earnings in both the US and AU stores. I thought I was only supposed to be taxed for the US earnings. Are any of you having tax withheld for both stores?


----------



## Writer1000

Hi J.C. Yes, 5% is also being withheld for me from AU store sales.


----------



## Escapee

Thanks, Miranda. I haven't sold any books in the AU store before and just thought I'd check to see if this was the norm.


----------



## kathrynoh

I'm sure why we get hit with the 5% tax for au but not uk.


----------



## Escapee

I took a closer look at the report and realized I'm also being taxed 5% for sales in CA. Shows how much attention I've been paying


----------



## CJArcher

The business entity for the US, AU and CA stores is based in the US which is why they take out the 5% for the IRS. They're not separate entities, only separate websites. The UK store is run out of Europe, so no tax taken out.


----------



## Guest

CJArcher said:


> The business entity for the US, AU and CA stores is based in the US which is why they take out the 5% for the IRS. They're not separate entities, only separate websites. The UK store is run out of Europe, so no tax taken out.


Thanks for that explanation. I never understood the reason before, so I'm grateful


----------



## Writer1000

CJArcher said:


> The business entity for the US, AU and CA stores is based in the US which is why they take out the 5% for the IRS. They're not separate entities, only separate websites. The UK store is run out of Europe, so no tax taken out.


Thanks CJ! Good to know this.


----------



## Escapee

Thanks, CJ. That makes total sense now


----------



## Kate.Wilds

Is there any other certain things I have to do to become legal/taxable/setup/sane?

I have on my list:

-ITIN/EIN
-Sole Trader+Company Name+GST (Decided to go with a publishing name for all my pen names)
- Business Account Paypal (for the publishing name & pen names)
- Legal Deposit with Australian Library+state library
- ISBN reg/assignment for each ebook
- don't need to copyright (auto happens)

Is there anything else I need to do not to upset the powers that be and/or to make it easier in the long run (I want everything set up from the get go). The whole tax/legal/figuring out all the mumbo jumbo is driving me a bit crazy. Most of the stuff above I just happened upon by accident. I can't believe its all not written somewhere.

 Thanks


----------



## Guest

ABN (Australian Business Number). Essential. I'm pretty sure you arrange one after you register your business name, but you might want to check. I don't think you need to register for GST unless you earn more than $75,000 in a year, and you can do it later if it looks like you're going to earn that much in a financial year.

I also recommend having a business bank account with your bank, that you can link to your Paypal business account. It's so you can use it for other business expenses you don't use Paypal for, and all your business income can go into it. Makes it easier for tax time.

Finally you need to send a paperback to the US Library of Congress as well as the Australian National library and your state library. I don't have a link with the details now because I'm on my phone but I'll post it later.

Hope that helps!


----------



## Kate.Wilds

Kitten said:


> Finally you need to send a paperback to the US Library of Congress.


Is that for copyright? Or what is it for? My work is technically "published" in Australia (well I live in Aus, my computer is in Aus, and I'm pressing publish in Aus) and I am only doing ebook format. Is this still required for me?

I think I require iburofen just contemplating all of this. I'm fine with publishing, marketing, writing, editing and whatever else. Its just all the laws & tax issues that are driving me completely bananas. I need a BIG chocolate frappe or something.


----------



## Avril Sabine

Kate.Wilds said:


> Is that for copyright? Or what is it for? My work is technically "published" in Australia (well I live in Aus, my computer is in Aus, and I'm pressing publish in Aus) and I am only doing ebook format. Is this still required for me?


I was told you only need to send a copy if it is a physical book. You could always ring them and confirm. When you get your EIN, ring them. It is so much easier. 1 267 941 1099 (0011 Aust. Exit code). If the operator says you can't fill it out over the phone, thank them, hang up and call again. Hopefully you'll get a helpful operator the first time. Make sure you note down exactly what you tell the IRS and check spelling because if it doesn't match exactly when you fill out your W8-BEN it will be rejected. Even if it is a single spelling mistake and the difference of one letter.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Avril Sabine said:


> I was told you only need to send a copy if it is a physical book. You could always ring them and confirm. When you get your EIN, ring them. It is so much easier. 1 267 941 1099 (0011 Aust. Exit code). If the operator says you can't fill it out over the phone, thank them, hang up and call again. Hopefully you'll get a helpful operator the first time. Make sure you note down exactly what you tell the IRS and check spelling because if it doesn't match exactly when you fill out your W8-BEN it will be rejected. Even if it is a single spelling mistake and the difference of one letter.


Re. sending copies, I just say pooh-pooh to all of them. I have no idea what it's for and certainly am not going to incur any costs to add to unnecessary bureaucracy. If you have print books and an Australian ISBN, maybe, just maybe send it to your local state library, but what's going to happen if you don't do this? What's going to happen if you do?

I think even for my last print books I "forgot" and nothing happened. I saved $50 in print and mailing costs, and... what?

I hate this bureaucracy where no one actually cares and people say you have to do things. No, you don't. Just do nothing and see what happens. I certainly wouldn't send anything to the US or even call there to find out.


----------



## markhealy

Kitten said:


> ABN (Australian Business Number). Essential.


I'm still a noob with this stuff as well. What are the consequences of not having an ABN?


----------



## Patty Jansen

markhealy said:


> I'm still a noob with this stuff as well. What are the consequences of not having an ABN?


You need an ABN if you register as sole trader or as business. This can have tax advantages (mainly in that things become tax deductible, but then again, writing is not a business that incurs huge costs or requires a lot of investment).

I have no idea at which point a hobby with income starts to require a business structure, but I certainly wouldn't set this up "because someone said you should".

As I see it: Company/business tax is 30%, the personal tax level goes up to 50%. But it only cuts in at something like 75K+ (too lazy to look it up), so if you're below that (+ including your current income), you're fine.

At some point also, the ATO is going to want you to do PAYE pre-payments. This is for businesses, and I have no idea what would happen if you, say, earned 50K a year from Amazon on your personal account and this was your only income. You'd get a pretty skewed tax return at the end of the year (ouch), but supposing you kept that money aside? Maybe you'd need to do a PAYE over a certain amount? The ATO site is pretty good with info.

Setting up a business structure only becomes important once your income starts to climb over "pay a few bills" kind of money.

My point is: don't add unnecessary costs (and administration!) to your life if you don't absolutely need to do it.


----------



## markhealy

Thankyou for the explanation, Patty.  Much appreciated!


----------



## Rin

I've gone ahead and set up a company (ACN, GST and the rest), despite currently having made under $100...because I want to be able to set everything up properly.

Because I plan on having other authors write in my universe (ie, publish other people) in terms of payments and stuff, it's apparently neater and tidier to have a company.

If you're going at it solo, an ABN is likely just fine.


----------



## CJArcher

If you upload directly to Apple, they want you to be registered for GST and you need to provide them with proof. That was the case when I started uploading direct there about 18 months ago. I don't think any of the other vendors require it.

As to sending copies to the Library of Congress or any other entity - I'm with Patty on this. I've never done it and no one's come knocking on my door telling me I should.


----------



## Selina Fenech

Patty Jansen said:


> Re. sending copies, I just say pooh-pooh to all of them. I have no idea what it's for and certainly am not going to incur any costs to add to unnecessary bureaucracy. If you have print books and an Australian ISBN, maybe, just maybe send it to your local state library, but what's going to happen if you don't do this? What's going to happen if you do?
> 
> I think even for my last print books I "forgot" and nothing happened. I saved $50 in print and mailing costs, and... what?
> 
> I hate this bureaucracy where no one actually cares and people say you have to do things. No, you don't. Just do nothing and see what happens. I certainly wouldn't send anything to the US or even call there to find out.


Yeah, I'm with you there. I think that system hasn't caught up with the era of self publishing and print on demand. Registering the ISBN with Bowker really should be enough. But the whole system is in need of a huge make over.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Selina Fenech said:


> Yeah, I'm with you there. I think that system hasn't caught up with the era of self publishing and print on demand. Registering the ISBN with Bowker really should be enough. But the whole system is in need of a huge make over.


I don't even do that anymore. ISBNs are used in bookshops to order and re-order books and track sales. Your various dashboards already do that.

I bought a block of ten ISBNs but never registered the titles because the Bowker site won't let me, and I can't be arsed to figure out why. No one cares. ISBNs are another piece of bureaucracy that people say you should have, but beyond the traditional book trade have zilch value. Because fellow authors that "it looks professional?" Oh, pu-lease!

Guess that's my mantra: Does something bad happen or do I miss out on something important if I don't comply with a piece of bureaucracy? No? Then I won't do it until someone threatens me with a fine or shows me what I'm missing out on.

Really, no one cares.


----------



## DarkScribe

Patty Jansen said:


> You need an ABN if you register as sole trader or as business. This can have tax advantages (mainly in that things become tax deductible, but then again, writing is not a business that incurs huge costs or requires a lot of investment).
> 
> I have no idea at which point a hobby with income starts to require a business structure, but I certainly wouldn't set this up "because someone said you should".
> 
> As I see it: Company/business tax is 30%, the personal tax level goes up to 50%. But it only cuts in at something like 75K+ (too lazy to look it up), so if you're below that (+ including your current income), you're fine.
> 
> At some point also, the ATO is going to want you to do PAYE pre-payments. This is for businesses, and I have no idea what would happen if you, say, earned 50K a year from Amazon on your personal account and this was your only income. You'd get a pretty skewed tax return at the end of the year (ouch), but supposing you kept that money aside? Maybe you'd need to do a PAYE over a certain amount? The ATO site is pretty good with info.
> 
> Setting up a business structure only becomes important once your income starts to climb over "pay a few bills" kind of money.
> 
> My point is: don't add unnecessary costs (and administration!) to your life if you don't absolutely need to do it.


If you register - either business or company - you can claim things like computer (depreciation) - purchase of books, paying for covers, editing, internet access for research and sales management etc. Writers need these things and it should help to offset some of the costs involved.


----------



## Patty Jansen

DarkScribe said:


> If you register - either business or company - you can claim things like computer (depreciation) - purchase of books, paying for covers, editing, internet access for research and sales management etc. Writers need these things and it should help to offset some of the costs involved.


Agree, but we already have internet, phone, etc. through our other business, so I've recently moved my book sales to my personal account. Much less admin involved. I will set up as sole trader once income + hassles justify it.


----------



## kathrynoh

> If you register - either business or company - you can claim things like computer (depreciation) - purchase of books, paying for covers, editing, internet access for research and sales management etc. Writers need these things and it should help to offset some of the costs involved.


If you declare writing income, you can claim all of that anyway. You don't need to be a business.

I would suggest that if you plan to set up a small business, you contact the Office of Small Business (or similar) in your state. They provide free assistance and are much more reliable than information on an internet forum.


----------



## Patty Jansen

kathrynoh said:


> If you declare writing income, you can claim all of that anyway. You don't need to be a business.
> 
> I would suggest that if you plan to set up a small business, you contact the Office of Small Business (or similar) in your state. They provide free assistance and are much more reliable than information on an internet forum.


Totally agree with this.

I didn't actually give any advice above, other than blather about my experience a bit.

If any of us says "blah, blah, blah, blah GST blah, blah, blah..." the translation of that would be: get your arse over to the ATO website to check out the precise rules on your income and GST.

Because our memories aren't always right, because rules change all the time and because none of us are tax agents.


----------



## kathrynoh

Patty, I wasn't aiming that at you 

I've seen a few posts in various places recently giving business/tax advice.  Some of it a bit dodgy at best.


----------



## Joe Ducie

In my case combined income from the day job and writing has exceeded the 180k threshold which pushes me into the top income tax bracket:

$54,547 plus 45c for each $1 over $180,000 for this last financial year.

Now I'm not complaining, more than happy to pay exactly what I owe, but it was the writings fault I hit that bracket. Speaking to my accountant recently, and this coming financial year I'll be set up as a corporation in order to get the company tax at 30%. There are some fees associated with that - I believe around the $1500 mark to set up - but only once with a yearly ASIC review fee (not sure, but it ain't severe). The review fee would be better than an addtional 15c on every dollar.

What's still a little murky at my current stage is registering and reporting for GST. That's why I've got an accountant tax guy, I suppose. Still, going to look into it. Better to be safe than sorry and all that jazz.

I've been receiving writing income for two and a bit years now and this is the first time I've had to consider any real tax implications. So speak to an accountant to determine your exposure. Hell, tax time is coming up soon - get some advice then and you can write off the tax return fee next year anyway.


----------



## Patty Jansen

We have a company for other activities. The GST admin is a real bugbear, because you deal with income from within Australia and from outside.

Is Amazon AU registered for GST? Not sure, but I doubt it. Are sales you get through AU liable for GST? Not a freaking clue. And what about Kobo, since they pay you in Aus$$ for all your sales, and do seem to be registered for GST. Ditto Google Play. You may need to split out AUS vs non-AUS income, and keep a tally for each. The vendor's spreadsheet doesn't give you that much detail. I've always had to do this for my online non-fiction bookshop. On top of that, there is no GST on books you import (from Createspace), but there is GST on other stuff you buy.

Good luck finding an accountant who can deal with all that. This accountant will probably charge you a few thousand to keep all this straight. 

Have a look into sticking a good amount of that income into your super, because it comes with tax advantages.


----------



## kathrynoh

When I was contracting, I was told $100,000pa was around the mark where it becomes more profitable to have your own company than to be taxed as an individual.  That was a few years ago now though.  

At the risk of becoming political, I'd rather pay as little tax as possible at the moment because I don't like where it's going.


----------



## Kate.Wilds

Thank goodness about the Congress package. I would rather avoid that  

I'm avoiding any more payments or setting anything up till it passes into July. DH already told me I should of waited to purchase Scrivener & some stuff, but then I would of been delayed in my novel even more.

I'll have to re-get (um...that may not be a word) an ABN as I think I cancelled it after I closed my business many moons ago. Think I'll avoid thinking about business for a couple of hours, and concentrate on relaxing and perhaps finishing chapter 6.

And perhaps make a sandwich for my grumbling tummy.


----------



## RinG

I let an accountant handle tax things. I'm so bad at it. I have an ABN for my other business (photography), so I just add my writing in with that. I was registered for GST at one point, but filling in all those quarterly statements was a nightmare, and I don't have to do it, so I don't.

Same with sending books to libraries or something. Um... Yeah, this is the first I've heard of it. No idea what it's for, but since no one has ever suggested I have to, I don't.


----------



## kathrynoh

Kate, I got an ABN years ago but never used it.  Recently had to direct bill a client for the first time ever and went on the ATO site, did a search and found it.


----------



## DarkScribe

kathrynoh said:


> If you declare writing income, you can claim all of that anyway. You don't need to be a business.
> 
> I would suggest that if you plan to set up a small business, you contact the Office of Small Business (or similar) in your state. They provide free assistance and are much more reliable than information on an internet forum.


Not always so. I'd advise checking with Tax specialist. Some things require a tax invoice made out to a registered business or company. It stops people from claiming on hobby related areas. If you have a hobby that earns an income, try claiming rebates or depreciation on anything purchased for that hobby.


----------



## kathrynoh

If it's a hobby, you aren't paying tax in the first place though.


----------



## DarkScribe

kathrynoh said:


> If it's a hobby, you aren't paying tax in the first place though.


You pay tax on everything you purchase. If you meet certain criteria you can claim some of it back. If I buy a fishing boat as a hobbyist, I can claim nothing back. If I set up a business or small company for the purpose of commercial fishing, I can claim almost everything I need to purchase back.


----------



## CJArcher

Patty Jansen said:


> Is Amazon AU registered for GST?


I asked KDP this question only this week and got the following response: "GST are not required for Amazon as this is not our jurisdiction ". Hmmm. I take it to mean they don't want anything to do with GST collection. Apple do the GST thing properly which I guess is why they get you to send your GST rego number to them. Everyone else is a bit vague on the whole thing. Where does that leave us? Who knows!


----------



## JamieCampbell

There are a lot more structures to consider rather than just sole trader or company.

I run all my writing stuff through a trust which works great with my other entities.

I'm a registered tax agent and Chartered Accountant. So if anyone wants to shoot me quick questions via PM, I'd be happy to help. But I strongly recommend speaking to your accountant before you register companies etc. All too often I get clients in that have the wrong structure and it can be a problem to fix it.


----------



## Guest

Here's the information about legal deposit for the US. I know most of you aren't interested but I'm posting it because I said I would 

http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/mandatory_deposit.html#mandatory

Legal deposit info for Australia:

http://www.nla.gov.au/legal-deposit
http://www.nla.gov.au/legal-deposit/requirements-australia-wide


----------



## Mike_Author

Apologies if the answer to this question is buried somewhere in this thread...

Just sitting down to do my etax and wondering how and where I attempt (if at all possible) to get a credit or offset for the withholding tax that Amazon took from me out of my royalties.

I am a sole trader so have to fill out the section on "income or loss from a business" but there is a separate section that looks at "foreign income".

Has anyone already done this who can point me in the right direction?
cheers!


----------



## Mike_Author

Thanks for that.  My issue is that those rules are for individuals - nowhere can I find any reference to tax paid by a sole trader (my publishing business)...if I can work up the courage to sit on hold for a few hours I might just call the ATO.  Will report anything I hear


----------



## JB Rowley

Payment Report now showing FX rate and payment amount in Aussie dollars! Champagne and chips all round!


----------



## CJArcher

Thanks for pointing that out, JB. I didn't even realise when I glanced at it yesterday.


----------



## Patty Jansen

All I noticed was that the email no longer gives the amount they paid out,and I was kinda grrrr about that


----------



## BiancaRaven

Hey!! A thread for the Aussies! This is awesome  

I didn't realize there were so many other Aussie writers on the boards


----------



## markhealy

Welcome Bianca!

I'm still awaiting my first payment since I published my first story in June, but it looks like I'll be receiving about $3.25 in royalties.

Now the only question is what am I going to spend it on?!


----------



## Writer1000

JB Rowley said:


> Payment Report now showing FX rate and payment amount in Aussie dollars! Champagne and chips all round!


Finally! And it clearly shows $25 is taken off by the bank with each transaction (except for AU payments). 

Hi Bianca!


----------



## CJArcher

Welcome, Bianca. There are quite a lot of Aussies around here.



markhealy said:


> I'm still awaiting my first payment since I published my first story in June, but it looks like I'll be receiving about $3.25 in royalties.


It's a start!


----------



## JB Rowley

MirandaPCharles said:


> Finally! And it clearly shows $25 is taken off by the bank with each transaction (except for AU payments).
> 
> Hi Bianca!


Really? Mine shows full payments without any deductions at all.


----------



## Writer1000

Yup, JB. It sucks. Maybe I should open an account with Bendigo Bank.


----------



## JB Rowley

MirandaPCharles said:


> Yup, JB. It sucks. Maybe I should open an account with Bendigo Bank.


My payments haven't shown up in my bank account yet. There may be a deduction at that point; I'll keep an eye open and report back.


----------



## Writer1000

JB Rowley said:


> My payments haven't shown up in my bank account yet. There may be a deduction at that point; I'll keep an eye open and report back.


Thanks!


----------



## JB Rowley

My payments have appeared in my Bendigo Bank account. The USA and the UK payments have each had $25.00 deducted. On top of that BB charges a $2.00 transfer fee. So there you go, Miranda.

Other people I know who have sent money overseas have reported a deduction was taken out somewhere along the line. In at least one case the sender has had to then send the $30 that was deducted in order for their payment to be the full payment of the invoice they were paying. My understanding is that it is the sending bank that deducts, not the receiving bank. I'll ask BB about when next I am in there.


----------



## Writer1000

JB Rowley said:


> My payments have appeared in my Bendigo Bank account. The USA and the UK payments have each had $25.00 deducted. On top of that BB charges a $2.00 transfer fee. So there you go, Miranda.
> 
> Other people I know who have sent money overseas have reported a deduction was taken out somewhere along the line. In at least one case the sender has had to then send the $30 that was deducted in order for their payment to be the full payment of the invoice they were paying. My understanding is that it is the sending bank that deducts, not the receiving bank. I'll ask BB about when next I am in there.


Thanks for this, JB. Looks like I'll be sticking with St George.


----------



## kathrynoh

The $25 is taken out by an intermediary bank.  That means Amazon's bank sends it to Bank X and Bank X sends it to your bank.  Bank X are the ones taking the money.  It sucks because you can't even get any info about it.  Bendigo Bank says it's not them and they have nothing to do with it and same with Amazon at the other end.  It sucks.


----------



## CJArcher

kathrynoh said:


> The $25 is taken out by an intermediary bank. That means Amazon's bank sends it to Bank X and Bank X sends it to your bank. Bank X are the ones taking the money. It sucks because you can't even get any info about it. Bendigo Bank says it's not them and they have nothing to do with it and same with Amazon at the other end. It sucks.


Yes, this. It sucks and may not be worth it if it costs less to deposit a cheque. At least now we can see the discrepancy between Amazon's deposit and what our bank is reporting as the deposit. It's difficult to find someone at the bank who understands about intermediary banks and knows they take out a fee.

Don't forget to claim your bank fees as a business expense on your tax return!


----------



## Patty Jansen

> Don't forget to claim your bank fees as a business expense on your tax return!


With this one, you can't because you get no documentation that shows you that you've paid it.


----------



## Writer1000

Patty Jansen said:


> With this one, you can't because you get no documentation that shows you that you've paid it.


Now that sucks even more!


----------



## kathrynoh

It's bad too when Amazon 'forgets' your KOLL payment and sends it separately so you get slammed with the $25 fee twice!


----------



## Patty Jansen

I think I'm going to stop my payments and receive them once every couple of months.


----------



## RinG

I really wish Amazon would just start using paypal or something. Those fees are crazy, especially if you're not earning a lot yet. I'm glad I stuck with Payoneer.


----------



## kathrynoh

I've signed up for payoneer but haven't got it all activated as yet because I've been overseas. Should do that before next payments.


----------



## Guest

Thanks to JB reporting she recieved payment. I wouldn't have even checked, but yeah, they paid. My first wire payment  Took 25 bucks clean off each payment too. I'm with ANZ but reading above that seems to make no difference. They took about 20 when I put a cheque in last year, so 25 isn't harsh enough for me to go anywhere else. Was such a nice feeling to finally be paid


----------



## Ceinwen

I just got my first wire pay too  good feeling, despite the fees. I'm with Westpac and it's $25 for wire, $20 for cheques as well.


----------



## CJArcher

Patty Jansen said:


> With this one, you can't because you get no documentation that shows you that you've paid it.


Yes you can. Now it's even easier. Amazon shows what they paid via the KDP dash in $AUD and your bank statement shows what dropped into your account. Both are documentary pieces of evidence that show a discrepancy of $25. Before that I had to call ANZs international dept and they'd look it up and give me the amount then send that in an email to me.

ETA: My accountant advised that I could claim it, btw. It's not just something I made up.


----------



## Writer1000

CJArcher said:


> Yes you can. Now it's even easier. Amazon shows what they paid via the KDP dash in $AUD and your bank statement shows what dropped into your account. Both are documentary pieces of evidence that show a discrepancy of $25. Before that I had to call ANZs international dept and they'd look it up and give me the amount then send that in an email to me.
> 
> ETA: My accountant advised that I could claim it, btw. It's not just something I made up.


Thanks, CJ!


----------



## kathrynoh

I noticed the other day that RMIT are running a short course in self-publishing. Checked out the guy running the course and his books are all ranked 1,000,000+ in the Kindle store so take it for what it's worth. There was a unit on taxation though - the entire course cost $500 and that's the only part I could see that would be of value. I'd definitely pay for a course on tax for self published writers if it was run by someone with knowledge in that area.


----------



## Guest

Australia is way behind on this stuff. The fact you read kboards and live in Australia means you know more than what any official course is going to teach you. I don't think ebooks have even been embraced properly yet. They're still teaching the editor / trad publisher speak.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Yup. Even self-publishing is talked about very much to conform with tradepub. In a lot of these "courses", the message is "You can self-publish, but you have to do all this shit which tradepubs do, and by the way, do you know we provide those services?"


----------



## Avril Sabine

Some of them also give you incorrect information and when you point out where you got the information from, they say, "Oh that doesn't apply to us here in Australia." When in actual fact it does.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Or they're so woefully behind it would be funny if it wasn't so sad.

One thing I attended (as guest speaker) they were talking about Amazon, Amazon, Amazon, and they didn't even KNOW KWL and GooglePlay were a thing. And the sad thing is that Amazon doesn't really sell a lot of ebooks in Australia either.


----------



## kathrynoh

I sometimes get the feeling that it's considered a little bit obscene to even thinking about making money as a writer in Australia.


----------



## Avril Sabine

Some people don't see it as a career and when they ask to read your book, they actually want you to send it to them for free, not direct them to where they can buy it online. When you ask them if they'd do [insert their job here] for you for free, they say it's not the same. I'm not sure what they think writers do, but apparently it's not work. Just because writing is fun, doesn't mean it's not work.


----------



## kathrynoh

I was asked if one of my stories could be included in an anthology with an Aussie small press this year. I agreed and later the editor sent out an email about contributor copies. I replied asking when I should expect payment (we'd agreed to an amount to be paid on publication) and got back a reply full of personal financial woes that made me feel like I'd been begging her for a loan! Totally unprofessional but still better than the number of journals here that pay nothing.


----------



## Avril Sabine

kathrynoh said:


> I replied asking when I should expect payment (we'd agreed to an amount to be paid on publication) and got back a reply full of personal financial woes that made me feel like I'd been begging her for a loan!


Sadly this occurs in many businesses, not just in writing. Chasing money owed is one of the jobs I like the least. A payment has been agreed upon, they know they need to make it so why not pay up when you are expected to? If it's going to run them short making the payment then they shouldn't have entered into the agreement to start with.


----------



## kathrynoh

Yep, chasing money is really ick.


----------



## cahocking

NicoleSwan said:


> Fellow Aussies, you know what I find to be the *worst* aspect of living in Australia? The fact that the UK/US markets and people are all sleeping and quiet when we're awake and ready to roll.
> 
> Honestly, it gets depressing for me during that midday~8pm time slot when things are simply too quiet and all you seem to be able to do is twiddle your thumbs, waiting.
> 
> I thought I'd try start an Aussie/Australian writer thread because I see there's plenty of other good-morning, good-evening and such threads for the UK/US populations, but I feel we're a little too dispersed at the moment ourselves.


Well hello there! I only just found this thread! What took me so long? Busy, writing, moving house, life - maybe, or just slack. What caught my attention was the original post regarding the difference in time zones. That happens with Twitter too and I've learned to adjust. Yes, I Tweet! My grandchildren think I am very cool. I've learned to Tweet (and post here) when it suits me, then go to bed and see what's come back the next morning. I started Kindleboarding in 2010 when it was all new, we were all new and we were all learners - and KB was the best source of industry info around. Now I check out the threads because the industry is changing so fast, it's hard to keep up and there's always someone on KB who "knows" what is going on. I love that.
I started Tweeting initially as a marketing/promotional tool and quickly discovered how effective it was. I Tweet, I sell. I don't Tweet, I sell less. But I was clumsy at it. Got sick recently and didn't feel like doing any marketing/promoting, just got onto Twitter for something to do and lo and behold, found out how to get something else out of it - interest and fun. And yesterday I introduced another writer from the other side of the world (Canada, which is like Australia in the northern hemisphere) to the Writers Cafe - she'd never heard of it. This morning she tweeted a big thank you to her "wonderful new Australian friend" and it got retweeted several times over, and I was chuffed - and it had nothing to do with selling books. I was just making a connection. Noice!
OK, enough waffling for now. It's Australian bedtime (or rather, snooze in front of telly time), I'm off (and I'm going too), will catch up with this thread again tomorrow. 
Cheers!
Carole


----------



## Avril Sabine

Glad you found our thread Carole.


----------



## JB Rowley

Had an email from CreateSpace which basically threatened to stop me from publishing with them unless I provided 'valid tax information' by completing their 'online self-service interview by October 3, 2014'.  I am sure I previously supplied my EIN but went over to fill in the form as requested anyway. No can do. The online form will not accept EIN!

Contacted CS support. Received a very polite response basically saying 'dunno' which was a fat lot of help. 'It may require your SSN instead of your EIN' was the only suggestion they came up with. How's an Aussie gonna get a U.S. Social Security Number, I wonder!

Anybody got any suggestions that might be more helpful than CS?


----------



## Patty Jansen

I haven't received that email.


----------



## JB Rowley

Thanks for your reply, Patty. You were quick off the mark.  

After having my rant I went back over to CS and tried ticking 'corporation' instead of 'individual'. That worked - opens up a window that wasn't available before - one that allowed me to enter EIN .  I still think it's all a bit odd, though.


----------



## kathrynoh

I got the email but haven't done anything about it yet, mainly because it means I have to go through my papers and find my EIN. I didn't realise there was a 3 Oct cutoff though (shows how closely I read the email), so I'd better hop to it.


----------



## Patty Jansen

When did you receive this email?

I'm notorious for ignoring email.


----------



## Ceinwen

I got that email a few weeks ago.


----------



## Patty Jansen

*checks weeks of ignored email*

Nup

*checks spam folders*

Nup


----------



## Writer1000

I didn't get that email either. I just checked my Createspace account and it said my tax information is complete. Phew.


----------



## kathrynoh

I'd never entered tax info into createspace, because I've not earned nearly enough to bother so that's probably why I received it.


----------



## Colin Taber

No email for me either.

I think you just got lucky!


----------



## JB Rowley

My unpaid U.S. royalty balance at CS went over the threshold at some point in the last couple of months so they must be getting ready to pay me. That might be the reason I got the email.  

I've never bothered to check my sales at CS cos I never expected to make more than a handful. I just did the print copies for myself to give/sell to family and friends in Australia - so many of them are still reading print books. (What!)


----------



## asd1978

Hello,

EIN issue here, can anyone help out?

I've just been issued an EIN so no worries there.

But it seems that when I go and fill in my tax info on KDP and select the correct options, it will not allow me to use an EIN as I don't run a US business. It will allow me to enter my Aussie tax number though. Doing so says that the amount of tax that they will withhold will be set at 5% as per the tax treaty. Is this the rate that the rest of you guys are being charged?

When I say yes I do run a US based business I can use my EIN, but it doesn't say anything about what the withholding rate will be.

So since I want to do this correctly I'm going to ignore the fact that I have EIN and just go with using my Aussie tax number and the 5% withholding tax, unless someone can point out why not.

Anyone?

Cheers


----------



## Avril Sabine

5% is the typical withholding.


----------



## JB Rowley

Yes, agree with Avril. 

Your business is not U.S. based so you should not tick that box.

Good luck!


----------



## Todd Gunn

Hello,
Glad I found this thread.

Will have a read through the thread the next week or so and hopefully get to know more of you over the coming months.

I am here on kboards to learn the ropes from those of you who have self published and also meet some like minded people.


----------



## CJArcher

Hi Todd and welcome to Kboards. What genre do you write?


----------



## kathrynoh

Welcome Todd. Whereabouts in Australia?


----------



## Avril Sabine

Welcome to KB and in particular to the Aussie thread of KB, Todd. Which state/territory do you live in?


----------



## Todd Gunn

CJArcher said:


> Hi Todd and welcome to Kboards. What genre do you write?


Hi CJ and thankyou.

I tend towards speculative fiction


----------



## Todd Gunn

kathrynoh said:


> Welcome Todd. Whereabouts in Australia?





Avril Sabine said:


> Welcome to KB and in particular to the Aussie thread of KB, Todd. Which state/territory do you live in?


Thanks for the welcome guys!

I am now living in Southern Queensland. Well, the Gold Coast to be precise.


----------



## markhealy

Welcome Todd!


----------



## JamieCampbell

Todd Gunn said:


> Thanks for the welcome guys!
> 
> I am now living in Southern Queensland. Well, the Gold Coast to be precise.


Another Gold Coaster! Yeah!


----------



## Marina Finlayson

Hi Todd and welcome to Kboards. It's certainly a great place to get good advice.


----------



## Todd Gunn

JamieCampbell said:


> Another Gold Coaster! Yeah!


Thanks Jamie, I sent u a PM 



Marina Finlayson said:


> Hi Todd and welcome to Kboards. It's certainly a great place to get good advice.


Thanks Marina. I have been finding that. I feel at home here already 



markhealy said:


> Welcome Todd!


Thanks Mark. I shot you off a PM also.


----------



## Writer1000

Hi Todd! Glad you found us.


----------



## JB Rowley

Got a cheque the other day from CreateSpace so I must have filled out the 'Tax Interview' correctly in the end.

See previous discussion here:
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,158050.msg2749111.html#msg2749111

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,158050.msg2749116.html#msg2749116 

(Thought it might be useful info for anyone else who encounters probs filling out the pesky form.)

Ah! Perfect bliss in sunny Melbourne today.


----------



## JB Rowley

Anybody else having fun with Amazon's new formatting option for book descriptions? Trying to do it through Author Central was so intimidating for a simple mind like mine that I didn't do it at all before. Now I'm a happy little Vegemite!


----------



## CJArcher

I must be missing something here, so somebody please explain it to me before I tear my hair out. The August payments from KDP are rolling in and the Payments section in the dash has been updated. Why is the amount in the final Payment column so different from the amount in the Net Earnings column? The currencies are the same (which throws up another question - why aren't they converting them anymore to AUD?), the information (under "What's This?") says the final adjustments, tax deductions and conversions have been made to arrive at the amount in the Net Earnings column. So shouldn't these 2 figures match? It's not the bank fee because there's no way my bank is suddenly taking out $500 when it's always been a $25 flat, despite their blood-sucking tendencies. I don't get it. This has been going on for a few months now, with different amounts each time for all of the foreign currencies, but because I rarely check that report, I haven't noticed it until now. Am I the only one this is happening to?

I will be contacting Support just as soon as I no longer get an error that the Contact Us feature isn't working. Grrrr.


----------



## kathrynoh

Hell, I never even noticed but I'm getting the same. The final payment is about $110 short of the net payment and it's all in $US. Even if it wasn't, surely the $AUD would be more than the $US not less. 

It can't be bank fees because they wouldn't appear on the Amazon report, they'd be taken out in transit.


----------



## kathrynoh

Okay, I just checked my bank and the amount deposited ($US) is the same as the net earnings on the KDP report (less $4 for some reason) not the weirdly lower amount in the payment field.


----------



## CJArcher

kathrynoh said:


> Okay, I just checked my bank and the amount deposited ($US) is the same as the net earnings on the KDP report (less $4 for some reason) not the weirdly lower amount in the payment field.


That's different to mine. My bank only shows me the AUD amount deposited, not the original USD amount ask it would have gone through an intermediary bank. When I use a currency converter on it with today's exchange rate, the amount almost exactly matches the amount in the Payment field, not the Net Earnings field. I still don't get why the discrepancy between the 2 fields.


----------



## kathrynoh

Actually when I checked mine again, it is the AUD amount not US. But it is the correct amount deposited (ie. the net payment amount). Who knows what weird shit is going on with that payment amount field!


----------



## Writer1000

CJArcher said:


> I must be missing something here, so somebody please explain it to me before I tear my hair out. The August payments from KDP are rolling in and the Payments section in the dash has been updated. Why is the amount in the final Payment column so different from the amount in the Net Earnings column? The currencies are the same (which throws up another question - why aren't they converting them anymore to AUD?), the information (under "What's This?") says the final adjustments, tax deductions and conversions have been made to arrive at the amount in the Net Earnings column. So shouldn't these 2 figures match? It's not the bank fee because there's no way my bank is suddenly taking out $500 when it's always been a $25 flat, despite their blood-sucking tendencies. I don't get it. This has been going on for a few months now, with different amounts each time for all of the foreign currencies, but because I rarely check that report, I haven't noticed it until now. Am I the only one this is happening to?
> 
> I will be contacting Support just as soon as I no longer get an error that the Contact Us feature isn't working. Grrrr.


I'm getting the same problem. It looks like I received the AUD equivalent of the USD amount showing on the Payment column. And what's showing on the Payment column is a lot less than what's on the Net Earnings column. I only just noticed it now so thanks, CJ, for pointing it out. I'll be contacting Support too.


----------



## JB Rowley

I haven't checked the Payment Reports in my Bookshelf for a while and the service is currently down but will take a geezer later (cos it says 'please try again later') and report back here.


----------



## JB Rowley

I've just checked my Payment Report and the discrepancy between 'Net Earnings' and 'Payment' is just over $20 for US and UK royalties, so I guess that's the fee taken by the intermediary bank. :-( The Aussie one is spot on. So no real problems there except for the currency. Yes, CJ, why aren't they showing the payment amount in Aussie dollars!!!!


----------



## JennR

This is happening to me too! For this month's payment from Net Earnings to Amount Payable they've taken out 8.3% 

This also happened in August and September but I only noticed it this week.

I emailed them 2 days ago and received a reply saying it was a glitch that the Amount Payable was in US$ when it should have been in AU$ and they're working to fix it, but they didn't answer my question about the missing 8.3%.

They told me how much I should receive in AU$ for this month's payment and I checked it with a currency converter online and it was 87c exchange rate and the currency converter was 88c for the exchange rate.

But when I got a print out today of transactions for this week from Bendigo Bank, the final amount I received in AU$ was $25 less than the amount the KDP reply stated, so I assume that's the annoying $25 wire transfer fee from Amazon.

I also asked at Bendigo today if they'd changed their wire transfer fees and they said no.

So I still have a missing 8.3% :-( Will send them another email today.


----------



## RinG

They do still take out 5% even if you've I filled out the tax info. Something to do with the tax treaty.


----------



## JennR

Yes, they take out 5% withholding tax from Gross Earnings. But they're taking out more money from my Net Earnings since August.

I received a reply today saying they would have to look into it and would reply by 6 November.


----------



## kathrynoh

There is definitely something weird going on. It looks like they might have applied the exchange rate the wrong way around or something whack like that and don't want to come out and admit it.

It makes me so angry because if they correct the mistake later, you are hit with double the $25 fee for the transfer! Btw the fee isn't charged by Amazon but intermediary banks.


----------



## JennR

Exactly, Kathryn. And the $25 fee is bad enough! 

I'm embarrassed I didn't catch this sooner, back at the end of August :-(

I'm seriously thinking of going back to cheques for some of my royalties.


----------



## kathrynoh

I just changed to Payoneer for some of my payments. Last month I got a couple of the smaller ones, like Spain, no problems so I switched over all but my US ones. Now the UK payment has screwed up. I'm not sure if it's a Payoneer issue though. Every time I change my payment details on Amazon, it seems to do really weird stuff.

Which reminds me, I have to look for my Payoneer card. It's in the house somewhere.


----------



## Escapee

I continue to use Payoneer as well, mostly to avoid the $25 wire transfer fee. You can link your US account to your Australian one and transfer the money across without having to pay a fee. The funds are changed from US to AUS dollars upon transfer and I haven't had any problems with incorrect payment so far in the 18 months that I've been using them.


----------



## JennR

Got approved for Payoneer!

Received 2 further replies from Amazon saying it's a complex matter and they're still looking into it.


----------



## CJArcher

At least you got a reply! I'm still waiting. It might be time to nudge them but I think I'll get the same response you did.


----------



## kathrynoh

Re: my earlier post. It wasn't a payoneer issue but a KDP one. Apparently just changing your payment details in your account isn't enough for them. Now I'm trying to figure out if it'd be better to change my D2D payments from paypal to payoneer. 

I'd love to know their response to the weird payment issues. Thanks for keeping us posted.


----------



## JennR

Will let you know when I receive a reply. I've also changed to cheques for my US payments until this is all sorted out - hopefully that will mean my cheques will be my Net Earnings and not something less than that.


----------



## CJArcher

So I got this response from KDP support for my question (read back through the thread - it's complicated):

"First I would like to apologize for the amount of time this has taken but we have received the information needed form the banks and we were able to make the payments, you will not see the "Pending" information anymore."

So the response is not even close to answering my question and I think I worded it pretty clearly in the first place. Sigh. I had a feeling this was going to go around in circles for a long time.


----------



## Rin

Anyone else melting in the heat?


----------



## Patty Jansen

Er? Where are you? No heat here.i have my cardie on and my feet are cold.


----------



## markhealy

We've had some pretty insane temperatures in Brisbane over the last few days.  It's almost a relief to get back to work in the air con.  Almost.


----------



## kathrynoh

CJ, that is so frustrating but is pretty much how it goes with Amazon customer support. You'd think the time savings of reading things properly and responding to the questions asked the first time would be worthwhile but it doesn't seem that way.


----------



## Rin

Patty Jansen said:


> Er? Where are you? No heat here.i have my cardie on and my feet are cold.


Brisbane. -_- It hit like 40 on Sunday, and it's been humid and awful all week.


----------



## Writer1000

This is the response I got from KDP:

"We recently discovered a technical flaw in our system that caused final amounts shown in payment notifications to be listed in USD, even when publishers selected a different payment currency and actually received the payment in the currency they selected (and not in the currency displayed in the report).

I can confirm that the final payment you received was accurate and your sales data are valid-but I must apologize for the sales report and the sales notification email showing you misleading information. Our technical teams are working swiftly to put a solution in place.

Thank you for your patience while we remedy the issue."

It still doesn't answer my question of why Net Earnings and Payment amounts don't match.



Rin said:


> Anyone else melting in the heat?


Not bad here in Sydney. Like Patty, my feet are cold.


----------



## JB Rowley

CJArcher said:


> So I got this response from KDP support for my question (read back through the thread - it's complicated):
> 
> "First I would like to apologize for the amount of time this has taken but we have received the information needed form the banks and we were able to make the payments, *you will not see the "Pending" information anymore."
> *
> So the response is not even close to answering my question and I think I worded it pretty clearly in the first place. Sigh. I had a feeling this was going to go around in circles for a long time.


'Pending' is back! Good old pending is up there again under 'FX Rate' and 'Payment' on the September section of my Payment Report. Frustrating!


----------



## CJArcher

JB Rowley said:


> 'Pending' is back! Good old pending is up there again under 'FX Rate' and 'Payment' on the September section of my Payment Report. Frustrating!


This is good for the US payment. It now shows the final US payment in AU dollars with the exchange rate! Much clearer.


----------



## Guest

CJ I saw your Freak House trilogy advertised in a Bookbub email. That's fantastic! When I looked yesterday your ranking on Amazon was so good  I hope to get my High Witch box set promoted with Bookbub, but I'm going to wait until I get more reviews of the third book before I apply.


----------



## JennR

I still haven't received an explanation as to why the amount I received was less than the Net Earnings. I checked my email today and haven't even received another short email apologizing for taking so long but they're still "investigating". It's been 3 weeks now since I sent the first email asking about this :-(

I changed my US payment methods to cheque on 9 November but in my Payment dashboard today it says they're sending me a wire transfer for September. I thought I'd be getting a cheque this month? (or next month by the time it arrives).


----------



## kathrynoh

Jenn, I've never been able to get my payment details changed without going through customer service. I have no idea how it works on Amazon but I'd totally believe that someone has to manually get the details we enter when we change them and type them into another system by the number of errors I've had. Hey, it's only my money!


----------



## JB Rowley

CJArcher said:


> This is good for the US payment. It now shows the final US payment in AU dollars with the exchange rate! Much clearer.


Not on mine! All I have is 'pending'. It looks likes things are back to the situation we had before they showed the payments in Aussie dollars. Just pending, pending, pending.........


----------



## CJArcher

Kitten said:


> CJ I saw your Freak House trilogy advertised in a Bookbub email. That's fantastic! When I looked yesterday your ranking on Amazon was so good  I hope to get my High Witch box set promoted with Bookbub, but I'm going to wait until I get more reviews of the third book before I apply.


I love Bookbub! I saw it rank as high as 112 at Amazon and 19 at B&N. I'm very pleased.


----------



## Shayne Parkinson

CJArcher said:


> I love Bookbub! I saw it rank as high as 112 at Amazon and 19 at B&N. I'm very pleased.


That's great, CJ! Well done!


----------



## Avril Sabine

Congrats CJ!


----------



## JennR

Does anyone have their September UK royalties showing in their Payment dashboard in KDP? Mine aren't but my US and Aussie ones are and I should be getting a UK payment for September


----------



## Writer1000

JennR said:


> Does anyone have their September UK royalties showing in their Payment dashboard in KDP? Mine aren't but my US and Aussie ones are and I should be getting a UK payment for September


Mine aren't showing up yet either, Jenn.


----------



## JB Rowley

JennR said:


> Does anyone have their September UK royalties showing in their Payment dashboard in KDP? Mine aren't but my US and Aussie ones are and I should be getting a UK payment for September


Same here. Haven't received a payment notification email for the UK royalties yet either.


----------



## JennR

Thanks, guys. Glad it's not just me!


----------



## Patty Jansen

I had a huge hissy-fit over the secret bank charge of $25 per payment, so I've asked Amazon to suspend my payments until I tell them to pay. I will probably do that some time after Christmas.

To my letter of complaint, some chirpy ignoramus at KDP support commented "you should contact your bank to see if they can stop taking out fees as they do with Kobo and Google Play". I had told them that Kobo and Google Play don't have this secret bank charge nonsense, and why can't Amazon do whatever they're doing.

No, silly cow, it's because of something YOU are doing, like making a "wire" transfer as opposed to EFT, that causes this to happen. I swear, whatever options there are for doing things, Amazon will time and time insist on using  the one that is most costly and annoying to writers.


----------



## CJArcher

It's the intermediary bank that Amazon use who take it. They won't deposit directly into <insert your bank> so they use the intermediary who take out the $25. I believe (but don't quote me because I can't find any record of it now) that it's Deutsch Bank. I agree - seriously frustrating stuff, especially since the it doesn't happen with payments from the other vendors.


----------



## JB Rowley

JennR said:


> Does anyone have their September UK royalties showing in their Payment dashboard in KDP? Mine aren't but my US and Aussie ones are and I should be getting a UK payment for September


UK payment is now showing on my dashboard. Yay!


----------



## JennR

I just checked my dashboard and my UK payment isn't showing BUT THEY'VE DONE IT AGAIN! MY US payment is $82 lower than my Net Earnings. GRRRRR!

Just printed it out so I have a hard copy for myself.

And I still haven't received a reply about why it's happening!!!


----------



## JB Rowley

Bugger! The UK payment has disappeared from my dashboard today. However, I still have the email notification of the UK royalty payment which also came through yesterday - they can't take that away! 

Fingers crossed for you, Jenn. I hope you get your payment problem sorted soon.


----------



## Catherine Lea

MirandaPCharles said:


> This is the response I got from KDP:
> 
> "We recently discovered a technical flaw in our system that caused final amounts shown in payment notifications to be listed in USD, even when publishers selected a different payment currency and actually received the payment in the currency they selected (and not in the currency displayed in the report).
> 
> I can confirm that the final payment you received was accurate and your sales data are valid--but I must apologize for the sales report and the sales notification email showing you misleading information. Our technical teams are working swiftly to put a solution in place.
> 
> Thank you for your patience while we remedy the issue."
> 
> It still doesn't answer my question of why Net Earnings and Payment amounts don't match.
> 
> Not bad here in Sydney. Like Patty, my feet are cold.


I know this is the Australian thread, and I hope you don't mind my chipping in here (or chopping in, if you prefer), but I'm a Kiwi having the same discussion with Amazon. According to my payment schedule, there are payments in which I've lost $150. I spoke to one of the international bankers at my bank here in New Zealand who told me that the most it should cost to send a wired payment is $27. And banks do not confirm payments have been received as the final column suggests. Can you imagine how many wired transfers are made every day? Imagine if every bank had to send confirmation of every transaction. It's ridiculous. I'm also missing my UK payment advice, and I've also emailed Amazon about it. As yet, no response. *sigh*


----------



## CJArcher

Got another response this morning from KDP saying they're still looking into, it's taking longer than expected, blah blah. It sounds like a few of us have reported the discrepancy to them, so hopefully they're taking notice!!


----------



## Writer1000

Welcome to the thread, Catherine!

I'm sending KDP another email about this.


----------



## JennR

Last night I looked over my payment print out and noticed over the last few months my UK payments are also less than the Net Earnings, by 5-14 pounds per month.

has anyone else noticed this? My UK payments aren't huge amounts either so combined with the $25 wire fee, it really starts to add up :-(


----------



## Catherine Lea

JennR said:


> Last night I looked over my payment print out and noticed over the last few months my UK payments are also less than the Net Earnings, by 5-14 pounds per month.
> 
> has anyone else noticed this? My UK payments aren't huge amounts either so combined with the $25 wire fee, it really starts to add up :-(


Yes. I noticed a couple of months ago. I thought I was being taxed and wrote to Amazon who gave me a long spiel about how it's not Amazon but the IRS who decides on tax, which I thought strange since NZ has a tax treaty with the UK and I pay zero withholding tax. Still no word on UK royalty payment though.


----------



## JB Rowley

My UK royalty payment is now in my account AND the amount shows on the payment report in Aussie Dollars. Strangely the final payment for  US royalty payment is still showing in US dollars. 

Jenn: Apart from the 5% withholding tax (US) and the fee charged by the intermediary bank, my payments seem to be okay. Perhaps I should double check them though.


----------



## Catherine Lea

Weirdly enough, my final payment after the FX (whatever that is) has been applied has come to $1.78 more than the net earnings amount. I'm more confused than ever. My UK payment, however, is nowhere to be seen. I'm wondering if it's coming by cheque since I changed my payment options earlier this month. Although I have no payment advice either.


----------



## JB Rowley

Catherine Lea said:


> Weirdly enough, my final payment after the FX (whatever that is) has been applied has come to $1.78 more than the net earnings amount. I'm more confused than ever. My UK payment, however, is nowhere to be seen. I'm wondering if it's coming by cheque since I changed my payment options earlier this month. Although I have no payment advice either.


FX Rate is the foreign exchange rate. If you place your cursor over the blue subheading 'What's this?' you will see an explanation of what the heading means.


----------



## JennR

I checked my bank account this morning. Received US and Aussie, but not UK. And UK is still not showing up on my Payment dashboard :-(


----------



## JB Rowley

JennR said:


> I checked my bank account this morning. Received US and Aussie, but not UK. And UK is still not showing up on my Payment dashboard :-(


Authors from other countries seem to have the same problem, Jenn. See this thread: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,202389.50.html


----------



## JennR

Thanks, JB.

I've just checked my payment dashboard and my UK payment is showing (cheque) and they haven't taken out extra money from the Net Earnings!

The weird thing is, in early November I changed US to cheque and I received a wire transfer. I changed UK to cheque after 15th November and I received a cheque instead of wire transfer!

I've checked my account settings and it says cheque for US.


----------



## JB Rowley

JennR said:


> Thanks, JB.
> 
> I've just checked my payment dashboard and my UK payment is showing (cheque) and they haven't taken out extra money from the Net Earnings!
> 
> The weird thing is, in early November I changed US to cheque and I received a wire transfer. I changed UK to cheque after 15th November and I received a cheque instead of wire transfer!
> 
> I've checked my account settings and it says cheque for US.


Yeah. That's weird.


----------



## JennR

Received a reply today, saying they're sorry it's taking so long to investigate but they're still investigating.


----------



## Catherine Lea

JB Rowley said:


> FX Rate is the foreign exchange rate. If you place your cursor over the blue subheading 'What's this?' you will see an explanation of what the heading means.


 I've read that and it's not the foreign exchange rate because the end column is also in US dollars.


----------



## JB Rowley

Catherine Lea said:


> I've read that and it's not the foreign exchange rate because the end column is also in US dollars.


It is the foreign exchange rate. It's just that the system is not working properly at the moment. During those rare intervals when it is working properly you will see 'Net Earnings' in US dollars, 'FX Rate' (e.g. 1.17), and 'Payment' in Aus dollars.


----------



## Catherine Lea

JB Rowley said:


> It is the foreign exchange rate. It's just that the system is not working properly at the moment. During those rare intervals when it is working properly you will see 'Net Earnings' in US dollars, 'FX Rate' (e.g. 1.17), and 'Payment' in Aus dollars.


Mine have never shown in anything but US dollars in the final column, and sometimes it translates to 95% - 96% of the net earnings. The NZ dollar is never at a greater value than the US dollar. At the moment, for example, the international exchange rate is $US0.79 to $NZ1.00, so that doesn't explain it. When I get the payment in my account it is always a greater value in NZ$ than US$, but there's no transparency to see what the exchange rate used was in the transfer. Perhaps it's worked out differently in Australia because you're paid direct in AUS$. But here, it makes no sense.


----------



## JB Rowley

Catherine Lea said:


> Mine have never shown in anything but US dollars in the final column, and sometimes it translates to 95% - 96% of the net earnings. The NZ dollar is never at a greater value than the US dollar. At the moment, for example, the international exchange rate is $US0.79 to $NZ1.00, so that doesn't explain it. When I get the payment in my account it is always a greater value in NZ$ than US$, but there's no transparency to see what the exchange rate used was in the transfer. Perhaps it's worked out differently in Australia because you're paid direct in AUS$. But here, it makes no sense.


There was a very brief period of time earlier this year when FX Rate was showing and Payment was showing in Aus dollars. That was after many of us complained that Payment was not showing in Aus dollars and we could not see the FX Rate. Unfortunately, the system soon went back to its default position of not working properly - which is where it is currently at.

BTW, Jenn did post a formula in a previous post for working out what exchange rate was being applied, which is: _ Foreign amount divided by Aussie amount I received = exchange rate used_. You should be able to divide the US amount by the NZ amount you received to get the exchange rate that was applied. Dunno if that helps.


----------



## JennR

Now I don't know if my exchange rate formula works correctly, because of the extra money that's being taken out of my net earnings. It sounds like Catherine is having the same problem as me.


----------



## Catherine Lea

JB Rowley said:


> There was a very brief period of time earlier this year when FX Rate was showing and Payment was showing in Aus dollars. That was after many of us complained that Payment was not showing in Aus dollars and we could not see the FX Rate. Unfortunately, the system soon went back to its default position of not working properly - which is where it is currently at.
> 
> BTW, Jenn did post a formula in a previous post for working out what exchange rate was being applied, which is: _ Foreign amount divided by Aussie amount I received = exchange rate used_. You should be able to divide the US amount by the NZ amount you received to get the exchange rate that was applied. Dunno if that helps.


Thank you. That makes more sense.


----------



## Guest

I'm having the same problem some of you had with the money in the payment column for my US earnings being less than the net earnings amount. I don't get paid from Amazon very often so I hadn't noticed this problem before. I sent KDP the below email:

"My payment from Amazon.com on November 28 2014 was too little. My earnings AFTER TAX was USD $129.60. So in AUD (Australian dollars) I should have been paid approx $150.00 based on that days' exchange rate.

Instead in my Payment column you put USD $120.17, and paid me in AUD based on that figure. I only received AUD $114.90, which is AUD $139.90 minus the AUD $25.00 intermediary bank fee. Therefore I was paid around AUD $11.00 less than I should have received.

WHY is the payment amount in my KDP account less than the net earnings amount?
WHY was I paid too little?

Mona Hanna"

I'll see what they say. Usually their first response is utter rubbish so I imagine it will take a while to get this sorted out. It's only a small amount of money I'm missing but it's still wrong for them to pay me less.


----------



## JennR

Totally agree, Kitten.


----------



## CJArcher

I received this response from KDP this morning about the Payments and Net Earnings discrepancy issue:

"I'm following up with your inquiry about the Aug 2014 royalty payment processed.
I've checked with our Accounts Payable team and they've confirmed that there is no discrepancy in the royalty amount processed.
It appears that we recently faced a technical issue due to which there was a discrepancy between the "Payments" amount and "Net Earnings" amount in the Payments report section.
I'm sorry for the trouble you've experienced due to this. Our technical team is aware of this problem and is working hard to fix it as soon as possible."

I'm not going to pursue it because I had a feeling they screwed something up in the report all along, but the final payment amount was accurate despite this. When I plugged in the original amounts and the amount received into my nifty spreadsheet, then took out the intermediary bank fee and the 5% tax, my formula spat out an exchange rate that matched other months and other retailers. If it was way off, that meant there was a problem, but it was spot-on. I didn't like seeing that $500 discrepancy in the .com payment for August, but I can see how Amazon screwed up their columns and I was in fact paid what I was owed.


----------



## JennR

Thanks, CJ. I'm still waiting for my explanation :-( and it's been over a month.


----------



## JB Rowley

My Payment Report today shows zilch; headings only. The Prior Six Weeks' Royalties also looks to be up the creek. 

Is this happening to anyone else?


----------



## JB Rowley

Ah well, today my Payment Report is back to 'normal'-still not showing the UK payment (which I have received) and still not showing FX Rate or payment in Aus dollars.


----------



## kathrynoh

It looks to me like someone at Amazon programmed the exchange rate wrong, dividing instead of multiplying or the other way around! It's damn annoying how Amazon treats our payments. It might not mean much to them but it's our money. 

I've just got back from overseas and was expecting Amazon payments while I was gone, depending on them and I couldn't be 100% certain they'd go into my account on time or at all. It's a major source of worry when it should just happen!


----------



## JennR

I know, Kathryn :-( 

So far I haven't been paid my D2D earnings this month and last month they were paid into my bank account on 7th.

Haven't been checking my Payment dashboard lately, JB. I don't want to think about it :-(

Still haven't received a reply from KDP.


----------



## kathrynoh

I received my D2D payment today. So far they have been great for me but I would like a way to match my sales to my payments received.


----------



## Guest

kathrynoh said:


> I received my D2D payment today. So far they have been great for me but I would like a way to match my sales to my payments received.


They should have sent you an email late last week with a spreadsheet outlining the sales you're about to be paid for.


----------



## JennR

Got my D2D money today!


----------



## Guest

I checked my payments page on my KDP dashboard, and they've entered in the exchange rate used for our November payment. I'm a bit stupid and don't understand it. The number they've put is 1.08. Can someone tell me what Amazon valued the Australian dollar at compared to the US dollar, based on that exchange rate? It's probably really simple but I don't know how to figure it out. I know they're saying 1 US dollar was worth 1.08 Australian dollars when they paid us, but how do we express it the other way? E.g. 1 Australian dollar is what value in US dollars? I'm rubbish at maths


----------



## Shayne Parkinson

Kitten said:


> I checked my payments page on my KDP dashboard, and they've entered in the exchange rate used for our November payment. I'm a bit stupid and don't understand it. The number they've put is 1.08. Can someone tell me what Amazon valued the Australian dollar at compared to the US dollar, based on that exchange rate? It's probably really simple but I don't know how to figure it out. I know they're saying 1 US dollar was worth 1.08 Australian dollars when they paid us, but how do we express it the other way? E.g. 1 Australian dollar is what value in US dollars? I'm rubbish at maths


Kitten, to turn it around you divide 1 by the number. 1/1.08=0.925926, so using that rate A$1 is approximately US$0.93.


----------



## JonnyG

Hi,

My name is Jonny, and I'm an Australian writer. I wrote a couple of non-fiction books 10 years ago, and I've just released my first kids book, an illustrated chapter book called Fairy Tails Book 1: Little Red Riding Hood. 

Thank you all for sharing your knowledge here. I've learned so much from reading this thread. I'm about to sign up to Payoneer, and was wondering if anyone here can share an affiliate link for me?

I was also wondering if you guys know how to add a kindle book to your Goodreads author? I can't even find the Amazon/kindle version on Goodreads. Does it just take time or is there something I need to do?


----------



## kathrynoh

> 1/1.08=0.925926, so using that rate A$1 is approximately US$0.93.


Wow, that is a major ripoff in itself! Considering, at worst, the rate is around $US0.86. Even Paypal, who say in their terms and conditions that they will stiff you a bit on the exchange rate (because that's how they make money), gave me a far better rate than that recently.

I'd been avoiding switching my US payments to payoneer because every time I change my payment details it gets screwed up but if it means I am getting stiffed that much on the exchange rate, I'm going to do it.

I'm starting to believe that someone at Amazon has some deep buried resentment against us Aussies!


----------



## kathrynoh

Also, I hope all our Sydney members were safe yesterday. 

I woke up to a message from my Mum letting me know my sister was safe (she works in the Sydney CBD very close to the incident), before I even knew what was going on.


----------



## Avril Sabine

JonnyG said:


> I was also wondering if you guys know how to add a kindle book to your Goodreads author? I can't even find the Amazon/kindle version on Goodreads. Does it just take time or is there something I need to do?


Someone has to add the book and details to Goodreads. As a Goodreads author you should be able to do that yourself. I've added all of mine except one. A person who read it and wanted to add it to their shelf beat me to it. : )


----------



## JonnyG

Thanks Andrea and Avril,

I eventually found that, and added the kindle version, but there's still no Amazon store link  A search didn't find it for some reason.

I should have paperback proofs from Ingram and Createspace this week. I think Ingram will probably add the paperback to Goodreads. I'll have to look into adding the Createspace one if necessary.


----------



## Guest

JonnyG said:


> Thanks Andrea and Avril,
> 
> I eventually found that, and added the kindle version, but there's still no Amazon store link  A search didn't find it for some reason.
> 
> I should have paperback proofs from Ingram and Createspace this week. I think Ingram will probably add the paperback to Goodreads. I'll have to look into adding the Createspace one if necessary.


I looked at your book on Goodreads. For it to link to Amazon you need to label the book as "Kindle edition" instead of ebook, and put in the Amazon ASIN number instead of the ISBN number. You can add the ISBN number to other editions. You should be able to edit your book details by clicking edit details at the bottom of the blurb.


----------



## Guest

Shayne Parkinson said:


> Kitten, to turn it around you divide 1 by the number. 1/1.08=0.925926, so using that rate A$1 is approximately US$0.93.


Thank you! That really is a terrible exchange rate  Oh well.


----------



## JonnyG

Kitten said:


> I looked at your book on Goodreads. For it to link to Amazon you need to label the book as "Kindle edition" instead of ebook, and put in the Amazon ASIN number instead of the ISBN number. You can add the ISBN number to other editions. You should be able to edit your book details by clicking edit details at the bottom of the blurb.


Thanks Mona,

I know. Ingram added my ebook, which I totally wasn't expecting, which is really annoying. I added the kindle edition/ASIN which is there if you select "All Editions", but I guess I'll just have to wait for Amazon to update it in their own time.

I mean it's not a huge deal, since I'm not really expecting sales until more of the series is available, but I'm a bit of a control freak, so I like to know what's happening. One of the reasons I chose to self-publish this time around.

It's also annoying because it's in KDP Select, and so in all those stores it's only available as pre-order for March 6th  I want a link to the store it's available at now


----------



## Guest

Amazon isn't going to do anything. Your Kindle edition links to Amazon just fine. The two editions seem to be combined so there's nothing else to do. Amazon owns Goodreads but book changes on Goodreads need to be done manually.


----------



## Avril Sabine

JonnyG said:


> I want a link to the store it's available at now


You can choose which version of the book is the one you want to be the main edition and it will be displayed first.


----------



## CJArcher

Hi Jonny, welcome to Kboards and the Aussie thread.


----------



## JonnyG

Thanks CJ 

Thanks Avril, that's very handy. I totally missed that.

Thanks Mona, now I'm so confused. I checked Goodreads through a proxy server and it shows Amazon as the primary store link, but without the proxy it shows Bookworld as the primary, with other links to Book Depository and Kobo, but no Amazon anywhere. I wouldn't think it's because I'm in Australia, because you see the Amazon link. I think I'll have to spend some more time figuring out how Goodreads works...

On another topic, does anyone have experience with KDP Select and pre-orders from other stores? I setup my book at Google, with a release date the day after Select finishes, and it made it available for pre-order. I noticed other stores have done the same. I think I'm safe according to the rules, but I'm wondering if Amazon will agree.


----------



## JB Rowley

kathrynoh said:


> Wow, that is a major ripoff in itself! Considering, at worst, the rate is around $US0.86. Even Paypal, who say in their terms and conditions that they will stiff you a bit on the exchange rate (because that's how they make money), gave me a far better rate than that recently.
> 
> I'd been avoiding switching my US payments to payoneer because every time I change my payment details it gets screwed up but if it means I am getting stiffed that much on the exchange rate, I'm going to do it.
> 
> I'm starting to believe that someone at Amazon has some deep buried resentment against us Aussies!


Wait a minute, Kathryn. Amazon send U.S. dollars to our bank. Don't they? That means it is our bank that determines the FX conversion rate, not Amazon. For my September sales period (paid in November) the FX exchange rate was 1.12. You said you got 1.08 for your November payment (which I assume is your September sales period). So that looks like your bank offered a different rate to mine.


----------



## JB Rowley

Sorry, Kathryn. That was Kitten who said she got FX exchange rate of 1.08. (Pay attention, JB!)


----------



## kathrynoh

JB, I'm not sure which end the exchange takes place. On my payment page it says 1.12 also.


----------



## Guest

Hi Jonny

On Goodreads under your blurb it says 'online stores' with a drop down arrow. Click on that and it says Amazon. Click on Amazon and it takes you there. This will only work on book pages where the book is at Amazon, such as Kindle or paperback versions. Sorry I should have explained this before


----------



## Guest

I got 1.08 as the exchange rate for the payment date of November 28. You guys got something different for that date?


----------



## JB Rowley

Kitten said:


> I got 1.08 as the exchange rate for the payment date of November 28. You guys got something different for that date?


Yes, Kitten. The exchange rate I got for the payment date of November 28 (which covers September sales period) was 1.12.

I'm with Bendigo Bank so if the wire transfer is in US dollars and converted at the receiving bank perhaps that would explain the difference in FX rates - depends on the rates offered by our bank.


----------



## Guest

I'm with the Commonwealth Bank. I'm upset if they're giving me a bad exchange rate. I may have to call them to ask about it.


----------



## JonnyG

Kitten said:


> On Goodreads under your blurb it says 'online stores' with a drop down arrow. Click on that and it says Amazon. Click on Amazon and it takes you there. This will only work on book pages where the book is at Amazon, such as Kindle or paperback versions. Sorry I should have explained this before


Ha! I see it now. I had to be logged out of Goodreads to get all the stores. When I was logged in, the only two in "online stores" were Book Depository and Kobo. Logged out I see heaps of stores. Weird, but cool.


----------



## Writer1000

Kitten said:


> I got 1.08 as the exchange rate for the payment date of November 28. You guys got something different for that date?


My FX rate for that period was 1.12 as well.



JonnyG said:


> On another topic, does anyone have experience with KDP Select and pre-orders from other stores? I setup my book at Google, with a release date the day after Select finishes, and it made it available for pre-order. I noticed other stores have done the same. I think I'm safe according to the rules, but I'm wondering if Amazon will agree.


Hi Jonny! I think I read a post someone put up a few days ago that Amazon doesn't agree to having pre-orders up on other stores while the book is still in Select.


----------



## JB Rowley

Just got confirmation from KDP re FX rate as follows:

_We process the royalties in the local currency and your bank will currency convert and pay you in the currency you've chosen in your account._

So there you go - it's our bank here in Australia that determines the FX rate.


----------



## kathrynoh

Thanks JB for getting that confirmed.


----------



## JonnyG

MirandaPCharles said:


> Hi Jonny! I think I read a post someone put up a few days ago that Amazon doesn't agree to having pre-orders up on other stores while the book is still in Select.


Thanks Miranda. I'll see if I can find that post. I'm not sure that I have a choice to disable pre-orders. So many new thing to figure out.


----------



## Marina Finlayson

Hi all, I have a question about copyright for Australians. I know my work is copyrighted from the minute I write it, same as in other countries, but the Americans have an extra option of registering their work with a government agency. Apart from allowing them to claim damages if their copyright is infringed, I'm thinking this would be handy if you were ever challenged to prove you were the actual copyright holder. You could wave your certificate as proof.

There's no such registration process in Australia, so I'm wondering what I would do, if, say, I put my book in Select, someone copied it and put it up on Apple, B&N, etc, and then when my book came out of Select and I went to put it on the other vendors myself they thought _I _was the plagiarist. How would I prove that it was my work, if the thief's work was there first?

Hopefully such a thing would never happen, but I've heard some horror stories. I'm just about to upload my first book, and I'm having a quiet little panic about all the things that could go wrong. How would you prove you were the owner of the copyright if you were challenged?


----------



## JR.

> Can foreigners register their works in the United States?
> Any work that is protected by U.S. copyright law can be registered. This includes many works of foreign origin. All works that are unpublished, regardless of the nationality of the author, are protected in the United States. Works that are first published in the United States or in a country with which we have a copyright treaty or that are created by a citizen or domiciliary of a country with which we have a copyright treaty are also protected and may therefore be registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. See Circular 38a, International Copyright Relations of the United States, for the status of specific countries.


We have a copyright treaty. It was in the Howard era FTA if I recall right. Our law basically became their law.


----------



## Michael J Elliott

Hi
Yes! I'd love to support a forum and be part of a group of fellow Aussies. I've only started my journey as a writer with a novel in progress and a short story to be published after the New Year. I'd love some tips advice etc from "mates"


----------



## Michael J Elliott

A.A said:


> *waves to all*
> 
> Sydney-sider here (Central Coast)
> 
> Yes I'm also amazed to see so many writers' workshops & events that have zero information on indie publishing. I think there's a lot of bias in Australia. While much of the rest of the world has accepted indie-books, Australia largely has not. If Amazon set themselves up here, I think that would rapidly change. Australians are big book buyers for the size of the population.
> 
> I'd definitely like to run some (super-cheap) workshops aimed at educating writers here on how they can self-publish. Finding the time is another matter though!


Did you know that Aussies per capita are the biggest magazine buyers in the world? Not bad for 23 million!


----------



## Marina Finlayson

Thanks, JR, that's awesome news. I thought that only US citizens could register. That will give me peace of mind.


----------



## kathrynoh

Marina, if your book was published on Amazon, you'd have proof from your reports on there that you'd published first anyway.


----------



## Marina Finlayson

Good point!


----------



## Patty Jansen

I would not waste any money on copyright registration.

People who violate it are usually not in the US anyway
You don't want to challenge anything in the court
You don't want to go to court
You don't have the money to go to court
It's just not worth going to court, emotionally


----------



## Avril Sabine

Wannabescribe said:


> Hi
> Yes! I'd love to support a forum and be part of a group of fellow Aussies. I've only started my journey as a writer with a novel in progress and a short story to be published after the New Year. I'd love some tips advice etc from "mates"


Welcome to the Aussie thread. And to KB in general. It's a great forum with lots of really good advice and helpful people.


----------



## JR.

Registration will make it a lot easier to deal with host companies. You'll want to deal directly with them, not the courts. You don't need it, but it's a nice little piece of insurance. Having something up on Amazon doesn't mean it wasn't taken from somewhere else. It's not proof of anything.


----------



## JB Rowley

Wannabescribe said:


> Hi
> Yes! I'd love to support a forum and be part of a group of fellow Aussies. I've only started my journey as a writer with a novel in progress and a short story to be published after the New Year. I'd love some tips advice etc from "mates"


Welcome to the forum, WB.


----------



## Michael J Elliott

Patty Jansen said:


> Denmark doesn't. DE stands for Germany.
> 
> Y'all realise that with every store Amazon splits off, we have ANOTHER damn place that requires a $100 threshold before they'll pay out?
> 
> No, I don't want a .AU store. I want Amazon to treat all their stores as one, aggregate all their sales into one, and send us one payment per month, and pay us into our bank account. And while we're at it, I want them to take our Australian TFN.
> 
> Kobo can do it.


Good news!
They DO take Aussie TFNs I've just done it and now all my tax requirements for the U.S are hunky dorey.We have a tax treaty with America so the U.S tax department will only withhold 5% of your earnings and not 30%. Just follow the prompts in the tax interview guide, enter your TFN where requested and you're set, it does take three days to become active though.
Hopes this helps all my fellow Aussie writers


----------



## JennR

Mine said $1.12 as well and I'm at Bendigo


----------



## JB Rowley

Marina Finlayson said:


> Hi all, I have a question about copyright for Australians. I know my work is copyrighted from the minute I write it, same as in other countries, but the Americans have an extra option of registering their work with a government agency. Apart from allowing them to claim damages if their copyright is infringed, I'm thinking this would be handy if you were ever challenged to prove you were the actual copyright holder. You could wave your certificate as proof.
> 
> There's no such registration process in Australia, so I'm wondering what I would do, if, say, I put my book in Select, someone copied it and put it up on Apple, B&N, etc, and then when my book came out of Select and I went to put it on the other vendors myself they thought _I _was the plagiarist. How would I prove that it was my work, if the thief's work was there first?
> 
> Hopefully such a thing would never happen, but I've heard some horror stories. I'm just about to upload my first book, and I'm having a quiet little panic about all the things that could go wrong. How would you prove you were the owner of the copyright if you were challenged?


David Gaughran in _Let's Get Digital_ ( https://davidgaughran.wordpress.com/ ) comments that 'registering copyright is optional but advisable' and makes the following observations.

'Registering your work will grant you additional rights and allow you to, among other things, sue for greater damages if someone plagiarizes your work. It costs $35 to register your copyright online in the US, but even if you don't register your copyright, your work is still protected, and you can still post a copyright notice at the front of your manuscript. You should note that the additional protections from registering your copyright in the US will only be afforded to US writers.'

And:

'To learn more about copyright law (and every writer really should), get yourself a copy of The Copyright Handbook by Stephen Fishman.'


----------



## Marina Finlayson

I'll have to hunt down the relevant US govt website. It's true, I don't want to get involved in the US courts, but, as JR said, I think having some kind of proof of registration will make it easier to deal with the vendors if any questions ever arise.

I've read_ Let's Get Digital_ -- that must be where I first heard that only US citizens could register. I never looked at that Copyright Handbook, though, since I assumed it dealt with the American legislation. But then, if we have a treaty with them, maybe it applies to us too.

I'll let you know what I find out.


----------



## MitchHogan

My understanding is the US copyright (found here: http://www.copyright.gov/eco/) is only available to US citizens.
There is a legal requirement in Australia for publications to be provided for Legal Deposit (found here: http://www.nla.gov.au/legal-deposit) however it looks like this isn't related to copyright.


----------



## EmilieHardie

Michael J Elliott said:


> Good news!
> They DO take Aussie TFNs I've just done it and now all my tax requirements for the U.S are hunky dorey.We have a tax treaty with America so the U.S tax department will only withhold 5% of your earnings and not 30%. Just follow the prompts in the tax interview guide, enter your TFN where requested and you're set, it does take three days to become active though.
> Hopes this helps all my fellow Aussie writers


Cheers, Michael, this came at exactly the right time. I'm just getting set up so that I can start publishing in January and was trying to figure out EINs. I have done some very minor self-publishing before under a pen name but that was more getting a feel for how it worked than actually trying to make a career out of it. Now that I feel like I'm ready, I'm trying to figure out a whole bunch of stuff and you just made that load lighter


----------



## JB Rowley

Marina Finlayson said:


> I'll have to hunt down the relevant US govt website. It's true, I don't want to get involved in the US courts, but, as JR said, I think having some kind of proof of registration will make it easier to deal with the vendors if any questions ever arise.
> 
> I've read_ Let's Get Digital_ -- that must be where I first heard that only US citizens could register. I never looked at that Copyright Handbook, though, since I assumed it dealt with the American legislation. But then, if we have a treaty with them, maybe it applies to us too.
> 
> I'll let you know what I find out.


Gaughran doesn't say that only US citizens can register.

The relevant US Government website is: http://www.copyright.gov/ Under FAQ (http://copyright.gov/help/faq/faq-who.html#foreigners ) you will find this question:
* Can foreigners register their works in the United States?*

Part of the answer is: _Works that are first published in the United States or in a country with which we have a copyright treaty or that are created by a citizen or domiciliary of a country with which we have a copyright treaty are also protected and may therefore be registered with the U.S. Copyright Office. _


----------



## Marina Finlayson

Thanks for those links, JB. No, Gaughran doesn't say that, does he? "You should note that the additional protections from registering your copyright in the US will only be afforded to US writers." I had to read this sentence a couple of times before it clicked. For some reason I have always interpreted that to mean that only US citizens could register ... aaand now I sound like an idiot. Truly, I'm usually much better at comprehension! Thanks for your help.


----------



## JB Rowley

Marina Finlayson said:


> Thanks for those links, JB. No, Gaughran doesn't say that, does he? "You should note that the additional protections from registering your copyright in the US will only be afforded to US writers." I had to read this sentence a couple of times before it clicked. For some reason I have always interpreted that to mean that only US citizens could register ... aaand now I sound like an idiot. Truly, I'm usually much better at comprehension! Thanks for your help.


No worries, Marina.


----------



## JonnyG

I've registered a couple of works with the U.S. copyright office. It provides more legal support than a self addressed envelope, even if I'm not eligible for damages. 

Most of my clients and business partners are in the US and now I imagine most of my readers. I've been in enough tricky situations that I feel confident having that piece of paper will help avoid court more often than not, which is my preference.


Hi Michael, good to know Aussie TFN works now. I suspect you may still need an EIN for createspace though.


----------



## Michael J Elliott

G'day Everyone,
I've only just started writing and I'm hoping one of my short stories will be out after the New Year with the collection to follow suit and a novel in development. I've just read a lot of books with marketing tips and must dos for indie authors. To be honest it felt a little overwhelming. I know the importance of a good cover and editing etc my problem is finances. My only form of income is a disability pension which as you can imagine doesn't stretch very far. I've already organised my cover with a designer and have started saving the money for one cover. I know I need an editor but I'm dreading the cost and of course the longer it takes to save the longer I stay unpublished.
I'm sure many of my fellow Aussie writers have gone through the same journey so I was wondering if anyone had any tip, tricks or advice for me about reducing costs or if anyone has been using a good editor with reasonable rates etc.
Any and all advice is really appreciated.
Thanks Everyone


----------



## Avril Sabine

Michael J Elliott said:


> I know I need an editor but I'm dreading the cost and of course the longer it takes to save the longer I stay unpublished.


Start with beta readers. Ask them to look at inconsistencies, places where they want to skip to the next section, things that confuse them and of course the parts they love. When you have it as polished as you and your beta readers can make it, then worry about an editor. Editing stories in different formats helps. I find things I didn't notice the first time I read it on the screen when I read it printed on A4, read it on my kindle and read it aloud. Holly Lisle also has a good course on editing that I found really useful.

I know the amount of time it takes can be rather frustrating, but you want to put out the best story possible. You only have once chance at making a good first impression.


----------



## markhealy

Hey Michael, check out this thread for a good list of editors:

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,149935.0.html

You might be able to shop around and find the best price. Hunting around for beta readers, editors, proofreaders etc can be a pretty exhausting experience unfortunately, but Kboards are a good place to start.


----------



## JennR

I have to update my tax interview in KDP although  it says "complete" and it won't let me put in my EIN because I'm an individual because they've redesigned the tax forms or something from my 5 mins of googling about it.

Has anyone had this happen to them? I'm thinking I should just tick I only have a non-US tax id (eg my Aussie TFN) instead of ticking I have a US TIN (my EIN) and a non US one, (my Aussie TFN)  because it won't accept the EIN. 

And in the tax interview info on KDP it says individuals can't use EINs.


----------



## Michael J Elliott

JennR said:


> I have to update my tax interview in KDP although it says "complete" and it won't let me put in my EIN because I'm an individual because they've redesigned the tax forms or something from my 5 mins of googling about it.
> 
> Has anyone had this happen to them? I'm thinking I should just tick I only have a non-US tax id (eg my Aussie TFN) instead of ticking I have a US TIN (my EIN) and a non US one, (my Aussie TFN) because it won't accept the EIN.
> 
> And in the tax interview info on KDP it says individuals can't use EINs.


Hey Mark,
Thank you for that totally awesome list, lots of resources to check out!


----------



## Michael J Elliott

Thank you for that advice Avril and Mark thank you for that awesome list, fantastic amount of opportunities to check out


----------



## asd1978

JennR said:


> I have to update my tax interview in KDP although it says "complete" and it won't let me put in my EIN because I'm an individual because they've redesigned the tax forms or something from my 5 mins of googling about it.
> 
> Has anyone had this happen to them? I'm thinking I should just tick I only have a non-US tax id (eg my Aussie TFN) instead of ticking I have a US TIN (my EIN) and a non US one, (my Aussie TFN) because it won't accept the EIN.
> 
> And in the tax interview info on KDP it says individuals can't use EINs.


Use your Aussie TFN. (this is what I did as I had the same issue you did regarding KDP and my EIN)
Using the Aussie TFN will take your with holding tax from 30% to 5%


----------



## JennR

Thanks, ASD1978. I'm already paying 5% with the EIN though. 

I've just emailed them today asking if I need to update it because it says Complete.


----------



## Rin

So I'm considering getting a booth at next year's Brisbane Supanova, and getting some of these printed up.

In essence, they're like a giftcard that link to digital files - so it's a way to hand out something physical to give away your ebooks.

I'm wondering if anyone would have any interest in going in for a group one (likely the majority of content will be SF/F), and splitting the costs as a cheap way to market to locals.


----------



## Patty Jansen

I've found the Supanovas way more profitable than SFF cons. I will be doing Gold Coast and Sydney in 2015. Brisbane? Maybe.

At SFF cons, you're marketing to at most 300 other writers and genre folk who thumb their noses at self-published material. At Supanova, you get tens of thousands through the door. Granted, most are there for the game and costume stuff, but any that get your books are readers, consumers only, not writers. They're genre fans.


----------



## Avril Sabine

Rin said:


> So I'm considering getting a booth at next year's Brisbane Supanova ... I'm wondering if anyone would have any interest in going in for a group one (likely the majority of content will be SF/F), and splitting the costs as a cheap way to market to locals.


What dates is next year's Brisbane Supanova and what sort of costs, table space, amount of authors in the group, etc will there be?


----------



## Rin

Avril Sabine said:


> What dates is next year's Brisbane Supanova and what sort of costs, table space, amount of authors in the group, etc will there be?


Brisbane Supanova is November 27-29 2015.

Tables are usually around $220 (early bird); and booths around $880 (early bird).

This is in the very early stages of planning, so I don't have a lot of takers yet - I was originally just intending on getting a single table, and selling some merch, as well as dropcards with my own books (this I will still be doing). But now that I'm looking at doing some joint promo, there might be the opportunity to get two tables, or a booth.

Ideally, it won't just be for people attending, as it just requires you to provide the ebook files (and everyone who participates will get a number of the cards to do with as they please - exact numbers will depend on what we order). And I'm also looking at incorporating a newsletter opportunity - for those who provide ebook files, you get a chance to offer a newsletter signup incentive, etc, to those who get the cards.


----------



## JennR

I received a reply about the amount payable being less than Net Earnings. They said it was a currency error, where they used "1" in error but it has now been fixed.


----------



## JR.

Anyone here in Booktopia's favourite Aussie novelist voting list?


----------



## MitchHogan

JR. said:


> Anyone here in Booktopia's favourite Aussie novelist voting list?


Me! I don't expect many votes, most of my sales are US and UK.

Edited to add link in case anyone's interested: http://blog.booktopia.com.au/2015/01/05/vote-for-australias-favourite-author-2015-heat-1/


----------



## JR.

That's the link I've got, but I see no 'vote' option. What am I missing?


----------



## MitchHogan

When I go to the link I get a long list of authors (over 50+) and you can vote for as many as you want. There's a vote button at the end of the list. Maybe try a different browser?


----------



## JR.

Nada on the different browser. Must be yet another geography on the internet thing - and I don't have an Aussie VPN.


Oh well, good luck to all those involved. I'll be able to see the results after, anyway.


----------



## Axel Blackwell

Howdy, y'all! (I'm not an Aussie, BTW. Hope you don't mind if I drop by for a sec) I have a group of characters making their way to Australia in a tall sailing ship. The story is set in 1910. The ship carries a small clutch of orphan children and is crewed by a pair of witches. I'm wondering what they can expect to find when they arrive. I think they are aiming for Perth but they may end up in Melbourne. I don't know much about Australian history so I thought I'd ask you guys. What were the Australian people like in 1910? What was the political climate? What were the issues of the day? I've watched both Crocodile Dundee Movies, and Mad Max, so I know all about modern Australia  And I know I can google it. But I was hoping to get some inside info from the real-life Aussies.


----------



## Avril Sabine

Axel Blackwell said:


> But I was hoping to get some inside info from the real-life Aussies.


The country is nothing like it would have been back then and you would get far more detailed information by searching online. Try accessing the Australian National archives for old photos. When you work out the major differences between where they are coming from to where they are going, those will be the things they notice the most. It is also worth researching when the places you are interested in were settled. It'll give you an idea of the size, how civilized and even if they were there during 1910.


----------



## kathrynoh

> I think they are aiming for Perth but they may end up in Melbourne. I don't know much about Australian history so I thought I'd ask you guys. What were the Australian people like in 1910?


I don't know much about the history of Perth but I can imagine it was quite wild and isolated back then.

One of the main things about Melbourne is that it has always been quite divided between North and South. The Yarra River splits the city and the rivalries have always been strong. The south of the city was very prestigious at first, being on on the bay but later (and have no idea about dates) became very unfashionable. I'm not sure about the 1910s but my mum lived there for a while in the late '50s and it was very dodgy then. Nowadays, it's very expensive again.

Australian Rules Football has always been huge in Melbourne and the main competition was based around mainly suburban Melbourne teams back then. A lot of the suburbs had very distinct cultures and characters which carried across to the supporters -- and people had very strong feelings about it.

Trams have run in Melbourne almost since first settlement. I remember my Nan telling me stories about the businessmen hanging off the trams in peak hour, literally hanging off hand rails on the outside of the trams. And, of course, all with cigarettes in their mouths.

I have been trying to think of some good movies about the era but most things I can think of are set in the country/outback. If you can get hold of Gallipoli, which is a great movie set at the start of WWI, you might get a feel for the dress, political climate etc.


----------



## Axel Blackwell

Thanks, Avril, I'll check National Archives. Photos will be helpful. And Kathryn, your comments provide better key words for my searches. I think I may have seen Gallipoli, once, long ago. I'll try to find it again. Very useful ideas. Thank you.


----------



## JB Rowley

Axel Blackwell said:


> Howdy, y'all! (I'm not an Aussie, BTW. Hope you don't mind if I drop by for a sec) I have a group of characters making their way to Australia in a tall sailing ship. The story is set in 1910. The ship carries a small clutch of orphan children and is crewed by a pair of witches. I'm wondering what they can expect to find when they arrive. I think they are aiming for Perth but they may end up in Melbourne. I don't know much about Australian history so I thought I'd ask you guys. What were the Australian people like in 1910? What was the political climate? What were the issues of the day? I've watched both Crocodile Dundee Movies, and Mad Max, so I know all about modern Australia  And I know I can google it. But I was hoping to get some inside info from the real-life Aussies.


I wasn't around in 1910 but I know Australia was definitely ultra conservative. Still very British. We had only recently made the change from colonies to federation (1901). Building of national infrastructure would certainly have been an issue. The year 1910 was a federal election year and brought about a change of government -Liberal (conservative) Party defeated by Labor.

In those days, a ship coming to Melbourne would dock at Port Melbourne which was a working class suburb. Conditions were not good for the working classes - small houses crammed together, poor sanitation etc.

Melbourne had just been through a boom (gold rush money) resulting in impressive architecture such as The Exhibition Buildings. As Kathryn indicated, trams were already a feature of Melbourne. Cars were just beginning to appear on the roads but 'horse and cart' was still around.

There is wonderful silent movie of Melbourne in 1910 on youtube: 



 You can see exactly what Melbounre was like.

Another useful link is State Library of Victoria (http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/. You'll be able to email the librarians and I'm sure they will be more than happy to help you with information and refer you to apropriate sources.

If you need anything else, I'd be glad to help if I can.


----------



## Patty Jansen

1910 was only nine years after federation.

Also--wouldn't most transport have been through steam ships at that time? Tall ships were the century before that.


----------



## JB Rowley

There would still have been tall ships around in 1910, Patty.  The Polly Woodside (now restored and on display in Melbourne) was sailing around the world until 1904 and then sailing between Australia and New Zealand for many years after that.


----------



## Axel Blackwell

Excellent info, JB,those are exactly the types of things I was looking for. I had hoped the sailing ship would be slightly anachronistic, so thanks for confirming that, Patty. This is a fantasy story and I'm not trying for absolute historical accuracy, just trying to keep it real-ish. I am mainly looking for interesting tidbits to feed my muse while developing the plot. You never know which odd fact or anecdote might grow into a key plot point. Thanks


----------



## kathrynoh

Another thing about Melbourne to remember - the weather is really, really erratic. Everyone jokes about having 4 seasons in a day, everyday.


----------



## AmandaLove

Hi. I am new to kindleboards and was excited to see an Australian thread.

With a name like mine you can imagine the schoolyard taunts, especially as I got older, so I guess it was a natural progression to try my hand at romance stories, (and nope - still haven't found 'A man to love' - not a keeper anyhow, although I did find one for long enough to get my amazing son.

I look forward to meeting other Australians who are chasing their dreams with self-publishing and hearing about your experiences.

I am not sure what the proper etiquette is, but I have been adding people to facebook if they have the link because it would be great to connect with other Australian authors. I hope people don't mind, and I won't be at all offended if people ignore my friend request.


----------



## Avril Sabine

AmandaLove said:


> Hi. I am new to kindleboards and was excited to see an Australian thread.


Welcome to Kindle Boards and in particular to the Aussie thread.


----------



## Marina Finlayson

Hi Amanda! Glad you found us.


----------



## JB Rowley

Welcome, Amanda. Good luck with your books. JB


----------



## Writer1000

Hi Amanda. Welcome!


----------



## CJArcher

Hi Amanda, welcome to the Aussie corner of Kboards. Are you an RWAus member?


----------



## Meryl Stenhouse

I saw this thread and thought, ooh, I'm Australian! I should post here!

And a big hello Patty *waves*. I finally made it to KBoards.

How's everyone doing? Any other parents on here dying for the end of the school hols?

Cheers,
Meryl.


----------



## Avril Sabine

Meryl Stenhouse said:


> How's everyone doing? Any other parents on here dying for the end of the school hols?


I'm one of those crazy people who homeschools my kids and absolutely loves it. : )


----------



## AmandaLove

Thanks for the lovely welcome.

Avril, My sister is home schooling her lot (5 kids) and having just been to visit, I can definitely see the merits. I wanted to home school my son because there are so many flaws in our education system, but unfortunately, being a single parent I had to work. I think it will be one of my life regrets that I couldn't.

CJ, no, I'm not a member. Are you? I don't really know much about it to be honest.

JB, thanks for the well wishes with my books - fingers crossed for all of us!!


----------



## kathrynoh

Hi Amanda 

I'm hanging out for school hols to finish. I don't have school aged kids but my neighbours do.

CJ, what's RWAus like? I've had a look at their page a few times but never committed to joining.


----------



## NB

Hi all,

I'm from Adelaide and I have just started down the indie publishing road. 

NB


----------



## Avril Sabine

NB said:


> I have just started down the indie publishing road.


Good luck. It's an awesome path to be traveling down. I'm really enjoying it and have been meeting so many wonderful and helpful people both online and in person that have helped and encouraged me in my own journey.


----------



## JB Rowley

Welcome *NB* and *Meryl*. So good to be adding more Aussies to our membership list.


----------



## CJArcher

RWA contests are great for feedback and for catching the eye of traditional editors and agents if you still want to go that route. The conferences are a great place to meet like minded writers and they get some great speakers, some from overseas. All round, some good support too and they can team you up with crit partners if you want. Membership doesn't cost too much either.


----------



## Meryl Stenhouse

JB Rowley said:


> Welcome *NB* and *Meryl*. So good to be adding more Aussies to our membership list.


Thank you, Ms Rowley!



Avril Sabine said:


> I'm one of those crazy people who homeschools my kids and absolutely loves it. : )


A friend of mine in NZ does it. I think you are both very brave. And also slightly bonkers 

I'm painting the inside of the linen closet today, and glad it's not 36 degrees like it was last week. My small man keeps saying IS IT TIME TO PAINT YET?

I'm wondering if I need a before and after. Of my son. Because he is going to be covered in it by the end 

Cheers,
M


----------



## Writer1000

Hi NB and Meryl! Good to have you here.

To everyone, I just checked the Payments section on the dashboard and noticed that my November payment for AU shows $0.00 tax withholding. What are you guys seeing on yours? I'm not aware of any changes to the tax withholding rate for AU payments.


----------



## JB Rowley

MirandaPCharles said:


> To everyone, I just checked the Payments section on the dashboard and noticed that my November payment for AU shows $0.00 tax withholding. What are you guys seeing on yours? I'm not aware of any changes to the tax withholding rate for AU payments.


Mine seems to be normal. Perhaps all the purchases of your books in November were made via the AU store in which case there would be no tax withheld.

Edit: Was looking at October by mistake! Mine also indicates no tax withheld for November AU payment. I wonder if all purchases of my books were made via the AU store.

JB


----------



## Writer1000

JB Rowley said:


> Mine seems to be normal. Perhaps all the purchases of your books in November were made via the AU store in which case there would be no tax withheld.
> 
> Edit: Was looking at October by mistake! Mine also indicates no tax withheld for November AU payment. I wonder if all purchases of my books were made via the AU store.
> 
> JB


Thanks for checking, JB. Not sure what you mean, though?

In previous months, all my AU payments had 5% deducted off them. Also, the US (.com) payment for November has the usual 5% taken out of that.


----------



## JB Rowley

MirandaPCharles said:


> Thanks for checking, JB. Not sure what you mean, though?
> 
> In previous months, all my AU payments had 5% deducted off them. Also, the US (.com) payment for November has the usual 5% taken out of that.


No, I'm not sure what I mean either, Miranda! Just realised (on the tram on the way home from shopping) that I had misunderstood what had been happening with AU sales previously. Ignore my previous brain-scrambled message. 

However, when I checked the tax information in my KDP account, it says Amazon will withhold 5% 'from U.S. source payments of royalties earned on Amazon.com (U.S. Kindle Store). This percentage *will not apply *to royalty payments made from all other Kindle Stores (*AU*, BR, CA, DE, ES, FR, IN, IT, JP, MX, NL, UK).'

(Bold emphasis is mine.)

So that looks like something new?


----------



## Avril Sabine

Meryl Stenhouse said:


> My small man keeps saying IS IT TIME TO PAINT YET?
> 
> I'm wondering if I need a before and after. Of my son. Because he is going to be covered in it by the end


I always let my kids help me paint when they were younger. Often with the result of more paint on them than what we were meant to be painting. But it was worth it in the long run. Last year my oldest son helped me paint our house. Inside and out. He did a great job of it.


----------



## Writer1000

JB Rowley said:


> No, I'm not sure what I mean either, Miranda! Just realised (on the tram on the way home from shopping) that I had misunderstood what had been happening with AU sales previously. Ignore my previous brain-scrambled message.
> 
> However, when I checked the tax information in my KDP account, it says Amazon will withhold 5% 'from U.S. source payments of royalties earned on Amazon.com (U.S. Kindle Store). This percentage *will not apply *to royalty payments made from all other Kindle Stores (*AU*, BR, CA, DE, ES, FR, IN, IT, JP, MX, NL, UK).'
> 
> (Bold emphasis is mine.)
> 
> So that looks like something new?


Hm. Yes, looks like something new. Thanks, JB!


----------



## JennR

Me too, Miranda and JB Rowley! I was wondering about that. Maybe it's because of the EU VAT thing and they've changed where the headquarters of the stores are located or something?

Eg. Before November I was paying tax on Aussie earnings like everyone else and always thought it strange to be taxed on Aussie earnings, even though it was (I guess) because it was through the US head office.


----------



## JB Rowley

JennR said:


> Me too, Miranda and JB Rowley! I was wondering about that. Maybe it's because of the EU VAT thing and they've changed where the headquarters of the stores are located or something?
> 
> Eg. Before November I was paying tax on Aussie earnings like everyone else and always thought it strange to be taxed on Aussie earnings, even though it was (I guess) because it was through the US head office.


Would be great if they'd tell us. I think I'll drop them a line and find out a bit more. JB


----------



## Goulburn

I hear so much said about the fees bank charge to convert your International cheques to Australian dollars. I am with Bank MEC&U (Members of Education Credit Union) and there are no cheque conversion fees.  They take about five weeks to clear the cheques. They do not have country (where I live) branches so I endorse the cheques on the back (they insist on that) and mail my deposits to them. I can withdraw from my account for no fee at any REDI ATM and I have a debit Visa card and PayPal set up to access my finds from the royalties.

I've never heard anyone here before mention MEC&U. so I thought I should share that it is another option those who wish to skip the exorbitant bank fees might like to consider. I have been a member with them for forty-five years. I paid $2. to join back then and have no idea what the fee would be, or of there is one, to join now. As I do not need a credit card, operating only with a debit card, I've no need for a bank.

When I checked, I think that the Bendigo Building society was the next best where it came to fees deducted for international funds conversion and they have more branches than MEC&U. so that might suit some of you looking for a lower conversion rate than some banks offer, but still from an Australian financial institution that you can talk to a real person when you need to. The customer service at MEC&U is superb.


----------



## JB Rowley

I just received the first (prompt) reply to my query about why Amazon no longer withhold 5% tax on royalty payments from sales through AU kindle. It's really a Claytons reply (_the reply you get when you're not getting a reply_). They said: 'We continually work to improve the publisher experience.'

I've sent them a follow up to see if I can get a real reply.


----------



## A.A

JB Rowley said:


> However, when I checked the tax information in my KDP account, it says Amazon will withhold 5% 'from U.S. source payments of royalties earned on Amazon.com (U.S. Kindle Store). This percentage *will not apply *to royalty payments made from all other Kindle Stores (*AU*, BR, CA, DE, ES, FR, IN, IT, JP, MX, NL, UK).'
> 
> (Bold emphasis is mine.)
> 
> So that looks like something new?


Oh wow, I haven't noticed that! That's great news! 
Now, I just need more Aussies to buy my books


----------



## JB Rowley

JB Rowley said:


> I just received the first (prompt) reply to my query about why Amazon no longer withhold 5% tax on royalty payments from sales through AU kindle. It's really a Claytons reply (_the reply you get when you're not getting a reply_). They said: 'We continually work to improve the publisher experience.'
> 
> I've sent them a follow up to see if I can get a real reply.


*So the second reply says*: 'While I am unable to confirm what changed in November, after consulting with our tax team I confirmed that only royalties from sales made on Amazon.com are subject to U.S. tax withholding as we consider this U.S. based income. Sales made on the other Amazon Kindle stores are not subject to U.S. tax withholding.'

While this change is a welcome change it seems odd that they are unwilling to keep us fully informed.


----------



## JennR

Thanks, JB! 

Ryn, I'm with Bendigo Bank and they charge $10 to deposit an international cheque and it takes 28 working days to clear. 

They only charge $2 for an incoming wire transfer in Aussie $ but unfortunately Amazon's intermediary bank charges a $25 fee which is taken out along the way :-(


----------



## Goulburn

JennR said:


> Thanks, JB!
> 
> Ryn, I'm with Bendigo Bank and they charge $10 to deposit an international cheque and it takes 28 working days to clear.
> 
> They only charge $2 for an incoming wire transfer in Aussie $ but unfortunately Amazon's intermediary bank charges a $25 fee which is taken out along the way :-(


Thanks, JB.

So you get you funds faster and I get mine slow, but with no fee involved. . Much better than the deal offered by the Australian banks.


----------



## CJArcher

Happy Australia Day to all my Aussie mates on Kboards. I wish the weather was warmer here in Melbourne. It just seems wrong to have an overcast and cool Aussie Day. Oh well, we'll be at a bbq regardless.


----------



## Patty Jansen

CJArcher said:


> Happy Australia Day to all my Aussie mates on Kboards. I wish the weather was warmer here in Melbourne. It just seems wrong to have an overcast and cool Aussie Day. Oh well, we'll be at a bbq regardless.


Yup. Here, too. We'll be having a bbq for the family and boyfriends/girlfriends.

Sydney has broken its recent trend where Australia Day is one of the hottest days of the year. The hot day was yesterday, but it was kinda lame as far as hot days go. Didn't even pip 35C.


----------



## Meryl Stenhouse

34 in Brisvegas yesterday and looks like the same today. Standard Australia day, although it might rain! 

M


----------



## Goulburn

Beautiful morning here for a walk along the Goulburn River. It will heat up later and I'll have my feet up writing in front of the fan looking out over a wide golden Australian landscape with distant rivergums and a clear blue sky. Just perfect. I am flying the Aboriginal flag beside the Australian flag today as I celebrate being an Australian, if not the date which is a sorry time for the Yorta Yorta people on whose country I live.

Enjoy your BBQs and socialising as I enjoy my rural peace and seclusion.


----------



## Avril Sabine

CJArcher said:


> Happy Australia Day to all my Aussie mates on Kboards.


Happy Australia Day to everyone. Hope you have a great day.


----------



## JB Rowley

I'm sure you'll all want to sing along with the national anthem of Straya:


----------



## Michael J Elliott

Hi everyone,
I'm just about to publish my first short story (can't tell you how excited I feel!) and I just had a quick question. Are ebooks published in Australia only available from Amazon AU? The only reason I ask this is because I reviewed a book for a writer friend and he had trouble locating it until he worked out that it was on the Australian site. Does this mean our reviews and those who review our works can only be seen on the Australian site?


----------



## JB Rowley

Michael J Elliott said:


> Hi everyone,
> I'm just about to publish my first short story (can't tell you how excited I feel!) and I just had a quick question. Are ebooks published in Australia only available from Amazon AU? The only reason I ask this is because I reviewed a book for a writer friend and he had trouble locating it until he worked out that it was on the Australian site. Does this mean our reviews and those who review our works can only be seen on the Australian site?


Congratulations, Michael. Publishing your work is exciting.

When you upload your ebook you will have the option of making it available worldwide, not just in the AU store. See this link: https://kdp.amazon.com/help?topicId=A1H1OSSLAY4B4F

Reviews are kept separate. For example, reviews done in the AU store do not show up on the product page for your book in other stores (such as US store - Amazon.com). However, there will be a link at the bottom of your book's product page in the AU store (and UK and others) to reviews in the US store.

JB


----------



## Avril Sabine

Michael J Elliott said:


> I'm just about to publish my first short story.


Congratulations.


----------



## Michael J Elliott

JB Rowley said:


> Congratulations, Michael. Publishing your work is exciting.
> 
> When you upload your ebook you will have the option of making it available worldwide, not just in the AU store. See this link: https://kdp.amazon.com/help?topicId=A1H1OSSLAY4B4F
> 
> Reviews are kept separate. For example, reviews done in the AU store do not show up on the product page for your book in other stores (such as US store - Amazon.com). However, there will be a link at the bottom of your book's product page in the AU store (and UK and others) to reviews in the US store.
> 
> JB


Thank you JB! You have saved me from a lot of frustrating web hopping lol. I'm just assuming I'll be able to copy this link and add it to blogs etc for anyone who'd like to see my reviews (good or bad gulp ) )


----------



## Michael J Elliott

JB Rowley said:


> Congratulations, Michael. Publishing your work is exciting.
> 
> When you upload your ebook you will have the option of making it available worldwide, not just in the AU store. See this link: https://kdp.amazon.com/help?topicId=A1H1OSSLAY4B4F
> 
> Reviews are kept separate. For example, reviews done in the AU store do not show up on the product page for your book in other stores (such as US store - Amazon.com). However, there will be a link at the bottom of your book's product page in the AU store (and UK and others) to reviews in the US store.
> 
> JB
> [/quote
> Oh while I think of it, I do have a couple of quick queries my fellow Aussies may be able to help me with. I'm planning to have my short story on Kindle as a free download for a short time, during this period my second short story will be online and then a third. The whole exercise is to raise my profile before I release the collection of short stories under one title. My question is, does Amazon automatically keep track of the "free" period and do they inform you when it's over so you can reset the price OR can you enter the price at the same time you select the free option so it automatically kicks in after the three month free download period? I thought I'd then price the stories at 49c so I can do that whole save so much percent by buying the entire collection for (hypothetically) $1.99. Does my strategy appear sound from the perspective of a "newbie" author? Any help or feedback is always greatly appreciated.
> Thank you antipodean authors


----------



## Goulburn

Congratulations Michael.


----------



## Michael J Elliott

Avril Sabine said:


> Congratulations.


Thank you Avril, greatly appreciated


----------



## Michael J Elliott

Ryn Shell said:


> Congratulations Michael.


Thank you so much Ryn, I absolutely love all the help and support and encouragement offered at Kboards and especially here in our little corner of Aus


----------



## JB Rowley

Michael J Elliott said:


> [/quote
> Oh while I think of it, I do have a couple of quick queries my fellow Aussies may be able to help me with. I'm planning to have my short story on Kindle as a free download for a short time, during this period my second short story will be online and then a third. The whole exercise is to raise my profile before I release the collection of short stories under one title. My question is, does Amazon automatically keep track of the "free" period and do they inform you when it's over so you can reset the price OR can you enter the price at the same time you select the free option so it automatically kicks in after the three month free download period? I thought I'd then price the stories at 49c so I can do that whole save so much percent by buying the entire collection for (hypothetically) $1.99. Does my strategy appear sound from the perspective of a "newbie" author? Any help or feedback is always greatly appreciated.
> Thank you antipodean authors


If it's a free promo which can run for up to 5 days if your story is enrolled in KDP Select, Amazon will reset the price at the end of the promo. However, it sounds like you are considering what is called 'permafree'. That's when Amazon will (or might) match the price of your story if it is listed on other sites as free. You can alert Amazon to the free price on other sites via the product page of your book. It sometimes takes them a long time to 'price match'.


----------



## Michael J Elliott

JB Rowley said:


> If it's a free promo which can run for up to 5 days if your story is enrolled in KDP Select, Amazon will reset the price at the end of the promo. However, it sounds like you are considering what is called 'permafree'. That's when Amazon will (or might) match the price of your story if it is listed on other sites as free. You can alert Amazon to the free price on other sites via the product page of your book. It sometimes takes them a long time to 'price match'.


Thanks JB
I might just save a little time and promote the stories at 49c on all sights totry and recoup some of the money I've spent on a cover design lol. When I thought about it a little more, a few months seemed a long time to have a freebie so I might test the waters at the price I mentioned and if it's not working try the freebie road. BTW I'm using Scrivener and thank goodness it formats the work for you but am I rightthinking that it has to be epub format for Kindle, I was also told you need to put the cover inside the story folder when uploading, I'm terrified Scrivener will place it in the back of the story or somewhere else and mu upload will be ruined are there any video tutorials to show someone how to upload to KDP?
Sorry to constantly pick your brain, I do appreciate your help.


----------



## CJArcher

I just got paid for my .com sales and I have to admit I'm liking the current exchange rate


----------



## JB Rowley

CJArcher said:


> I just got paid for my .com sales and I have to admit I'm liking the current exchange rate


I'm a happy little Vegemite, too.


----------



## JennR

Hi Michael

I'm not JB, but I know the minimum price you can set on Amazon is 99c.

I don't use Scrivener. 

I just upload a Word doc to Amazon. I upload the cover separately where Amazon asks me to upload the cover when I'm publishing a new book.  If my book has chapters, I make a table of contents in the Word doc.

Hope this helps.

Hopefully someone who uses Scrivener can answer your question though


----------



## Avril Sabine

Michael J Elliott said:


> am I rightthinking that it has to be epub format for Kindle


I use pressbooks to create my document to upload to Amazon and also add the cover when it requests it during the upload process. The file I create with pressbooks is a mobi file. I've been very happy with the files I've created using pressbooks and I've tried them on several different kindles and kindle reading apps.


----------



## Guest

CJArcher said:


> I just got paid for my .com sales and I have to admit I'm liking the current exchange rate


It's funny. When the news headlines reads, 'That's another blow for Australian economy', I quietly see how far we are away from the twenty eighth.

'Come on bad dollar. Stay under 80cents. You know you love 79. Australia sucks hardcore. It isn't even worth that!'

It feels so good chanting against the home team (Team Australia)


----------



## JB Rowley

Michael J Elliott said:


> Thanks JB
> I might just save a little time and promote the stories at 49c on all sights totry and recoup some of the money I've spent on a cover design lol. When I thought about it a little more, a few months seemed a long time to have a freebie so I might test the waters at the price I mentioned and if it's not working try the freebie road. BTW I'm using Scrivener and thank goodness it formats the work for you but am I rightthinking that it has to be epub format for Kindle, I was also told you need to put the cover inside the story folder when uploading, I'm terrified Scrivener will place it in the back of the story or somewhere else and mu upload will be ruined are there any video tutorials to show someone how to upload to KDP?
> Sorry to constantly pick your brain, I do appreciate your help.


Hi Michael,

Check out the responses from Jenn and Avril.

And:

Kindle uses a mobi file, not epub. I have used Calibre so don't have a clue about Scrivener. As Jenn said, hopefully a Scrivener user will happen along to answer your question or you can throw it out to the general community at KBoards. (I know how you feel; I remember being terrified that things would go wrong at just about every step when I first started publishing.)

BTW, an excellent reference for you would be _Let's Get Digital_ by David Gaughran. There's a free PDF version here:https://davidgaughran.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/lets-get-digital-by-david-gaughran-free-pdf-edition.pdf


----------



## Michael J Elliott

JennR said:


> Hi Michael
> 
> I'm not JB, but I know the minimum price you can set on Amazon is 99c.
> 
> I don't use Scrivener.
> 
> I just upload a Word doc to Amazon. I upload the cover separately where Amazon asks me to upload the cover when I'm publishing a new book. If my book has chapters, I make a table of contents in the Word doc.
> 
> Hope this helps.
> 
> Hopefully someone who uses Scrivener can answer your question though


Thanks Jenn!
I didn't know you could upload your book cover seperately as the only tutorial I'd seen was a Scrivener one that showed the person adding the cover during the compile process so I assumed that's the way it HAD to be done. I feel much better knowing this as it seems like less can go wrong if I upload a cover file to Amazon seperately


----------



## Michael J Elliott

JB Rowley said:


> Hi Michael,
> 
> Check out the responses from Jenn and Avril.
> 
> And:
> 
> Kindle uses a mobi file, not epub. I have used Calibre so don't have a clue about Scrivener. As Jenn said, hopefully a Scrivener user will happen along to answer your question or you can throw it out to the general community at KBoards. (I know how you feel; I remember being terrified that things would go wrong at just about every step when I first started publishing.)
> 
> BTW, an excellent reference for you would be _Let's Get Digital_ by David Gaughran. There's a free PDF version here:https://davidgaughran.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/lets-get-digital-by-david-gaughran-free-pdf-edition.pdf


Thanks JB and Avril,
I always got confused about which is the right for Kindle now I've written it down. Thank you for that very informative link too, it looks very helpful. I think I should be OK now since I know how to actually write using Scrivener and how to compile my sory and how to use it to format. I'm glad I'm only uploading a short story, I'm nervous enough as it is, if I were uploading a novel I think I'd be a basket case lol. Thanks for your help everyone. Should everything crash and burn expect another post lol.


----------



## Avril Sabine

Michael J Elliott said:


> I'm glad I'm only uploading a short story, I'm nervous enough as it is, if I were uploading a novel I think I'd be a basket case lol. Thanks for your help everyone. Should everything crash and burn expect another post lol.


During the uploading process, you will have the option to preview what your book looks like for those purchasing it. I always preview it. And with each of the 17 novels and short stories I've uploaded there hasn't been a problem, but I will still continue to preview all my future ones. I'm sure the moment I stop doing that final check over I'll upload a file with a problem. It's Murphy's Law. : )


----------



## Michael J Elliott

Avril Sabine said:


> During the uploading process, you will have the option to preview what your book looks like for those purchasing it. I always preview it. And with each of the 17 novels and short stories I've uploaded there hasn't been a problem, but I will still continue to preview all my future ones. I'm sure the moment I stop doing that final check over I'll upload a file with a problem. It's Murphy's Law. : )


Thanks Avril,
That's another thing I've learnt today, I wasn't aware of the preview function, makes a lot of sense and savs a lot of frustration too!


----------



## kathrynoh

*** FYI COMMUNITY SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR FULL TIME AUSSIE WRITERS 

I just thought I'd post a reminder that if your writing is your only source of income (or not if you have a low paying job), you can apply for a low income health care card from Centrelink. With all the changes to the medical system that may be coming in, it's worth getting. I just went into my doctor's office and they have a notice up that they are going from bulk billing to a $27 gap fee for non-health care card holders. So, if you are eligible, do it now 

This page tells you all the income limits -- http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/centrelink/low-income-health-care-card/income-test.

I've just applied so I'm not sure yet how they assess Amazon royalties. It's my first year doing this writing gig as not a hobby so it's all new to me.


----------



## Avril Sabine

kathrynoh said:


> I've just applied so I'm not sure yet how they assess Amazon royalties. It's my first year doing this writing gig as not a hobby so it's all new to me.


They would assess your income on your tax return.


----------



## eleanorberesford

Joining in the Aussie thread!


----------



## JB Rowley

eleanorberesford said:


> Joining in the Aussie thread!


Welcome, Eleanor.

JB


----------



## Avril Sabine

eleanorberesford said:


> Joining in the Aussie thread!


Welcome to the thread.


----------



## Michael J Elliott

eleanorberesford said:


> Joining in the Aussie thread!


Nice to meet you and welcome!


----------



## Meryl Stenhouse

eleanorberesford said:


> Joining in the Aussie thread!


Welcome, Eleanor! I have a friend who would squeal with delight at your covers. I'll check out your books and see if they would appeal.

Cheers,
M


----------



## eleanorberesford

Thank you for the welcomes, so nice to find other people from home. Our issues can be a bit different. And thank you, Meryl.


----------



## Avril Sabine

Nicknacks said:


> Hi!
> 
> Thanks to CJ for pointing me in this direction. I'm not Aussie (yet) but have lived in Sydney for the last few years


Welcome to the Aussie thread.


----------



## JB Rowley

Nicknacks said:


> Hi!
> 
> Thanks to CJ for pointing me in this direction. I'm not Aussie (yet) but have lived in Sydney for the last few years - loving the weather and loving the writing-life. Looks like I'll have pages to read through
> 
> Looking forward to participating more here. Ta


Welcome. Talking about the weather - no, surely not - as far as I'm concerned the only good thing about the this summer (in Victoria) is it reduces the risk of bushfires.


----------



## Michael J Elliott

JB Rowley said:


> Welcome. Talking about the weather - no, surely not - as far as I'm concerned the only good thing about the this summer (in Victoria) is it reduces the risk of bushfires.


Very true JB I'm a fisrt gen Aussie (everyone else is from the UK) and I loathe the Australian summer. The good thing about our current Victorian one is that I'm not dripping beads of perspiration onto my spiral bound notepad lol.


----------



## JB Rowley

Michael J Elliott said:


> Very true JB I'm a fisrt gen Aussie (everyone else is from the UK) and I loathe the Australian summer. The good thing about our current Victorian one is that I'm not dripping beads of perspiration onto my spiral bound notepad lol.


I was actually complaining about how cold it has been this summer, Michael. I love a hot Aussie summer. Where is it!!!!!!

JB


----------



## Avril Sabine

JB Rowley said:


> Talking about the weather -


I complain when I have to leave my air conditioning and venture outside when it's this hot. Some days it's far more than I like. Luckily I've had a lot of edits to do lately so I've got the perfect excuse to remain inside. : )


----------



## Patty Jansen

Apparently we've had the coolest summer since 1948 in Sydney. Especially the last few days have had me check the calendar several times. I love the rain. I don't so much mind the really hot days when there is one of those awesome gusty changes at the end, but I'm not really a fan of the 40C+ days. This year we haven't even had a day over 35C. It's crazy.


----------



## kathrynoh

I'm in Tassie atm and I keep forgetting it's summer. It's so cold here, I have to wear thermals to bed some nights!


----------



## JB Rowley

kathrynoh said:


> I'm in Tassie atm and I keep forgetting it's summer. It's so cold here, I have to wear thermals to bed some nights!


It's pretty much the same here in Melbourne, Kathryn. Heater is on. Rained all night. If this is summer, emus will fly!


----------



## Goulburn

Hello, Aussies. .
Glorious days here in the Goulburn Valley, just as I like them. I sometimes need a fan on during the day but it isn't too hot. Lovely clear skies. We are dryer than Melbourne. Good writing weather. lol,  All weather is great writing weather. I've the front door open and getting a lovely breeze inside to where I write at my window view spot looking out over golden paddocks.


----------



## Avril Sabine

Ryn Shell said:


> All weather is great writing weather.


I second that. : )


----------



## Michael J Elliott

JB Rowley said:


> It's pretty much the same here in Melbourne, Kathryn. Heater is on. Rained all night. If this is summer, emus will fly!


Here's something that will cheer you up JB, I saw a report on the news calling by sporting bodies to ask organisers to better prepare for extreme heat conditions. Apparently current climate modelling says that by the end of the decade Vic and NSW will both have 10 days or more of extreme heat whilst QLD will suffer a whopping twenty more. I hope my portable air conditioner lasts out till the end of the decade lol!


----------



## Avril Sabine

Michael J Elliott said:


> Apparently current climate modelling says that by the end of the decade Vic and NSW will both have 10 days or more of extreme heat whilst QLD will suffer a whopping twenty more. I hope my portable air conditioner lasts out till the end of the decade lol!


Twenty! That's it. I need my entire house air conditioned before the end of the decade.


----------



## JB Rowley

I'm always happy for more heat  - don't wish for extreme heat though. I can usually take it, but it can be dangerous. 

I'm glad they're finally doing something about sport on days of extreme heat. Could never understand why the tennis players had to slog it out in the Australian Open when it was over 40 degrees on the court. Just plain mad.


----------



## Steve Shelley

Hi all, Melbourne writer here.

I've been reading this thread and have enjoyed seeing such a supportive community of Aussies!

Seems to me there's a couple of distinct disadvantages to epublishing from this part of the world, not least of which is royalty transfer.

Apologies if there's already a definitive summary on this, but would someone be kind enough to outline the current pros and cons of each Amazon payment method? 

I have just launched a book and am super keen to set myself up correctly.

Cheers in advance


----------



## Steve Shelley

I have a second question - is there any trick to aligning Kindle Select free days to your organized promo days?

As in, are various time zones a factor? I've setup two consecutive free days so I can absolutely sure my genre pulse promo overlaps!


----------



## Avril Sabine

Steve Shelley said:


> Hi all, Melbourne writer here.
> 
> I've been reading this thread and have enjoyed seeing such a supportive community of Aussies!
> 
> Seems to me there's a couple of distinct disadvantages to epublishing from this part of the world, not least of which is royalty transfer.
> 
> Apologies if there's already a definitive summary on this, but would someone be kind enough to outline the current pros and cons of each Amazon payment method?
> 
> I have just launched a book and am super keen to set myself up correctly.
> 
> Cheers in advance


Not something you asked about, but I thought I'd check to see if you knew where to find the instructions on how to add your new book to your signature.

[URL=http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,41454.0]http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,41454.0.html[/url]

And welcome to this thread. : )


----------



## Marina Finlayson

Hi all,

For those of you with paperbacks published through Createspace, what sort of US $ price are you charging? I can look at amazon.com and see $16.99 or $14.39 or whatever, but amazon knows I'm looking from Australia, so it's giving me the Aussie-conversion version of the price. And I don't even know if those authors have chosen different prices for Aussie dollar customers than US ones.

So I don't know what the going rate for your average US paperback is. I don't want to price my book out of the market. But I also don't want to give it away for peanuts. It's 360-odd pages, or about 90,000 words, and it's not in extended distribution (not yet, anyway. I'm going to try to figure out Ingram Spark for extended distribution). I was thinking maybe a list price of US$12.99, but that's pretty much a stab in the dark.

Thoughts?


----------



## Patty Jansen

Don't sweat it. The higher you price, the more likely Amazon will discount.

Just price it so that you still get a dollar or two from extended distribution, because the Book Depository is where you can get quite a few sales.


----------



## Michael J Elliott

Hi Everyone,
Well after many headaches I've finally published my short story Dinner For Two. I wanted to add the clickable cover to my author signature but everytime I enter Amazon's ASIN number, KBoards tells me it's an invalid entry. I've triple checked the number and written it down and it is correct so why is KBoards continually telling me it's invalid?


----------



## Avril Sabine

Michael J Elliott said:


> Hi Everyone,
> Well after many headaches I've finally published my short story Dinner For Two. I wanted to add the clickable cover to my author signature but everytime I enter Amazon's ASIN number, KBoards tells me it's an invalid entry. I've triple checked the number and written it down and it is correct so why is KBoards continually telling me it's invalid?


Go to this page:
http://www.kboards.com/authorsig/

Add your ASIN into the first box:
B00T2HL182

A little further down the page you have the option to add in links to places like your website.

Click on the preview button.

Under the displayed options tick the 'Update KBoards forum profile' option and choose format 1 or format 2.

Click on the save button which is directly below this line.


----------



## Michael J Elliott

Avril Sabine said:


> Go to this page:
> http://www.kboards.com/authorsig/
> 
> Add your ASIN into the first box:
> B00T2HL182
> 
> A little further down the page you have the option to add in links to places like your website.
> 
> Click on the preview button.
> Thanks Avril
> Still no joy it keeps telling me that my ASIN isn't in Amazon database/invalid. I thought it may be because the story is available from Amazon.au but then that can't be right because noone on this forum would have clickable covers lol. At Amazon my ISIN is greyed out, could it be that it isn't active yet because the short story only went live less than 24 hours ago or because it hasn't had any downloads yet?
> 
> Under the displayed options tick the 'Update KBoards forum profile' option and choose format 1 or format 2.
> 
> Click on the save button which is directly below this line.


----------



## Avril Sabine

Michael J Elliott said:


> could it be that it isn't active yet because the short story only went live less than 24 hours ago or because it hasn't had any downloads yet?


I've been able to add books that are on pre-order (Wyvern is on pre-order) and books as soon as they become available. I added your ASIN (B00T2HL182) to my signature and was able to see it in the preview (I didn't save it though). At what stage is it rejecting it?


----------



## Marina Finlayson

Michael, is it possible you're typing capital Os instead of zeroes? Have you tried copy-and-pasting the ASIN directly from the amazon page into your signature?


----------



## Avril Sabine

Marina Finlayson said:


> Have you tried copy-and-pasting the ASIN directly from the amazon page into your signature?


Or you could copy and paste the one in my previous post. It worked in the preview for me.


----------



## Steve Shelley

Avril Sabine said:


> Not something you asked about, but I thought I'd check to see if you knew where to find the instructions on how to add your new book to your signature.
> 
> [URL=http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,41454.0]http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,41454.0.html[/url]
> 
> And welcome to this thread. : )


Thanks Avril, much appreciated.


----------



## JB Rowley

Steve Shelley said:


> Apologies if there's already a definitive summary on this, but would someone be kind enough to outline the current pros and cons of each Amazon payment method?
> 
> I have just launched a book and am super keen to set myself up correctly.
> 
> Cheers in advance


I don't think there is a summary, but we have had plenty of discussions about payment methods. I prefer EFT. Some people use Payoneer, which might be a good option in the beginning. However, as their fees are based on percentage, the more royalties you earn, the higher your Payoneer fees.


----------



## JB Rowley

Marina Finlayson said:


> Hi all,
> 
> For those of you with paperbacks published through Createspace, what sort of US $ price are you charging? I can look at amazon.com and see $16.99 or $14.39 or whatever, but amazon knows I'm looking from Australia, so it's giving me the Aussie-conversion version of the price. And I don't even know if those authors have chosen different prices for Aussie dollar customers than US ones.


I'm pretty sure prices of paperbacks show the US price. It's converted to AUS dollars at checkout.


----------



## Steve Shelley

JB Rowley said:


> I don't think there is a summary, but we have had plenty of discussions about payment methods. I prefer EFT. Some people use Payoneer, which might be a good option in the beginning. However, as their fees are based on percentage, the more royalties you earn, the higher your Payoneer fees.


Sounds like I should investigate Payoneer. Great feedback JB, thanks!


----------



## Avril Sabine

Steve Shelley said:


> Sounds like I should investigate Payoneer. Great feedback JB, thanks!


You can also ask them to hold payments for some or all of the individual payments. Then get them to start making payments once you're happy with how much has accrued so you're not paying a large transfer amount on a small payment.


----------



## Marina Finlayson

JB Rowley said:


> I'm pretty sure prices of paperbacks show the US price. It's converted to AUS dollars at checkout.


Wow, really? I've never bought a physical book from amazon (shipping kills it), so I didn't know that. You are a mine of useful information, JB!


----------



## kathrynoh

> However, as their fees are based on percentage, the more royalties you earn, the higher your Payoneer fees.


The fees are 1% so, for me, I have to earn over $2,700 a month to be better off not using them. That is for each marketplace too so if my amazon.com sales go over that. I might switch it back to my Aussie bank but can't see ever earning that much elsewhere. Maybe, one day, in the UK. Definitely not in the European markets. There is a $30 annual fee though so I'd say if you are only earning dribs and drabs, it's not worth it and if you are a huge earner, it's not worth it but in between, I'd prefer it over getting paid to my Aussie account.

If you get paid to an Aussie bank account, you have to earn $100 to get paid out in most cases. With Payoneer, because it's a US bank, you get paid no matter how much you earn (except for Brazil). Get a $2 sale in Japan, you get paid for it.

The other advantage for me, with Payoneer, is that your money stays in $US. Since I'm not spending my Amazon royalties at the moment, I figure they way the Aussie dollar is dropping, I'm best off keeping my money in the US. If I transferred it to my Aussie bank and put it in a high interest account, I don't think I'd get enough to offset the drop in our $.


----------



## Michael J Elliott

Avril Sabine said:


> I've been able to add books that are on pre-order (Wyvern is on pre-order) and books as soon as they become available. I added your ASIN (B00T2HL182) to my signature and was able to see it in the preview (I didn't save it though). At what stage is it rejecting it?


Success! Thank you Avril, I took the advice and cut and pasted the ASIN which worked, as it had been pointed out I was probably typing in o's instead of zeros lol


----------



## Avril Sabine

Michael J Elliott said:


> Success!


Congrats! It looks good there. Now onto the next book so you can start filling all that space in your signature. : )


----------



## Michael J Elliott

Thanks Avril,
Short story number two is almost ready, then hopefully the full collection in about a month


----------



## kathrynoh

Urrgghh! I usually don't read my reviews but did today for some stupid reason.

I got a bad one because my book is set in some "vague" country where they use British words but the currency is in dollars! 

So tempted to respond but settled for adding an author note that the book is written and set in Australia. I even resisted mentioning that it's not really all that vague.


----------



## Marina Finlayson

kathrynoh said:


> I got a bad one because my book is set in some "vague" country where they use British words but the currency is in dollars!


Oh, good Lord. You did well to resist responding. So frustrating!


----------



## kathrynoh

Yep Marina, my fingers were twitching on the keyboard but I reminded myself that replying to reviews never ends well.


----------



## Michael J Elliott

kathrynoh said:


> Urrgghh! I usually don't read my reviews but did today for some stupid reason.
> 
> I got a bad one because my book is set in some "vague" country where they use British words but the currency is in dollars!
> 
> So tempted to respond but settled for adding an author note that the book is written and set in Australia. I even resisted mentioning that it's not really all that vague.


I can understand your anger, there are some people from around the world who are very insular and know nothing of life outside their own nation. Don't let the review upset you, I'm sure everyone else could see that your book was set in Australia. Good luck with your sales!


----------



## Avril Sabine

kathrynoh said:


> Urrgghh! I usually don't read my reviews but did today for some stupid reason.
> 
> I got a bad one because my book is set in some "vague" country where they use British words but the currency is in dollars!


If there were no gum trees, koalas and kangaroos they might not have been able to realise it was Australia. : ) I've had some people ask me if we have koalas and kangaroos in our backyard. I hate to tell them yes, because it keeps the myth going, but I do make sure I explain to them that we're on acreage and that most Australians aren't so fortunate.


----------



## JennR

I have a Payoneer account for some of my foreign royalties. They take out 1% when Amazon pay in the money. I've linked it to my Paypal account and when I pay for something in US$ on Paypal, using the US$ in my Payoneer account, Payoneer charge me 1.8% on that transaction.

If you get a wire transfer, Amazon's intermediary bank take out $25 before the money hits your bank account. Then your bank account might charge you a fee as well. Bendigo Bank only charges $2 for incoming wire transfers in AU$.

Bendigo charge $10 for a foreign cheque and it takes 28 working days to clear.


----------



## JB Rowley

kathrynoh said:


> Urrgghh! I usually don't read my reviews but did today for some stupid reason.
> 
> I got a bad one because my book is set in some "vague" country where they use British words but the currency is in dollars!
> 
> So tempted to respond but settled for adding an author note that the book is written and set in Australia. I even resisted mentioning that it's not really all that vague.


It's jolly maddening when a reader gives such a nonsensical reason for not giving a good review. You did well to keep your cool. You might be interested to know that in Australia we also have 'strange names' - according to one of my readers who posted a 'review'.


----------



## Goulburn

kathrynoh said:


> Urrgghh! I usually don't read my reviews but did today for some stupid reason.
> 
> I got a bad one because my book is set in some "vague" country where they use British words but the currency is in dollars!
> 
> So tempted to respond but settled for adding an author note that the book is written and set in Australia. I even resisted mentioning that it's not really all that vague.


Sorry this happened to you, Kathryn.


----------



## kathrynoh

Thanks Ryn. I'm laughing about it now


----------



## Goulburn

Kathryn, ;-) there are things I'd love to share, but not on a public board. One can only laugh at these things. 

I'm glad others write of Australia, lol, we share the risk together.  I cannot write the US, 'he shined the torch', I have to write 'he shone the torch', in the AU way or work around it and just describe the light beam hitting the tree from the torch he held, and avoid the difference between the US and the Australian way of saying things.


----------



## Marina Finlayson

The problem is when you don't even realise there _is _a difference! I had a US editor for my book, and she sent me a page's worth of words and expressions I'd used that would trip up American readers. Though I knew about things like torch vs flashlight, some of them I'd never heard, such as "kitchen bench". Apparently in America benches are only for sitting on, and what we call a kitchen bench, they call a "countertop". I discovered a few things that I'd thought universal, such as fibro and cladding, were purely Australian.

It made me glad my book's set in Sydney with Australian characters. If I was trying to write Americans in New York I'd probably get stuff wrong without even realising it.


----------



## kathrynoh

Yep, it's like a whole other language! I didn't know about kitchen benches. 

But then, there are even those big differences between Melbourne and Sydney! 

My sister mentioned there are a heap of other countries that use dollars but have non-US English too - NZ and Canada included. I guess it's nice that readers care enough to try to guess the setting. I don't explicitly state that the stories are Australian or use real place names.


----------



## Patty Jansen

My editor (who is American) and I had a whole exchange about the word "period". He wanted me to replace the words "Full stop" with "period". And I told him I'd rather die. Urgh no.


----------



## SteveHarrison

The problem is that we are much more familiar with American English than Americans are with Australian English. We've been far more exposed to their culture, while most Americans probably have only a very basic knowledge of us.

While it is annoying when Americans complain about certain words in our books, I also know how irritating it is when reading and a word trips you up and takes you out of the moment. I guess it means being aware of your international audience without diluting the flavour of your writing.

If you know how to do that, please tell me how!


----------



## Marina Finlayson

Yes, it's a tricky balance to strike. In most cases I accepted her suggested changes, or reworded to get rid of the problem, but in a couple I stuck to the Aussie version, such as in the bench vs countertop example. It is set in Australia, after all. I'm sure Aussie readers would realise what I meant by countertop, but they'd all be scratching their heads, going "why is she calling the bench that?" and think I was being a tosser. I figured it was no big deal if the American readers assumed my heroine was leaping over the seating instead.


----------



## CJArcher

Another curly one is "pot plant" which has a whole other meaning in the US    For the sort of plant in a terracotta pot sitting on your patio (that is NOT going to give you the giggles when you smoke it) they call it a "potted plant".


----------



## Marina Finlayson

Good to know, CJ!


----------



## Michael J Elliott

SteveHarrison said:


> The problem is that we are much more familiar with American English than Americans are with Australian English. We've been far more exposed to their culture, while most Americans probably have only a very basic knowledge of us.
> 
> While it is annoying when Americans complain about certain words in our books, I also know how irritating it is when reading and a word trips you up and takes you out of the moment. I guess it means being aware of your international audience without diluting the flavour of your writing.
> 
> If you know how to do that, please tell me how!


This really is one of my pet causes. I was brought up to use the Queen's English and will not abandon it. I cannot and will not spell words in American English such as neighbor, color etc. Thankfully Kindles have dictionaries and most American readers do know the difference. It is also a two way street, seeing American english does  bring me out of the moment slightly. Isn't changing our words such as torch to flashlight simply retarding the American readers exposure to other cultures and writing? Now in today's age with an app for just about everything we could have one that could be downloaded for Australian terms, British, etc. One thing that really annoys me is American sporting terms for baseball football etc, there doesn't seem to be any concessions here for readers outside North America and much of the time, I find myself skipping over the pages or trying to decipher the gameplay. It would be a little like us writing about a game of cricket and expecting someone from outside the Commonwealth to automatically understand the game. I'm sure as epubs cross more and more cultural boundaries we'll see some changes.


----------



## MitchHogan

CJArcher said:


> Another curly one is "pot plant" which has a whole other meaning in the US  For the sort of plant in a terracotta pot sitting on your patio (that is NOT going to give you the giggles when you smoke it) they call it a "potted plant".


Haha! I had that one and my editor told me to take it out! I also had "implants" in my sci-fi novel (for neural implants) and a beta reader said I should be more specific or readers will think of the other kind...


----------



## Stephanie Laurens

FYI: If anyone's interested, this government-funded survey of Australian authors looks legit. They intend repeating it in 2016 and 2017, and seem open to comments on extra questions to ask. It's reasonably comprehensive, and they welcome all, as long as you've published one book (including self-publishing). And yes, it does take about 30 mins to get all the way through. This was sent out by RW-Australia, but is for any authors.

>>>>
A team at Macquarie University headed by Prof. David Throsby is undertaking a major national research project into the creative and work practices of contemporary Australian authors.

All professional book authors who have had a book published (including epublishing and self-publishing, as well as novels, poetry, short stories or transmedia works) are invited to fill out an online survey which is open now until the end of February 2015.

The survey includes questions about authors' experiences of promotion, epublishing, self-publishing, income, piracy and their responses to changing expectations on the part of readers and publishers.

The research will build a reliable, statistical overview which will inform individual authors about their peers' experiences.

Prof. Throsby would like to see a diverse range of authors participate, including genre and literary authors, educational and academic writers, experimenters with digital forms and more, including Australian authors who are based overseas.

As an additional incentive and to thank authors for their time, two randomly selected authors who complete the survey will be awarded a prize of $1,000 each.

Click here to fill out the survey now. http://macquariefbe.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_6KYJz7wrdMMsqB7

The survey takes approximately 20-25 minutes and can be completed in more than one session if needed (note that you need to use the same computer or other device if you want to save your place and continue later).

Authors who complete the survey can nominate to be emailed a summary of the findings, another reason to participate.

Further information is available at here. http://www.businessandeconomics.mq.edu.au/our_departments/Economics/econ_research/reach_network/book_project/authors

If you have any queries about the study, please contact Dr Tom Longden.


----------



## JB Rowley

Michael J Elliott said:


> This really is one of my pet causes. I was brought up to use the Queen's English and will not abandon it. I cannot and will not spell words in American English such as neighbor, color etc. Thankfully Kindles have dictionaries and most American readers do know the difference. It is also a two way street, seeing American english does  bring me out of the moment slightly. Isn't changing our words such as torch to flashlight simply retarding the American readers exposure to other cultures and writing? Now in today's age with an app for just about everything we could have one that could be downloaded for Australian terms, British, etc. One thing that really annoys me is American sporting terms for baseball football etc, there doesn't seem to be any concessions here for readers outside North America and much of the time, I find myself skipping over the pages or trying to decipher the gameplay. It would be a little like us writing about a game of cricket and expecting someone from outside the Commonwealth to automatically understand the game. I'm sure as epubs cross more and more cultural boundaries we'll see some changes.


Right on, Michael. If we 'Americanise' our language, American people miss out on the chance to learn more about Australia and Australians. I have not done American versions of my books. If I do, I'd rather publish two versions: Australian and American. (I haven't investigated that possibility as yet.)

As far as the spelling is concerned, I simply put a 'warning' at the beginning of the book that British spelling is used.


----------



## Michael J Elliott

JB Rowley said:


> Right on, Michael. If we 'Americanise' our language, American people miss out on the chance to learn more about Australia and Australians. I have not done American versions of my books. If I do, I'd rather publish two versions: Australian and American. (I haven't investigated that possibility as yet.)
> 
> As far as the spelling is concerned, I simply put a 'warning' at the beginning of the book that British spelling is used.


Hey JB
I love your practice of a warning that British English is used, it prepars the reader and also is a great compromise. I will use this in my next short story.


----------



## Avril Sabine

JB Rowley said:


> As far as the spelling is concerned, I simply put a 'warning' at the beginning of the book that British spelling is used.


I also put a warning at the beginning of all my books as well as at the end of the book description on Amazon.

'This novel was written by an Australian author using Australian spelling.'


----------



## Michael J Elliott

Avril Sabine said:


> I also put a warning at the beginning of all my books as well as at the end of the book description on Amazon.
> 
> 'This novel was written by an Australian author using Australian spelling.'


How do you phrase your warning Avril?


----------



## Avril Sabine

Michael J Elliott said:


> How do you phrase your warning Avril?


This is what a potential reader will see when they have a look at the book description of Dragon Blood 1: Pliethin on Amazon:

Genre: Young Adult Urban Fantasy.
Word Count: 57263
Sixteen-year-old Amber's life, that was once completely normal, is dramatically changed when she is forced to move to a small Queensland town west of Brisbane. Suddenly dragons are no longer creatures of myth. Amber becomes caught up in their world of clans, survival of the fittest, ancient traditions, dangerous enemies and dragon warriors.
This novel was written by an Australian author using Australian spelling.

In the front of the e-book, they will see (laid out nicer than this with the blurb justified and the * and warning centred):
Sixteen-year-old Amber's life, that was once completely normal, is dramatically changed when she is forced to move to a small Queensland town west of Brisbane. Suddenly dragons are no longer creatures of myth. Amber becomes caught up in their world of clans, survival of the fittest, ancient traditions, dangerous enemies and dragon warriors.
*
This novel was written by an Australian author using Australian spelling.

You can click on any of my books and use the look inside option to see exactly how I've done it.


----------



## Michael J Elliott

Nicknacks said:


> I'm Canadian, living in Australia, and trying to write in a style that appeals to an international market (aka mostly American, I guess?)
> The other day, I was stuck on, "wait is it boot? Or trunk? Aaargh!" lol
> 
> Based on my beta readers' input, I feel like I should just write a disclaimer: this Int'l writer is confused, but hopes you enjoy the story anyway


Hi Nicknacks
I've always been curious about this, Canada is a Commonwealth country, so why does Canada use American English and not British English. I just assumed that because many English words come from French and French is Canada's second official language that Canada would lean more towards British English. This is just another piece of trivia that I like to fill my head with and should the conversation ever arise I'll have the answer


----------



## Michael J Elliott

Nicknacks said:


> Hmm. Well I can't respond for all of Canada! That's interesting, because I always thought it leans towards British English (we have the 'u' in words like 'colour', for example). Maybe it's a more regional thing? I know lots of Canucks near the borders who lean more towards American English, because... why not?
> Frankly, spell checkers of years gone by have underlined the word 'colour' in red, and all autocorrects automatically remove the u's. After a while, we just submit to the evil. Lol


It may be more of a case of assuming our Canadian cousins use American terminology as your recent experience with the boot/trunk goes to show lol. Thanks for filling me in I now know my speeling of colour or nieghbours won't look out of place or unusual for Canadian readers. I also agree that the 'age of the app' has greatly reduced regional and international speeling/grammer problems.


----------



## MitchHogan

FYI: ATO page on averaging your income over 4 years. I have not looked into it in detail, but at first glance it looks like it would help a lot of authors pay less tax.

https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Tax-return/2014/In-detail/Publications/Income-averaging-for-special-professionals-2013-14/


----------



## Patty Jansen

I STRONGLY suspect that Createspace has sneakily opened a printing plant in Australia. I ordered some books two weeks ago. On the weekend it said they were shipped. They arrived today.

They are still charging me for OS postage, though...


----------



## Selina Fenech

Patty Jansen said:


> I STRONGLY suspect that Createspace has sneakily opened a printing plant in Australia. I ordered some books two weeks ago. On the weekend it said they were shipped. They arrived today.
> 
> They are still charging me for OS postage, though...


Hrm, I've done two orders recently, both on their express post option because I was in a rush. The first (single copy proof) took only three days to print and arrive. The second order (30 books), took them a week before they told me they shipped, but then arrived two days later. Seems we both had a similar experience that they seem to be taking longer to print orders, but they arrive faster, which does seem to suggest a new, more local, printing operation! Now when are they going to cut postage cost?!


----------



## Patty Jansen

Maybe we should whinge at CS to cut their postage.

I'm ordering for the Supanovas but this pleasant early arrival of the books offers some additional options (plus it puts more boxes in my spare room )

Often when you order books, the CS website goes to a member survey, and I always put

1. Printing in Australia
2. Hard covers!

In all their suggestion fields. Maybe they finally listened.

*Has hopes for hard covers*


----------



## Selina Fenech

When are Createspace going to catch up and start doing EFT/wire transactions as well? I'm so sick of foreign cheques. I put a hold on my CS payments so I didn't have to deal with them, then recently when my royalty balance hit $1500 US I asked them to take the hold off. So what did they do? Send me a cheque for $300US only. THANKS CREATESPACE. 
Now I'm wondering how many cheques I'll have to deal with before I get the whole balance and can put it back on hold again.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Anyone here going to Supanova Gold Coast? I've just booked!


----------



## kathrynoh

Selina, I'm not sure about Createspace but back when I got cheques from KDP, I asked for a bunch of smaller amount cheques to be cancelled and reissued as one larger payment and they were okay with that.


----------



## Avril Sabine

Patty Jansen said:


> Anyone here going to Supanova Gold Coast? I've just booked!


I'll be there.
http://www.avrilsabine.com/appearances/


----------



## JB Rowley

I have just had my latest book formatted (Mobi/Epub/ CreateSpace, Smashwords & PDF docs) by Paul Salvette of BB eBooks after seeing a recommendation on KBoards by Olivia Jaymes.

Paul offers a sensational service for a reasonable price, is utterly professional and I reckon he deserves a plug. Even if you don't need his services, you might want to check out his website: http://bbebooksthailand.com/ It's very informative.


----------



## Avril Sabine

JB Rowley said:


> I have just had my latest book formatted (Mobi/Epub/ CreateSpace, Smashwords & PDF docs) by Paul Salvette of BB eBooks after seeing a recommendation on KBoards by Olivia Jaymes.


I've been using Pressbooks to format my own and that way I can make as many changes as I wish, such as updating the back matter when I put out another book. I find it very easy to use and there is a how-to section. The one time I had issues I emailed them and they were extremely supportive and quick to help. In case you didn't notice, I tend to get a little enthusiastic when talking about them, but I've had problems with other options so I was extremely happy to find something that gave me a consistent result every time.


----------



## JB Rowley

Yes, the flexibility about changes and willingness to make them free of charge (if they are not extensive) is one of the things I like about BB eBooks.  I also found it reassuring and helpful to be communicating with a 'real person'. Sending the docs to Paul and having them come back within 24 hours looking immaculate with extra elements like 'embedded keywords' taken care of was the aspect I enjoyed the most.


----------



## Patty Jansen

So, apparently the thing that bit me in the garden in December was a white-tailed spider (seriously, do NOT google this immediately after dinner). Had a recurring infection on my leg the size of a 50c piece. Was wondering why I'd been feeling like shit a lot recently. Now have an elephant strength course of proper Penicillin that I hope will do the trick. Ew.


----------



## JB Rowley

Patty Jansen said:


> So, apparently the thing that bit me in the garden in December was a white-tailed spider (seriously, do NOT google this immediately after dinner). Had a recurring infection on my leg the size of a 50c piece. Was wondering why I'd been feeling like [crap] a lot recently. Now have an elephant strength course of proper Penicillin that I hope will do the trick. Ew.


All the best for a quick return to good health, Patty.

JB


----------



## Avril Sabine

Patty Jansen said:


> So, apparently the thing that bit me in the garden in December was a white-tailed spider.


What a long time to be feeling like crap. Hope you mend quickly now.


----------



## Michael J Elliott

Hello my fellow marsupials!
I'm very excited my new short story is going to be released this week and I need everyones help. The story deals with loneliness and depression and the ultimate outcome that the illness can inflict on people ( I have been a sufferer since childhood but went undiagnosed until 12 years ago.)
I thought there must be something more I can do to help and I'm proud to say that Beyond Blue have approved me as an official fundraiser! 20c from each sale of this short story will be donated to them and I have permisssion to say this on the book page. I've also been given permission to use their logo and use the phrase "Michael J Elliott proudly supports Beyond Blue"
Understandably I want to sell as many copies as I can (don't we all ) The story is priced at 99c ($1.27 here) so I will receive 15c from the same with 2/3rds going to BB. I'm just giving a cooee to my fellow Aussies to help with ideas and suggestions to make my blub as awesome as possible, here is just a rough idea I have ATM
*Christmas isn't a jolly time for everyone. Mr Westacott is a widower with no family or friends and only his pet budgie Mr Perkins for company. Why has Mr Westacott posted a Christmas card to himself?
What is in the gold wrapped present under the tree that he has bought for himself? And how will Mr Westacoot ultimately resolve his loneliness? Mr Westacott's Christmas is a dark drama, that touches on the all to real world of loneliness and depression that sometimes remains hidden to us."*
Please feel free to write something better if you can I'll be only to happy to give a credit.
P.S I wanted to upload the cover but I don't know how, when I press image button only img letters appear


----------



## JB Rowley

Good luck with the story, Michael.

As far as blurbs are concerned I usually steal from the professionals (yes, I'm a convict descendant) by copying the blurb of a similar book to mine - one that has been published by a well known publisher and written by a well known author. Then I change the words to suit my book.

I read some tips on writing a good blurb by Marti Talbot as follows: Write a blurb the reader wants to read, not what the writer wants readers to know. Make it short and simple. Choose a character, describe the problem and then hint at what is to come.

JB


----------



## Michael J Elliott

Nicknacks said:


> Hi Michael,
> Congrats. That's pretty cool, what you're doing with BB.
> I'm horrendous with blurbs so I'm sure someone else will come along with advice! I just caught a typo in what you wrote: "that touches on the all TOO", not to.
> And maybe remove the second part of the second question because it reads too long. "What is in the gold wrapped present under the tree?"
> 
> Hope that helps a smidge
> All the best to you and the short.


Thanks
I noticed the typo too but I'd already edited the post one and frankly I couldn't be shagged doing it again lol


----------



## Michael J Elliott

JB Rowley said:


> Good luck with the story, Michael.
> 
> As far as blurbs are concerned I usually steal from the professionals (yes, I'm a convict descendant) by copying the blurb of a similar book to mine - one that has been published by a well known publisher and written by a well known author. Then I change the words to suit my book.
> 
> I read some tips on writing a good blurb by Marti Talbot as follows: Write a blurb the reader wants to read, not what the writer wants readers to know. Make it short and simple. Choose a character, describe the problem and then hint at what is to come.
> 
> JB


Thanks JB
I went to the Kindle store and looked under lonliness and was hit with a ton of self help books, I narrowed the search down to fiction and found mostly romantic titles with blurbs such as "Mary is a lonely woman or How will Evelyn ever get over her loneliness". They weren't very helpful but it did give me an idea on how to tweak the blurb, as suggested I'll shorten it but with a slight modification to the story I can add a line like, *How has Mr Westacott received a card from his dead wife?* Do you think this line is "mysterious enough to get readers interested?


----------



## Avril Sabine

Michael J Elliott said:


> They weren't very helpful but it did give me an idea on how to tweak the blurb, as suggested I'll shorten it but with a slight modification to the story I can add a line like, How has Mr Westacott received a card from his dead wife?


Tell us a little bit about Mr Westacott. Make us care about him and want to know what happens to him next. For example:

It's been x amount of years since Mr Westacott lost his wife to [add reason] and even though everyone keeps telling him it'll get easier, he's still wondering when that will happen. Worst of all, it's nearly Christmas, the time of year when everything reminds him of his wife. Not even the company of his pet budgie helps. Trying to stave off the loneliness and depression he's struggling to hide, he decorates his Christmas tree and puts a gold wrapped present under it. Then spends far too much time staring at the card he placed in the branches, to be opened Christmas morning. A card from his dead wife.

It's just rough, but hopefully it'll give you an idea of what I mean. And obviously not having read the story, some of it could also be completely inaccurate. : )


----------



## JB Rowley

Avril Sabine said:


> Tell us a little bit about Mr Westacott. Make us care about him and want to know what happens to him next. For example:
> 
> It's been x amount of years since Mr Westacott lost his wife to [add reason] and even though everyone keeps telling him it'll get easier, he's still wondering when that will happen. Worst of all, it's nearly Christmas, the time of year when everything reminds him of his wife. Not even the company of his pet budgie helps. Trying to stave off the loneliness and depression he's struggling to hide, he decorates his Christmas tree and puts a gold wrapped present under it. Then spends far too much time staring at the card he placed in the branches, to be opened Christmas morning. A card from his dead wife.
> 
> It's just rough, but hopefully it'll give you an idea of what I mean. And obviously not having read the story, some of it could also be completely inaccurate. : )


Avril has hit the nail on the head. After reading this, I really want to read the story. (No offence, but that wasn't my immediate reaction when I read the draft blurb you offered, Michael.)


----------



## Michael J Elliott

Avril Sabine said:


> Tell us a little bit about Mr Westacott. Make us care about him and want to know what happens to him next. For example:
> 
> It's been x amount of years since Mr Westacott lost his wife to [add reason] and even though everyone keeps telling him it'll get easier, he's still wondering when that will happen. Worst of all, it's nearly Christmas, the time of year when everything reminds him of his wife. Not even the company of his pet budgie helps. Trying to stave off the loneliness and depression he's struggling to hide, he decorates his Christmas tree and puts a gold wrapped present under it. Then spends far too much time staring at the card he placed in the branches, to be opened Christmas morning. A card from his dead wife.
> 
> It's just rough, but hopefully it'll give you an idea of what I mean. And obviously not having read the story, some of it could also be completely inaccurate. : )


That's brilliant Avril!
Do you mind if I use your rough draft as the basis for my blurb? It perfectly encapsulates the feeling of overwhelming loneliness and depression I'm trying to achieve as well as creating an air of mystery regarding the card from his dead wife. Well done!


----------



## Michael J Elliott

JB Rowley said:


> Avril has hit the nail on the head. After reading this, I really want to read the story. (No offence, but that wasn't my immediate reaction when I read the draft blurb you offered, Michael.)


No offence taken JB, being primarily a horror/thriller writer dramatic blubs are completely new to me and as I've discovered, much harder to write. Avril's blurb is brilliant IMHO and definitely "hit" me.


----------



## Avril Sabine

Michael J Elliott said:


> That's brilliant Avril!
> Do you mind if I use your rough draft as the basis for my blurb? It perfectly encapsulates the feeling of overwhelming loneliness and depression I'm trying to achieve as well as creating an air of mystery regarding the card from his dead wife. Well done!


Go ahead. Use it how you wish. Glad it's helped. : )


----------



## Liz French

I currently live in Aus but my Amazon account is a .co.uk one. I file taxes in both the UK and Aus as I own a property in the London and make a small amount from renting it out whilst I'm down under.

I'm just about to upload my first publication to Amazon and am wondering if I should open a .com.au account. Does anyone know if there are any benefits from one to the other? I'm assuming sales will be higher in the UK but as I'll upload to all English speaking Amazon platforms, I'm not sure this really matters. 

As I'm not expecting sales to be massive in the beginning this won't be my primary income BUT of course it would lovely to see the cash coming straight into my everyday Aus account without having to pay to move the money across.  

Are there any major pitfalls with publishing through .com.au I should be aware of? Is this a silly question? If anyone has any experience of this, advice would be MOST appreciated!

Thanks!


----------



## Patty Jansen

For uploading? I don't get the question. You're only allowed one KDP account wherever in the world you are. There is no differentiating between countries. You publish through Amazon. The publishing side isn't split into countries. The AU store doesn't have Author Central anyway. We still pay US tax (even if only 5%).


----------



## Liz French

Ahh ok - I didn't realise that KDP wasn't connected to your buyers account. So I guess I just have to decide which bank account to connect it to, which is a no brainer.

Thanks for taking the time to answer a dumb question I should have Googled!


----------



## baldricko

I'm not sure if I added my name but here I am. 

Hello Michael and everyone. 

What prompted me to do this is seeing the thread after posting on my new Sci-Fi / dystopia / post-apocalyptic thriller cover. What I did not say on that thread is the book is set in Australia mostly. Always did want to write a book set in the Great Southern Land (along with the long thin other Great Southern isLand).


----------



## Avril Sabine

baldricko said:


> I'm not sure if I added my name but here I am.


Welcome to the group and congrats on your book.


----------



## s.tenderbaum

Hello everyone!

I'm a publishing virgin hailing from sunny Queensland. Good to see a lot of writers from Australia


----------



## baldricko

Thanks Avril.


----------



## JB Rowley

s.tenderbaum said:


> Hello everyone!
> 
> I'm a publishing virgin hailing from sunny Queensland. Good to see a lot of writers from Australia





baldricko said:


> I'm not sure if I added my name but here I am.
> 
> Hello Michael and everyone.


*A big welcome to both of you.*


----------



## Avril Sabine

s.tenderbaum said:


> Hello everyone!
> 
> I'm a publishing virgin hailing from sunny Queensland.


Welcome. I'm a Queenslander too. How far into your journey to publication are you? Still in the early stages or are you getting close to publishing?


----------



## JB Rowley

Patty Jansen said:


> I STRONGLY suspect that Createspace has sneakily opened a printing plant in Australia. I ordered some books two weeks ago. On the weekend it said they were shipped. They arrived today.
> 
> They are still charging me for OS postage, though...


I've just ordered proofs for my latest book from CreateSpace via standard postage and the shipping time seems to be the same as it has always been. I ordered on March 10th, they shipped on March 11th and the books arrived on March 25th.


----------



## Patty Jansen

JB Rowley said:


> I've just ordered proofs for my latest book from CreateSpace via standard postage and the shipping time seems to be the same as it has always been. I ordered on March 10th, they shipped on March 11th and the books arrived on March 25th.


Well, I asked them.

They said that the books are printed in the US. There was no explanation for why they now seem to arrive within two weeks whereas before they would take at least six. Also no explanation why previously the boxes would arrive in bags with German postage on them.


----------



## JB Rowley

Patty Jansen said:


> Well, I asked them.
> 
> They said that the books are printed in the US. There was no explanation for why they now seem to arrive within two weeks whereas before they would take at least six. Also no explanation why previously the boxes would arrive in bags with German postage on them.


Interesting. Mine arrived in a box apparently made by Pratt Industries in USA. I can't see all of the original postage information cos Australia Post has plastered their sticker over it but the value declared for customs is shown in US dollars. I've only been dealing with CreateSpace since October 2013. During that time I have never (as far as I can recall) had a delivery take six weeks to arrive -I might have used expedited for a couple of those deliveries. Maybe time is saved because Australia Post is faster than CS expects.

Anyway, I've just placed an order for some stock so let's see how long that takes.


----------



## Selina Fenech

Nicknacks said:


> Hello, lovely people. Everyone gearing for Easter hols? It's my kids' first break from school, and looks like we're going to start it with a rainy bang in Sydney  So, looking forward to building lots of forts
> 
> I was wondering if any of you have your books available in audio format? If so, did you use ACX or is there another option for Aussies without a U.S. address?
> Lastly, if you're with ACX, did you use Joe's Kemah Bay service that he's so generously offered? I've been in touch with them, but haven't signed anything yet.
> I'd love to read your experience. Sorry if it's covered somewhere in this vast thread already. I'm usually good at searching, but had no luck there


I'm just finishing the production process of my first audio book through ACX. Just listened to the last chapter and provided feedback tonight, so the next steps are still mostly unknown for me!
Yes, I'm using Joe's Kemah Bay service and it was all quick and easy to set up. We'll see how it goes in the long run but I've only heard good things (although, who would speak up against Joe  ).
If you're looking for a male voice artist I could recommend a very good Aussie outside of ACX who does audio books, but I don't know how you then distribute the audio book afterwards if not through ACX/Audible...

I've found the ACX process good so far though and like my (female) narrator. I had about 8 auditions and it was tough to pick among the top three who were significantly better than the others. Now I'm almost at the release stage, the really interesting and proving stuff happens next...


----------



## JB Rowley

Selina Fenech said:


> I'm just finishing the production process of my first audio book through ACX. Just listened to the last chapter and provided feedback tonight, so the next steps are still mostly unknown for me!
> Yes, I'm using Joe's Kemah Bay service and it was all quick and easy to set up. We'll see how it goes in the long run but I've only heard good things (although, who would speak up against Joe  ).
> If you're looking for a male voice artist I could recommend a very good Aussie outside of ACX who does audio books, but I don't know how you then distribute the audio book afterwards if not through ACX/Audible...
> 
> I've found the ACX process good so far though and like my (female) narrator. I had about 8 auditions and it was tough to pick among the top three who were significantly better than the others. Now I'm almost at the release stage, the really interesting and proving stuff happens next...


Would love you to keep us posted on how it goes, Selina.

Also, would you mind giving me an idea of the costs involved?


----------



## Patty Jansen

I gave up on the whole audio books thing because I never listen to audio books and wouldn't be able to pick a good narrator if my life depended on it. Also, some discussion here and elsewhere convinced me that, unless you're a really good seller, it's not worth the money and then with the 10% added through Joe's company, I just went "Meh. Too hard. Better things to do". 

Let me know how you go.


----------



## Avril Sabine

JB Rowley said:


> Would love you to keep us posted on how it goes, Selina.
> 
> Also, would you mind giving me an idea of the costs involved?


I'd love to hear this information too, Selina.


----------



## Kate.

I used Joe's service, too. They were very polite and helpful when I had trouble setting up my account. I also received my first royalty the other month - $70 thanks to a bounty - which was hugely exciting!

My story was a novella (23,000 words), and came to slightly over two hours. It cost around $300. I hired my narrator through Elance, then uploaded the chapters to ACX.

If I were doing it again, I'd spend more on a better narrator. Because I was on a budget, cost was just as important to me as quality and I settled for "good", when I really wish I'd shot for "great". The reviews reflect this; 'overall' and 'story' are rated a full star higher than 'performance', and I know that's going to hurt my sales. 

From what I've heard, you can get narrators for as low as $100 per hour, but the really good ones start at about $200 an hour. I think the pros hover around $400? It's expensive, but worth saving up for if your books are selling well.


----------



## Patty Jansen

You paid for it outright and didn't do a royalty share? Have you found it worth the money?


----------



## Selina Fenech

I'll be paying for mine upfront too. Mine is a full novel (will be almost 9 hours completed) so it's a big expense, but when I did the calculations the number of copies I need to sell to get that back wasn't ridiculous. I considered royalty share, but I was in the position to own the work outright and prefer that option, even though it's a risk.


----------



## Kate.

Yes, I went with paying up front. I think, financially, it was a better choice. It doesn't matter if the audiobook takes two or three or five years to earn out, because (fingers crossed) I'll still be promoting and earning a royalty through it in ten years. 

I've also heard it's easier to find a good narrator if you pay up front - not every audiobook is going to sell well, and many narrators prefer a definite salary to a potential salary.


----------



## johnz

Is it still okay to do the roll call thing?

So adding my name to the rollcall of Australian writers. My writing interests are in sci-fi, dystopias, apocalyptic, steam punk, cyberpunk and I have written a thriller and may write more. I have been living in my caravan for the last five years and travelling around northern Australia. It looks as though I might have settled for the dry season in Cairns, but as the politicians say, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility…

I have just added the pinterest button to IE and I’m having ever so much fun with it.


----------



## JB Rowley

johnz said:


> Is it still okay to do the roll call thing?
> 
> So adding my name to the rollcall of Australian writers. My writing interests are in sci-fi, dystopias, apocalyptic, steam punk, cyberpunk and I have written a thriller and may write more. I have been living in my caravan for the last five years and travelling around northern Australia. It looks as though I might have settled for the dry season in Cairns, but as the politicians say, I wouldn't rule out the possibility...
> 
> I have just added the pinterest button to IE and I'm having ever so much fun with it.


Welcome, John. I'm sure you are enjoying your nomadic lifestyle. How marvellous to travel around Australia. I did it many years ago - only for twelve months in an old Land Rover - mostly camping. I was only thinking the other day how I miss the closeness to the sunrise that I enjoyed so much when we were on the road.

If you have anything to share about Pinterest, I'd be interested. I still don't get it.

JB


----------



## Michael J Elliott

johnz said:


> Is it still okay to do the roll call thing?
> 
> So adding my name to the rollcall of Australian writers. My writing interests are in sci-fi, dystopias, apocalyptic, steam punk, cyberpunk and I have written a thriller and may write more. I have been living in my caravan for the last five years and travelling around northern Australia. It looks as though I might have settled for the dry season in Cairns, but as the politicians say, I wouldn't rule out the possibility...
> 
> I have just added the pinterest button to IE and I'm having ever so much fun with it.


G'day John
Welcome to the forum, looking forward to lots of interesting posts with you


----------



## johnz

Michael J Elliott said:


> G'day John
> Welcome to the forum, looking forward to lots of interesting posts with you


Hi Michael. Hearing someone say G'day is certainly welcoming. Thank you. Now I know I'm in the right place. 



> JB Rowley said:
> 
> 
> 
> Welcome, John. I'm sure you are enjoying your nomadic lifestyle. How marvellous to travel around Australia. I did it many years ago - only for twelve months in an old Land Rover - mostly camping. I was only thinking the other day how I miss the closeness to the sunrise that I enjoyed so much when we were on the road.
> 
> If you have anything to share about Pinterest, I'd be interested. I still don't get it.
> 
> JB
Click to expand...

Hi JB. It is a special feeling being on the road. Maybe you'll get the bug again someday.

Pinterest. Do you just don't get it because you know what it's about but it does nothing for you or is it that you just don't get it? I've had my books there for a while but never did anything with Pinterest because I didn't get it either. Just the other day it all clicked. I used to be an artist and I love anything to do with images. Pinterest is entirely image-based so there's no microblogging, or discussions using speech or words. I guess it's similar to Flickr (which I don't know much about) but I get the impression that it's a lot simpler to use. I use it to express who I am using images and I just plain love collecting images on topics that I like. I could sit there all day mucking around with them and organising them and just generally looking at them. I follow the boards (other people's topics) I like and they can follow me so there is a shared community feeling of gathering with like-minded people.

Maybe that's too much information. I'm a Gemini and if you know Geminis that should explain everything and if you don't, then count your blessings. 

I've just added this because I think it's important. I think that the big difference between Pinterest and other social media sites ( correct me if I'm wrong here) is that on other social media sites, when you follow someone, you get everything that they post in your home feed. With Pinterest you have three different types of following - you can follow the person ( the 'pinner') and/or you can follow a topic such as art, and/or you can follow specific boards that a person or pinner has.

What that means is that if a person has five topics or boards and you don't like two of the topics then all you do is follow the other three boards and that's all you'll get in your home feed. Whereas with other social media sites if you follow someone you get everything in your feed that they post.

People who follow me at G plus get a whole grab bag of different topics most of which they probably don't want because they have been following me for one specific topic that I often post on which is landscape photography. With pinterest you don't have that problem because you don't have to follow the person (although you can if you want)


----------



## Marina Finlayson

Hi John, welcome to kboards! I'm a very visual person, so the idea of Pinterest in enticing, but I've never got into it because I've been worried about copyright issues. I'd hate for some photographer to come after me because I pinned their photo to my board.


----------



## johnz

Marina Finlayson said:


> Hi John, welcome to kboards! I'm a very visual person, so the idea of Pinterest in enticing, but I've never got into it because I've been worried about copyright issues. I'd hate for some photographer to come after me because I pinned their photo to my board.


Hi Marina,

Thanks for the welcome. It's precisely because of that copyright issue that I'm now preferring Pinterest for my images. When you grab an image from the web, Pinterest also grabs the metadata that the original artist and/or website put with the image and this is displayed underneath the image when you pin it to a board at pinterest and what's more, this information is carried along every time it's repinned (reposted) on another pinterest board.

Sometimes when you grab an image from the web using pinterest you don't get that metadata. That's not the fault of pinterest. Some websites don't have the metadata with the image. I can now usually tell when that's going to happen because if you click on the image, just the bare image is displayed and there's no text with it. So what I do is I make sure that I copy the artist name and the website link and then when I pin it at pinterest, I add that information underneath.

I should add that someone repinned one of my book covers from one of my boards and it not only carried along my website address, which is where the original image came from, it also carried along the book description.

Sorry this is so long winded. I hope this helps


----------



## Marina Finlayson

This is good to know, John. I must admit I only looked at Pinterest in the early days, but I was under the impression then that the metadata didn't come with the image. I didn't see much attribution going on on the boards I looked at, and it just seemed like it was all going to end in tears, so I didn't get involved. Maybe I should have another look.


----------



## johnz

Marina Finlayson said:


> This is good to know, John. I must admit I only looked at Pinterest in the early days, but I was under the impression then that the metadata didn't come with the image. I didn't see much attribution going on on the boards I looked at, and it just seemed like it was all going to end in tears, so I didn't get involved. Maybe I should have another look.


I'm only a new member of pinterest so I'm flat out learning myself. I seem to recall that there was controversy about pinterest when it was first set up because a lot of concern was expressed about copyright but I have the feeling that it was more based on the fact that the whole idea of grabbing images in this way was new, or so I seem to remember but I could be quite wrong about that. Anyway perhaps pinterest have addressed that issue now. I hope it works for you if you decide to have a look at it.


----------



## JB Rowley

Thanks John. Your explanation re Pinterest was perfect.

I didn't get it because I didn't understand it despite trying very hard and I didn't get it because I couldn't see any value in it. This is the bit that made it click for me: _Pinterest is entirely image-based so there's no microblogging, or discussions using speech or words. _

Now I know why my brain couldn't take it in - no words! What the....

Anyway, now I know (thanks to you) it's not for me - not at the present time anyway.

All the best. JB


----------



## Avril Sabine

johnz said:


> Is it still okay to do the roll call thing?
> 
> So adding my name to the rollcall of Australian writers.


Welcome. Always good to have a few more Aussies around the place. I traveled around in a caravan for a while way back when my oldest was younger and during my second pregnancy. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but had to return to a house much sooner than planned because my second child learned to crawl far too early.


----------



## johnz

> Avril Sabine said:
> 
> 
> 
> Welcome. Always good to have a few more Aussies around the place. I traveled around in a caravan for a while way back when my oldest was younger and during my second pregnancy. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but had to return to a house much sooner than planned because my second child learned to crawl far too early.
Click to expand...

As you say, Avril, being on the road with young children does complicate an already demanding task. For many people the road experience is definitely brought to an end when the first child starts school. I brought my children up on my own and they were cursed with a restless soul for a father. When I finish the Time Machine, there's a few things I'll have to go back and fix up.


----------



## JB Rowley

This is a red alert about a malicious poster on the Amazon review page of one of my books (Mother of Ten).

A couple of days ago this was posted:
*1.0 out of 5 stars Not a review*
I didn't read the book but I wanted to be on record that I'm tired of all the "#1 in a series" business. Doesn't anyone write A book anymore? 
*Donald G. Schofield *

Schofield has simply used the review page to make a point and brought my book's review rating down in the process. He also seems to have rallied others to comment and tick his so-called review as 'most helpful'. (There were so many comments and ticks there in a very short time so I doubt that they are from random people.) Of course I have asked Amazon to remove it. And of course someone who has apparently cultivated a high level of unrefinement does not deserve any acknowledgement whatsover, but I thought it would be worth mentioning here in case he 'attacks' other review pages.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Maybe. TBH, I don't look at my reviews, and this is probably as good a reason as any why I don't. I'd give myself a stomach ulcer worrying about things like this. Potential buyers can judge this type of "review" for themselves. Most of them want a series, so if this guy wants to push his agenda, let him. Most people disagree with him. Bookbub and ENT don't care about reviews like this (I know this because I've been featured with them, *and* with the resulting low review average). Those are the only advertisers I care about.


----------



## JB Rowley

Patty Jansen said:


> Maybe. TBH, I don't look at my reviews, and this is probably as good a reason as any why I don't. I'd give myself a stomach ulcer worrying about things like this. Potential buyers can judge this type of "review" for themselves. Most of them want a series, so if this guy wants to push his agenda, let him. Most people disagree with him. Bookbub and ENT don't care about reviews like this (I know this because I've been featured with them, *and* with the resulting low review average). Those are the only advertisers I care about.


Thanks, Patty. I am one who does check her Amazon reviews regularly and, because I'm quirky, I send a silent thank you to each genuine reviewer. I had better not tell you what my silent message to Schofield was!

I'm sure you're right about BookBub and Ereader News Today (and others). It just got my back up that someone who had not even read the book could rate it.



Nicknacks said:


> That sucks, JB. Sorry that happened to you. If it's any consolation, "as a reader", I often read the 1 & 2 stars and only take into account the 'real' ones. Can't speak for 'most' readers, but would hope they're smart enough to figure it out...? Still, drive-by one-stars suck. Hope they take it down for you.


Thank you, Nicknacks, moral support is enormously helpful.

Yes, I hope they take it down - if only to let the malicious poster know that he cannot do that sort of thing and I hope he doesn't do it to anyone else - (especially not to any Aussies!)

JB - Still smiling


----------



## Michael J Elliott

JB Rowley said:


> This is a red alert about a malicious poster on the Amazon review page of one of my books (Mother of Ten).
> 
> A couple of days ago this was posted:
> *1.0 out of 5 stars Not a review*
> I didn't read the book but I wanted to be on record that I'm tired of all the "#1 in a series" business. Doesn't anyone write A book anymore?
> *Donald G. Schofield *
> 
> Schofield has simply used the review page to make a point and brought my book's review rating down in the process. He also seems to have rallied others to comment and tick his so-called review as 'most helpful'. (There were so many comments and ticks there in a very short time so I doubt that they are from random people.) Of course I have asked Amazon to remove it. And of course someone who has apparently cultivated a high level of unrefinement does not deserve any acknowledgement whatsover, but I thought it would be worth mentioning here in case he 'attacks' other review pages.


I'm sorry this happened to you JB and I can certainly sympathise.
My short stor, Dinner for Two was given a one star review by some moron who said it was "duh duh dhumh" (their spelling). I don't mind constructive criticism as we all do but this reviewer wrote like a complete *******. I tried not to let it upset me and the way I got over it was to remind myself that I had MORE four star reviews than that single one star. What has happened to you really burns me up and is a perfect example of why Amazon needs to tighten up the review requirements. I can't see why they can't have a registered reviewer program like you see on blogs etc. I'm fairly certain people that sign up to be reviewers are more likely to be genuine readers rather than trolls and other undesirables. Keep that chin up JB


----------



## JB Rowley

Michael J Elliott said:


> I'm sorry this happened to you JB and I can certainly sympathise.
> My short stor, Dinner for Two was given a one star review by some moron who said it was "duh duh dhumh" (their spelling). I don't mind constructive criticism as we all do but this reviewer wrote like a complete *******. I tried not to let it upset me and the way I got over it was to remind myself that I had MORE four star reviews than that single one star. What has happened to you really burns me up and is a perfect example of why Amazon needs to tighten up the review requirements. I can't see why they can't have a registered reviewer program like you see on blogs etc. I'm fairly certain people that sign up to be reviewers are more likely to be genuine readers rather than trolls and other undesirables. Keep that chin up JB


Thanks, Michael. Yes, I think there probably is room for improvement in the review system.


----------



## Avril Sabine

I've actually purchased a few books because of negative reviews. Sometimes what one person hates another loves.


----------



## JB Rowley

JB Rowley said:


> Interesting. Mine arrived in a box apparently made by Pratt Industries in USA. I can't see all of the original postage information cos Australia Post has plastered their sticker over it but the value declared for customs is shown in US dollars. I've only been dealing with CreateSpace since October 2013. During that time I have never (as far as I can recall) had a delivery take six weeks to arrive -I might have used expedited for a couple of those deliveries. Maybe time is saved because Australia Post is faster than CS expects.
> 
> Anyway, I've just placed an order for some stock so let's see how long that takes.


Just an update on this. The stock arrived today (possibly yesterday but I did not go to PO yesterday). Ordered on March 24th, despatched on March 25th, arrived April 8th. Pretty quick turnaround, especially considering the Easter holidays.


----------



## Kate.

I'm not sure if it's the same in the US, but this might help explain the quick delivery times:

In Australia, when you're posting to the US, you can choose to send it either airmail or seamail. Seamail takes four to six weeks, and airmail is around a week.

From what an AusPost worker told me, though, they book a certain amount of room on planes each week, and if they don't fill it up with airmail, they'll add seamail parcels to take up the extra space. So if you send by seamail, sometimes your parcel will take 6 weeks, and sometimes it will only take one, depending on whether it's "upgraded".   

If the US works in the same way, that might explain why some parcels are sometimes arriving so quickly.


----------



## JB Rowley

Darcy said:


> I'm not sure if it's the same in the US, but this might help explain the quick delivery times:
> 
> In Australia, when you're posting to the US, you can choose to send it either airmail or seamail. Seamail takes four to six weeks, and airmail is around a week.
> 
> From what an AusPost worker told me, though, they book a certain amount of room on planes each week, and if they don't fill it up with airmail, they'll add seamail parcels to take up the extra space. So if you send by seamail, sometimes your parcel will take 6 weeks, and sometimes it will only take one, depending on whether it's "upgraded".
> 
> If the US works in the same way, that might explain why some parcels are sometimes arriving so quickly.


Interesting. I wonder.


----------



## kathrynoh

JB, I've seen a few reviews like that one books when I've been looking for things to read myself. It is terrible when a reviewer is out to attack the book format rather than the book itself. I always give them an unhelpful vote on other writer's books because they are unhelpful.


----------



## JB Rowley

Good idea, Kathryn. I will certainly do the same if I come across such comments. If anyone would like to do the same to Schofield here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/review/R3PAQDDKW85CX2/ref=cm_cr_pr_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00CGPLWLI&tag=viglink20273-20

Thank you for your support.

JB (I have put in another request for the comments to be removed. Fingers Crossed.)


----------



## JB Rowley

JB Rowley said:


> Good idea, Kathryn. I will certainly do the same if I come across such comments. If anyone would like to do the same to Schofield here is the link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/review/R3PAQDDKW85CX2/ref=cm_cr_pr_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00CGPLWLI&tag=viglink20273-20
> 
> Thank you for your support.
> 
> JB (I have put in another request for the comments to be removed. Fingers Crossed.)


Here is the disappointing response from Amazon:

_I've read the review titled "Not a review" for the book titled "Mother of Ten. I understand your concerns, but the review doesn't violate our posted guidelines, so I'm unable to remove it in its current format._

Incredible! Schofield admits he hasn't read the book and still he gets to rate it! Unbelievable!

I have suggested that the Amazon guidelines need to be changed. I think I was polite.

PS: Thanks to everyone who voted Schofield's review unhelpful - the number of people who voted it unhelpful is now far in the majority. If I can do the same for anyone at any time just ask.


----------



## Avril Sabine

JB Rowley said:


> Here is the disappointing response from Amazon:
> 
> _I've read the review titled "Not a review" for the book titled "Mother of Ten. I understand your concerns, but the review doesn't violate our posted guidelines, so I'm unable to remove it in its current format._
> 
> Incredible! Schofield admits he hasn't read the book and still he gets to rate it! Unbelievable!


How odd that a person can give a review of something they haven't read. If he'd tried to read it and found he couldn't bring himself to finish it, that'd be a different story. But to give a negative review of something you have no idea what it's like defeats the purpose of having reviews.


----------



## Michael J Elliott

I will certainly mark it as unhelpful JB Amazon needs a major policy update and quickly


----------



## JB Rowley

Yes, I agree, Avril.

Thanks, Michael.

Thanks, too, to Nicole for starting this thread. I love being able to hang out here with other Aussie authors.


----------



## SteveHarrison

My opinion is that it should be left up as it makes the 'reviewer' look like an idiot.


----------



## Skate

I received a one-star review recently that simply said, 'Never got it.' I presume he meant he ordered it, but it never appeared on his kindle, in which case the one star was aimed at Amazon services. But I guess he could also mean that he didn't understand it. I just left it for readers to decide. Some things are just not worth the effort of worrying about.

In your case though, JB, I think I would react the same way as you. That 'review' is highly unfair and under your book is not the place for such comments. That's the sort of complaint that needs to go in a general blog or forum. I have two books in a series written, but they are separate books and can be read as such. To presume all books in series have cliffhanger endings and then give a one-star rating on that basis, without knowing anything about the series, is unjustifiable.


----------



## SteveHarrison

Nicknacks said:


> Agreed. Some people write books, some do retail-therapy, and yet others like to do rando one-star reviews. He has an obvious chip on his shoulder.
> Still, Amazon needs to update their TOS


Crazy thing is, there are a million message boards & threads on Amazon where he can vent his sequel-phobia, and there is even a discussion option available for each book. He can also seek therapy to help him cope with this condition.

Call me old fashioned, but I think the review option should be used for actual reviews.


----------



## JB Rowley

Nicknacks said:


> Still, Amazon needs to update their TOS


Yes, they certainly do.


----------



## JB Rowley

SteveHarrison said:


> He can also seek therapy to help him cope with this condition.


Now there's a thought


----------



## JB Rowley

Skate said:


> In your case though, JB, I think I would react the same way as you. That 'review' is highly unfair and under your book is not the place for such comments. That's the sort of complaint that needs to go in a general blog or forum.


Spot on, Skate.


----------



## rchapman1

An author I know received a review that revealed most of the plot and Amazon still wouldn't take it down.


----------



## Avril Sabine

rchapman1 said:


> An author I know received a review that revealed most of the plot and Amazon still wouldn't take it down.


You'd think they'd at least preface it with a spoiler warning.


----------



## SteveHarrison

Avril Sabine said:


> You'd think they'd at least preface it with a spoiler warning.


I got a short review with a spoiler, too, but Amazon never responded to any of my three complaints. It's buried at the bottom of a list of reviews, so I don't worry about it any more.


----------



## JB Rowley

Having run several successful promos of _Whisper My Secret_ (Book #1), I decided to try a promo of its sequel (Book #2). Thought the results might be of interest to others.

I ran a 5 day free promo of Book #2 from April 3rd to 7th with a BookBub ad on Day Two.

Total free downloads during the five days = 42, 177.

*Total Sales for April:*
Book #2: 389
Book #1: 1,952

*Total KOLL/KU for April:*
Book #2: 677
Book #1: 801

*Total Sales including KOLL/KU for April*:
Book #2: 1,066
Book #1: 2,753

Pretty happy with that.


----------



## Bec

JB Rowley said:


> Having run several successful promos of _Whisper My Secret_ (Book #1), I decided to try a promo of its sequel (Book #2). Thought the results might be of interest to others.
> 
> I ran a 5 day free promo of Book #2 from April 3rd to 7th with a BookBub ad on Day Two.
> 
> Total free downloads during the five days = 42, 177.
> 
> *Total Sales for April:*
> Book #2: 389
> Book #1: 1,952
> 
> *Total KOLL/KU for April:*
> Book #2: 677
> Book #1: 801
> 
> *Total Sales including KOLL/KU for April*:
> Book #2: 1,066
> Book #1: 2,753
> 
> Pretty happy with that.


They look like great results  Congrats!


----------



## Avril Sabine

JB Rowley said:


> Pretty happy with that.


Nice!


----------



## JB Rowley

Thanks, Bec and Avril. 

I was especially interested to see how the promo went because the accepted wisdom seems to be that promoting book #2 is not the best way to go.


----------



## Avril Sabine

I have a book launch at the Gympie Library, Queensland if any Aussies are in the area on Thursday 7 May. I've been told there will be cake! The Gympie Library is absolutely awesome.

https://www.gympie.qld.gov.au/web/library/whats-on
*Where*: Gympie Library
*When*: Thursday 7 May
*Time*: 5pm Admission is Free but Bookings Essential
*Phone*: 5481 0859
*Email*: [email protected]

There's also a newspaper article I've posted on my Facebook timeline about the book and launch.
https://www.facebook.com/avril.sabine


----------



## JB Rowley

Congratulations, Avril!

Marvellous article in the Gympie Times. Having just enjoyed a few days warm weather in Byron Bay, I'd love to travel to Gympie and enjoy some more. Alas, it is not possible. All the very best for a wonderful book launch.

JB


----------



## Avril Sabine

JB Rowley said:


> Congratulations, Avril!
> 
> Marvellous article in the Gympie Times. Having just enjoyed a few days warm weather in Byron Bay, I'd love to travel to Gympie and enjoy some more. Alas, it is not possible. All the very best for a wonderful book launch.
> 
> JB


Thank you.


----------



## ZenQueen

I just wanted to drop by this thread and say hi. Thanks for the recommendation Avril! I just noticed too that you had your book launch at the Gympie Library recently. My mother in law worked there for years before moving down to the Noosa and then Cooroy one. Small world!

Now I have almost 70 pages of Aussie writer's thread to browse! I'm so glad I found you guys!


----------



## Avril Sabine

ZenQueen said:


> My mother in law worked there for years before moving down to the Noosa and then Cooroy one. Small world!
> 
> Now I have almost 70 pages of Aussie writer's thread to browse! I'm so glad I found you guys!


It always surprises me how small the world is. Enjoy your reading. : )


----------



## CJArcher

Welcome to the Aussie corner of KBoards, Kirsty. I saw your post in the YA thread too - so great to see another YA writer in the midst. Good luck with your books.


----------



## JB Rowley

ZenQueen said:


> I just wanted to drop by this thread and say hi. Thanks for the recommendation Avril! I just noticed too that you had your book launch at the Gympie Library recently. My mother in law worked there for years before moving down to the Noosa and then Cooroy one. Small world!
> 
> Now I have almost 70 pages of Aussie writer's thread to browse! I'm so glad I found you guys!


Great to have you with us, Kirsty.


----------



## Michael Deed

Hi, 
Has anyone had any success with agents in Aus. There seems to be only about five or six that are actually open to submissions. One of them actually sent me two rejections within the space of 30 minutes which leads me to think they don’t read much past the first sentence if that. Another agent recommended a manuscript assessment agency which was connected to their organisation, which I thought was supposed to be a no no if you were registered. The one non-standard response I got would have only made sense if I was writing a who done it crime fiction book (e.g. she thought I shouldn’t have revealed the name of the protagonist until the end). Again makes you wonder how much they read.
Best wishes,
Michael


----------



## ZenQueen

Michael Deed said:


> Hi,
> Has anyone had any success with agents in Aus. There seems to be only about five or six that are actually open to submissions. One of them actually sent me two rejections within the space of 30 minutes which leads me to think they don't read much past the first sentence if that. Another agent recommended a manuscript assessment agency which was connected to their organisation, which I thought was supposed to be a no no if you were registered. The one non-standard response I got would have only made sense if I was writing a who done it crime fiction book (e.g. she thought I shouldn't have revealed the name of the protagonist until the end). Again makes you wonder how much they read.
> Best wishes,
> Michael


No  I have found the same thing. I submitted to one, waited for a couple of months, got rejected and then had someone from their office e-mailing me soon after saying that they lost my submission and that I should resubmit. Another had their one reader go on leave for about six months and then they had a backlog, so I waited a really long time to be rejected for that one. I also read the requirements on some of the agent's sites... one would only take hard copies, and one said not to send cassettes. I mean seriously? Why would you send a cassette in 2015? And what would be on it?

But then if you don't write with American settings or characters, US agents are less likely to take you too. I did get a really nice response from a UK agent who said I have the talent, but unless I was already successful in Oz, they wouldn't consider signing me. I find it strange that I at least get decent responses from the US and the UK, but really arrogant (or none) from here.

Oh - and I forgot the weirdest one! I told her I had over 20,000 downloads for my first novel (admittedly 18,000 of them were freebies) and she said I should just self publish again because I wouldn't get that many through a traditional publisher.

Which is why I've decided to self-pub for now and use all the great advice I get from people on kboards!


----------



## SteveHarrison

Literary agents in Australia, I've found, have been a waste of time. They are not very direct if they don't like something and come back with, "our books are full," implying someone will need to die before they can take you on.

There aren't many agents here and they seem to concentrate on literary works, which excludes me, but to be honest I can't see how they make any money, particularly as it is easy here to go direct to publishers.

I've had much better, faster and more responsive replies from UK and US agents.


----------



## HobieYak

Hi All,
wondering if any other Aussies have had an approach (via Goodreads) from Murray Books / The Publishing Academy - I think they are based in Adelaide. They have requested a review copy of my book and I'm interested if anyone else has had dealings with them.
Thanks


----------



## JB Rowley

HobieYak said:


> Hi All,
> wondering if any other Aussies have had an approach (via Goodreads) from Murray Books / The Publishing Academy - I think they are based in Adelaide. They have requested a review copy of my book and I'm interested if anyone else has had dealings with them.
> Thanks


They're a partner publishing company. These days there doesn't seem any point in paying a middle man to help you self publish. Murray Books seem to be a bit behind the times with some of their comments such as:_ unsuspecting writers can find themselves having spent thousands of dollars to receive a beautifully turned-out book_ (Most authors these days can find a far more economical path than that.) Then there's this one: _If they're lucky, they might sell a dozen books a week.._. (Believe me, the luck ones sell many, many more than that!)

Before I'd fork out any money to them, I would need evidence that they can achieve for an Indie author more than what Amazon can and good luck with that!


----------



## Michael Deed

ZenQueen and Steve,

Overseas agents do tend to get back to you quicker on average in my experience.
Although, several of their interns sent me the rejections - so they have made the rejection process more efficient. 

The experience of authors on the literary rejections site is interesting to read.
Some obtained an agent or a small publisher after about 200 -400 submissions. By this time, though, you probably would have been better off self-publishing.


----------



## SteveHarrison

Michael Deed said:


> ZenQueen and Steve,
> 
> Overseas agents do tend to get back to you quicker on average in my experience.
> Although, several of their interns sent me the rejections - so they have made the rejection process more efficient.
> 
> The experience of authors on the literary rejections site is interesting to read.
> Some obtained an agent or a small publisher after about 200 -400 submissions. By this time, though, you probably would have been better off self-publishing.


I know what you mean. I gave up on finding an agent after many, many rejections, but fortunately found a traditional publisher direct.


----------



## V. L. Dreyer

I don't know if I count as Australian enough (I'm a Kiwi LOL), but man... agents.  In my early days when I wasn't sure whether I'd publish independently or try the traditional route, I contacted one agent and they were SO RUDE they actually cemented my decision to go indie.  I should probably thank them for it.


----------



## kathrynoh

If you are interested in a trad publisher in Australia, don't even think about agents. A few of the publishers here like A&E have times where you can submit stuff direct (pitch Friday or something like that). With my first novel, way back before e-books were around, I did one of those sessions where you get up and pitch your book -- absolutely terrifying but I did get asked to submit my ms to Penguin and Allen & Unwin. Agents will take you on after you have a publisher interest, not before unless you have a huge list of acceptances with literary magazines or are a famous sportsperson.

When you consider that the average professional (signed to a publisher) author in Aus makes $10,000 a year, I wouldn't even bother.


----------



## V. L. Dreyer

WHAT?  SERIOUSLY?    

Man, now I'm really glad I went indie.


----------



## Myra Kendrix

Hi fellow Aussies,
Do you think I should mention in my blurb that my book is set in Sydney, Australia?
Though the characters and setting are Australian, this book was totally written for a (primarily) US and international audience. I don't want to pigeon-hole it as some exotic, foreign story. 
My book is chick-lit.
Interested in your thoughts,
Myra


----------



## V. L. Dreyer

A lot of readers think that exotic is a good thing, so I'd say yes.  I always found that advertising my book's setting as New Zealand helped my sales enormously.


----------



## JB Rowley

V. L. Dreyer said:


> I don't know if I count as Australian enough (I'm a Kiwi LOL),


Yes, we really should have called this thread the ANZWA (Australian & New Zealand Writers & Authors) support thread. LOL


----------



## SteveHarrison

Myra Kendrix said:


> Hi fellow Aussies,
> Do you think I should mention in my blurb that my book is set in Sydney, Australia?
> Though the characters and setting are Australian, this book was totally written for a (primarily) US and international audience. I don't want to pigeon-hole it as some exotic, foreign story.
> My book is chick-lit.
> Interested in your thoughts,
> Myra


I don't know the answer and I haven't read the genre, but you asked for thoughts!

My opinion would be, yes, mention it. This will prepare American readers, particularly, for the cultural shock of seeing words, spelling and Australia colloquialisms they don't recognise (assuming it's written in 'Australian English'). I'm not sure Australia is seen as exotic or foreign these days - within the English speaking world, anyway - so I'm not sure that would be a problem.


----------



## Michael Deed

I think if you are good at writing descriptions of place and charactors and the novel has a definite Aussie context (i.e. is a thriller about a cover up over refugees drowning at sea, etc.) then emphasise it. If it doesn’t then you might as well throw in a variety of nationalities to give it a more international flavour even if it is set in Australia. But then again one of my pet hates about Aussie movies and books is that they ram Aussieness down your throat and it’s often a version of Aussieness I am not familiar with.


----------



## Shayne Parkinson

V. L. Dreyer said:


> I don't know if I count as Australian enough (I'm a Kiwi LOL).


Everyone's very nice to me when I post in this thread.  Nice to meet you, V. L.


----------



## Shayne Parkinson

JB Rowley said:


> Yes, we really should have called this thread the ANZWA (Australian & New Zealand Writers & Authors) support thread. LOL


Very nice.


----------



## Kate.

I was so, so happy when I accidentally picked up an aussie author. He was casually mentioning different suburbs - Cronulla, Bondi, Kings Cross- that I was not only familiar with, but had actually visited. I kept thinking, _this must be what it's like to read American literature when you're American. _

I think a lot of readers would be interested in a story set in a foreign location, too. It adds a bit of intrigue.


----------



## Shayne Parkinson

Myra Kendrix said:


> Hi fellow Aussies,
> Do you think I should mention in my blurb that my book is set in Sydney, Australia?
> Though the characters and setting are Australian, this book was totally written for a (primarily) US and international audience. I don't want to pigeon-hole it as some exotic, foreign story.
> My book is chick-lit.
> Interested in your thoughts,
> Myra


Hi Myra,
For what it's worth, if it were me I'd mention it in the blurb. Many readers would be attracted, or at least intrigued, by the unfamiliar setting.

My books are very much in and of New Zealand, and that's proved no barrier to readers from far-flung places.


----------



## V. L. Dreyer

Darcy said:


> I was so, so happy when I accidentally picked up an aussie author. He was casually mentioning different suburbs - Cronulla, Bondi, Kings Cross- that I was not only familiar with, but had actually visited. I kept thinking, _this must be what it's like to read American literature when you're American. _


That's what I get from a lot of my Kiwi readers when they pick up my book and find it's set in a very ordinary little town in the Waikato. NZ is so small that nearly all of us have driven through these places at least once. And the Americans, Canadians, Europeans, Brits, etc love it because, "Oh man, visiting New Zealand is like the top of my bucket list!" Exotic can definitely be worked to your advantage!


----------



## V. L. Dreyer

Shayne Parkinson said:


> Everyone's very nice to me when I post in this thread.  Nice to meet you, V. L.


Kiwi! *cling* Hiyas! Nice to meet you, too!


----------



## JB Rowley

I believe there is a discussion about this on one of the many pages of our thread. I don't think you need someone who works with Indie authors; my accountant (http://www.accountingsolutionsvictoria.com.au/ ) has no problem sorting out the foreign earnings.


----------



## Andrew Christie

Just wondering if the ad for Sydney Writers Festival is showing up on other peoples Kboards? I found it a bit surprising seeing how little acknowledgement there is of self publishing in the program. I've been to a few workshops this week and the main impression i've had is of the lack of knowledge about self pubbing and even a lack of curiosity about what is happening.
The only real mention I've seen of it was in a workshop this afternoon put on by NSW Writers Centre (well done them) during which a few of the participants arced up a bit about self publishing. I wasn't there but the twitter feed was entertaining.


----------



## SteveHarrison

It's not just self-publishing, Andrew. I contacted the festival late last year to see if they could include local genre fiction writers, perhaps a panel event, and independently press published books (my publisher is a small company in the UK). They asked me to send a copy of my book to the festival director, but that was the last I heard from them.

I don't think they are particularly interested unless you are with a major publisher, famous or a literary author; preferably all three!


----------



## Michael Deed

Too be fair they had some of the writers on Q and A this week and it was a very impressive line-up. From a quietly spoken Australian female journalist, who has spent many years reporting from Afghanistan, to someone who has rewritten the book on how we treat brain injuries, to someone writing on how we approach death, etc. Was a great improvement to having to listen to dills like Barnaby Joyce and Christopher Pyne every week.


----------



## AllyWho

I'm just sneaking in to ask if this is strictly Aussie only, or can kiwis sit up the back?


----------



## JB Rowley

AliceWE said:


> I'm just sneaking in to ask if this is strictly Aussie only, or can kiwis sit up the back?


Kiwis are very welcome. See bottom posts on page 69: http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,158050.1700.html


----------



## Andrew Christie

I don't have a problem with the quality of the program (and anyone other that politicians on q&a is a relief) - it was really just the ad on Kboards when they really have no interest in what is happening with self publishing. I think really that SWF is run by the big Australian publishers as a marketing exercise. Which is fair enough but there seems to be a deep divide. Is self publishing part of the book industry, or is it a different animal?


----------



## Patty Jansen

As I see it, the events like SWF and others, like writers' cons, are full of people who like to talk about writing.

Self-publishers are more concerned with really practical stuff and actually, y'know, doing the writing (rather than just talking about it).

Of course there is overlap, but I think there are two different mindsets that don't mix as well as they probably should.


----------



## Avril Sabine

AliceWE said:


> I'm just sneaking in to ask if this is strictly Aussie only, or can kiwis sit up the back?


Kiwis are certainly welcome. And we won't even make you sit up the back. Here you go. A nice comfy seat up the front for you. : )


----------



## AllyWho

Avril Sabine said:


> Kiwis are certainly welcome. And we won't even make you sit up the back. Here you go. A nice comfy seat up the front for you. : )


Oh yeah! Thank you.

Hang on though... *eyes comfy chair up front suspiciously* you're not going to throw jaffas at the back of my head are you?


----------



## Avril Sabine

AliceWE said:


> Oh yeah! Thank you.
> 
> Hang on though... *eyes comfy chair up front suspiciously* you're not going to throw jaffas at the back of my head are you?


Absolutely not. It's okay. I'll sit beside you and we can talk books. One of my favourite topis. Good think this is no class with a teacher so we won't get in trouble for talking too much. : )


----------



## Avril Sabine

KylieQ said:


> I agonised over it for weeks but finally decided to go with my gut and use British, partly because it just felt wrong to use anything else and partly because I was pretty sure I'd make mistakes. So it was a huge relief to see that so many other Australians are using our own spelling.


My main consideration was that some of my books are actually set in Australia so I thought it would be pretty odd using American spelling while setting it in Australia. Then I thought that if I used it for some and not all it would be even more strange. So I stuck with Aussie spelling and ended up putting a disclaimer in the front so Americans know not to expect their spelling. It's also stopped the emails from people pointing out supposed spelling errors.


----------



## Shayne Parkinson

KylieQ said:


> I still come back to the issue of I'm probably going to make mistakes with words that I never even realised were spelt differently.


I'd be worried about that, too, Kylie (I use British/Kiwi spellings, vocab, punctuation, etc), especially with word usage. Sometimes readers have mentioned (in a positive, I-enjoyed-finding-out-something-new way) usages that were unfamiliar to them that I really hadn't thought of. I mean, I knew "go crook at" would be unexpected  but a few that took me by surprise: "sorted out", "cheeky", "have a lie-down".


----------



## Michael Deed

> As I see it, the events like SWF and others, like writers' cons, are full of people who like to talk about writing.
> 
> Self-publishers are more concerned with really practical stuff and actually, y'know, doing the writing (rather than just talking about it).
> 
> Of course there is overlap, but I think there are two different mindsets that don't mix as well as they probably should.


I think that's a caricature of writer's conferences. One of this year's female attendees has spent many years in Afghanistan risking her life, serious injury and sexual assault reporting on the awful plight of woman in that country. So I wouldn't describe what's she's doing as just talking. Nor would I suggest that someone like the likes of David Marr is just talking. He is always worth listening to.

People are being forced to go into self-publishing because it is far more difficult than ever in many areas to the traditional path without having great contacts or being famous. But there is nothing particular virtuous about self-publishing in itself.


----------



## AllyWho

Are there any book/writing/author events in Australia that are worth coming over for? I'd love a chance to connect with others and I'm not sure that NZ has much to offer for indies.


----------



## JB Rowley

KylieQ said:


> Good morning all
> It's a chilly morning here in Brisbane today. It's taken me about a week but I've *finally* read through all 70 pages of this thread. I was very relieved to see the discussions about British vs US spelling. Most of my writer friends are American and whenever I've asked about spelling, the answer has been that I absolutely must use American spelling. I agonised over it for weeks but finally decided to go with my gut and use British, partly because it just felt wrong to use anything else and partly because I was pretty sure I'd make mistakes. So it was a huge relief to see that so many other Australians are using our own spelling.


Good for you. After all, there are plenty of American books using US spelling and US expressions that are best sellers outside of America. That should be enough evidence that using local spelling and regional expressions is no drawback to success.


----------



## Michael J Elliott

G'day everyone,
I just wanted to check with my fellow Aussies to see if any of you have noticed a slump in sales or stagnation. I ran a BKnights promo for my new story Sharpshooter with only two sales, was given a refund, tried again with Dinner For Two zero sales. I've just been given a third refund by BKnights and I'm trying Sharpshooter again. Has anyone else had unsuccessful promos recently? 
I've heard the North American summer period is a slow time for books but it can't account for a complete stall in sales as I've read on KBoards.
Anyone going through similar please let me know


----------



## CJArcher

AliceWE said:


> Are there any book/writing/author events in Australia that are worth coming over for? I'd love a chance to connect with others and I'm not sure that NZ has much to offer for indies.


Your book cover looks like a romance novel, am I right? If you write romance, the RWAus conference is good for either indie or trad. The RWNZ probably is too, but I've never done that one. There are indie sessions and several Aussie romance writers are either all indie now or hybrid. It might be worth checking out your RWNZ one first to see what they're offering this year. RWAus conference is held in August in Melbourne this year.


----------



## Shayne Parkinson

CJArcher said:


> Your book cover looks like a romance novel, am I right? If you write romance, the RWAus conference is good for either indie or trad. The RWNZ probably is too, but I've never done that one. There are indie sessions and several Aussie romance writers are either all indie now or hybrid. It might be worth checking out your RWNZ one first to see what they're offering this year. RWAus conference is held in August in Melbourne this year.


FWIW, RWNZ have had people from Smashwords as speakers at their conferences, including at last year's one, and I've certainly got the impression that the conferences are indie-friendly.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Michael Deed said:


> I think that's a caricature of writer's conferences. One of this year's female attendees has spent many years in Afghanistan risking her life, serious injury and sexual assault reporting on the awful plight of woman in that country. So I wouldn't describe what's she's doing as just talking. Nor would I suggest that someone like the likes of David Marr is just talking. He is always worth listening to.
> 
> People are being forced to go into self-publishing because it is far more difficult than ever in many areas to the traditional path without having great contacts or being famous. But there is nothing particular virtuous about self-publishing in itself.


So. That was a deliberately provocative statement on my part, and unfortunately, I stand by it.

Note that I'm *not* saying that these events aren't worthy, and that you shouldn't go. Nor that any of the program isn't good. I attend cons myself. I've attended many worthy panels.

But. Big but. They're mostly populated by a lot of peripheral stuff (interesting stuff, but peripheral stuff) that may not be what a selfpublishing writer is looking for. Also, I've found that I don't mention that I self publish when I go to those places. A lot of people tend to be snubby and hostile when you mention it.

So yeah, they are two different mindsets. Not one is more worthy than the other. Just different, and you need to attend these events with different mindsets. I've found this to still be the sad reality.

As for events, I tend to enjoy the Supanovas for sales and go to the genre related cons for the other stuff. The NSW Writers' Centre does a regular SFF day that's worth going to.


----------



## AllyWho

CJArcher said:


> Your book cover looks like a romance novel, am I right? If you write romance, the RWAus conference is good for either indie or trad. The RWNZ probably is too, but I've never done that one. There are indie sessions and several Aussie romance writers are either all indie now or hybrid. It might be worth checking out your RWNZ one first to see what they're offering this year. RWAus conference is held in August in Melbourne this year.


Yes and thank you. I've only just joined the RWA and haven't looked into local chapters yet. I'll go do some digging, I thought any events in Oz would be better/bigger/involve duty free alcohol...


----------



## The Bass Bagwhan

Michael J Elliott said:


> G'day everyone,
> I just wanted to check with my fellow Aussies to see if any of you have noticed a slump in sales or stagnation. I ran a BKnights promo for my new story Sharpshooter with only two sales, was given a refund, tried again with Dinner For Two zero sales. I've just been given a third refund by BKnights and I'm trying Sharpshooter again. Has anyone else had unsuccessful promos recently?
> I've heard the North American summer period is a slow time for books but it can't account for a complete stall in sales as I've read on KBoards.
> Anyone going through similar please let me know


Hey Michael, my experience in the past few weeks: I promo'd two books with Bknights within a few days of each other. One was "Twice As Dead", which is a crime/paranormal thing that I didn't discount from $2.99 purely to see if the new cover would have any impact without any assistance from a low price, and the second was a shortish (13K words) horror story called The Hangman's Ghost at $0.99, which again I acknowledge is a difficult sell in a small genre. I took the whole package from Bknights for each, so $20 total and both failed to a point that I got full refunds meaning that for good or ill I've got $40 in the Fiverr "bank" rather than back in my Paypal account.

So today (May 25th) I'm trying something different. Twice As Dead is free through KDP Select and I'm promoting this through a Fiverr service that offers a full blog to a "growing blog board" (or something - it looked promising) and another service that offers to promote the free book to "50 FaceBook Kindle Reader Boards". Both are a simple $5 gig and don't offer extra anyway. I'm not deliberately withholding the names of these Fiverr gigs... it's just that the confirmation emails don't tell you the exact name of the Fiverr gigs - happy to dig them up, if you want.

Anyway, for writers like myself I'm questioning the value of services like Bknights these days because of the predominance of Romance titles and number of books these more popular services are promoting each day. I'd suspect a lot of non-romance readers who have subscribed to these twitter/FB/email feeds must almost ignore them by now, swamped daily by identical covers with romance themes, while voracious romance readers do the opposite and still keep the services valid and successful. Plus, when I checked my Bknights listing on the website, it was very quickly pushed so far down the page I started to think it hadn't been posted - but again, it was simply the sheer amount of titles being promoted. So my "take" on Bknights is that its popularity with romance titles/readers has seriously diluted its effectiveness for other genres. I'm not blaming BKnights or criticising the service it offers - I'm only suggesting that it's become irrelevant to many genres.

I might suffer the same issue with today's promo's. Until I get links to the actual posts and see the competition it'll be too hard to tell. To be honest, while the "Kindle Board" seemed like a slightly different option, I'm persevering with Fiverr promo's because I've got $40 Fiverr credits to spend... what else can I do?

The solution always is to target your promotions at readers who read your genre of books and avoid the clutter of romance titles, but exactly how to achieve that is the million dollar question. It's debated over and over again on KBoards and threads like these and no one has a definitive answer. But I do suspect that a lot of promotional services that have worked in the past are certainly less effective now.


----------



## kathrynoh

I'd say the decreasing effectiveness is not so much the "clutter" of romance titles but that the service has become so popular that there are too many books included each day. I'm surprised they haven't got an add-on to be featured more prominently in the listings, say the top 5 spots.


----------



## Michael J Elliott

Graeme Hague said:


> Hey Michael, my experience in the past few weeks: I promo'd two books with Bknights within a few days of each other. One was "Twice As Dead", which is a crime/paranormal thing that I didn't discount from $2.99 purely to see if the new cover would have any impact without any assistance from a low price, and the second was a shortish (13K words) horror story called The Hangman's Ghost at $0.99, which again I acknowledge is a difficult sell in a small genre. I took the whole package from Bknights for each, so $20 total and both failed to a point that I got full refunds meaning that for good or ill I've got $40 in the Fiverr "bank" rather than back in my Paypal account.
> 
> So today (May 25th) I'm trying something different. Twice As Dead is free through KDP Select and I'm promoting this through a Fiverr service that offers a full blog to a "growing blog board" (or something - it looked promising) and another service that offers to promote the free book to "50 FaceBook Kindle Reader Boards". Both are a simple $5 gig and don't offer extra anyway. I'm not deliberately withholding the names of these Fiverr gigs... it's just that the confirmation emails don't tell you the exact name of the Fiverr gigs - happy to dig them up, if you want.
> 
> Anyway, for writers like myself I'm questioning the value of services like Bknights these days because of the predominance of Romance titles and number of books these more popular services are promoting each day. I'd suspect a lot of non-romance readers who have subscribed to these twitter/FB/email feeds must almost ignore them by now, swamped daily by identical covers with romance themes, while voracious romance readers do the opposite and still keep the services valid and successful. Plus, when I checked my Bknights listing on the website, it was very quickly pushed so far down the page I started to think it hadn't been posted - but again, it was simply the sheer amount of titles being promoted. So my "take" on Bknights is that its popularity with romance titles/readers has seriously diluted its effectiveness for other genres. I'm not blaming BKnights or criticising the service it offers - I'm only suggesting that it's become irrelevant to many genres.
> 
> I might suffer the same issue with today's promo's. Until I get links to the actual posts and see the competition it'll be too hard to tell. To be honest, while the "Kindle Board" seemed like a slightly different option, I'm persevering with Fiverr promo's because I've got $40 Fiverr credits to spend... what else can I do?
> 
> The solution always is to target your promotions at readers who read your genre of books and avoid the clutter of romance titles, but exactly how to achieve that is the million dollar question. It's debated over and over again on KBoards and threads like these and no one has a definitive answer. But I do suspect that a lot of promotional services that have worked in the past are certainly less effective now.


Yes I agree Graeme!
I found Sharpshooter way down at the bottom of the pag at a point I suspect most readers become bored or aren't really looking. I think Bknights promos would be far more effective if they limited the type of genres they feature per promo and let's face it, horror is already a bugger of a genre to sell. I suspect that romance and erotica are just the flavour of the month, whilst they have had a huge free boost from 50 shades that has helped propel the genre. Sadly there are still two more of the movies to come so we may just need to ride out the wave lol. Remember what Twilight did for Vampire and YA? 
I'm busy concentrating on getting my short story collection, Portraits Of Dread finished which I hope may do better than the few shorts I have out.
Good luck with your sales
Graeme!


----------



## kathrynoh

I hardly think that romance can be called flavour of the month!


----------



## Michael Deed

Re flavor of the month.

Prior to Indie publishing the likes of Barbara Cartland wrote over 700 awful romance novels. I suspect the problem for aspiring Indie writers, who wish to get noticed, is not that there are numerous romance writers taking advantage of new technology to emulate her, but rather people are increasing applying the same approach to other genres and flooding the market with garbage.


----------



## Michael J Elliott

kathrynoh said:


> I hardly think that romance can be called flavour of the month!


Sorry Kathy,
no offence, I wasn't trying to imply that the romance genre is flavour of the month, rather the newbies who try to emmulate successful romance writers and flood the market with less than ideal quality books that detract from authors such as yourself. I'm sure the same is happening in erotica as E L James wannabes take readers away from established authors who have been writing in the genre for years. It's a bit like me reading a Dean Koontz book then jumping on my keyboard because I can write something just as good


----------



## JB Rowley

For those of you who missed it here is the link to an article in _The Age_ about Amazon's new KU system.http://www.theage.com.au/comment/new-amazon-payment-system-likely-to-raise-writers-productivity-lower-artistry-20150627-ghx49g

Megan McArdle speculates that (among other things):
•	Serious books may actually be borrowed more frequently
•	People will actually read less of those serious books than they did before
•	The system will result in higher productivity, less craft.
•	Reimbursement for writers overall will probably go down.
•	This might be the twilight of the novel and the golden age of the short story.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Whut?

KU isn't even available in Australia. 

I don't get this article. It seems that some of the literati are constantly spoiling for reasons to kick against popular fiction. If books are "more readable" isn't that a good thing? The changes are actually making it *less* likely that short fiction and serial fiction will be the next hottest thing.


----------



## Avril Sabine

You have to at least give them points for getting it correct that the changes are only about borrows. I've come across a few articles trying to say it's about all ebooks being sold on Amazon.


----------



## JB Rowley

Avril Sabine said:


> You have to at least give them points for getting it correct that the changes are only about borrows. I've come across a few articles trying to say it's about all ebooks being sold on Amazon.


That's true, Avril. However, she somehow gives the impression that borrows are the dominant method chosen by readers. And, her first two points (serious books may be borrowed more frequently but actually read less) don't seem to be relevant to the new KU system - how authors are paid. Did she succumb to the 'temptation to pad'?


----------



## Patty Jansen

I dug up this thread just so that I can complain about how much I hate winter.


----------



## Guest

Patty Jansen said:


> I dug up this thread just so that I can complain about how much I hate winter.


Summer is worse.


----------



## JB Rowley

Patty Jansen said:


> I dug up this thread just so that I can complain about how much I hate winter.


Try living through winter in Melbourne, Patty! Right now the rain is pouring down which is probably a good thing because it means the arctic chill has gone. Even so, winter is winter and I'm over it. I'm already planning a trip to Darwin next July.


----------



## CJArcher

Winter in Melbourne sucks this year. At least Hobart got snow to compensate for the arctic temps, we just get rain, hail and wind then more of the same.


----------



## Liz French

Patty Jansen said:


> I dug up this thread just so that I can complain about how much I hate winter.


I hear you. And this one seems longer than normal. Still, things could be worse, I could be back in the UK.


----------



## Avril Sabine

Patty Jansen said:


> I dug up this thread just so that I can complain about how much I hate winter.


If you want to find winter around our place lately you have to stay up until midnight. Summer is determined to come early this year. I dread to think how hot it's going to be when it officially arrives. I wonder what Antarctica is like in December.


----------



## Marina Finlayson

I'm ready for spring now too! Sick of having cold feet all the time.


----------



## Selina Fenech

Because this thread started out talking about banks and the weather, I had to come back in here to pout. 
Just went to bank a CreateSpace cheque I was pretty excited about, only to be told by ANZ that the rules for foreign cheques over $2000 are completely different to what I was used to (pretty much instant clearance and $15 fee). Apparently this cheque is going to take something like 6 weeks to clear, and cost around $60. When is CS going to hurry up and get effing EFT already? If sales keep up I might have to look into payoneer again...


----------



## AltMe

Patty Jansen said:


> I dug up this thread just so that I can complain about how much I hate winter.


I'm glad you did, because I hadn't seen it before.



Selina Fenech said:


> Because this thread started out talking about banks and the weather, I had to come back in here to pout.
> Just went to bank a CreateSpace cheque I was pretty excited about, only to be told by ANZ that the rules for foreign cheques over $2000 are completely different to what I was used to (pretty much instant clearance and $15 fee). Apparently this cheque is going to take something like 6 weeks to clear, and cost around $60. When is CS going to hurry up and get effing EFT already? If sales keep up I might have to look into payoneer again...


Go Payoneer immediately. There is no point in stuffing around with the Australian banks. Its just stress you dont need.

Amazon pays direct to Payoneer, regardless of the amount, every month. You can use the money with the US$ Mastercard card they give you, or transfer it direct to your savings account, bypassing any bank re-directions that Amazon payments go through.

It takes a little work to get it set up, but imo its worth the trouble.

If your getting $2000 cheques, Payoneer is imo, essential.


----------



## AllyWho

Selina Fenech said:


> ...Just went to bank a CreateSpace cheque I was pretty excited about, only to be told by ANZ that the rules for foreign cheques over $2000 ...


I want to be you when I grow up and have the same problem


----------



## kathrynoh

Well done Selina on earning over $2000 on create space. I think I've made about $20 there total. 

I'd definitely look at Payoneer just for the create space cheques. If you are only paying $15 in fees for other payments, you'd have earn under $1500 a month to come out ahead.

If you don't have an account already, can I send you my referral link


----------



## AltMe

Nicknacks said:


> I have a question, since you brought up Payoneer. I just set my account up & they sent me my card and I see there are already funds in there. Two days ago, I got an email from their 'customer service' department asking me to email ID docs. I don't tend to trust emails like that--so I went back into my account & uploaded said docs. Got another email today, insisting that they need me to email with the attached docs, claiming that they see nothing on my online account.
> I'm not sure what to do--I'd rather do the more secure online-account thing, even though the emails are clearly from '@payoneer.com'. Has anyone else had a similar situation? Think I'll call them anyway: just want to make sure it's not some phishing scam, and I haven't seen anything online about it.


I'm not sure now, but I'm pretty sure I uploaded mine. I would also have had a problem with emailing them.

Find a contact point, and ask them what the problem with the uploads was.


----------



## JB Rowley

We're expecting an overnight low of 10 in Melbourne tonight. Just saying.


----------



## AltMe

JB Rowley said:


> We're expecting an overnight low of 10 in Melbourne tonight. Just saying.


Exactly the reason I live in Qld.


----------



## Liz French

TimothyEllis said:


> Exactly the reason I live in Qld.


LOL Syders is temperate, I've shed the Uggs


----------



## JB Rowley

TimothyEllis said:


> Exactly the reason I live in Qld.


Exactly the reason why I _want_ to live in QLD!

JB  (Thought you'd all like to know I survived the night - but only just)


----------



## Shayne Parkinson

I got home a few days ago from lovely Vanuatu, and the adjustment to single-figure degrees is not easy! We had to dust off the hot-water bottles.

At least it's sunny today, after a frosty morning. And the chill is good for the orchard.


----------



## CJArcher

Selina Fenech said:


> Because this thread started out talking about banks and the weather, I had to come back in here to pout.
> Just went to bank a CreateSpace cheque I was pretty excited about, only to be told by ANZ that the rules for foreign cheques over $2000 are completely different to what I was used to (pretty much instant clearance and $15 fee). Apparently this cheque is going to take something like 6 weeks to clear, and cost around $60. When is CS going to hurry up and get effing EFT already? If sales keep up I might have to look into payoneer again...


As someone who banks with ANZ, I feel for you. When Amazon finally went to EFT it was happy times for me. I don't have your Createspace problem, Selina (a good problem to have!) but if you're getting $2000 cheques every month, could you ask Createspace to wait until you've accrued say $5,000? BTW, it won't always be a $60 fee - it depends on the amount of the cheque. A higher amount will incur a higher fee. Silver lining - the Aussie dollar is so weak against the US!


----------



## Selina Fenech

JB Rowley said:


> We're expecting an overnight low of 10 in Melbourne tonight. Just saying.


In the text notification email that read as "10", and I thought, pfft, that's not cold. Now I get what you're saying!



CJArcher said:


> As someone who banks with ANZ, I feel for you. When Amazon finally went to EFT it was happy times for me. I don't have your Createspace problem, Selina (a good problem to have!) but if you're getting $2000 cheques every month, could you ask Createspace to wait until you've accrued say $5,000? BTW, it won't always be a $60 fee - it depends on the amount of the cheque. A higher amount will incur a higher fee. Silver lining - the Aussie dollar is so weak against the US!


Lol, so you'll know the wait while they fill in LITERALLY five different forms to bank one cheque? It's nuts. Interestingly, for over $2000 it's just a single two page document which is much faster to fill in. But then that gets sent away with the cheque for someone else to process, it seems.


----------



## CJArcher

Selina Fenech said:


> In the text notification email that read as "10", and I thought, pfft, that's not cold. Now I get what you're saying!
> 
> Lol, so you'll know the wait while they fill in LITERALLY five different forms to bank one cheque? It's nuts. Interestingly, for over $2000 it's just a single two page document which is much faster to fill in. But then that gets sent away with the cheque for someone else to process, it seems.


At least you found someone who knew what they were doing, LOL. Every single time I had a cheque, I would be telling THEM which forms to fill in. I do NOT miss Amazon cheques, and my Createspace ones are so few and small that I only have to go to the bank every few months now. Big relief.


----------



## Selina Fenech

CJArcher said:


> At least you found someone who knew what they were doing, LOL. Every single time I had a cheque, I would be telling THEM which forms to fill in. I do NOT miss Amazon cheques, and my Createspace ones are so few and small that I only have to go to the bank every few months now. Big relief.


Lol, did I mention that they only stopped and realised it was a different procedure AFTER they had filled in all the usual forms?


----------



## Avril Sabine

JB Rowley said:


> (Thought you'd all like to know I survived the night - but only just)


Glad to hear it. : )


----------



## JB Rowley

Shayne Parkinson said:


> I got home a few days ago from lovely Vanuatu, and the adjustment to single-figure degrees is not easy! We had to dust off the hot-water bottles.
> 
> At least it's sunny today, after a frosty morning. And the chill is good for the orchard.


You're right to look on the bright side, Shayne. I don't have an orchard and I can't think of anything else that chilly, I mean freezing, weather might be good for, BUT I do know there are only 12 more days of winter. That's a positive.


----------



## JB Rowley

Avril Sabine said:


> Glad to hear it. : )


Thanks, Avril. Happy to house sit for you, by the way.


----------



## Avril Sabine

JB Rowley said:


> Thanks, Avril. Happy to house sit for you, by the way.


I'm guessing that offer is only valid during winter and you wouldn't like to swap houses in the middle of summer when you can actually watch the plants wilt and the heat feels like an invisible force that presses in around you. : )


----------



## AdamDavidCollings

Hi all. Tassie boy here, though I'm heading to NSW tomorrow for a family wedding.


----------



## Avril Sabine

AdamDavidCollings said:


> Hi all. Tassie boy here, though I'm heading to NSW tomorrow for a family wedding.


Welcome to the Aussie thread. I don't even want to think about how cold it must be down your way at the moment. We had a blackout recently so no heater on during the night. It felt like I was breathing shards of glass. Sadly I didn't get much sleep that night. Even worse my laptop battery doesn't last an entire night so I couldn't even work on my story. Although it probably would have been too cold to type, not to mention awkward with gloves on.


----------



## Kate.

My thoughts go out to all of you suffering in the cold. =( It's not too bad on the Central Coast right now, except for last night, when my cat somehow managed to move me halfway off the bed while I was asleep. I woke up freezing at 2am to find I was only half covered in blankets, and a very fat, very happy cat was taking up most of the bed.


----------



## AdamDavidCollings

It certainly has been a bit cool in Tassie lately. I'm usually more bothered by the heat and than the cold, but I have noticed the cold this year.
I just have the oil heater on in the bedroom for a bit before bed. Once I'm asleep it doesn't really matter how cold it is.


----------



## Avril Sabine

AdamDavidCollings said:


> Once I'm asleep it doesn't really matter how cold it is.


You can sleep through your room getting cold? Or maybe it's just my room that gets cold if the heater is turned off. I have a large glass sliding door in my bedroom which is great in summer, not so much in winter. Oh well, I guess one can't have everything. : )


----------



## JB Rowley

Avril Sabine said:


> I'm guessing that offer is only valid during winter and you wouldn't like to swap houses in the middle of summer when you can actually watch the plants wilt and the heat feels like an invisible force that presses in around you. : )


Escaping Melbourne's winter is definitely the aim.


----------



## JB Rowley

AdamDavidCollings said:


> Once I'm asleep it doesn't really matter how cold it is.


Doesn't your nose get cold?


----------



## JB Rowley

Spring has arrived at last. Yay!


----------



## AdamDavidCollings

JB Rowley said:


> Doesn't your nose get cold?


I wouldn't know because I'm asleep. lol.

But yes Spring is welcome this year.


----------



## Patty Jansen

I wonder when the AU store is going to have KU?


----------



## kathrynoh

So, is everyone feeling super rich with the crappy $AU at the moment? I transferred a heap of money from $US in paypal account to my Aus bank account a few weeks ago and am regretting it now


----------



## Patty Jansen

Bleh. It's not making up for the fact that I'm paying my cover designer in English pounds.


----------



## Sam Winterwood

I've been watching the dollar and resisting the urge to get my next book (technically first but not really) out so I can join the rich and famous list.


----------



## AllyWho

Spring is here and in the South Island of NZ we're expecting snow and -2 tomorrow morning, which is good "stay in front of the fire with my laptop" weather.


----------



## FayeHall

Nth Queenslander here  

Pretty sure we've missed Spring and are heading straight for Summer here :/ oh the joys of the east coast


----------



## Patty Jansen

FayeHall said:


> Nth Queenslander here
> 
> Pretty sure we've missed Spring and are heading straight for Summer here :/ oh the joys of the east coast


I used to live in Townsville. Know all about this.


----------



## SteveHarrison

It's warming up nicely here in Sydney, but tomorrow we head off for a holiday on the Great Ocean Road which, apparently is still pretty cold...


----------



## Aussie Bloke

G'day from Sunshine Coast

Grouse weather at mo so the Mexicans will not be going back south just yet!!  

New here, new to Kindle etc.  Looking forward to some "on the spot" learning so as I don't look dumb for too long!

Enjoy your day and BTW we've got sunny mid 20s for next 7 days if you wanna pop by and warm your bones.


----------



## Ceinwen

Still pretty cold out west, but my garden is definitely looking very Springy.


----------



## clavers

Hi 
I just discovered this thread. I am in Coffs Harbour Australia. I'm originally from Montreal Canada, but have been in Oz since 1997.

I'm curious if anyone has any advice re Amazon payments. Is check the only method of payment in Australia?


----------



## AltMe

clavers said:


> Hi
> I just discovered this thread. I am in Coffs Harbour Australia. I'm originally from Montreal Canada, but have been in Oz since 1997.
> 
> I'm curious if anyone has any advice re Amazon payments. Is check the only method of payment in Australia?


No, you need a Payoneer account. This is linked with a US bank account, but you use the Payoneer site.

It gives you a Mastercard you can use, and it can be withdrawn to your Australian account.

Its a 2 stage process to set up, but is well worth the trouble. With one, Amazon pays every month into it, from each store you make sales in, regardless of how small the sales were.

You also need to plug your Australian tax number into your Amazon account details, so they only take 5% out instead of 30%.


----------



## Scratchy_Bitey

You CAN get your payments into an Australian bank account if that's what you want. I get my US, UK and AU payments into mine because they're the largest, then all the little amounts go into Payoneer. It's an option to look into depending on what you feel is more advantageous. You get fees taken out whichever way you go.
Payoneer takes a percentage and wire into an AU account has a set fee per deposit (up to around $25) depending on your bank. That's why I do a mixture. It keeps the fees to a minimum.


----------



## Kate.

Cross, how much would be "large enough" to switch to direct deposit? I have everything going into Payoneer at the moment, but this month is going to be my first $300+ payment. Would you recommend sending it to Payoneer, or DD? (I've been meaning to research it all again, but the percentages and flat fees and whatnot nearly did my head in last time I tried.)


----------



## Patty Jansen

If your payout is less than $1000, payoneer is cheaper. Otherwise it's more expensive. I've found that it's good to ask KDP to hold payments for a month or two, because you get the bank transfer fees taken out per payment, so if the payment is bigger, you pay less. Instead of every month, you ask to be paid every two months. You have to do this manually. There comes a point where potential interest earned on the deferred payment is greater than the fee, but I'm not sure where that is 

I'm letting them pay into my bank account every month at the moment because I can use the money.


----------



## AltMe

Cross said:


> You CAN get your payments into an Australian bank account if that's what you want. I get my US, UK and AU payments into mine because they're the largest, then all the little amounts go into Payoneer. It's an option to look into depending on what you feel is more advantageous. You get fees taken out whichever way you go.
> Payoneer takes a percentage and wire into an AU account has a set fee per deposit (up to around $25) depending on your bank. That's why I do a mixture. It keeps the fees to a minimum.


This only works if you are a National bank customer.

If you are with any other bank, the fee is not claimable on your tax. National do not issue a tax invoice because you are not a customer, and your bank cant issue a tax invoice because its not their fee. With a tax invoice or even it appearing on any form of paperwork (and the notification does not include the fee), you cant claim it as a tax deduction.

So you lose $25 out of each and every payment made to your Australian account.

The transfer from Payoneer to your bank account has no transaction fees because its not a wire.

The only time it works in your favour is if your payments are so large, that losing the $25 is nothing. But if you are being paid $100, losing $25 on top of the tax taken out is not really an option. The cost as far as Payoneer is concerned is cents.


----------



## Patty Jansen

TimothyEllis said:


> This only works if you are a National bank customer.
> 
> If you are with any other bank, the fee is not claimable on your tax. National do not issue a tax invoice because you are not a customer, and your bank cant issue a tax invoice because its not their fee. With a tax invoice or even it appearing on any form of paperwork (and the notification does not include the fee), you cant claim it as a tax deduction.
> 
> So you lose $25 out of each and every payment made to your Australian account.
> 
> The transfer from Payoneer to your bank account has no transaction fees because its not a wire.
> 
> The only time it works in your favour is if your payments are so large, that losing the $25 is nothing. But if you are being paid $100, losing $25 on top of the tax taken out is not really an option. The cost as far as Payoneer is concerned is cents.


Nope. Payoneer takes a percentage. It's actually quite expensive. See my reply above. If your payment is more than $1000 you;'re much better off taking the $25 bank fee, because Payoneer gets pretty expensive.


----------



## Kate.

Thanks Patty, I'm writing that on a post-it note so I don't forget!

I know I withdrew cash from my Payoneer card at an ATM once, and was shocked at how bad the exchange rate was. I think I lost something like $100 on an $800 withdrawal, but I had to go through with it because I needed the money urgently. I was _so_ mad, though.

(I should have known better - any money exchanger can advertise 'no fees', but still make a killing with a horrible exchange rate.)


----------



## JB Rowley

Patty Jansen said:


> Nope. Payoneer takes a percentage. It's actually quite expensive. See my reply above. If your payment is more than $1000 you;'re much better off taking the $25 bank fee, because Payoneer gets pretty expensive.


Correct. They charge 1% of the amount. When comparing costs, you need to also factor in Payoneer's annual fee ($30). (Their conversion rate is 3% above Mastercard's official exchange rate - at least that's what I was quoted in 2012 - might have changed since then.)


----------



## clavers

Ok Thanks for the information guys. It's such a shame that they can't just use paypal ... that would be so easy. But I will look into Payoneer. I know this forum is about kindle, but does any one know if createspace payments work in the same way! 

BTW Happy fathers day to Aussie Dads!


----------



## Patty Jansen

clavers said:


> Ok Thanks for the information guys. It's such a shame that they can't just use paypal ... that would be so easy. But I will look into Payoneer. I know this forum is about kindle, but does any one know if createspace payments work in the same way!
> 
> BTW Happy fathers day to Aussie Dads!


Nope. Cheque only for Createspace.


----------



## Guest

clavers said:


> I'm curious if anyone has any advice re Amazon payments. Is check the only method of payment in Australia?


I'm in NZ, but I receive all my Amazon payments by wire transfer to my kiwi bank account. I looked into Payoneer but it would cost me just as much, but with added steps/hassle. Since my payments are around 10k/month from the US store (and over 1k from other markets) I prefer the security of direct deposit.


----------



## Scratchy_Bitey

What Patty said.
I get a few thousand in royalties, so losing that $25 is better than paying the Payoneer percentage.
I also get Createspace paid into Payoneer.


----------



## kathrynoh

I use Payoneer. It works out more expensive than direct debit but I'm overseas until the end of the year at least so I don't want my money being converted to $AUD then another currency. I find the exchange rate Payoneer uses to be quite reasonable, tbh.


----------



## CJArcher

Anyone else having issues with Kobo's new payment transfer module thingy? I input my personal details, including Australia in the address field, but when I get to the Add New Transfer Method page, Australia isn't available as one of the options to select - I get Hong Kong, NZ & India. Why did they have to go and change something that was working perfectly fine? Why

I've sent off a request to their support, but it looks like my payment will be delayed this month. Sigh.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Is there a reason that you are doing this? Changing your bank account? I changed my bank account months ago, but the only ones paying on the new account are D2D. Not Amazon, not Kobo. I can't even change it at Google.

Kobo has gone completely dead for me this month. It may be the first month in EVER that I don't get a payout.


----------



## CJArcher

Patty Jansen said:


> Is there a reason that you are doing this? Changing your bank account? I changed my bank account months ago, but the only ones paying on the new account are D2D. Not Amazon, not Kobo. I can't even change it at Google.
> 
> Kobo has gone completely dead for me this month. It may be the first month in EVER that I don't get a payout.


I don't have a choice. It's a Kobo-wide thing, and I knew it was coming because some loops I'm on have discussed it. Maybe it's a staged roll-out, which would explain why not everyone has received it yet. They sent a notification a couple of weeks ago to say it was coming and today I got the notice about changing. It's SUCH a pain.


----------



## Patty Jansen

I got it, too. 

But OH FLIPPING WOW!

An email with a live link, asking me to re-enter payment details? Are they shitting me? Which numbskull thought that was a good idea?


----------



## CJArcher

I just received this response from WU customer service:

"Thank you for contacting us. Please be informed that this is currently an error that we are aware of and are working towards a fix for. You should be able to select and add your bank account under Australia within a few business days."

So yeah, no payment until next week. Sigh.


----------



## TheLemontree

Another kiwi here, poking my head around the door and smiling shyly.

Thanks for the payoneer/wire transfer discussions. I had set my account up for wire transfer, but as I'm not earning in 4 figures yet, I'll head across to payoneer.  

Edited to add:  Does someone want to share their referral link for payoneer?


----------



## Kate.

Yeah, no problem!

http://share.payoneer-affiliates.com/v2/share/6197954842143024905

And welcome to the thread. =)


----------



## E.M. Cooper

When you want to promote a book for a US audience there are many promo opportunities. How do you reach Australian audiences?


----------



## Avril Sabine

TheLemontree said:


> Another kiwi here, poking my head around the door and smiling shyly.


Welcome and great to have you here.


----------



## Shayne Parkinson

TheLemontree said:


> Another kiwi here, poking my head around the door and smiling shyly.
> 
> Thanks for the payoneer/wire transfer discussions. I had set my account up for wire transfer, but as I'm not earning in 4 figures yet, I'll head across to payoneer.
> 
> Edited to add: Does someone want to share their referral link for payoneer?


Hi Stacey! Nice to meet you.


----------



## TheLemontree

Darcy said:


> Yeah, no problem!
> 
> http://share.payoneer-affiliates.com/v2/share/6197954842143024905
> 
> And welcome to the thread. =)


Thanks Darcy! All signed up, just waiting for approval.

And thanks Shayne and Avril for the welcomes


----------



## TheLemontree

PS Shayne - your books look lovely.  I love historical fiction, and have wanted to see more of it set in NZ.  I've just downloaded #1


----------



## Selina Fenech

E.M. Cooper said:


> When you want to promote a book for a US audience there are many promo opportunities. How do you reach Australian audiences?


I can't speak to the overall effectiveness or targeting of Aussies, but Booktastic is run BY Aussie authors.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk


----------



## JB Rowley

Avril Sabine said:


> Welcome and great to have you here.


I don't market specifically to Aussies - they're just not that into ebooks yet. (The latest research from Roy Morgan indicates only 7% of Australians buy ebooks.)

If you want to be specific, you can target audiences geographically via Facebook ads.


----------



## Patty Jansen

E.M. Cooper said:


> When you want to promote a book for a US audience there are many promo opportunities. How do you reach Australian audiences?


I think there are several things you need to realise about Australian readers:

- There are only 20 million people in Australia full stop. I hear there are US cities with a larger population that that 
- Of those who shop at Amazon (which is not *that* many), a good proportion still shops at .com
- The market is highly fragmented, with Kobo having a good proportion of the market, as well as iBooks

Promo at Kobo and iBooks can get good results in Australia. However, this is not promo you can buy. You are selected.

As with the whole internet, all promo is pretty much international. Those sales you get on .com when the US is supposed to be in bed? They're likely from outside the US.


----------



## Shayne Parkinson

TheLemontree said:


> PS Shayne - your books look lovely. I love historical fiction, and have wanted to see more of it set in NZ. I've just downloaded #1


  Thanks, Stacey! I hope you enjoy it.


----------



## Sam Winterwood

I still shop in the U.S. store


----------



## RinG

Just doing my taxes, and when I checked my Australian payments (for sales on .au) there is tax withdrawn for the second half of the year, but not the first half? Anyone know what this is about? I'm guessing it's not the 5% withholding, since it's not for the whole year? I mean, it's only peanuts, since I only sell a handful of books in Australia, but just wondering where I put it on my tax return. Is it tax paid in Australia?


----------



## AltMe

Rinelle Grey said:


> Just doing my taxes, and when I checked my Australian payments (for sales on .au) there is tax withdrawn for the second half of the year, but not the first half? Anyone know what this is about? I'm guessing it's not the 5% withholding, since it's not for the whole year? I mean, it's only peanuts, since I only sell a handful of books in Australia, but just wondering where I put it on my tax return. Is it tax paid in Australia?


I'm not sure why the two halves of the year are different.

But for the tax return, you use the 'personal services income' item for overseas royalties, which allows you to specify how much tax has been already paid, which is then deducted from any tax due. If you dont have a taxable income, this is effectively lost, otherwise the tax already paid reduced how much tax you need to pay. You will need to convert the US$ to A$.


----------



## JB Rowley

Rinelle Grey said:


> Just doing my taxes, and when I checked my Australian payments (for sales on .au) there is tax withdrawn for the second half of the year, but not the first half? Anyone know what this is about? I'm guessing it's not the 5% withholding, since it's not for the whole year? I mean, it's only peanuts, since I only sell a handful of books in Australia, but just wondering where I put it on my tax return. Is it tax paid in Australia?


I don't have any tax withheld on sales made on amazon.au. You've got me discombobulated, Rinelle.


----------



## AltMe

JB Rowley said:


> I don't have any tax withheld on sales made on amazon.au. You've got me discombobulated, Rinelle.


I did several times. Not the last couple of payments though.

I wonder though, if they pay into an Australian account, they do take out tax. Aus tax stopped when I moved to a US account.


----------



## RinG

Yes, I assume it has either something to do with paying into my AU bank account, or giving them my AU tax number. I'm just trying to figure out if it's normal tax, that I can claim back though my tax return, or withholding, that I can only offset.


----------



## AltMe

Its not the tax number. Nothing changed when I gave them mine.


----------



## JB Rowley

TimothyEllis said:


> I wonder though, if they pay into an Australian account, they do take out tax. Aus tax stopped when I moved to a US account.


Mine is paid directly into my Aussie account and has always has been, but no tax is taken out.


----------



## RinG

Just had another look, and it was actually the end of last year, and no tax this year. I wonder if it was before I gave them my tax number? 

Guess the only way to find out is to message Amazon.


----------



## CJArcher

Rinelle Grey said:


> Just had another look, and it was actually the end of last year, and no tax this year. I wonder if it was before I gave them my tax number?
> 
> Guess the only way to find out is to message Amazon.


I noticed they stopped taking it out this year too. I thought they just decided that taking out the 5% withholding on AU sales to give to the US govt was odd - it always felt wrong to me. I think the same happened with canada sales around the same time (But I'm too lazy to check right now). I never asked because I didn't want to jinx it, LOL. I prefer to pay my taxes here than give 5% to the US.


----------



## RinG

Yea, when I looked, Canada was the same.

Their info on tax specifically says that they don't withhold tax in Canada, Australia, and several other countries. So I'm really confused. I sent a message to Amazon, and they're getting back to me. Will be interesting to see what they say.


----------



## Mike_Author

While we are on the topic of tax...I have a very basic question.  I am doing my etax now and about to fill out the section on foreign source income as I assume that is where my Amazon royalties go. So - 

a) I have entered the AUD amount in the other section on Personal Services Income.  Regarding the foreign source income section, am I supposed to leave the PSI section blank (as the income will be captured in the foreign source section) or do I fill in both?

b) linked to this, etax is asking me how much foreign source income I earned and how much tax was withheld - however it doesn't specify the currency.  How am I supposed to calculate the tax Amazon withheld to represent as AUD? AUD/USD has ranged from .88 to .70 during this financial year...

c) and to complicate things further - until this point I had just entered this income in my Sole Trader section.  Should Amazon royalties go into the Sole trader section or should I take it out of there and enter it in Foreign income instead?

Understand that we are writers and not tax agents/accountants so I won't hold you to it if things go pear shaped


----------



## AltMe

Mike_Author said:


> While we are on the topic of tax...I have a very basic question. I am doing my etax now and about to fill out the section on foreign source income as I assume that is where my Amazon royalties go. So -
> a) I have entered the AUD amount in the other section on Personal Services Income. Regarding the foreign source income section, am I supposed to leave the PSI section blank (as the income will be captured in the foreign source section) or do I fill in both?
> b) linked to this, etax is asking me how much foreign source income I earned and how much tax was withheld - however it doesn't specify the currency. How am I supposed to calculate the tax Amazon withheld to represent as AUD? AUD/USD has ranged from .88 to .70 during this financial year...
> c) and to complicate things further - until this point I had just entered this income in my Sole Trader section. Should Amazon royalties go into the Sole trader section or should I take it out of there and enter it in Foreign income instead?
> Understand that we are writers and not tax agents/accountants so I won't hold you to it if things go pear shaped


Its all foreign income, including the A$, as its paid from Amazon.com in US$, converted to A$ by the banks.

So its all 1 entry in the tax. You need to convert the tax to A$ before you enter it.

If you get paid into an aussie account, just add up the A$ payments. If into a US$ account, add up in US$ and then convert to A$.

The best thing to do is keep a record of the A$ amounts and the conversion of the tax, each month, using the current exchange rate. But if not, then use the current exchange rate when you do the tax.


----------



## SamuelStokes

Mike_Author said:


> While we are on the topic of tax...I have a very basic question. I am doing my etax now and about to fill out the section on foreign source income as I assume that is where my Amazon royalties go. So -
> 
> a) I have entered the AUD amount in the other section on Personal Services Income. Regarding the foreign source income section, am I supposed to leave the PSI section blank (as the income will be captured in the foreign source section) or do I fill in both?
> 
> b) linked to this, etax is asking me how much foreign source income I earned and how much tax was withheld - however it doesn't specify the currency. How am I supposed to calculate the tax Amazon withheld to represent as AUD? AUD/USD has ranged from .88 to .70 during this financial year...
> 
> c) and to complicate things further - until this point I had just entered this income in my Sole Trader section. Should Amazon royalties go into the Sole trader section or should I take it out of there and enter it in Foreign income instead?
> 
> Understand that we are writers and not tax agents/accountants so I won't hold you to it if things go pear shaped


I am a writer and a Tax agent, so perhaps I can help. (I am also an Aussie so it was nice to find this thread).

a) Use PSI and Business schedule. Avoid the foreign income section unless you have had tax witheld. Do not use both as it will double up on your income calculation.

b) The ATO has specified conversion rates. You can find them here below. Just be consistent with your choice of rate.
https://www.ato.gov.au/Rates/Foreign-exchange-rates/

c)If tax is withheld on it use the foreign income schedule. Otherwise providing no tax is witheld you could include it in your business schedule income without any issue.

If you have any other questions feel free to ask or message directly.


----------



## JB Rowley

SamuelStokes said:


> I am a writer and a Tax agent, so perhaps I can help. (I am also an Aussie so it was nice to find this thread).


A writer _and_ a tax agent? I suspect many of us are glad you found this thread too. Don't go away.


----------



## RinG

JB Rowley said:


> A writer _and_ a tax agent? I suspect many of us are glad you found this thread too. Don't go away.


Yes! Please don't go away.

I have a question. I have had tax withheld (the normal 5%), but my income will be under the tax free threshold. Is there any benefit to me to putting my earnings into the foreign income section? Is there any problem with me just listing them in the normal business area, or is it correct to put them in the foreign income and I should do so, even though I won't get any tax back/have to pay any tax?


----------



## Avril Sabine

SamuelStokes said:


> I am a writer and a Tax agent, so perhaps I can help. (I am also an Aussie so it was nice to find this thread).


Welcome to the thread. : )


----------



## SamuelStokes

Thanks for the warm welcome.



Rinelle Grey said:


> Yes! Please don't go away.
> 
> I have a question. I have had tax withheld (the normal 5%), but my income will be under the tax free threshold. Is there any benefit to me to putting my earnings into the foreign income section? Is there any problem with me just listing them in the normal business area, or is it correct to put them in the foreign income and I should do so, even though I won't get any tax back/have to pay any tax?


Hi Rinelle,

As you are under the threshold there is no benefits to putting it in the foreign income section as the tax paid will not be refunded and cannot be carried forward (they are merciless I know). I would put it in your business worksheet.

Just FYI the income in the foreign income and the income in your business worksheet is taxed exactly the same, my preference for using the business worksheet stems from the added level of detail you can provide. This approach makes an audit much easier. For example when you are not trying to justify I single net figure you whacked in the foreign income section in a tax return 2-3 years back. You would instead have itemised totals of both income and expenses that easily reconcile to your reports (perhaps with a note as to the ATO exchange rate you picked).

It is common these days for businesses to sell goods and services overseas. There is a difference between this income (which makes sense to include in your business schedule) and a lump sum received from a business you control (or have invested in overseas) that trades and operates entirely in another tax jurisdiction (whose figures would be reported at the foreign income item).

I hope that helps. Different practitioners have different opinions no doubt but provided there is no revenue loss to the ATO (ie you are not ripping them off in one place or the other you won't have any issues).


----------



## Mike_Author

SamuelStokes said:


> I am a writer and a Tax agent, so perhaps I can help. (I am also an Aussie so it was nice to find this thread).
> 
> a) Use PSI and Business schedule. Avoid the foreign income section unless you have had tax witheld. Do not use both as it will double up on your income calculation.
> 
> b) The ATO has specified conversion rates. You can find them here below. Just be consistent with your choice of rate.
> https://www.ato.gov.au/Rates/Foreign-exchange-rates/
> 
> c)If tax is withheld on it use the foreign income schedule. Otherwise providing no tax is witheld you could include it in your business schedule income without any issue.
> 
> If you have any other questions feel free to ask or message directly.


Wow thanks for taking the time to answer my question. As others have mentioned, a writer who is also a tax agent is one of those mythical beings, the existence of whom is only speculated in hushed tones around campfires and community centre writers' support groups. The idea that you not only existed, but would also be Australian...this is the kind of quixotic daydreaming I could never allow myself to indulge.

I am torn regarding this as my writing business P&L is all done in MYOB and I already completed the Business Income section. However I also have the fact that Amazon withheld around $1000 in tax (Last year I also did it all in the Business Income section, forgetting that Amazon had taken tax out...probably losing that money for good I assume). So I guess my options are a) Forego the $1000 in tax withheld or b) recalculate my business income by taking out my amazon income and then putting it in the foreign income section...my head hurts...


----------



## SamuelStokes

Mike_Author said:


> Wow thanks for taking the time to answer my question. As others have mentioned, a writer who is also a tax agent is one of those mythical beings, the existence of whom is only speculated in hushed tones around campfires and community centre writers' support groups. The idea that you not only existed, but would also be Australian...this is the kind of quixotic daydreaming I could never allow myself to indulge.
> 
> I am torn regarding this as my writing business P&L is all done in MYOB and I already completed the Business Income section. However I also have the fact that Amazon withheld around $1000 in tax (Last year I also did it all in the Business Income section, forgetting that Amazon had taken tax out...probably losing that money for good I assume). So I guess my options are a) Forego the $1000 in tax withheld or b) recalculate my business income by taking out my amazon income and then putting it in the foreign income section...my head hurts...


Happy to help others however I can.

Tax returns can be amended quite easily if prepared through an agent or with ones help. Depending on your income level etc depends on whether there is value in doing it. It is essentially $1000 tax that you will not have to pay (provided your taxable income is sufficient that you would be being taxed.

I understand you may not want to hash out your personal financials on a message board, feel free to message me privately if you would like some help crunching numbers.


----------



## RinG

Thanks Samuel! I feel a lot more confident about filling in my tax return now.


----------



## A.A

Am doing my tax now and it's doing my head in.

I just went into KDP and looked at payments over the 14-15 year.  What's going on with all the pending (and some failed) payments? I just assumed they were being paid into my bank account. Has this been happening to anyone else? I'm with St George, and haven't changed my account


----------



## kathrynoh

Sometimes the payments stay as pending because the bank needs to confirm the payment with Amazon. Tbh, I'd take the payment amount from my St George account rather than the Amazon amount because often the amount you get paid into your account has charges taken out of it from intermediary banks. You never get informed of these charges and there is no other way of identifying them.


----------



## SamuelStokes

kathrynoh said:


> Sometimes the payments stay as pending because the bank needs to confirm the payment with Amazon. Tbh, I'd take the payment amount from my St George account rather than the Amazon amount because often the amount you get paid into your account has charges taken out of it from intermediary banks. You never get informed of these charges and there is no other way of identifying them.


Sound advice.


----------



## asd1978

Hi Samuel,

Just a quick question.

What date does the ATO consider that we have earned our money from Amazon?

- Is it on the 15th when Amazon tells us what we have earned?
- Is it on the 29th when Amazon sends us our payments (for the month in question)?
- Or is it the date that the money reaches our account? (be it cheque or EFT)

The reason I'm asking is because of the below two scenarios.

a)  What happens if a payment is sent from Amazon that spans two financial years. Does it belong to the current financial year in which it arrives or do you work out what percentage of the payment belongs to each financial year and apply as appropriate.

b) If you get a cheque that was a payment for the '14-'15 financial year, but don't deposit it until the start of the '15-'16 financial year, which financial year does it belong too? (I guess it depends on what date the ATO officially says that we have earned our money)


----------



## A.A

kathrynoh said:


> Sometimes the payments stay as pending because the bank needs to confirm the payment with Amazon. Tbh, I'd take the payment amount from my St George account rather than the Amazon amount because often the amount you get paid into your account has charges taken out of it from intermediary banks. You never get informed of these charges and there is no other way of identifying them.


Good idea (though I can't find those payments in my bank account either - and they're from April to August)Have you had this happen? I'm trying to work out if they added the payments to the payments of other months and that they did get (eventually) paid, but it doesn't seem like it from what I can see.

Has anyone else noticed pending payments from months back?

I HATE this stuff. The worst part of this business.


----------



## SamuelStokes

asd1978 said:


> Hi Samuel,
> 
> Just a quick question.
> 
> What date does the ATO consider that we have earned our money from Amazon?
> 
> - Is it on the 15th when Amazon tells us what we have earned?
> - Is it on the 29th when Amazon sends us our payments (for the month in question)?
> - Or is it the date that the money reaches our account? (be it cheque or EFT)
> 
> The reason I'm asking is because of the below two scenarios.
> 
> a) What happens if a payment is sent from Amazon that spans two financial years. Does it belong to the current financial year in which it arrives or do you work out what percentage of the payment belongs to each financial year and apply as appropriate.
> 
> b) If you get a cheque that was a payment for the '14-'15 financial year, but don't deposit it until the start of the '15-'16 financial year, which financial year does it belong too? (I guess it depends on what date the ATO officially says that we have earned our money)


Businesses under 2 mill turnover normally operate on a cash basis, which would be when the funds hit your account. That way you will not get taxed on earnings you haven't received.


----------



## asd1978

SamuelStokes said:


> Businesses under 2 mill turnover normally operate on a cash basis, which would be when the funds hit your account. That way you will not get taxed on earnings you haven't received.


Cheers,

That makes sense, much appreciated.


----------



## kathrynoh

A.A said:


> Good idea (though I can't find those payments in my bank account either - and they're from April to August)Have you had this happen? I'm trying to work out if they added the payments to the payments of other months and that they did get (eventually) paid, but it doesn't seem like it from what I can see.
> 
> Has anyone else noticed pending payments from months back?
> 
> I HATE this stuff. The worst part of this business.


I'd get bank statements (you should be able to run a report for the dates on your online banking) and do a full reconciliation. I've had Amazon not send me payments or screw them up in the past.


----------



## SamuelStokes

^ A good point the amount of times I'm doing my own books and we find that we have been direct debited multiple times for the same service during the same period or other anomalies, it's definitely good practice.


----------



## JB Rowley

A question re tax. The 5% tax withheld is in US dollars which I claim as an expense. 

What is the best way to work out the AUD amount I should claim? At present I just multiply the US amount by the FX rate on the Payment Report (when it is available). Am I doin' good?


----------



## Bec

Gotta say I'm loving the crappy Aussie dollar at the moment  

That exchange rate! For once it's in my favour!


----------



## rchapman1

My understanding on the failed payments is that Amazon won't put money into your Bank account in Australia, they will only send you a cheque (when the amount reaches $100).  However their system still tries to send you a payment each month, which naturally fails because the account is not in America.


----------



## CJArcher

JB Rowley said:


> A question re tax. The 5% tax withheld is in US dollars which I claim as an expense.
> 
> What is the best way to work out the AUD amount I should claim? At present I just multiply the US amount by the FX rate on the Payment Report (when it is available). Am I doin' good?


Sounds right to me. I enter all my payments into a spreadsheet when they hit my account and it calculates the FX rate based on what the reports say was sent & what my bank received in AUD (taking bank fees into account, of course). It always ends up the same as the KDP report FX rate anyway  So yes, claim that as tax paid.


----------



## CJArcher

rchapman1 said:


> My understanding on the failed payments is that Amazon won't put money into your Bank account in Australia, they will only send you a cheque (when the amount reaches $100). However their system still tries to send you a payment each month, which naturally fails because the account is not in America.


This is incorrect. Amazon will pay into your bank account or send you a cheque - you tell them which you prefer. It used to be cheque only but it changed some time ago. Just ignore the "pending" status on the Payment page and go by what actually hit your account.


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## JB Rowley

CJArcher said:


> Sounds right to me. I enter all my payments into a spreadsheet when they hit my account and it calculates the FX rate based on what the reports say was sent & what my bank received in AUD (taking bank fees into account, of course). It always ends up the same as the KDP report FX rate anyway  So yes, claim that as tax paid.


Thank you, CJ.  ( I am so bad with this sort of stuff!)

JB - Looks like a wet Melbourne Cup coming up.


----------



## JB Rowley

The best Melbourne Cup ever! Go girl power!


----------



## The Bass Bagwhan

Hi everyone, I've been avoiding the last tax return due to laziness and only _just_ discovered (I can't believe I didn't know this before) that the entire world, particular the US and UK, doesn't share the same fiscal year. I've had an accountant do my tax previously, but personal circumstances make that not viable now. I'm hoping to do it online.
So I have a simple question - when it comes to income from Amazon, either the UK or US, I just ignore the various countries' tax reports and declare to the ATO the sum of any actual payments in the Oz FY? Same-same any tax withheld? (I think that's on the royalty report...) Thanks for any help!


----------



## AltMe

Graeme Hague said:


> Hi everyone, I've been avoiding the last tax return due to laziness and only _just_ discovered (I can't believe I didn't know this before) that the entire world, particular the US and UK, doesn't share the same fiscal year. I've had an accountant do my tax previously, but personal circumstances make that not viable now. I'm hoping to do it online.
> So I have a simple question - when it comes to income from Amazon, either the UK or US, I just ignore the various countries' tax reports and declare to the ATO the sum of any actual payments in the Oz FY? Same-same any tax withheld? (I think that's on the royalty report...) Thanks for any help!


Download Etax from the tax website. Follow the instructions.

Your income goes into 'Personal Services Income', where it asks about Royalties (there are several of these, so look for royalties being mentioned). You get to specify the amount you earned (in A$), the amount of tax you paid (need to convert it to A$), and any expenses incurred as a writer.

Your income is whatever you received July 1 to June 30. When it was paid by Amazon isn't relevant, just when it arrived in your account.

Etax is pretty simple to follow. Its leads you by the nose through everything. Most of the time you just answer no, and it moves you on. It also picks up governmental stuff like medicare records automatically (you need to tell it can though).

edit: There is an online version, but for overseas payments, it wont handle it. You need etax for that complication.


----------



## The Bass Bagwhan

TimothyEllis said:


> Download Etax from the tax website. Follow the instructions.
> 
> Your income goes into 'Personal Services Income', where it asks about Royalties (there are several of these, so look for royalties being mentioned). You get to specify the amount you earned (in A$), the amount of tax you paid (need to convert it to A$), and any expenses incurred as a writer.
> 
> Your income is whatever you received July 1 to June 30. When it was paid by Amazon isn't relevant, just when it arrived in your account.
> 
> Etax is pretty simple to follow. Its leads you by the nose through everything. Most of the time you just answer no, and it moves you on. It also picks up governmental stuff like medicare records automatically (you need to tell it can though).
> 
> edit: There is an online version, but for overseas payments, it wont handle it. You need etax for that complication.


Thanks for this. Yes, I tried the online ATO thing and hit the brick wall of "Foreign Income". Downloading ETax sounds like the go - and you've answered my main question. That I just calculate the income myself without bothering with overseas statements. Cheers!


----------



## Avril Sabine

I've been having a blast at Supanova, Brisbane. Is anyone else attending? If so, come and say hi. I'm at A028 in 'The Alley'.


----------



## AltMe

Avril Sabine said:


> I've been having a blast at Supanova, Brisbane. Is anyone else attending? If so, come and say hi. I'm at A028 in 'The Alley'.


* attempts to wipe newbie green off *

What is Supernova?


----------



## Avril Sabine

TimothyEllis said:


> What is Supernova?


Their website says it far better than I could:

Supanova Pop Culture Expo, since 2000, is where the adoring public comes face to face with Supa-Star celebrities and the creative talent that inspire their imaginary worlds under one big roof.

Gathered from and surrounded by the wonderful worlds of comic books, animation/cartoons, science-fiction, pulp TV/movies, toys, console gaming, trading cards, fantasy, entertainment technology, books, internet sites and fan-clubs, the result is an amazing atmosphere tailor made for expressing your inner geek and where getting into cosplay (cos-tume role-play) is the obvious thing to do!

It's Comic-con, Australian style!

http://www.supanova.com.au/


----------



## Skate

I went to Supanova in Perth last year. Being from the country, we didn't want to drive into the city centre where it was being held, so we parked on the outskirts and caught the train - along with Batman, Superman, an assortment of witches and a princess. It was a great experience, but the crowds got to me long before I'd really had time to take much in. Definitely worth trying once though.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Avril Sabine said:


> I've been having a blast at Supanova, Brisbane. Is anyone else attending? If so, come and say hi. I'm at A028 in 'The Alley'.


I was going to attend Brisbane this year, but since I did Gold Coast, I'll be doing Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane next year. Anywhere I can drive. I know, I'm nuts.


----------



## Avril Sabine

Skate said:


> and caught the train - along with Batman, Superman, an assortment of witches and a princess.


Hope you took pics of that. Not something you see every day!



Patty Jansen said:


> I was going to attend Brisbane this year, but since I did Gold Coast, I'll be doing Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane next year. Anywhere I can drive. I know, I'm nuts.


I did Gold Coast earlier this year. It's been nice to see some of the same people again, including the ones who bought books from me and wanted to come and tell me how much they enjoyed them.


----------



## AltMe

kurzon said:


> but this is better than that irritating hidden $25.


Personally I think that charge is illegal, given a tax invoice is never issued, and it cannot be proved to claim it on tax. But I guess no-one wants to challenge it.


----------



## spellscribe

Oh hey! I'd heard this thread existed but never actually saw it 

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk


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## CJArcher

The hidden fee seemed to decrease a couple of months ago with me too. It's now $15 which is the same fee that has been taken out of my Montlake payments for 3 years. It seems the A-pub arm may have taught the KDP arm something, finally.


----------



## CJArcher

spellscribe said:


> Oh hey! I'd heard this thread existed but never actually saw it
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk


Welcome! We've been quiet lately. Too much going on at this time of year maybe.


----------



## RinG

A question for all the other Aussies, do you need to register a business name for your pen name? Never even considered it, but hubby was trying to figure out if he needed one, and as I looked at all the criteria, it made me wonder.


----------



## Scratchy_Bitey

Nope. I write under a pen name and have never registered as a business. Payments are made to my real name as appears on my publishing accounts, so there's no need unless you're reporting to the ATO under a business structure.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## spellscribe

I'm using the one I used for my old blogging income. I'm not sure there's a huge advantage but I'd like to roll over my losses for this year (Web, covers, edits, software etc) because I won't have broken even by then. If you plan to make this your 'job', I'd make an appt with an accountant and find out what's best for you. 

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk


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## Book Cat

Hi Australian thread

Does anyone know if costs associated with self publishing can be claimed back on tax? I own a separate business and have a registered biz name and ABN. Could I claim for example costs for covers and editing using that business (or not even using it) to claim some money back? I assume for local services you use like editing, you will pay GST on it. 

PS: I hope this has not been answered before but to read through this entire thread would be time consuming.

Thanks.


----------



## AltMe

RileyMorrison said:


> Does anyone know if costs associated with self publishing can be claimed back on tax? I own a separate business and have a registered biz name and ABN. Could I claim for example costs for covers and editing using that business (or not even using it) to claim some money back? I assume for local services you use like editing, you will pay GST on it.


As long as you have demonstrable income from writing, you can claim all the costs of putting a book out there back.

If the books are under the business name, then you claim on the business tax.

But if the books are under your name, you claim back on your personal tax. So if the business is paying you a salary, you can claim the cost of putting books out there against that salary.

As long as you have a taxable income, you get to claim the amount of American tax taken out as tax already paid.

Edit: If business and personal are all one, and you only do a single tax return which includes both, then yes, you can claim your books expenses. Your Amazon earnings go in as Personal Services Income (which includes its own spot for expenses and tax paid to date), and the Business goes in as Business Income - which are 2 completely different parts of the tax return.


----------



## Book Cat

Thanks Timothy


----------



## Van Kransman

Hi there. I'm new to the forum and looking to publish my first novel on KDP and CreateSpace in the coming months.

A question on language: If you are aiming to get most of your sales from the North American market, do you think it is worthwhile using American English (as opposed to Australian or UK English) in your novel? 

BTW, my novel isn't set in the US - it's set in Australia and the Middle East. There are no US characters in my book either. And I'm Australian (obviously).

What are people's thoughts? Does anyone here deliberately use American English when publishing on Amazon.com?

Cheers
Van


----------



## Patty Jansen

Van Kransman said:


> Hi there. I'm new to the forum and looking to publish my first novel on KDP and CreateSpace in the coming months.
> 
> A question on language: If you are aiming to get most of your sales from the North American market, do you think it is worthwhile using American English (as opposed to Australian or UK English) in your novel?
> 
> BTW, my novel isn't set in the US - it's set in Australia and the Middle East. There are no US characters in my book either. And I'm Australian (obviously).
> 
> What are people's thoughts? Does anyone here deliberately use American English when publishing on Amazon.com?
> 
> Cheers
> Van


Nope, nope, and nope. Don't. Writing in US English requires a lot more than dropping the letter u and substituting z for s. Especially when there are no US settings or characters in the book.


----------



## AltMe

Van Kransman said:


> A question on language: If you are aiming to get most of your sales from the North American market, do you think it is worthwhile using American English (as opposed to Australian or UK English) in your novel?
> BTW, my novel isn't set in the US - it's set in Australia and the Middle East. There are no US characters in my book either. And I'm Australian (obviously).
> What are people's thoughts? Does anyone here deliberately use American English when publishing on Amazon.com?


Use Australian spelling and word usage. But its a good idea to put up front that your characters are Australian and you're using Australian spelling.

The only time I use any US, is when the character is American. So most of the time I use kilometers and the like, except when its an American character who uses miles.

One should be true to the origin of the character.


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## JB Rowley

Van Kransman said:


> I'm Australian (obviously).


There's your answer right there.

You might want to have a look this discussion. http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,229893.0.html


----------



## CJArcher

Do whatever you want to do and what you feel comfortable doing. This is indie publishing, after all, where you're the boss of your own work.

That being said, this is what I do (which is by no means saying that you should do it). I'm an Aussie, I set my books in historical England with English characters but I use US spellings with British word usage (so cellar instead of basement, for example). My copy editor is British but well versed in US spelling, and I naturally write all my books with US spelling anyway. I've been aiming for the US market for about 20 years so it's second nature to me now, and I no longer feel like a traitor to my country for switching   BTW, my newsletter, FB posts etc are all in Aussie/Brit spelling as I'm being me there and most of my social media followers know I'm an Aussie. But my books are unashamedly marketed to US readers as they have the ebook reader numbers, plus some hate seeing Brit spellings. I don't want to risk a lower rating for what they think is an error. Non-US readers seem to be more understanding/forgiving of US spelling.

If you do decide to go that route, be sure to be consistent, get a US-based copy editor, and decide if it's just spelling you want to change to US or phrases/terms as well. I would say that with Aussie characters, it's ok to use Aussie words. Just remember that what we call a pot plant is NOT the same as what the Americans think it is   Once again, the above is my reasoning behind what I do and it's largely based on my own history of trying to get published in the US market for so many years - it seemed silly to change all those manuscripts back to Aus spelling when they were written in US for a US audience (there were fewer readers outside the US when I first started indie publishing in 2011).

Good luck. Oh, and HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY everyone.


----------



## Van Kransman

CJArcher said:


> Do whatever you want to do and what you feel comfortable doing. This is indie publishing, after all, where you're the boss of your own work.


I think that's really good advice, CJ. I can see how what you're doing works for you - it must given all the wonderful reviews you receive!

I think it's also true that the process of changing a novel from Australian English to American English is not trivial - for now, I'd rather get my book out into the world than go through another big edit making those changes.

Thanks for all the advice everyone. Oh, and Happy Australian Day - let's all get a southern cross tattoo (joking).


----------



## markhealy

Question for my fellow Aussies on insurance for authors to protect against lawsuits arising from copyright infringement etc.  Does anyone have any experience with this?  Is it even necessary?

There seem to be some options in the US for insurance (media perils) policies, but things get murky when I try to find an equivalent in Australia, especially finding coverage for works that are sold in the US.


----------



## DarkScribe

markhealy said:


> Question for my fellow Aussies on insurance for authors to protect against lawsuits arising from copyright infringement etc. Does anyone have any experience with this? Is it even necessary?
> 
> There seem to be some options in the US for insurance (media perils) policies, but things get murky when I try to find an equivalent in Australia, especially finding coverage for works that are sold in the US.


We carry insurance that covers legal issues such as this, BUT we have to have all published material with potential issues vetted by a law firm with experience in publishing as a requirement for cover. You won't get blanket cover without such vetting.


----------



## LeiyaJones

markhealy said:


> Question for my fellow Aussies on insurance for authors to protect against lawsuits arising from copyright infringement etc. Does anyone have any experience with this? Is it even necessary?
> 
> There seem to be some options in the US for insurance (media perils) policies, but things get murky when I try to find an equivalent in Australia, especially finding coverage for works that are sold in the US.


I don't really think that 'insurance' against lawsuits is a thing you need to worry about. You don't need anything special, and certainly don't need to pay anyone anything. Your work is copyrighted the instant you write it - the hardest thing you need to do is prove that you published by a certain date, and putting your work up for sale on something as big as Amazon will prove that beyond reasonable doubt. The reason you can't really find anything here in Australia for that sort of insurance is because it's almost entirely pointless to waste money on. It's the same reason you can buy insurance from being hit by a meteorite - sure, it could happen, but the people selling you it know it's almost never going to, meaning it's just free money for them.

Honestly it's so far outside the realm of likely possibility as to really not worry about it. You'll only ever have people threatening to sue you for copyright if you become rich and famous, and even then it'll just be crackpots trying to use the lawsuit to generate publicity for their own (usually failed) works. Just don't use brand names, song names, and names of real companies and you'll automatically dodge 99.999999% of even the most unlikely things.

Oh, and make sure you have a paper trail if you bought a cover or stock images just in case your cover artist or the site selling you the image did a dodge. Then it becomes their problem.


----------



## JamesOsiris

Thanks for the tax info, guys - super helpful! I'm a tax newbie, and it didn't even occur to me that editing/book covers could be deducted...

I wonder what the threshold for 'demonstrable income' is, though?


----------



## David Blake

Can anyone recommend any good promo sites for the Aussie market


----------



## JB Rowley

David Blake said:


> Can anyone recommend any good promo sites for the Aussie market


Whatever is good for the US market will work - most Aussies still buy through the US Amazon store.


----------



## Patty Jansen

David Blake said:


> Can anyone recommend any good promo sites for the Aussie market


Do something that will promote links on Apple and iBooks and Kobo. I don't know anyone who has a Kindle, although most people probably have a Kindle app, but the other stores have much better market shares in Australia. I advocate taking out an ENT ad and filling out all those non-Amazon links.

Booktastik is an Australian marketing site, but I doubt they focus on just Australia. It is, after all, a very big country with a LOT of empty space and a very small population.


----------



## Aderyn Wood

Good morning, just found this thread  I live in the sticks in central Victoria and it's already 36 degrees at 10:30am. Someone want to tell the weather we're supposed to be in autumn now?


----------



## Patty Jansen

Aderyn Wood said:


> Good morning, just found this thread  I live in the sticks in central Victoria and it's already 36 degrees at 10:30am. Someone want to tell the weather we're supposed to be in autumn now?


We're having the best weather ever, or at least what I think is the best weather: 27-30 during the day, 20 at night. It's been like this since Christmas.


----------



## Aderyn Wood

Patty Jansen said:


> We're having the best weather ever, or at least what I think is the best weather: 27-30 during the day, 20 at night. It's been like this since Christmas.


I'm jealous. We've got over a week of nearly 40 degree days, and it's as dry as a you-know-what. Perfect storm for bush fires. Where are you, Patty? Sounds like QLD?


----------



## JB Rowley

Aderyn Wood said:


> Good morning, just found this thread  I live in the sticks in central Victoria and it's already 36 degrees at 10:30am. Someone want to tell the weather we're supposed to be in autumn now?


Mother Nature does not necessarily start autumn at the turn of the calendar. She has a mind of her own. We had a brilliant 36 degree day here in Melbourne on Friday. Another hottie coming up on Tuesday. Love it - hoping for an Indian summer.


----------



## joyjennings

Well I guess I belong here, although I am currently living in Ontario, Canada but I'm from the Gold Coast. G'day everyone!


----------



## JB Rowley

joyjennings said:


> Well I guess I belong here, although I am currently living in Ontario, Canada but I'm from the Gold Coast. G'day everyone!


Welcome, Joy.


----------



## Andrew Christie

Can anyone recommend a good local (Australian) editor?
I used a good freelance editor for my first book but she is now mostly working for trad publishers and seems to have bumped up her prices - so it would be good to see who else is out there for my new thriller. I am a bit reluctant to use US or UK editors as the story is set in Oz and I would like to keep the local lingo.
Thanks


----------



## spellscribe

I'm pretty sure the editor that Nightchaser Ink uses is local and does freelance work on the side. They're a small press based in Perth, you could give them an email. 

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk


----------



## The one with all the big dresses on the covers

I just found this thread so I thought I'd say hi! Another Aussie newbie author over here


----------



## Patty Jansen

Andrew Christie said:


> Can anyone recommend a good local (Australian) editor?
> I used a good freelance editor for my first book but she is now mostly working for trad publishers and seems to have bumped up her prices - so it would be good to see who else is out there for my new thriller. I am a bit reluctant to use US or UK editors as the story is set in Oz and I would like to keep the local lingo.
> Thanks


I've used Bothersome Words, but she also works for trad and is totally NOT cheap. I actually refer to have a US editor, because he weeds out stuff that would have non-Australians scratching their heads or rolling on the floor laughing (in an unintentionally funny way).


----------



## Andrew Christie

Patty Jansen said:


> I've used Bothersome Words, but she also works for trad and is totally NOT cheap. I actually refer to have a US editor, because he weeds out stuff that would have non-Australians scratching their heads or rolling on the floor laughing (in an unintentionally funny way).


Thanks Patty. It's a thought - do you have any US recommendations?


----------



## Andrew Christie

spellscribe said:


> I'm pretty sure the editor that Nightchaser Ink uses is local and does freelance work on the side. They're a small press based in Perth, you could give them an email.


Thanks I'll check Nightchaser out


----------



## JB Rowley

Andrew Christie said:


> Can anyone recommend a good local (Australian) editor?
> I used a good freelance editor for my first book but she is now mostly working for trad publishers and seems to have bumped up her prices - so it would be good to see who else is out there for my new thriller. I am a bit reluctant to use US or UK editors as the story is set in Oz and I would like to keep the local lingo.
> Thanks


Writers' centres often offer editorial services e.g. Victorian Writers' Centre https://writersvictoria.org.au/support/manuscript-assessments and you could check out Australian editors at IPED http://iped-editors.org/Find_an_editor.aspx You definitely want to keep the Australian flavour.

I use a brilliant UK editorial consultant http://www.lisanneradice.com/


----------



## JB Rowley

MelanieCellier said:


> I just found this thread so I thought I'd say hi! Another Aussie newbie author over here


Welcome, Melanie. Which state do you live in?


----------



## Andrew Christie

JB Rowley said:


> Writers' centres often offer editorial services e.g. Victorian Writers' Centre https://writersvictoria.org.au/support/manuscript-assessments and you could check out Australian editors at IPED http://iped-editors.org/Find_an_editor.aspx You definitely want to keep the Australian flavour.
> 
> I use a brilliant UK editorial consultant http://www.lisanneradice.com/


Thanks JB, starting to think I should have a look at o/s editors - as long as I keep the oz flavour - its always a balancing act, making it accessible vs retaining our 'exotic'ness


----------



## The one with all the big dresses on the covers

JB Rowley said:


> Welcome, Melanie. Which state do you live in?


I'm in Canberra currently although I'm originally from Adelaide (and thinking more and more fondly of Adelaide as the weather starts to get colder here!)


----------



## JB Rowley

MelanieCellier said:


> I'm in Canberra currently although I'm originally from Adelaide (and thinking more and more fondly of Adelaide as the weather starts to get colder here!)


Ah, yes. I wouldn't want to spend winter in Canberra; Melbourne is bad enough!


----------



## JB Rowley

Anzac Day:_ Lest we forget._


----------



## LeanneWinter CoverDesign

JB Rowley said:


> Anzac Day:_ Lest we forget._


This.
Made a batch of ANZAC bickies yesterday and the kids have nearly scoffed the lot already


----------



## ChrisFosterWrites

Hi Everyone!

I just registered with KBoards after anonymously browsing the sit on and off. Love the fact this Aussie thread is on the front page!

Aderyn may I ask who did your covers? They look incredible ( after I've gone and saved the burning chook in the oven I'll be looking them up to see if it's what I read or not )! 

Also, can someone help me understand why my profile pic is sideways? Just uploaded it. Is there a help section for formatting it somewhere?

Warmest Wishes,
Chris Foster
Somewhere on the Australian Coast


----------



## JB Rowley

Never had a problem with being sideways. Maybe try uploading the image again, Chris.


----------



## Can neither confirm nor deny that I am W.R. Ginge

Oh yay! I didn't know there was an Aussie writers' thread! Hi everyone!

I'm currently trying to find an Australian proofreader (who doesn't cost the earth and small change) and they seem pretty thin on the ground, too.

Oh well, at least I found the right support thread


----------



## JB Rowley

W.R. Gingell said:


> Oh yay! I didn't know there was an Aussie writers' thread! Hi everyone!
> 
> I'm currently trying to find an Australian proofreader (who doesn't cost the earth and small change) and they seem pretty thin on the ground, too.
> 
> Oh well, at least I found the right support thread


Welcome! I like tea, too; tea, not teabags.


----------



## Selina Fenech

W.R. Gingell said:


> Oh yay! I didn't know there was an Aussie writers' thread! Hi everyone!
> 
> I'm currently trying to find an Australian proofreader (who doesn't cost the earth and small change) and they seem pretty thin on the ground, too.
> 
> Oh well, at least I found the right support thread


Maybe try Sally Odgers at http://www.affordablemanuscriptassessments.com/ 
She offers editing rather than proof reading, but I'm sure you can work something out with her. She's good, and very affordable.


----------



## spellscribe

Dominique from Priceless Proofreading is a Brit (so she spells good) and has really affordable prices  Not an Aussie but worth a look if you can't find anyone closer to home.

Meanwhile, I hate time zones. My 2nd launched and promos are going and I have sales all over the bloody place. Well, free downloads... not so much the sales sadly!


----------



## Patty Jansen

W.R. Gingell said:


> Oh yay! I didn't know there was an Aussie writers' thread! Hi everyone!
> 
> I'm currently trying to find an Australian proofreader (who doesn't cost the earth and small change) and they seem pretty thin on the ground, too.
> 
> Oh well, at least I found the right support thread


I actually prefer a US proofreader. He catches Australianisms that would have people go "huh?" or would have people rolling on the ground laughing.


----------



## Can neither confirm nor deny that I am W.R. Ginge

Hey, you guys are really active! 



JB Rowley said:


> Welcome! I like tea, too; tea, not teabags.


 It is the Nectar of the gods! I never sit down to serious writing/rewriting/editing without at least one cuppa.



Selina Fenech said:


> Maybe try Sally Odgers at http://www.affordablemanuscriptassessments.com/
> She offers editing rather than proof reading, but I'm sure you can work something out with her. She's good, and very affordable.


Thanks! I'll definitely check her out!



spellscribe said:


> Dominique from Priceless Proofreading is a Brit (so she spells good) and has really affordable prices  Not an Aussie but worth a look if you can't find anyone closer to home.
> 
> Meanwhile, I hate time zones. My 2nd launched and promos are going and I have sales all over the bloody place. Well, free downloads... not so much the sales sadly!


 I'll check this one out, too. Thanks  And yeah, time zones... I'm always up at odd hours now. Most of my readers are in US/UK, so...



Patty Jansen said:


> I actually prefer a US proofreader. He catches Australianisms that would have people go "huh?" or would have people rolling on the ground laughing.


That's a good call, actually. My fantasy isn't the sort to have too much in the way of Australianisms per se, though, so I prefer UK or AU--especially for those pesky spelling differences!


----------



## Patty Jansen

> That's a good call, actually. My fantasy isn't the sort to have too much in the way of Australianisms per se, though, so I prefer UK or AU--especially for those pesky spelling differences!


ANY editor worth their salt will know the difference and should be able to do both. If not, find another editor. Really. The English language is their job.


----------



## Can neither confirm nor deny that I am W.R. Ginge

Patty Jansen said:


> ANY editor worth their salt will know the difference and should be able to do both. If not, find another editor. Really. The English language is their job.


Fair point. I'll pay that


----------



## CJArcher

Patty Jansen said:


> ANY editor worth their salt will know the difference and should be able to do both. If not, find another editor. Really. The English language is their job.


What Patty said. I write British historical fantasy, but use American spelling with British phrases/words. Complicated? Not really, for the right editor, and I've been writing like that for so long now, it's second nature. All British-isms are ones an average American would understand. I have a UK-based editor who gets it, and prior to that an American editor who also had no problems with it. I figure that my main market is America and they're less tolerant of "unusual" spellings than other countries.

Hello to all the newbies in this thread! It's great to see more Aussies trying indie. Ask any questions here if you feel they're specific to us, or if you just want to chat all things Aussie. (How about this incredible autumn weather we're having in Melbourne!)

Now, I need to get back to attempting to write. It's release day and my head is all over the place.


----------



## Marina Finlayson

I second Patty's point about editors. I've used two, both Americans, and both have happily left my Aussie/British spellings alone, but have been invaluable in pointing out innocent things that would confuse or amuse an American reader.

And hello to the new people!


----------



## kathrynoh

Speaking of editors, does anyone know what the standard style guide for fiction in Aus is? I'm familiar with the Aus government one but that's only being for work/business stuff.

Oh and I envy those in the northern states. I'm in Tassie at the moment and will probably be stuck here a while. Not looking forward the bitterly cold winter.


----------



## ZenQueen

Hi Kathryn! I remember my editor friend Tamyka talking about the style guide recently so I've just sent her a message asking what she uses. And for anyone interested in proofing / coaching / editing, her business is C Word Creative. I've used her for my book and I am addicted to her feedback. She seems to understand my characters and plot better than me!


----------



## Bec

Yeah, loving the extra warm, sunny days. The garden is loving it too, unfortunately so are the cabbage moths... grr. Have to keep getting the caterpillars out of my seedlings  

After 4 Canadian winters, I am still very appreciative of our relatively mild and short winters in Melbourne! 

I barely even noticed it was winter, our first year back. Felt more like a Canadian Spring. And it was over so quickly! 

-
I write pretty stubbornly in Australian English, but I do get my Canadian proofreader to point out anything strange/likely to be misunderstood.


----------



## ZenQueen

kathrynoh said:


> Speaking of editors, does anyone know what the standard style guide for fiction in Aus is? I'm familiar with the Aus government one but that's only being for work/business stuff.


Apparently it varies. Each publishing house has their own - but many people do use the government one and incorporate their own variations.


----------



## JB Rowley

KylieQ said:


> I've just recently pulled out of KU and am trying to register with Apple. Geez, they don't make it easy. I've managed to get most of the way there but now I'm stuck - it is asking me to upload evidence of my ABN (which I have, if I can just get the damn scanner to work) and evidence of GST registration, which I don't have. I thought I didn't need to be registered for GST unless I'm making more than 75,000. Do I have this wrong or is this just an Apple requirement that I can't get around?


You don't have it wrong. You only have to register if your business's gross income minus GST is $75 000 or more.


----------



## Selina Fenech

Just a heads up regarding Australian copyright.
There's a government commissioned study/report which came out yesterday which is recommending changes to Australian copyright. The duration section of the report recommends that life + 70 years (current protection) is too long. Then the report throws around a bunch of numbers including dropping the copyright protected period down to just 15 years (after creation, not life!). 
I haven't read the full report yet, just the Duration section. It also covers proposing changes to how Fair Use works in Australia. I don't know how serious this sort of report is taken or how quickly (if ever) changes are made based on the recommendations. Just thought I'd let you all know so you can read up more about it yourself because hysteria is already spreading - I found this from a facebook post announcing "AUSTRALIAN WRITERS THIS CONCERNS YOU!! Australian writers could lose the rights to their work after 15-25 years." which then led to a scary open letter by Jackie French.

Find the full report at http://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/intellectual-property/draft

Jackie French's open letter on the report - http://blog.harpercollins.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Open-Letter-from-Jackie-French_Theft-and-Failure-of-Economics-101.pdf

I can't research it all fully right now, about to head off for the weekend, but thought I'd get this up here so the Aussie Kboards hive mind can get into it


----------



## kathrynoh

Having worked in government, I'd say something like this would move very slowly and, who knows, we might have a new government that throws the whole thing out.

I haven't read the full report but I can't find anything to the change in copyright for creators, just changes to fair use laws.


----------



## Patty Jansen

kathrynoh said:


> Having worked in government, I'd say something like this would move very slowly and, who knows, we might have a new government that throws the whole thing out.
> 
> I haven't read the full report but I can't find anything to the change in copyright for creators, just changes to fair use laws.


Me neither.

Also yeah about moving slowly, and a change in government, and good luck getting this past parliament. If it ever makes it into legislation. Which it won't (or at least not the 15 years part, because whoever came up with that has the intelligence of a [unprintable]).

Teacup, here is the storm.


----------



## JR.

Doesn't matter - the time span we have is because America told us that's what it would be. I can't imagine the government fighting the yanks over it. And talking about bringing it down to 15 years will likely get them laughed out anyway.


----------



## RinG

So what would happen if you registered with the American copyright office then?


----------



## Magnus

Rinelle Grey said:


> So what would happen if you registered with the American copyright office then?


You'd probably just waste time and money. It's not worth paying anyone to register for copyright, even if it's just the cost of a stamp. Publish somewhere public with a timestamp and that's enough. Registering copyright in another country won't help you in another country - look up the current dramas regarding Lovecraft's copyright status here in Australia versus America. Here, it's public domain, there it's not. Neither country particularly cares.

Rights-wise someone violating your copyright isn't something worth losing sleep over unless you're a millionaire. But then if you're a millionaire you can afford to have someone else worry about it for you, and you can get back to important millionaire-type things like berthing yachts in rivieras and such.


----------



## Andrew Christie

I'm running a 99c / 99p countdown deal on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk at the moment. I can see the UK 99p price, but the US site still shows me the normal (overpriced I know) price. Is this just a thing because I'm view it from Australia? I seem to remember something about that last time. Odd that it would be different in the UK though.


----------



## The one with all the big dresses on the covers

Andrew Christie said:


> I'm running a 99c / 99p countdown deal on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk at the moment. I can see the UK 99p price, but the US site still shows me the normal (overpriced I know) price. Is this just a thing because I'm view it from Australia? I seem to remember something about that last time. Odd that it would be different in the UK though.


This was my experience - in fact I often see random prices (eg 2.81) listed even when I'm not doing any kind of promo. It's really frustrating not being able to see the page the way the majority of Amazon.com customers see it! I had a friend in the US send me a screenshot of my book page when I did my KCD, just so I could see what it looked like. Despite looking totally normal to me when I went to the page, it was definitely on special when she went there.

Personally, I'm just looking forward to Amazon extending the KCD to include other countries. I hated sharing about my promo on Facebook knowing that most of my followers are Aussies at this point and couldn't access it.


----------



## Andrew Christie

Yes it just makes me want to hurry up and go wide as soon as possible


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## karenchester

MelanieCellier said:


> This was my experience - in fact I often see random prices (eg 2.81) listed even when I'm not doing any kind of promo. It's really frustrating not being able to see the page the way the majority of Amazon.com customers see it! I had a friend in the US send me a screenshot of my book page when I did my KCD, just so I could see what it looked like. Despite looking totally normal to me when I went to the page, it was definitely on special when she went there.


There is a way to see what the price is for US customers. If you click on the Look Inside feature of a book, on the right hand side you see your browsing history with the US prices. So click on your book, then go to another and Look Inside, and you should see your book in the browsing history.


----------



## Andrew Christie

Great tip - thank you


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## JB Rowley

Very proud of Readings in Melbourne - just won the Best Bookshop in the World award (International Bookshop of the Year). They've been a part of the Melbourne scene for over 40 years - currently have five stores and opening a new one later this year.

Great write up in the Guardian here: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/may/02/interview-with-a-bookstore-melbournes-readings-the-best-bookshop-in-the-world


----------



## natalieb

Hi everyone,

Waving to my fellow aussies from the Blue Mountains of NSW. I've been lurking around this excellent board for a while, and now that I've uploaded my very first pre-order (bites nails...) I figured it's high time I came out of my box and said hello! 

So, Hello!


----------



## JB Rowley

Natalie Barelli said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> Waving to my fellow aussies from the Blue Mountains of NSW. I've been lurking around this excellent board for a while, and now that I've uploaded my very first pre-order (bites nails...) I figured it's high time I came out of my box and said hello!
> 
> So, Hello!


Right back at ya, Natalie - from Melbourne, Victoria. Good luck with your book.


----------



## natalieb

Thanks JB, much appreciated! 
I love Melbourne btw, lucky you 

Cheers


----------



## Marina Finlayson

Welcome, Natalie! Good luck with the pre-order. When does the book release?


----------



## natalieb

Thank you Marina! Book release is the 16th of June. I am beyond excited.


----------



## Kat Betts

Hi everyone!

Brand new to Kboards and though I write I primarily edit. 
I'm from Geelong, and it's great to meet you all!


----------



## Marina Finlayson

Hi, Kat! Nice to have you here.


----------



## Kat Betts

Thanks, Marina!


----------



## The one with all the big dresses on the covers

Hi fellow Aussies! I'm currently running a GoodReads giveaway and wanted to check how you all send the winner(s) their book. I didn't offer a signed copy because I didn't want to pay to ship the book all the way down under only to pay to ship it back again. I was planning to just order a single author copy from Createspace and have it shipped to the winner. Is that what you guys do? Thanks!


----------



## Marina Finlayson

That's what I'd do for an unsigned copy. Much cheaper that way, as you say. I've only ever done giveaways for signed books, though, because I heard they got more engagement than unsigned ones.


----------



## TheLemontree

For me it depended on where the winner was as to which method I used to ship it. I gave away 3 books last year.  

I like the tiny boost that a real retail sale gives to my ranking, so if I can get free shipping then I'll do it that way.

I have my print books in expanded distribution, so for one of them I used Book depository - I just bought it retail and shipped it (free intl shipping).
The winner who lived in the US I bought retail from Amazon and shipped it using a one-month, sign up to Prime for free Amazon shipping deal.
The one who lived in Uruguay I shipped straight from CreateSpace, because BookDepository won't ship to Uruguay. Or maybe it was Paraguay. (who knew?!)


----------



## vws

I limited my giveaway to Australia and USA. For USA I shipped direct through createspace. Pretty cost effective. For Australia I used copies I already had here and used Australia post.


----------



## The one with all the big dresses on the covers

Thanks all! I'm only giving away one copy so if, by chance, an Aussie wins it, I'll probably take the same approach and ship it to them directly. If they're anywhere else, I'll go Createspace


----------



## JB Rowley

TheLemontree said:


> The winner who lived in the US I bought retail from Amazon and shipped it using a one-month, sign up to Prime for free Amazon shipping deal.


Am I behind the times? Is Prime available to Aussies now?


----------



## TheLemontree

The free shipping only counted for a US address, so although Amazon were happy to take my money for a prime subscription, I couldn't access the benefits in a meaningful way. 

And it may have had something to do with me using my US-based Mastercard to pay for it?


----------



## kathrynoh

Yeah, it seems that even though Amazon has a ton of data on us, it constantly screws up location stuff. My sister was able to sign up for Prime then realised she couldn't use it. Luckily, they were okay with giving her a refund. I also get heaps of suggestions for things like shoes that don't even ship to Aus! Frustrates me so much.


----------



## ChrisFosterWrites

re TheLemonTree
I had never thought to buy from an expanded distribution, or even direct from Amazon, and send it on via their delivery. That's a great idea!

I've run a couple of giveaways on Goodreads. Usually I use stock I already have on me and then just AusPost it to wherever in the world the person is. Not the most cost effective way I now realise. Love this thread, keep the ideas coming!

One question though. When you buy from createspace and then have it shipped to a giveaway winner's address, do they get a receipt with your name and debit/credit card details on it? (I always get the receipt when I send it to myself but not sure if I'm comfortable with a stranger having my details)


----------



## JR.

Oh, I'm so homesick today. I can't actually remember ever being homesick before...


----------



## natalieb

There you go JR, that should fix that...

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/may/19/be-under-no-illusion-malcolm-turnbull-wants-to-destroy-australian-literature-election-richard-flanagan


----------



## JR.

Malcolm Turnbull is PM? I looked into that link and found Turnbull hasn't mentioned the report, let alone endorsed it or pushed for it to become law. Doesn't seem to have been brought up by anyone in the government, actually. The report was brought up earlier in this thread. And the copyright section laughed off, basically.


----------



## The one with all the big dresses on the covers

ChrisFosterWrites said:


> One question though. When you buy from createspace and then have it shipped to a giveaway winner's address, do they get a receipt with your name and debit/credit card details on it? (I always get the receipt when I send it to myself but not sure if I'm comfortable with a stranger having my details)


That is a good question actually. I can't even remember what came with it last time I ordered something. I'm sure they wouldn't have unobfuscated credit card details though, surely. That seems like it would be unsafe in general. I've just sent off the Createspace copy to the winner so I hope it doesn't have too much info on the receipt!

Does anyone still have a receipt lying around who can shed some light on exactly what is included on it?


----------



## CJArcher

I send books from Amazon directly, purchased using the gift card money earned from my affiliate income. As Aussies, we can only receive our affiliate income via Amazon gift cards or cheque. I chose gift card, so every month they send me money I earned as an affiliate to add to it. Then when I want to send a paperback book to a winner, I just pay with that. Very easy.


----------



## JB Rowley

CJArcher said:


> I send books from Amazon directly, purchased using the gift card money earned from my affiliate income. As Aussies, we can only receive our affiliate income via Amazon gift cards or cheque. I chose gift card, so every month they send me money I earned as an affiliate to add to it. Then when I want to send a paperback book to a winner, I just pay with that. Very easy.


How do you earn your affiliate income, CJ?


----------



## CJArcher

JB Rowley said:


> How do you earn your affiliate income, CJ?


I add my affiliate tag to my Amazon buy link for all books on my website. Every time someone purchases a book (and other stuff), I earn a percentage of the sale. Just Google Amazon Affiliate program and you should get details on how to sign up. There's also plenty of info here on the boards.


----------



## Ana Spoke

Just wanted to say hi - I'm an Aussie too, from Melbourne.


----------



## Julie-Anne Fountain

Hi 
New Aussie author just starting out on the self-publishing journey.
So excited to meet you all in the same time zone.



NicoleSwan said:


> I take it you all know about the live-feed page for KBoards? Where you can sit and watch/waste-your-life all day?
> 
> http://www.kboards.com/live/min.php
> 
> ?


And this live-feed is just the kick my procrastination habit needed :0P


----------



## Ella Author

Aussie Aussie Aussie!

Hi there, I'm Ella, and so glad to find this thread! Yes I find it dreadfully lonely as an Australian author. It seems to me we are constantly excluded from the writer's club. I gave up trying to promote anywhere, I just couldn't see it driving sales. Right now I'm exploring the pros and cons for changing my pen name and renaming my published works just to see if I can get better results with a more "findable" product. I seriously feel invisible sometimes! Has anyone here played around with names, and if so have you seen any demonstrable results?


----------



## JB Rowley

CJArcher said:


> I add my affiliate tag to my Amazon buy link for all books on my website. Every time someone purchases a book (and other stuff), I earn a percentage of the sale. Just Google Amazon Affiliate program and you should get details on how to sign up. There's also plenty of info here on the boards.


Thanks CJ.


----------



## JB Rowley

Welcome, Ella, Julie-Anne and Ana.

Whereabouts in Melbourne are you, Ana?


----------



## rchapman1

Anyone on the Sunshine Coast?  It's beautiful here - we've just had the annual Food & Wine week-end and next week it's a marathon.  Always something happening to distract me from my writing.

I have a website at www.ritaleechapman.com where I host a different author each week.  If anyone is interested in being interviewed you can contact me through the site.


----------



## Melanie Tomlin

Another Aussie here! _Woot! Woot! as my son would say._

I'm from the western suburbs of Melbourne.


----------



## kathrynoh

Does anyone know a good accountant in Melbourne? I might need one this year.


----------



## EmilieHardie

After months of lurking, I actually have a question for fellow Aussies: has anyone here got a PO box with Australia Post and receive mail adressed to a pen name?

I'm planning on opening one under my real name to use for mail chimp and I figured I might as well use it properly. My concern is that it may look somewhat suss to have nothing but mail adressed to someone else delivered to it. Unfortunately, all the topics on the subject are US centric so I figured I'd see if anyone else had tried.


----------



## Patty Jansen

I have a PO box (have had this for many years) and I get all sorts of shit delivered there, even for the Department of Defence Housing which owned the box over 20 years ago.

They really don't look at the name when sorting the mail. Just the box.


----------



## AltMe

EmilieHardie said:


> After months of lurking, I actually have a question for fellow Aussies: has anyone here got a PO box with Australia Post and receive mail adressed to a pen name?
> 
> I'm planning on opening one under my real name to use for mail chimp and I figured I might as well use it properly. My concern is that it may look somewhat suss to have nothing but mail adressed to someone else delivered to it. Unfortunately, all the topics on the subject are US centric so I figured I'd see if anyone else had tried.


You can actually list the names which mail will be addressed to, when you open the box, so they wont be concerned.

But as said, I dont think they pay much attention to the name, only the box number.


----------



## Bec

Melanie Tomlin said:


> Another Aussie here! _Woot! Woot! as my son would say._
> 
> I'm from the western suburbs of Melbourne.


Western suburbs represent!


----------



## Ana Spoke

JB Rowley said:


> Welcome, Ella, Julie-Anne and Ana.
> 
> Whereabouts in Melbourne are you, Ana?


Close to the beach  Also, I regularly attend the Melbourne Writers Group, have you heard of them?


----------



## JB Rowley

Ana Spoke said:


> Close to the beach  Also, I regularly attend the Melbourne Writers Group, have you heard of them?


I'm close to the beach, too.

I attend a monthly writer's group at the Wheeler Centre - called the Friday Group. It's great support being part of a group of like-minded people. Does the Melbourne Writers' Group meet at the Wheeler Centre?


----------



## RinG

They definitely don't check the names when they sort into the post box, because I had all sorts of crap from the last ten or so owners of the box. So much junk I eventually gave up!

I use a service that redirects your mail for a fee. Since I don't pay unless I get a letter and I only use it for Mailchimp, it hasn't cost me anything.


----------



## Patty Jansen

I use a regular medium-sized box. I forget how much it costs. Something like $200 per year? I already had the box and I've had it for a long time. It's a good number. The only odd thing is that the post office is on the Pacific Highway, and the street number on the highway that's the same number as my box number is a building that houses one of the big publishers. Seriously, how much of a coincidence is that? (Yes, I get a lot of their mail )


----------



## The Bass Bagwhan

EmilieHardie said:


> After months of lurking, I actually have a question for fellow Aussies: has anyone here got a PO box with Australia Post and receive mail adressed to a pen name?
> 
> I'm planning on opening one under my real name to use for mail chimp and I figured I might as well use it properly. My concern is that it may look somewhat suss to have nothing but mail adressed to someone else delivered to it. Unfortunately, all the topics on the subject are US centric so I figured I'd see if anyone else had tried.


I'm lucky enough to live in a small town and you could just about address things to, "That writing bloke" and it'll still find my PO Box...


----------



## The Bass Bagwhan

Ella Stradling said:


> Aussie Aussie Aussie!
> 
> Hi there, I'm Ella, and so glad to find this thread! Yes I find it dreadfully lonely as an Australian author. It seems to me we are constantly excluded from the writer's club. I gave up trying to promote anywhere, I just couldn't see it driving sales. Right now I'm exploring the pros and cons for changing my pen name and renaming my published works just to see if I can get better results with a more "findable" product. I seriously feel invisible sometimes! Has anyone here played around with names, and if so have you seen any demonstrable results?


I've never used a pen name, but I've tweaked a few titles and changed some covers several times. It's more about cementing the genre and style you're hoping to establish. But when it comes to becoming more visible, fine-tuning your keywords, categories, covers and promotions will potentially achieve a lot more than simply changing a pen name or book title. Achieving more visibility is an absolute bast**d (this IS an Aussie thread, right?). I'm trying FB ads, but it takes time and money to experiment and it doesn't take long to doubt it's worth the expense or whether you'll ever reach some kind of "tipping point" where suddenly you're getting ROI.


----------



## JB Rowley

kathrynoh said:


> Does anyone know a good accountant in Melbourne? I might need one this year.


Bear in mind, Kathryn, that these days you don't necessarily need to have an accountant in the area where you live. I have never met my accountant in person - everything is done remotely. (I use Accounting Solutions in Bairnsdale: http://www.accountingsolutionsvictoria.com.au/ Their prices suit my modest budget and they know their stuff.)


----------



## kathrynoh

Thanks JB. I've just sold my investment property so will have to deal with capital gains tax   I can usually figure out most tax issues myself but that's a horror. Combined with the writing income and everything else, I'll definitely need an accountant,


----------



## Patty Jansen

kathrynoh said:


> Thanks JB. I've just sold my investment property so will have to deal with capital gains tax  I can usually figure out most tax issues myself but that's a horror. Combined with the writing income and everything else, I'll definitely need an accountant,


Are you re-joining us from globe-trotting and going to live in Tassie?


----------



## JB Rowley

Ella Stradling said:


> Aussie Aussie Aussie!
> 
> Hi there, I'm Ella, and so glad to find this thread! Yes I find it dreadfully lonely as an Australian author. It seems to me we are constantly excluded from the writer's club. I gave up trying to promote anywhere, I just couldn't see it driving sales. Right now I'm exploring the pros and cons for changing my pen name and renaming my published works just to see if I can get better results with a more "findable" product. I seriously feel invisible sometimes! Has anyone here played around with names, and if so have you seen any demonstrable results?


I'm not sure that changing names is going to change your situation. You might consider working on some of the basics first e.g. accumulating reviews and building a mailing list. When you have one book with enough reviews you'll be able to advertise the book on the top online promo sites for ebooks.


----------



## JB Rowley

Patty Jansen said:


> Are you re-joining us from globe-trotting and going to live in Tassie?


Tassie? Too cold for me. I'm freezing my t*ts off here in Melbourne - dunno what'd drop off if I lived in Tassie (even though it is a beautiful place).


----------



## kathrynoh

Patty Jansen said:


> Are you re-joining us from globe-trotting and going to live in Tassie?


My mum got sick while I was away and has since passed away, so I've come back to Tassie. She was living in the investment property I owned here and I've now sold it but my sister and I are living here until settlement in August.

And yeah, JB, it's definitely cold! Even worse though is the dodgy internet. Apparently it's all reliant on a cable under Bass Strait that needs repairs!


----------



## Patty Jansen

kathrynoh said:


> My mum got sick while I was away and has since passed away, so I've come back to Tassie. She was living in the investment property I owned here and I've now sold it but my sister and I are living here until settlement in August.
> 
> And yeah, JB, it's definitely cold! Even worse though is the dodgy internet. Apparently it's all reliant on a cable under Bass Strait that needs repairs!


Ow, sorry for your loss. I didn't mean to be nosey.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Ella Stradling said:


> Aussie Aussie Aussie!
> 
> Hi there, I'm Ella, and so glad to find this thread! Yes I find it dreadfully lonely as an Australian author. It seems to me we are constantly excluded from the writer's club. I gave up trying to promote anywhere, I just couldn't see it driving sales. Right now I'm exploring the pros and cons for changing my pen name and renaming my published works just to see if I can get better results with a more "findable" product. I seriously feel invisible sometimes! Has anyone here played around with names, and if so have you seen any demonstrable results?


I just want to say something about this excluding thing. Literally everyone feels like that sometimes. Like you go to a party and everyone seems to know one another. No, they didn't. They just happened to bump into someone the found interesting. How do you make conversation at a party? You go and talk to other people (I'm *really* bad at this because I hate parties, but I try to do it online instead).

There is no one sitting somewhere purposefully excluding new writers. Who is supposed to do the excluding anyway?

It's a very crowded field, and all people who are doing well now:

1. Have done so through hard work and persistence. Yes, there is luck involved, but the harder you work, the more luck you get.
2. May not be doing well tomorrow.

Complaining about us vs them is kinda whiny. OK we all need to whine every now and then, as long as you realise that it IS just a whine and that when you're done whining (and whining is best done in private where no one else can read it), you pick the hoe back up and start making your own luck.


----------



## Ella Author

Graeme Hague said:


> I've never used a pen name, but I've tweaked a few titles and changed some covers several times. It's more about cementing the genre and style you're hoping to establish. But when it comes to becoming more visible, fine-tuning your keywords, categories, covers and promotions will potentially achieve a lot more than simply changing a pen name or book title. Achieving more visibility is an absolute bast**d (this IS an Aussie thread, right?). I'm trying FB ads, but it takes time and money to experiment and it doesn't take long to doubt it's worth the expense or whether you'll ever reach some kind of "tipping point" where suddenly you're getting ROI.


Thanks Graeme. What you say is very true and sensible.



Patty Jansen said:


> I just want to say something about this excluding thing. Literally everyone feels like that sometimes. Like you go to a party and everyone seems to know one another. No, they didn't. They just happened to bump into someone the found interesting. How do you make conversation at a party? You go and talk to other people (I'm *really* bad at this because I hate parties, but I try to do it online instead).
> 
> There is no one sitting somewhere purposefully excluding new writers. Who is supposed to do the excluding anyway?
> 
> It's a very crowded field, and all people who are doing well now:
> 
> 1. Have done so through hard work and persistence. Yes, there is luck involved, but the harder you work, the more luck you get.
> 2. May not be doing well tomorrow.
> 
> Complaining about us vs them is kinda whiny. OK we all need to whine every now and then, as long as you realise that it IS just a whine and that when you're done whining (and whining is best done in private where no one else can read it), you pick the hoe back up and start making your own luck.


Thanks Patty. I apologise for sounding whiny!



JB Rowley said:


> I'm not sure that changing names is going to change your situation. You might consider working on some of the basics first e.g. accumulating reviews and building a mailing list. When you have one book with enough reviews you'll be able to advertise the book on the top inline promo sites for ebooks.


Thanks JB. I know I have much to consider.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Ella, there may be things you can do, but none of them alone will "fix" anything in a major way, except just plugging on and writing more books in a couple of slightly different series.

This is a post I wrote less than a year ago that you may find useful. http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,231169.0.html

Since that time, my income has exploded (well, it's a kind of small explosion still, but I am very close to a 5-figure month right now), solely using this method in combination with my SF/F promos (http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,225495.0.html) and beating my head against Bookbub.

I started self-publishing in 2011. I have more than 20 full-length books. I didn't make more than $100 per month for the best part of the first two years.


----------



## spellscribe

^listen to Patty. She knows her stuff  


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Kat Betts

As far as fitting into the writing scene, Ella, I think it's important to get out there. It's an issue in any profession I think, especially those where you tend to work solo. I have edibuddies all over the globe (and writer friends, too, of course) but it's still a bit lonely because I can't just meet up with them whenever I want. As writers we tend to want to connect with our peers which is great and completely doable - we just have to get out there.

Find some local writing groups (I suggest Facebook) and attend a few different ones (if they have meetings). You're probably not going to walk in and become great friends with all of them but if you'd have regular coffee dates with one out of every ten you meet then you're doing great.

Most importantly, do what you're doing here - get involved. 



JB Rowley said:


> Tassie? Too cold for me. I'm freezing my t*ts off here in Melbourne - dunno what'd drop off if I lived in Tassie (even though it is a beautiful place).


Out in Geelong here -better than Ballarat winters but I miss the heat so much! *shiver*



kathrynoh said:


> Even worse though is the dodgy internet. Apparently it's all reliant on a cable under Bass Strait that needs repairs!


I'll stick with the cold. I can manage cold. Dodgy internet is like a day without coffee. It brings the end-times.


----------



## The one with all the big dresses on the covers

Today was apparently MAX 11 degrees here in Canberra and it's still May. *sigh* It's days like these I miss Adelaide!


----------



## Patty Jansen

MelanieCellier said:


> Today was apparently MAX 11 degrees here in Canberra and it's still May. *sigh* It's days like these I miss Adelaide!


Canberra doesn't get many days of 46 degrees


----------



## The one with all the big dresses on the covers

Patty Jansen said:


> Canberra doesn't get many days of 46 degrees


Haha, true! But I'd pick the heat over the cold any day 

(Although I might not say that if I lived in a time/place without air conditioning!)


----------



## Scratchy_Bitey

I grew up in Ballarat. Winter isn't that bad here, but I might've been acclimatised!
I'm also a full time indie, and writing to market mixed with stuff for love and more books pretty much sums it up. Along with a great package and insides! Those threads Patty linked to are goodies, but I also like Susan Kay Quinn, Joanna Penn and Chris Fox's indie publishing books for in depth stuff. And I love podcasts!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Kat Betts

Scratchy_Bitey said:


> I grew up in Ballarat. Winter isn't that bad here, but I might've been acclimatised!


I was in Perth (12y), then Melb (6y), then Ballarat (now I'm in Geelong). The issue I had with the cold in Ballarat was that we didn't have a heater (well, we did but it couldn't even heat the smallest room we had). Outside of the cold I loved it. And now I have all these super warm winter clothes that I rarely get to wear because it's warm here (and we have a good heater).


----------



## Patty Jansen

I lived in Townsville and in the major clothing stores there, they just hang onto their autumn stuff (and get the leftovers from the rest of the country) until there is spring stock. There would be a TINY TINY corner with winter gear, including OMG! JUMPERS!

So, we all had 1 or 2 jumpers and as soon as OMG the daytime temperature dropped below 25C, it's time to break out the jumpers!

Except we all know that 25C is probably still too hot for a jumper, but as least you could say you wore one that year


----------



## TheLemontree

OMG you bloody Aussies can stop p*ss ing about the weather right now.
I'm in coastal Otago in the South Island of NZ and am freezing my donkey off.
(You're allowed to moan about high summer temperatures, just not low winter ones  )

I popped into this thread to give any other kiwis a heads up about taxes.  If 2015/2016 was your first year earning overseas income, you'll need to phone IRD and get them to set you up to file an IR3 online - it's not something that happens automagically (unlike all our domestic tax stuff). We've got until July 7 to file for the 2015/2016 year.


----------



## spellscribe

Patty Jansen said:


> I lived in Townsville and in the major clothing stores there, they just hang onto their autumn stuff (and get the leftovers from the rest of the country) until there is spring stock. There would be a TINY TINY corner with winter gear, including OMG! JUMPERS!
> 
> So, we all had 1 or 2 jumpers and as soon as OMG the daytime temperature dropped below 25C, it's time to break out the jumpers!
> 
> Except we all know that 25C is probably still too hot for a jumper, but as least you could say you wore one that year


Haha I grew up there and yeah, the 'winter section' was pretty hilarious. Now I'm in Brissy, and whether it's a big city thing or just a sign of the times, I went looking for a dress and sandals a couple of months ago... and everything was winter gear! It was a good 8 weeks before we even had a cool breeze through!


----------



## The one with all the big dresses on the covers

spellscribe said:


> Haha I grew up there and yeah, the 'winter section' was pretty hilarious. Now I'm in Brissy, and whether it's a big city thing or just a sign of the times, I went looking for a dress and sandals a couple of months ago... and everything was winter gear! It was a good 8 weeks before we even had a cool breeze through!


Oh, that's always annoying when the clothing swaps over in the shops but the weather isn't cooperating and then you can't find what you need.

I particularly find that troublesome for baby clothes since babies are liable to grow into the next size at unpredictable times and then you suddenly need to get them a whole new wardrobe. And it doesn't matter if it's almost winter - if it's still 30+ degrees outside then you really need something with short arms and legs!


----------



## JB Rowley

TheLemontree said:


> OMG you bloody Aussies can stop p*ss ing about the weather right now.


Shut your mouth! That's our national pastime you're talking about. 

'freezing your donkey off' - love it. (Aussies just use the correct spelling of arse.)


----------



## TheLemontree

JB Rowley said:


> Shut your mouth! That's our national pastime you're talking about.
> 
> 'freezing your donkey off' - love it. (Aussies just use the correct spelling of arse.)


 I thought it might get caught by the filter! Arse arse arse. Much better


----------



## Kat Betts

TheLemontree said:


> OMG you bloody Aussies can stop p*ss ing about the weather right now.
> I'm in coastal Otago in the South Island of NZ and am freezing my donkey off.


We like to complain about the weather!
As for Otago . . . nope nope nopety nope.


----------



## V.J. Monaghan

Hi,

Long time lurker, first time poster 

I'm also from Canberra (balmy at 12 degrees today). 

I'm just getting started with publishing and have written the first draft of two cosy mysteries and am halfway through a third. My plan is to publish them in September.  

It's great to have an Aussie community here on Kboards.


----------



## LeanneWinter CoverDesign

Cold here in Brissie. Had to put a cardie on this morning. _Brrrrrr!_


----------



## The one with all the big dresses on the covers

V.J. Monaghan said:


> Hi,
> 
> Long time lurker, first time poster
> 
> I'm also from Canberra (balmy at 12 degrees today).
> 
> I'm just getting started with publishing and have written the first draft of two cosy mysteries and am halfway through a third. My plan is to publish them in September.
> 
> It's great to have an Aussie community here on Kboards.


Ooh, exciting! I was starting to think I was the only Canberran on KBoards. Glad to see that's not the case!


----------



## JR.

I knew plenty of Kiwis in Brisbane that would all go on about the cold. Temp is a funny thing. I've been okay in a t-shirt out in the snow, but winter nights in the Pilbara nearly killed me.


----------



## JB Rowley

V.J. Monaghan said:


> Hi,
> 
> Long time lurker, first time poster
> 
> I'm also from Canberra (balmy at 12 degrees today).
> 
> I'm just getting started with publishing and have written the first draft of two cosy mysteries and am halfway through a third. My plan is to publish them in September.
> 
> It's great to have an Aussie community here on Kboards.


Welcome to the board, V.J. Good luck with your books. I also write crime fiction although my subgenre is whodunit. (unfortunately, Amazon does not have a category for whodunits so my books are sometimes listed as cosy mysteries.)


----------



## Kat Betts

V.J. Monaghan said:


> Hi,
> 
> Long time lurker, first time poster
> 
> I'm also from Canberra (balmy at 12 degrees today).
> 
> I'm just getting started with publishing and have written the first draft of two cosy mysteries and am halfway through a third. My plan is to publish them in September.
> 
> It's great to have an Aussie community here on Kboards.


Welcome!


----------



## spellscribe

Jeebus yes it was cold in Bris yesterday. Now it's humid and pouring. Go figure.


----------



## kathrynoh

TheLemontree said:


> OMG you bloody Aussies can stop p*ss ing about the weather right now.
> I'm in coastal Otago in the South Island of NZ and am freezing my donkey off.
> (You're allowed to moan about high summer temperatures, just not low winter ones  )
> 
> I popped into this thread to give any other kiwis a heads up about taxes. If 2015/2016 was your first year earning overseas income, you'll need to phone IRD and get them to set you up to file an IR3 online - it's not something that happens automagically (unlike all our domestic tax stuff). We've got until July 7 to file for the 2015/2016 year.


I stayed with a friend in Otago once and it was the coldest I've ever been in my life. She had an old weatherboard house and it was too cold to sleep! We made our excuses and checked into a hotel!


----------



## Shayne Parkinson

It's so changeable here (northern NZ) at the moment. Yesterday I had the fire on from mid-morning. Today I'm in t-shirt and shorts, and wouldn't mind being cooler!


----------



## Patty Jansen




----------



## Shayne Parkinson

Patty Jansen said:


>


"What was all that about a sunburnt country?"


----------



## TheLemontree

Hey Tilly and Shayne, can you answer a tax question for me? (Or anyone who is in NZ)

I understand that I need to file an IR3 to declare overseas income to the IRD.  To do this I need to supply them with the NZ dollar equivalents of the income and the US withholding tax paid. Okay, I can do that with a currency converter that supplies historical rates. Fiddley but do-able.

But they also want proof that the tax has been paid.  The documents sent out from Amazon and Createspace for the US federal year cover the 2015 calendar year, but nothing from 2016, and I need to show that tax was paid for Jan through Mar as well, to cover the NZ financial year.

How do you guys do this?

My one little non-fic book has netted me the grand total of <$200 so an accountant would be... overkill.


----------



## Kat Betts

I'm in love with your book covers, Spellscribe. I've seen them before, well, the Dream Stalker one, anyway. 
I love that authors have their covers in their signatures on Kboards.
/end random OOC post.


----------



## TheLemontree

Tilly said:


> You can go by the monthly gross & withholding deduction as shown on your Amazon payments page and KDP report (converted back to USD). Then keep your 1099s, the tax years won't balance, but you can show the monthly totals that add up to the 1099 and show the split for our tax years.
> 
> Or Personally I declare everything as net when it hits my bank account (I'm paid by wire transfer) and I write off the US tax. Having said that, my tax return has been stuck in processing for over 3 weeks now. My income jumped from a modest amount in 2015 to over 6-figures in 2016 and I suspect it has triggered an internal review. I'm waiting for a letter from them asking what the heck is going on


Thanks Tilly, I'll try your first suggestion and see how I go. Thanks heaps!

Sent from my GT-S7390 using Tapatalk


----------



## JB Rowley

Shayne Parkinson said:


> It's so changeable here (northern NZ) at the moment. Yesterday I had the fire on from mid-morning. Today I'm in t-shirt and shorts, and wouldn't mind being cooler!


Changeable? I hope you're not trying to take the 'four seasons in one day' crown from Melbourne!


----------



## spellscribe

Kat Betts said:


> I'm in love with your book covers, Spellscribe. I've seen them before, well, the Dream Stalker one, anyway.
> I love that authors have their covers in their signatures on Kboards.
> /end random OOC post.


Thanks! I don't get to see the covers often as I use The phone app to browse the forum. Such a pain but when I do use the pc, I always do a cover scroll 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Donna Maree Hanson Author

Hi 
New here! Patty Jansen marshalled me. Here I am.
I'm in Canberra, chilly and having a day at home. 
I finished my day job in March and I'm currently a PhD candidate in Creative Writing at Uni of Canberra. I brought out my first Kindle Direct book in April and hope to get a few more of the series out this year. 

I write fantasy, SF, SF romance and paranormal romance including for young adults. 

Waves!


----------



## CJArcher

Hello and welcome to all the new authors to the Aussie thread.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Donna Maree Hanson Author said:


> Hi
> New here! Patty Jansen marshalled me. Here I am.
> I'm in Canberra, chilly and having a day at home.
> I finished my day job in March and I'm currently a PhD candidate in Creative Writing at Uni of Canberra. I brought out my first Kindle Direct book in April and hope to get a few more of the series out this year.
> 
> I write fantasy, SF, SF romance and paranormal romance including for young adults.
> 
> Waves!


Oh! Donna!!!

For a change, someone I have actually met. Doesn't happen often.


----------



## Donna Maree Hanson Author

Yes! Patty! Thank you for all your advice and support. Much appreciated. I could lose myself in this place.

Donna


Patty Jansen said:


> Oh! Donna!!!
> 
> For a change, someone I have actually met. Doesn't happen often.


----------



## Shayne Parkinson

Welcome to all the new arrivals!



JB Rowley said:


> Changeable? I hope you're not trying to take the 'four seasons in one day' crown from Melbourne!


It's definitely a trait we share. 



TheLemontree said:


> Hey Tilly and Shayne, can you answer a tax question for me? (Or anyone who is in NZ)


Basically, what Tilly said.


----------



## RinG

Ohh, I almost missed the complain about the weather conversation!

Forget about not being able to buy appropriate clothes, I have numerous reports of people not being able to buy fans here in Brisbane in our 30+ degree AUTUMN weather this year.

Oh, and I have a Canadian friend who finds our weather here in Brisbane too cold. Something to do with our houses not being built for it I believe.


----------



## Bec

Rinelle Grey said:


> Oh, and I have a Canadian friend who finds our weather here in Brisbane too cold. Something to do with our houses not being built for it I believe.


Oh boy, don't get me started on my Canadian and his complaining about our shoddy house building haha. Every. Single. Morning.

Although, to be fair to him, he's completely right. Our bedroom has barely any insulation (built in the 1920's or so) and is freezing in the morning. It's a good house for summer/late spring/early autumn, but terrible in Winter! I never really noticed it - I grew up used to it being freezing in winter, and fully expecting to be cold when I got up. But then I lived in Canada for a few years and found out it didn't have to be that way! Central heating and good insulation goes a long way. I don't think I ever woke up cold there, and we never needed to have two doonas on our bed like we do in the middle of winter here.


----------



## The one with all the big dresses on the covers

Donna Maree Hanson Author said:


> Hi
> New here! Patty Jansen marshalled me. Here I am.
> I'm in Canberra, chilly and having a day at home.
> I finished my day job in March and I'm currently a PhD candidate in Creative Writing at Uni of Canberra. I brought out my first Kindle Direct book in April and hope to get a few more of the series out this year.
> 
> I write fantasy, SF, SF romance and paranormal romance including for young adults.
> 
> Waves!


Hi Donna! *waves back* Good to see you on Kboards!

The Canberrans are starting to stack up


----------



## Patty Jansen

We replaced all the windows at the back of the house (north-facing, there is almost no wall on that side, it's all windows and and they were all rotting) with double glass. It's awesome.


----------



## TheLemontree

Patty Jansen said:


> We replaced all the windows at the back of the house (north-facing, there is almost no wall on that side, it's all windows and and they were all rotting) with double glass. It's awesome.


+1 for double-glazing!

Our house is a large, 2-storeyed weatherboard house. The previous owners put in ceiling insulation and double-glazing through about 2/3 of the downstairs. We installed under-floor insulation and repaired the whole south wall/entrance which was rotten single-paned windows and doors - replaced with giant double-glazed ranch sliders.

The house is so much warmer, but on cold, windy days I'm still very aware of the lack of wall insulation! (And that's with a log burner and multiple heat pumps doing their thing).

I cannot even begin to imagine how cold this house was prior to the upgrading.


----------



## martel

Thought I might drop by. I've been on kboards for 2 years, and had some stuff published on Amazon a few years ago. However I had such a low self esteem I took them off. Haven't been very well over the last few years, so I'm trying to get back into writing. Living in Adelaide, btw.


----------



## JB Rowley

CJArcher said:


> Hello and welcome to all the new authors to the Aussie thread.


I'll second that.


----------



## E.M. Cooper

Another Canberran here just settling in for a wet week. 

I hope you're on the mend, Martel, so you can focus on some great writing.


----------



## The one with all the big dresses on the covers

E.M. Cooper said:


> Another Canberran here just settling in for a wet week.


Looks like it's going to be a shocker!


----------



## TheLemontree

I've seen very wet photos from Brisbane and Sydney. 

Is everyone on the east coast safe and dry?


----------



## Patty Jansen

TheLemontree said:


> I've seen very wet photos from Brisbane and Sydney.
> 
> Is everyone on the east coast safe and dry?


Nope.

Major, major roof leakage. The fire place is broken (shorted out). The builder is being an arse. This is an extension we put on less than two years ago.


----------



## Kat Betts

Patty Jansen said:


> Nope.
> 
> Major, major roof leakage. The fire place is broken (shorted out). The builder is being an arse. This is an extension we put on less than two years ago.


I hope it gets sorted out for you soon


----------



## Goulburn

Hello, fellow writers down under. 
I'm in the Goulburn Valley, overlooking a paddock and watching for the crop to emerge. So far the cold night hasn't damaged the vegetable crop. I'm going to do an el cheapo double glazing today. I'll be dragging out a roll of large bubble wrap and installing it over the bedroom windows and glass sliding doors. Apparently you just cut it to size, mist the glass with water and press the bubble plastic onto the glass. I've not tried it yet. We do have good insulation and double glazed windows in my studio lounge. 
I've been enjoying the rain. When you live on land with crops, and it has been a dry autumn, it will take a lot of water before it's too much. 

Fake double glazing will be my exercise today between writing the WIP.


----------



## RinG

Crazy rain here in Brisbane. 140mm in only a few hours. And of course, it was the day of my daughter's planned birthday party! Luckily it stopped by lunch time, and the water drained away pretty quickly, so the party went ahead! Not so pleasant in other parts of the country though I've heard.


----------



## kathrynoh

It's not wet today but yesterday, oh boy. Worst of it was the dogs kept wanting to out to the toilet then they'd look at the rain and run back inside. It was driving us nuts. I took them out this morning and I think we went through a record number of poo bags!


----------



## TheLemontree

Patty Jansen said:


> Nope.
> 
> Major, major roof leakage. The fire place is broken (shorted out). The builder is being an arse. This is an extension we put on less than two years ago.


   

That's no good at all. During a promo weekend, too!


----------



## spellscribe

All I have to say is.... Brrrr!

Also Patty I hope you get it sorted  


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Goulburn

Waving hello again. 
The bubble plastic (fake double glazing) is up in the bedroom which had a wall of windows. The doubly plastic stuck just as it I'd been told it would. There was a clear sunny gap in the afternoon, and as I'd been in the shed sourness the bubble plastic, husband and I had a shed clean out for our day's exercise. I picked some of our vegetable crop for dinner.

With exercise and procrastination done, I must get through a chapter before bedtime. 
Cheers.


----------



## Donna Maree Hanson Author

MelanieCellier said:


> Hi Donna! *waves back* Good to see you on Kboards!
> 
> The Canberrans are starting to stack up


It's a zombie public servant apocalypse.


----------



## JR.

Anyone going to the Byron Writer's Festival? My mother is in the area and just mentioned it to me. She also shared some photos of recent hail in the Alice - looks like it's been snowing out there! Damn pretty though...


----------



## Patty Jansen

JR. said:


> Anyone going to the Byron Writer's Festival? My mother is in the area and just mentioned it to me. She also shared some photos of recent hail in the Alice - looks like it's been snowing out there! Damn pretty though...


Nope but a whole bunch of us were at Supanova Sydney this past weekend, and we're going to Book Expo Australia.


----------



## Selina Fenech

Patty Jansen said:


> Nope but a whole bunch of us were at Supanova Sydney this past weekend, and we're going to Book Expo Australia.


Short notice on this one, but if you are able to get to Sydney and write fantasy/historical or anything that would fit in at a medieval fair, I've heard that Winterfest are offering free tables for writers for their event on the 2nd and 3rd July- http://winterfest.com.au/ 
I've sold my stuff there on and off over the last 10 years and it's always a great event with a heap of people visiting.

ETA their website seems to be having problems right now, so this is also them - https://www.facebook.com/WinterfestSydney/


----------



## JR.

I have elderly relatives in Sydney that need visiting and October would be a great time to get down there. Thanks for the heads up.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Selina Fenech said:


> Short notice on this one, but if you are able to get to Sydney and write fantasy/historical or anything that would fit in at a medieval fair, I've heard that Winterfest are offering free tables for writers for their event on the 2nd and 3rd July- http://winterfest.com.au/
> I've sold my stuff there on and off over the last 10 years and it's always a great event with a heap of people visiting.
> 
> ETA their website seems to be having problems right now, so this is also them - https://www.facebook.com/WinterfestSydney/


As far as I understand, you need to bring your own tent at the medieval fair.


----------



## AltMe

Patty Jansen said:


> Nope but a whole bunch of us were at Supanova Sydney this past weekend, and we're going to Book Expo Australia.


As someone who is relatively new to all this, would it be too much to ask people to actually post about these things when they first get announced, so those of us who've never heard of them can think about going?

Hearing about things after they happen is somewhat frustrating.

Please? This is supposed to be a support thread, can we think in advance about what people might need to know about?

I'm at the point where I'd like to go to a few of these where I can and see what they are like.

Let me put it another way...

How about some "I'm going to Supanova Sydney in June, who would like to me meet there?" posts. Or "I'm doing Supanavo Sydney in June. Whose coming along to help me, or just coming along?"

Some of us would, if we knew what was happening enough in advance.

For those who are actually doing these sort of things, has anyone considered joining up with other kboarders and sharing stands, or having adjoining ones so they could support each other? (I've been doing antique fairs and retail since childhood, so I know the logistics of running a stand by yourself.)


----------



## Selina Fenech

Patty Jansen said:


> As far as I understand, you need to bring your own tent at the medieval fair.


If you talk with the organiser Andrew, sometimes he can offer tent/table rental for Winterfest depending on what is still available, but yeah, it's not a normal service. You need to take your own tent (if you want shelter) and tables. By free "table" I meant, space. Outside. But the last few years there have been authors with just a fold up table and their books doing quite well at Winterfest.



TimothyEllis said:


> How about some "I'm going to Supanova Sydney in June, who would like to me meet there?" posts. Or "I'm doing Supanavo Sydney in June. Whose coming along to help me, or just coming along?"


I agree, I'm just not around here much anymore, sorry. Just thought I'd pass on the Winterfest thing when I saw the Aussie thread pop up. But while I am here briefly, the other events I know of and am going to are Sydney Comic-Con and Book Expo Australia, which I think are still both open for bookings for this year.


----------



## AltMe

Selina Fenech said:


> Sydney Comic-Con and Book Expo Australia


Oooooo.

Details please.

I keep seeing stuff in Facebook about US Comic-cons, and I'd love to get to one here, even if its just a shadow of the US ones.

I've no idea what Book Expo is.

Unfortunately for me, the only writer near me, only does the Writer conferences, which are no interest for me.

If anyone is going to either of those, I'd love to meet up with you.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Actually, we *have* mentioned it, and the link to the Supanova website, where you can find all the dates, was given on page 76, in response to a question by you, Tim. I can only refer you to that same website. You can find all the details there: http://www.supanova.com.au/

Go to the "Exhibitors" link and you can download a PDF with all the info. As author, you want to go into what they call the "artists' alley". Table costs vary according the city, and there is an earlybird registration discount if you book far enough ahead (you usually get about $100 off). You also need exhibitor insurance, which can be had for about $275 per year from AAMI (just google "market stall insurance AAMI")

I have waaayyyy too many books to share a table.


----------



## Patty Jansen

TimothyEllis said:


> Oooooo.
> 
> Details please.
> 
> I keep seeing stuff in Facebook about US Comic-cons, and I'd love to get to one here, even if its just a shadow of the US ones.
> 
> I've no idea what Book Expo is.
> 
> Unfortunately for me, the only writer near me, only does the Writer conferences, which are no interest for me.
> 
> If anyone is going to either of those, I'd love to meet up with you.


Google is your friend.


----------



## AltMe

Patty Jansen said:


> Actually, we *have* mentioned it, and the link to the Supanova website, where you can find all the dates, was given on page 76, in response to a question by you, Tim. I can only refer you to that same website. You can find all the details there: http://www.supanova.com.au/


My memory doesn't go back that far. Not a cop out. I seriously dont remember things like that. Call it damage from migraine drugs.

Its why a "I'm going to ..... in ....." message here is a lot more use for me. Its immediate, and triggers action. If I need to remember something is coming, I wont. Sad but I live with it.

Talking about Supernova, is it any good for authors who just have ebooks? I can see a stand done out in large book covers velcroed to the walls, with handouts with the links to the books. Possibly even a computer(s) so people can log in to Amazon on the spot and buy, or download a sample to their kindle.

But the big question really is, will that work if you dont have paperbacks on hand to sell? The rent is significant enough to not want to waste it on an event which wont work for ebooks.

Having said that, paperbacks is on my to do list, but I'm still to busy writing to spend the time. So if the answer to the above question is no, then I'll go along to one to see it in operation, and work towards being able to stock one.


----------



## Magnus

I've seen people giving out combo scratchie-business cards at conventions before. You print out a bunch of business cards (well, you get a printing company to do it for you) and each card has a unique URL printed on it, or a unique digital code, that unlocks a free download of a particular book. Then you buy some of those scratch-off stickers to cover the code and you're good. You could sell those as part of a goodie bag of other low-cost things, give them out, whatever.

I've been to Supanova once or twice and while I saw some authors there, I don't know how well they would have done. The audience for Supanova is definitely skewed towards television, movies, and manga, and the atmosphere isn't really conducive to having any sort of prolonged conversations with people. But I was only there as a fan, so I didn't get much chance to rubberneck. I certainly didn't see them sell much and the stalls I remember that sold books (that weren't comics / manga) packed up early and left.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Magnus said:


> I've seen people giving out combo scratchie-business cards at conventions before. You print out a bunch of business cards (well, you get a printing company to do it for you) and each card has a unique URL printed on it, or a unique digital code, that unlocks a free download of a particular book. Then you buy some of those scratch-off stickers to cover the code and you're good. You could sell those as part of a goodie bag of other low-cost things, give them out, whatever.
> 
> I've been to Supanova once or twice and while I saw some authors there, I don't know how well they would have done. The audience for Supanova is definitely skewed towards television, movies, and manga, and the atmosphere isn't really conducive to having any sort of prolonged conversations with people. But I was only there as a fan, so I didn't get much chance to rubberneck. I certainly didn't see them sell much and the stalls I remember that sold books (that weren't comics / manga) packed up early and left.


There are a whole bundle of us who have been to multiple Supanovas for the past few years, and all of us will completely refute this. It is definitely worth going to sell books. Authors do well, given the right products to sell, but the product has to be well-presented, with nice covers and a nice display, as with pretty much everything. And you're not even allowed to leave early, so your visit must have been age ago. You even *can't* leave early, because it's too busy.

Selling only ebooks? I wouldn't do it. The cost of the table + insurance is not insignificant. You want to have a value product to sell. Possible downloads of ebooks at a few bucks a pop are not going to cut it. I do see an increase in sales from the event in both ebook and print (mainly in print), but the increase in ebook sales is nowhere near good enough to cover the cost of the table.


----------



## kathrynoh

TimothyEllis said:


> My memory doesn't go back that far. Not a cop out. I seriously dont remember things like that. Call it damage from migraine drugs.
> 
> Its why a "I'm going to ..... in ....." message here is a lot more use for me. Its immediate, and triggers action. If I need to remember something is coming, I wont. Sad but I live with it.
> 
> Talking about Supernova, is it any good for authors who just have ebooks? I can see a stand done out in large book covers velcroed to the walls, with handouts with the links to the books. Possibly even a computer(s) so people can log in to Amazon on the spot and buy, or download a sample to their kindle.
> 
> But the big question really is, will that work if you dont have paperbacks on hand to sell? The rent is significant enough to not want to waste it on an event which wont work for ebooks.
> 
> Having said that, paperbacks is on my to do list, but I'm still to busy writing to spend the time. So if the answer to the above question is no, then I'll go along to one to see it in operation, and work towards being able to stock one.


Google calendar is also your friend.

Seriously, I wouldn't remember a thing in this life if I didn't put it in google calendar.


----------



## Patty Jansen

kathrynoh said:


> Google calendar is also your friend.
> 
> Seriously, I wouldn't remember a thing in this life if I didn't put it in google calendar.


I use the calendar thingie that comes with my Mac. It saves my butt because it makes my phone go BLING! at me when I'm supposed to be doing something.


----------



## AltMe

Patty Jansen said:


> I use the calendar thingie that comes with my Mac. It saves my butt because it makes my phone go BLING! at me when I'm supposed to be doing something.


I use my phone one for appointments, but nothing much else.

Never occurred to me a computer program could send a message to your phone. I'll have to check that out.



Patty Jansen said:


> Selling only ebooks? I wouldn't do it. The cost of the table + insurance is not insignificant. You want to have a value product to sell. Possible downloads of ebooks at a few bucks a pop are not going to cut it. I do see an increase in sales from the event in both ebook and print (mainly in print), but the increase in ebook sales is nowhere near good enough to cover the cost of the table.


That's about what I thought.

At the moment, I've not looked at book versions enough to know how much you make on them, and if that's worth while or not.


----------



## The one with all the big dresses on the covers

Patty Jansen said:


> There are a whole bundle of us who have been to multiple Supanovas for the past few years, and all of us will completely refute this. It is definitely worth going to sell books. Authors do well, given the right products to sell, but the product has to be well-presented, with nice covers and a nice display, as with pretty much everything. And you're not even allowed to leave early, so your visit must have been age ago. You even *can't* leave early, because it's too busy.


Patty (and others who've been), given your experience, how many books do you think an author would need to have before it becomes worth it?

Also, out of the events that have been mentioned, which do you think is likely to be most successful for authors (if someone can only go to one)?


----------



## Selina Fenech

MelanieCellier said:


> Patty (and others who've been), given your experience, how many books do you think an author would need to have before it becomes worth it?
> 
> Also, out of the events that have been mentioned, which do you think is likely to be most successful for authors (if someone can only go to one)?


Supanova is my personal favourite. It's MASSIVE with a fantastic (positive, enthusiastic, there-to-spend-money) crowd. And for what you're getting for the table rent, three days access to those crowds, it's incredibly cheap compared to other events. Remember, it's a pop culture event though, so spec-fic and genre authors will probably do best.

There are also smaller "signing" style events, like Readers and Writers Down Under (up in QLD), Fictionally Yours (Melbourne), and Books By The Bridge (Sydney). These are smaller, author signing days, generally romance focused, and can be hard to get into. Sometimes invite only, like Sydney Author Event.


----------



## spellscribe

Also check out Genrecon. More writer focused but looked like a great line up last year  


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Patty Jansen

spellscribe said:


> Also check out Genrecon. More writer focused but looked like a great line up last year
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Genrecon and the SFF cons are where you go to learn and network. The attendance is small and trad-oriented.

If you want to sell, you go to the fan cons. I've seen people do fine with only one book, but in general, if you are not a good face-to-face salesperson, and if you have one or two books out, that is when you share a table.


----------



## The one with all the big dresses on the covers

Thanks for the replies! Are the books all pretty much standard priced (ie is there a price you need to go with or be out of sync with the event) or is there a lot of variation?


----------



## RightHoJeeves

Hiya chaps, just introducing myself as a new Australian addition to these fine boards.


----------



## Andrew Christie

Welcome aboard RightHo


----------



## Goulburn

Welcome,  RightHo.


----------



## RightHoJeeves

Allo chaps!


----------



## debzo

Hi fellow Aussie Kindle writers  

I am trying to gift some copies of my ebooks in order to get some reviews but gifting books doesn't seem possible on Amazon Au. Any advice?

Any help gratefully accepted.

Deb


----------



## Patty Jansen

Quills said:


> Try either instafreebie (free trial for the first month) or bookfunnel.


Or Smashwords codes. Or plain sending the file.

Also, Instabfreebie is not allowable if you're in Select.


----------



## JB Rowley

debzo said:


> Hi fellow Aussie Kindle writers
> 
> I am trying to gift some copies of my ebooks in order to get some reviews but gifting books doesn't seem possible on Amazon Au. Any advice?
> 
> Any help gratefully accepted.
> 
> Deb


Like Patty said, you can just send the file. My ARC files are in PDF but some reviewers might prefer a different format.


----------



## kathrynoh

I actually wouldn't gift through Amazon for reviews. I've heard that it can get your reviews deleted!

Hope everyone is having a fun census night.


----------



## Patty Jansen

kathrynoh said:


> I actually wouldn't gift through Amazon for reviews. I've heard that it can get your reviews deleted!
> 
> Hope everyone is having a fun census night.


Yeah. Use Smashwords, Book Funnel or just send the files.

About Census night: I tweeted that I finished doing mine, and what should I do next. Besides the usual suggestions (coffee, cake, ice cream), some smartarse suggested that traditionally one gives birth in a stable. LOLOLOLOL


----------



## kathrynoh

You finished it? I did it, tried to submit and it kept erroring until it timed out and I lost everything. Then I gave up.


----------



## The one with all the big dresses on the covers

Patty Jansen said:


> About Census night: I tweeted that I finished doing mine, and what should I do next. Besides the usual suggestions (coffee, cake, ice cream), some smartarse suggested that traditionally one gives birth in a stable. LOLOLOLOL


Haha, there's always one 

I didn't have any trouble submitting, thankfully, since I was in a rush. Sounds like a total pain, kathrnyoh  And it's going to be an even bigger pain for the ABS if lots of people can't complete it!


----------



## JB Rowley

I submitted mine around 6am - no probs at all.


----------



## JB Rowley

Apparently they chose to close the site down for security reasons. The site was under attack from overseas. Three attacks were repelled and on the fourth attack they made the decision to shut down the site. And I owe all that information to Auntie (ABC not BBC).


----------



## Goulburn

Hello, Australians. 
The internet cut out just as we were submitting our Census form, so now it's a drive out of the bush to a post box, which I'll do next Friday.


----------



## Michael J Elliott

Apart from the security issue I knew the servers wouldn't be able to handle that volume of traffic. Did our gov not aticipate this?


----------



## JB Rowley

M R Mortimer said:


> It was pretty much a foregone conclusion. However, the claims of an attack / hack / whatever buzword the media wants to mis-use, are most definitely bogus.


The information came from the lips of ABS statistician David Kalisch so we're not talking about the media's misuse of buzz words. As far as I can ascertain no proof had been offered to reveal what actually happened. Do you have proof that 'the claims of attack ... are most definitely bogus'?


----------



## Les Turner

Hi guys,

I'm just reintroducing myself. I was on the kboards about four years ago, but then stopped frequenting as I moved into screenwriting and away from self publishing.

I'm slowly dipping my toes back into publishing, only to find it has changed quite a bit while I've been gone (newsletter subscribers!?!?!?! How do I get those!?!?!?!?) So I'll be asking lots of questions over the next couple of months and look forward tro chatting with you all.

Cheers.

Les.

PS. We did our census the old fashioned way with a pen and paper and didn't have any issues 
PPS. Inner West Sydney is where I"m at.


----------



## Patty Jansen

M R Mortimer said:


> Yes I do.There was a very good analyses somewhere, I can not locate right now, however the simple maths prove the servers inadequate. The security watchdogs who observe the traffic and other evidence of such things have all come out and said categorically that no ddos activity occurred in Australia AT ALL. I will find some information for you later, but bare in mind that the requests on the index page alone, not even attempting to submit forms etc, could have very easily reached around 56Gbps, assuming 100,000 visitors, based on a count of the page size in KB, which exceeds the entire backbone for the state of NSW in bandwidth. This could to the untrained eye, look a lot like a DDoS, however it is in fact nothing more than inadequate infrastructure. When I worked with the ABS twenty years ago, there was a report into the feasibility of an online census, and it concluded that without an improved backbone including fibre to the premises, it would be doomed to failure. I guess the report was right.


Chatting about this with my husband last night (He works as IT database specialist for another government department), and coming to the same conclusion.

Why didn't they:

1. Stagger entries over a week or two (much like the NSW introduction of the Opal card, which--surprisingly--went off without big problems)
2. Gave every house hold a code for a downloadable app and then instructed the app to upload at a certain time so as not to fry their systems (and save the info in case of fry-age)


----------



## Les Turner

This image is doing the rounds at work today...


----------



## JB Rowley

Les Turner said:


> I'm slowly dipping my toes back into publishing, only to find it has changed quite a bit while I've been gone (newsletter subscribers!?!?!?! How do I get those!?!?!?!?)


Some authors offer incentives (such as free books) for people who sign up for their mailing lists.


----------



## JB Rowley

Any other Aussies not seeing the Amazon Giveaway link on their book's product page?


----------



## Goulburn

JB Rowley said:


> Any other Aussies not seeing the Amazon Giveaway link on their book's product page?


I have been seeing it.


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## spellscribe

Who's with kobo and only has the wire transfer option through Amzon? Just wondering if kobo can EFT when Zon can't. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## JB Rowley

Thanks Quills and Ryn. Have you switched to Amazon.com.au or are you still using Amazon.com? I switched so I'm wondering if that's part of the problem. 

(I am communicating with Amazon Support but they are just citing a 'technical glitch' but don't seem able to resolve the problem so any info you could give me would be helpful.)


----------



## AltMe

JB Rowley said:


> Thanks Quills and Ryn. Have you switched to Amazon.com.au or are you still using Amazon.com? I switched so I'm wondering if that's part of the problem.


I made the switch to .com.au, and then switched back again.


----------



## Goulburn

JB Rowley said:


> Thanks Quills and Ryn. Have you switched to Amazon.com.au or are you still using Amazon.com? I switched so I'm wondering if that's part of the problem.
> 
> (I am communicating with Amazon Support but they are just citing a 'technical glitch' but don't seem able to resolve the problem so any info you could give me would be helpful.)


RB, I stay on .com.


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## Patty Jansen

spellscribe said:


> Who's with kobo and only has the wire transfer option through Amzon? Just wondering if kobo can EFT when Zon can't.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Because Amazon. That's all you need to know. They're in the business of making things as hard as possible for everyone just to spite a competitor.


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## JB Rowley

Many thanks Quills, Timothy and Ryn. I'm going to try to switch back to .com and see if that solves the problem.

(KDP support are  now telling me that there is a technical glitch and they've 'personally contacted our concerned department and informed the situation' but I think that's just another fob off.)


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## JB Rowley

I switched back to .com. Now the link is there but I cannot set up an Amazon Giveaway. When I click on the link this is the message I get: _This account may not purchase licenses for this product due country or region restrictions. Please check your country settings and try again._

The weird thing is I have done Amazon Giveaways before. (Maybe there really is a technical glitch and the 'concerned department' hasn't fixed it yet.)

Would someone else please click on the Amazon Giveaway link on your book product page and see if you get the same message. Thanks a lot.


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## AltMe

Confirmed. I got the same thing.


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## TheLemontree

I get the same thing. I have not tried to set up a giveaway before, so can't comment if this is new. But I do know that, apparently, one can set up a giveaway for *anyone's* books, not just your own.

I just clicked a random book in my also-boughts to check, and yes, the option is there to set up a giveaway for that book, but when I click it I don't have permission, due to my country settings.

Maybe (just thinking out loud here) a US person could run your giveaway for you? Or just run it through library thing or goodreads?


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## JB Rowley

Thank you Timothy and Lemontree - really helpful to know it's not just my books' product pages.

Thanks for your suggestions Lemontree. (I want to use Amazon Giveaway if I can - to gather some contacts on Author Central.)


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## saras

Hello, I am a fellow Australian writer, but have not published anything yet. Thought I would ask in this thread in the first instance since I am coming from an Australian perspective. I am still trying to work out all the logistics of self-publishing, particularly with a pen name. For professional reasons related to my day job I would prefer that anything I published could not be easily connected to my real name, but to be honest, I do not think it is possible to do this. Particularly if you want to do any kind of marketing - i.e. mailing lists. I was wondering if anyone is in this situation and has a workable solution that complies with the anti-spamming acts?

You need to have a physical address to put on your emails to meet anti-spamming laws, and also identify yourself i.e. legal name or business name + ABN. (CAN-SPAM for America, but also the anti-spam act in Australia http://www.acma.gov.au/Industry/Marketers/Anti-Spam/Ensuring-you-dont-spam/sender-identification-ensuring-you-dont-spam-i-acma).

The options I can see are:
1. Use a physical address and your real name or business name and ABN. 
2. Use a PO Box. This takes care of the address, but the Australian anti spam act says you need to identify yourself i.e. business name+ABN or real name. If you use your ABN, your details are public by ABN lookup.
3. Virtual mail box. e.g. VirtualPostMail. Still has to be able to receive mail i.e. US postal service to comply with CAN-SPAM. You need to fill in form http://help.virtualpostmail.com/article/82-article-usps-form-1583. This needs to be notarised. So again, you have an address but still need to identify yourself correctly. 
4. Do one of the above with a business name and assume no one is going to care enough to bother looking up your ABN, but understand that it is very easy for anyone to find your real name if they do bother.
5. Do not have a mailing list

Just wondering if there was anything I missed? Thanks!


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## JohnHindmarsh

I'm now based in the US so I haven't had to deal with these issues. And I use my real name, not a pseudonym. However - could you contract out your newsletter to a social marketing organization, so that they disclose all their info and use content you provide or approve?

You do need subscribers!


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## Iain Ryan

sara1121 said:


> Hello, I am a fellow Australian writer, but have not published anything yet. Thought I would ask in this thread in the first instance since I am coming from an Australian perspective. I am still trying to work out all the logistics of self-publishing, particularly with a pen name. For professional reasons related to my day job I would prefer that anything I published could not be easily connected to my real name, but to be honest, I do not think it is possible to do this. Particularly if you want to do any kind of marketing - i.e. mailing lists. I was wondering if anyone is in this situation and has a workable solution that complies with the anti-spamming acts?
> 
> You need to have a physical address to put on your emails to meet anti-spamming laws, and also identify yourself i.e. legal name or business name + ABN. (CAN-SPAM for America, but also the anti-spam act in Australia http://www.acma.gov.au/Industry/Marketers/Anti-Spam/Ensuring-you-dont-spam/sender-identification-ensuring-you-dont-spam-i-acma).
> 
> The options I can see are:
> 1. Use a physical address and your real name or business name and ABN.
> 2. Use a PO Box. This takes care of the address, but the Australian anti spam act says you need to identify yourself i.e. business name+ABN or real name. If you use your ABN, your details are public by ABN lookup.
> 3. Virtual mail box. e.g. VirtualPostMail. Still has to be able to receive mail i.e. US postal service to comply with CAN-SPAM. You need to fill in form http://help.virtualpostmail.com/article/82-article-usps-form-1583. This needs to be notarised. So again, you have an address but still need to identify yourself correctly.
> 4. Do one of the above with a business name and assume no one is going to care enough to bother looking up your ABN, but understand that it is very easy for anyone to find your real name if they do bother.
> 5. Do not have a mailing list
> 
> Just wondering if there was anything I missed? Thanks!


In the early years, Dennis Lehane used to have a post-it by his computer that read NO ONE CARES. This is good advice.

No names but someone has been building and posting to a list for months and months and months just with an email address and my home town listed in the details section.

Make of these two separate statements what you will.


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## Iain Ryan

And while I'm here...

Just thought I'd mention that if you're in the crime/mystery genre, you might want to consider entering the Ned Kelly Awards next year. There were two POD/indie titles in the Best Debut Novel category this year, so it's a legit panel, reading and voting in books they like.

Four Days (below) was shortlisted (and lost) and while none of this moved the needle in terms of sales, it was good 'social proof' for the market materials and I got nicely day-drunk at the afternoon awards ceremony. I even met Michael Robotham who was super nice + he shouted out to self-publishing in his speech, noting how quickly self-pub work and ebooks have entered into contention for the awards. This is a guy who has trad-sold over 2 million books. I was really impressed with the whole thing. It was pretty real.


----------



## AltMe

sara1121 said:


> You need to have a physical address to put on your emails to meet anti-spamming laws, and also identify yourself i.e. legal name or business name + ABN. (CAN-SPAM for America, but also the anti-spam act in Australia http://www.acma.gov.au/Industry/Marketers/Anti-Spam/Ensuring-you-dont-spam/sender-identification-ensuring-you-dont-spam-i-acma).
> 
> The options I can see are:
> 1. Use a physical address and your real name or business name and ABN.
> 2. Use a PO Box. This takes care of the address, but the Australian anti spam act says you need to identify yourself i.e. business name+ABN or real name. If you use your ABN, your details are public by ABN lookup.
> 3. Virtual mail box. e.g. VirtualPostMail. Still has to be able to receive mail i.e. US postal service to comply with CAN-SPAM. You need to fill in form http://help.virtualpostmail.com/article/82-article-usps-form-1583. This needs to be notarised. So again, you have an address but still need to identify yourself correctly.
> 4. Do one of the above with a business name and assume no one is going to care enough to bother looking up your ABN, but understand that it is very easy for anyone to find your real name if they do bother.
> 5. Do not have a mailing list
> 
> Just wondering if there was anything I missed? Thanks!


Never use your home address. I use a PO box, but I do this anyway for everything.

You dont need an ABN, or a business name. If you run it as a business you may need to, but I dont. We get p[aid royalties from overseas, and tax wise, this doesn't require an ABN.

Mailing list is essential. Its where your release spike comes from with each new book. Takes time to build, so must be in the backmatter of your very first book.

I'd forget about Australian rules. Amazon does all the work, we get a royalty. If you use Mailchimp or similar for mailouts, you follow US law and a PO Box is quite adequate.

PO boxes dont care what name is being used for them. You set it up under your own name and they want ID, but you simply list any other name which will be regularly posted to it. In any case, they dont seem to care what name is on the envelope, if it has your box number on it, you get it.


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## RinG

Does anyone here use wire transfer from Amazon? If so, how long does it take, generally, for the funds to go into your bank account? Any hassles I should watch out for?


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## Patty Jansen

Rinelle Grey said:


> Does anyone here use wire transfer from Amazon? If so, how long does it take, generally, for the funds to go into your bank account? Any hassles I should watch out for?


Yup.

Funds go into your account on the 28th of each month (in the US so that was today yipppiieee!)

Hassles? Apart from the disappearing $25? I don't have to queue up at the counter (to pay $18 per cheque, so my time standing here is worth $7 LOL)

ETA my back-of-envelope calculation of when it's worth to set up wire transfer ends up at about $2000 per month. Otherwise, just keep the cheques. Or ask KDP to stop payments and manually release them every few months.


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## RinG

Thanks Patty. Sounds like it goes through reasonably quickly. Was just a little concerned, because Amazon said it might take 5-10 days.


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## kathrynoh

What Patty said.

What happens is that your payment goes from Amazon's bank to Bank X then to your bank. It's Bank X who take out the $25. There's nothing you can really do about it either since no one can tell you another about that bank. I think it's Gringotts. 

It's $25 per payment too so if you get US, UK, Canada and one European country's payments, you're paying $100 in fees!!! 

I use Payoneer so I get my payment straight away. It works out cheaper unless you earn over $2500 in one country on a regular basis.


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## AltMe

kathrynoh said:


> What happens is that your payment goes from Amazon's bank to Bank X then to your bank. It's Bank X who take out the $25. There's nothing you can really do about it either since no one can tell you another about that bank. I think it's Gringotts. It's $25 per payment too so if you get US, UK, Canada and one European country's payments, you're paying $100 in fees!!! I use Payoneer so I get my payment straight away. It works out cheaper unless you earn over $2500 in one country on a regular basis.


Bank X is the National. Amazon pay them, they move it your bank, but slug you a fee for doing it.

And I think that fee is actually illegal. It never goes on a statement, it isn't invoiced in any way. It just vanishes from your money without a trace. Nor can you legally claim it on your tax. Your bank cant give you an invoice because they didn't charge it. National cant give you an invoice because your not their customer. No tax invoice, or line item on a statement, so no tax deduction.

I went Payoneer as well. I get paid from 9 different sources, so its $225 a month through National, and I feel very good denying them the transfer fees. Yes I sometimes pay more, but I say stick it up the bank.


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## CJArcher

The fees aren't the same amount for every bank. I'm with the ANZ and the fees from Amazon transfers are $15 per deposit. Yes, it adds up when you get them from 6 different countries. I wish Amazon would at least combine all the Euro ones!!


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## Selina Fenech

CJArcher said:


> The fees aren't the same amount for every bank. I'm with the ANZ and the fees from Amazon transfers are $15 per deposit. Yes, it adds up when you get them from 6 different countries. I wish Amazon would at least combine all the Euro ones!!


I'm with ANZ too, and their fee structure changes when the cheques are over $2000 aud value. The fees then range between $60 and $150 per cheque. 
I've also been researching to decide on if I should make the switch to Payoneer, and - from what vague information I could actually get- Payoneer's conversion rate is better than ANZ's. Payoneer states clearly that they use a rate of 2-2.75% above the mid-market rate. ANZ won't tell me what they do, but some research suggested they charge 4% above the mid-market rate. So, I think, Payoneer is the better deal. I've got my first payment going through them at the end of this month, so fingers crossed anyway.


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## Patty Jansen

> It's $25 per payment too so if you get US, UK, Canada and one European country's payments, you're paying $100 in fees!!!


As far as I know, this is not true. You only get "wire" transfer from the US, which attracts this fee that's secret (I'm happy to go with Gringott's). The other transfers are EFT and don't attract this fee. Just the usual crappy exchange rate.


----------



## stephanierylai

New Aussie author checking in here.

Wow, does Amazon really charge $25 for each monthly payment?

So I guess I'll be expecting a $0 payment for a while then


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## RinG

Yeah, I've been going through payoneer for ages, but I really need the payment in my account, not on their card. Especially since I've had them cancel my card before with no warning, when target US had a breech. Tried to tell them target au has nothing to do with target us, but they wouldn't believe me. 6 weeks to get a new card! That wasn't a big deal when it was only a few hundred dollars, I could live with it, but we're starting to rely on my earnings, and a 6 week wait isn't acceptable. Also, the $25 charge isn't so bad when you're over a few thousand, as Patty said.


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## AltMe

stephanierylai said:


> New Aussie author checking in here.
> 
> Wow, does Amazon really charge $25 for each monthly payment?
> 
> So I guess I'll be expecting a $0 payment for a while then


NO.

Amazon sends wire transfers to National bank.

National charges $25 to redirect it to your bank.

Amazon has a $100 minimum before it will send, but losing a quarter of it is prohibitive. Better to stop payments and let it accumulate for a while. Or as suggested, get a Payoneer account in the US. Transferring back is direct EFT, with no charges, just the currency change. And its been suggested Payoneer are better than our banks for this too.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Rinelle Grey said:


> Yeah, I've been going through payoneer for ages, but I really need the payment in my account, not on their card. Especially since I've had them cancel my card before with no warning, when target US had a breech. Tried to tell them target au has nothing to do with target us, but they wouldn't believe me. 6 weeks to get a new card! That wasn't a big deal when it was only a few hundred dollars, I could live with it, but we're starting to rely on my earnings, and a 6 week wait isn't acceptable. Also, the $25 charge isn't so bad when you're over a few thousand, as Patty said.


I'd set up the bank transfer thingie, and if your monthly income doesn't justify monthly payments because of the fees, then I'd email KDP to stop the payments and release them manually every quarter, or two months.

Amazon does *not* charge for bank transfers, but somewhere in the banking system, $25 disappears because Amazon insists on using "wire transfer" instead of EFT for their payments from the US. Whatever the difference is no one knows, but trust Amazon to set things up so that they 1.cost us the most money, 2. are the most inconvenient to us. Preferably both.


----------



## Patty Jansen

> Amazon has a $100 minimum before it will send, but losing a quarter of it is prohibitive. Better to stop payments and let it accumulate for a while. Or as suggested, get a Payoneer account in the US. Transferring back is direct EFT, with no charges, just the currency change. And its been suggested Payoneer are better than our banks for this too.


Payoneer charges a % fee, which makes is progressively less economical with higher payment amounts.


----------



## Kate.

stephanierylai said:


> New Aussie author checking in here.
> 
> Wow, does Amazon really charge $25 for each monthly payment?
> 
> So I guess I'll be expecting a $0 payment for a while then


Hello, welcome!

It's not a fee Amazon charges, but one the intermediary banks take for transferring your money. It absolutely sucks.

You can ask Amazon to hold your payments until you reach a certain threshold that makes sense to you (maybe $200?) or you can opt for cheque payments. Cheques automatically have a $100 minimum, but they have their own fees attached (varies according to your bank but mine wanted $30).

The final option is to get a Payoneer account. No bank fees, but Payoneer deducts 1% of each transaction (both incoming and outgoing). For most authors, Payoneer is the cheapest way to go unless you're earning over $1,000. They have setup fees but those are refunded if you sign up through an affiliate link. (Someone else in this thread might be kind enough to post theirs.)

Edit: Whoops, I got beaten to it by Timothy and Patty.


----------



## AltMe

Rinelle Grey said:


> Yeah, I've been going through payoneer for ages, but I really need the payment in my account, not on their card.


Just download (withdraw) it straight into your Australian account. Once you do the process the first time, its easy and takes about 2 days. There is a US$10,000 limit to each download.

ANZ send a paper transaction, so you know exactly what the payment was. Not sure what other banks do.

Process is quick and painless. I have an internet only account, which I transfer into. I then move the funds to where I want it.



Patty Jansen said:


> Amazon does *not* charge for bank transfers, but somewhere in the banking system, $25 disappears because Amazon insists on using "wire transfer" instead of EFT for their payments from the US.


Its not 'somewhere', its National bank. Amazon pay to them, they redirect it for a $25 fee, which they deduct off the funds without any documentation at all.

This happened to me on my first payment, which was $100. I rang ANZ. They told me the funds came through National first. I rang them and complained. I demanded an invoice for it, they said they couldn't give me one because I wasn't a customer. I took it up the chain of command of both banks, until I finally got a refund from National in the form of a cheque. Then I stopped payments from Amazon until I had Payoneer.



Patty Jansen said:


> Payoneer charges a % fee, which makes is progressively less economical with higher payment amounts.


It actually doesn't bother me in the slightest.


----------



## AltMe

Kate. said:


> The final option is to get a Payoneer account. No bank fees, but Payoneer deducts 1% of each transaction (both incoming and outgoing).


Just incoming. And this is itemized on your transaction list.

There is no outgoing fee, just the usual woolly exchange rate. All the banks pad their exchange rate transactions. As far as I can see, Payoneer is better than the Australian banks for exchange rate charges, and much better than Paypal.


----------



## RinG

TimothyEllis said:



> Just incoming. And this is itemized on your transaction list.
> 
> There is no outgoing fee, just the usual woolly exchange rate. All the banks pad their exchange rate transactions. As far as I can see, Payoneer is better than the Australian banks for exchange rate charges, and much better than Paypal.


Actually, there is definitely an outgoing fee when withdrawing. My calculations put it at about 3%, after you take into account the exchange rate. Which is what they charge you if you withdraw at a teller. No fees if you just use the card as a debit card, but as I said, that doesn't work for me.

None of that would bother me if payoneer was reliable, but the latest is a message saying if I don't fill in some global payment questionnaire, they won't process my payment. Tired of jumping through hoops with them, especially not when the only option is to click on links in emails and give out sensitive information.


----------



## RinG

Patty Jansen said:


> As far as I know, this is not true. You only get "wire" transfer from the US, which attracts this fee that's secret (I'm happy to go with Gringott's). The other transfers are EFT and don't attract this fee. Just the usual crappy exchange rate.


What do you mean by other transfers, Patty? I can only get EFT in .au, not any of the other stores.


----------



## AltMe

Rinelle Grey said:


> Actually, there is definitely an outgoing fee when withdrawing. My calculations put it at about 3%, after you take into account the exchange rate.


All banks do that. Some more than others. The Australian banks are among the worst for it.



> None of that would bother me if payoneer was reliable, but the latest is a message saying if I don't fill in some global payment questionnaire, they won't process my payment. Tired of jumping through hoops with them, especially not when the only option is to click on links in emails and give out sensitive information.


Reliable? They've been completely reliable for me. More so than ANZ.

NEVER ever click on an email link! That's how you get phished. Go to the site by typing in the url, and then if they want something it should be asked for there. If in doubt, message them with a copy of the email.

There is a process to complete. Its a bit long. It involves Payoneer and the bank which has the actual account, and it is a TWO stage process. Once completed, there should be nothing else to do. Its not a hoop. Its the process of a non-US person getting a US bank account.


----------



## RinG

TimothyEllis said:


> NEVER ever click on an email link! That's how you get phished. Go to the site by typing in the url, and then if they want something it should be asked for there. If in doubt, message them with a copy of the email.
> 
> There is a process to complete. Its a bit long. It involves Payoneer and the bank which has the actual account, and it is a TWO stage process. Once completed, there should be nothing else to do. Its not a hoop. Its the process of a non-US person getting a US bank account.


YOU CAN'T. I spent like, an hour on chat yelling at the payoneer customer service that I just wanted to be able to click on a link from my account rather than in an email, and they didn't even seem to understand my concerns.

I've had a payoneer account for well over 12 months now, and have been receiving payments. I won't say with no issues, because as I mentioned, I've had my account cancelled because they couldn't understand the difference Beene an Australian company and a us one that just happened to have the same name. But now they're asking me to fill in more forms, online, with no way to access this through my account.

It's no way to run a bank, imho.


----------



## AltMe

Rinelle Grey said:


> YOU CAN'T. I spent like, an hour on chat yelling at the payoneer customer service that I just wanted to be able to click on a link from my account rather than in an email, and they didn't even seem to understand my concerns.
> 
> I've had a payoneer account for well over 12 months now, and have been receiving payments. I won't say with no issues, because as I mentioned, I've had my account cancelled because they couldn't understand the difference Beene an Australian company and a us one that just happened to have the same name. But now they're asking me to fill in more forms, online, with no way to access this through my account.
> 
> It's no way to run a bank, imho.


I wasn't aware of that. Must have missed it.

What happens when you click the links?

Paypal dont seem to understand about sending emails either. They send out a newsletter, and seem to think they cant be confused with phish emails. I trash everything I get from them. Payoneer is probably the same - they just dont get how big a problem is, and that they contribute to the confusion by sending emails in the first place.

In your case, all you can do is follow the links and upload whatever they are asking for. Its not about hoops, its about them knowing you are legitimate.


----------



## A.A

We get slugged everywhere. The 5% tax and the transfer fees for payment. The exchange rate has been a big positive - although the USD/AUD exchange rate is slowly going up, up, up.... 

For me, it's wire for USD & Canada and EFT for all else.

Payoneer sound like they can be difficult to deal with   Rinelle, they shouldn't be sending you emails with clickable links - bad practice.


----------



## RinG

Well, I've been able to withdraw this month with no issues, and I've changed the US over to wire for next month. Will see what fees I get slugged with. At this point, it's better than the hassles. The other, smaller stores will have to stay through payoneer. Less stress when it's not the bulk of my income though.

Clicking on the links takes you to the form to fill out, no passwords required. I'll do it if I have hassles, but while I can still withdraw etc, I'm going to ignore it.


----------



## Andrew Christie

Iain Ryan said:


> And while I'm here...
> 
> Just thought I'd mention that if you're in the crime/mystery genre, you might want to consider entering the Ned Kelly Awards next year. There were two POD/indie titles in the Best Debut Novel category this year, so it's a legit panel, reading and voting in books they like.
> 
> Four Days (below) was shortlisted (and lost) and while none of this moved the needle in terms of sales, it was good 'social proof' for the market materials and I got nicely day-drunk at the afternoon awards ceremony. I even met Michael Robotham who was super nice + he shouted out to self-publishing in his speech, noting how quickly self-pub work and ebooks have entered into contention for the awards. This is a guy who has trad-sold over 2 million books. I was really impressed with the whole thing. It was pretty real.


I just wanted to say congratulations Iain - great effort to get nominated and terrific that they're including indies


----------



## CJArcher

Selina Fenech said:


> I'm with ANZ too, and their fee structure changes when the cheques are over $2000 aud value. The fees then range between $60 and $150 per cheque.


That's why I stopped getting cheques back when Amazon started paying by EFT. The only cheques I still have to bank are from Createspace. It drives me nuts, I just don't have the time to battle with the teller and tell them how to handle international cheques.


----------



## Patty Jansen

CJArcher said:


> That's why I stopped getting cheques back when Amazon started paying by EFT. The only cheques I still have to bank are from Createspace. It drives me nuts, I just don't have the time to battle with the teller and tell them how to handle international cheques.


Haha. I go to our local branch where a lady works who always does this for me.


----------



## Selina Fenech

CJArcher said:


> That's why I stopped getting cheques back when Amazon started paying by EFT. The only cheques I still have to bank are from Createspace. It drives me nuts, I just don't have the time to battle with the teller and tell them how to handle international cheques.


Yeah, these are CS cheques I'm dealing with. I have to laugh at the looks on the teller's face when I walk in. They know me well now, lol. I'm starting to train them to let me leave the cheques with them and "let them do the forms later when they aren't so busy" which is really an excuse so I don't have to stand around for an hour while they fill everything in for three different currencies.


----------



## JB Rowley

Iain Ryan said:


> And while I'm here...
> 
> Just thought I'd mention that if you're in the crime/mystery genre, you might want to consider entering the Ned Kelly Awards next year. There were two POD/indie titles in the Best Debut Novel category this year, so it's a legit panel, reading and voting in books they like.
> 
> Four Days (below) was shortlisted (and lost) and while none of this moved the needle in terms of sales, it was good 'social proof' for the market materials and I got nicely day-drunk at the afternoon awards ceremony. I even met Michael Robotham who was super nice + he shouted out to self-publishing in his speech, noting how quickly self-pub work and ebooks have entered into contention for the awards. This is a guy who has trad-sold over 2 million books. I was really impressed with the whole thing. It was pretty real.


What a thrill to be shortlisted. Congratulations! And bouquets to those who run the awards for respecting the work of Indie authors. I might enter it next year if I have an eligible book just to show support to them.


----------



## CJArcher

Selina Fenech said:


> Yeah, these are CS cheques I'm dealing with. I have to laugh at the looks on the teller's face when I walk in. They know me well now, lol. I'm starting to train them to let me leave the cheques with them and "let them do the forms later when they aren't so busy" which is really an excuse so I don't have to stand around for an hour while they fill everything in for three different currencies.


Selina, why haven't you switched to EFT for Amazon? That way, you only have Createspace cheques, and you can ask them to hold payments then once the amount has built up, get them to release it (not to more than $2,000 though because that's a whole new level of pain). Maybe you sell way more paperbacks than I do, so it doesn't make out worth it?


----------



## JohnHindmarsh

Changing the topic slightly. I saw a mention of the Australian Crime Writers Association and thought I'd join. [I'm Australian living in US].

That has to be the worst presented web site I've seen in a long time. The graphics make it impossible to read the text, you get presented with a form with a black background to enter details of your books - how can you read what you've entered? And three Captcha checks - wow.

Then you get a message like this -

_Thanks to your order, , at Australian Crime Writers Association you now have a new membership, . _

I must be getting old and grouchy or else I've been doing too much self-editing.

Anyone know the officers of the association?


----------



## Patty Jansen

CJArcher said:


> Selina, why haven't you switched to EFT for Amazon? That way, you only have Createspace cheques, and you can ask them to hold payments then once the amount has built up, get them to release it (not to more than $2,000 though because that's a whole new level of pain). Maybe you sell way more paperbacks than I do, so it doesn't make out worth it?


I'm pretty sure Selina sells a metric butt-tonne of adult colouring books and also, Amazon Affiliates also still use cheques.


----------



## CJArcher

Patty Jansen said:


> I'm pretty sure Selina sells a metric butt-tonne of adult colouring books and also, Amazon Affiliates also still use cheques.


I'm sure she is if she's doing colouring books! Amazon Affiliates also pay in Amazon gift card money, which is how I get paid. I then use that to buy books, including my own, as well as for giveaways. And other stuff Amazon sells.


----------



## AltMe

CJArcher said:


> Amazon Affiliates also pay in Amazon gift card money, which is how I get paid. I then use that to buy books, including my own, as well as for giveaways. And other stuff Amazon sells.


I do too. It was simply easier that way.


----------



## Patty Jansen

CJArcher said:


> I'm sure she is if she's doing colouring books! Amazon Affiliates also pay in Amazon gift card money, which is how I get paid. I then use that to buy books, including my own, as well as for giveaways. And other stuff Amazon sells.


How can you do that gift card thing from Australia? I've found postage waaaaayyyy prohibitive. Unless there is something I don't know, it's much cheaper to just get the money and buy it from other places. Like the Book Depository


----------



## CJArcher

Patty Jansen said:


> How can you do that gift card thing from Australia? I've found postage waaaaayyyy prohibitive. Unless there is something I don't know, it's much cheaper to just get the money and buy it from other places. Like the Book Depository


The gift cards are virtual, no postage involved. Or did you mean redeeming the gift cards for physical stuff is expensive? If so, then yes, it is except when I buy kindle books. But I see it as free money and don't really mind  Can you tell that I really REALLY hate going to the bank with US cheques? I'll do just about anything to avoid them.

(Go Doggies!)


----------



## AltMe

Patty Jansen said:


> How can you do that gift card thing from Australia? I've found postage waaaaayyyy prohibitive. Unless there is something I don't know, it's much cheaper to just get the money and buy it from other places. Like the Book Depository


No postage. They send you a link and a code, and you accept it, and it is placed against your Amazon account.

But....odd thought popped in...this could be because I dont use the Aus site. I went back to the US site, and now buy using US gift dollars. So the associate system adds in to that, and I use my Payoneer card to top up the US$ when it gets low.

Aus site is a bad joke. I dont use it anymore.

One of the things it allows me to do is participate in the gifting thread, because on the US site, you can do a giftlist, and both receive and send gifts.

On second thought, this probably is why we can do it, not being on the Aus site.


----------



## JB Rowley

JohnHindmarsh said:


> Changing the topic slightly. I saw a mention of the Australian Crime Writers Association and thought I'd join. [I'm Australian living in US].
> 
> That has to be the worst presented web site I've seen in a long time. The graphics make it impossible to read the text, you get presented with a form with a black background to enter details of your books - how can you read what you've entered? And three Captcha checks - wow.
> 
> Then you get a message like this -
> 
> _Thanks to your order, , at Australian Crime Writers Association you now have a new membership, . _
> 
> I must be getting old and grouchy or else I've been doing too much self-editing .
> 
> Anyone know the officers of the association?


I just joined. I agree; their website leaves a lot to be desired although I only got the one Captcha thingo.


----------



## RinG

If you have a payoneer account, you can have your associate fees paid into that. Might be able to do create space too, I don't know, haven't tried. I've made, like, $3 there in 3 years, so I don't even look at it.


----------



## kathrynoh

I get Createspace paid to Payoneer.


----------



## A.A

Seriously? We can have createspace money paid into payoneer? I think I'll sign up - anything to avoid the whole cheque debacle. 
(And the moment I do, createspace is sure to switch to wire and EFT...)  

I just went through the whole 'tax interview' thing with Amazon. So much easier this time around than needing to call the US, get an EIN, and mail the form back.


----------



## RinG

Yeah, payoneer is so much better than dealing with cheques!


----------



## kathrynoh

Yep, it's worth the payoneer fees just to not have to go into a bank branch.


----------



## Selina Fenech

CJArcher said:


> Selina, why haven't you switched to EFT for Amazon? That way, you only have Createspace cheques, and you can ask them to hold payments then once the amount has built up, get them to release it (not to more than $2,000 though because that's a whole new level of pain). Maybe you sell way more paperbacks than I do, so it doesn't make out worth it?


Patty is correct, I'm currently on the adult colouring book train. Metric butt-tonne is the correct terminology for sales amount. I still hold payments for 3 months so I'm only doing the cheque banking thing once a quarter, or whenever an affiliates cheque shows up. I'm going to switch to Payoneer soon too, I think, but I'm trying to test it out first with a smaller payment amount from KDP. Have to wait till next month though.


----------



## AltMe

Quills said:


> Anyone else had a delay with their Amazon payments going into their Payoneer account this month? Amazon has all payments showing as paid on the 29th but so far only one has appeared in my Payoneer account. They're even showing the currency conversion rate so it looks like they must have passed the money on. Previously, all payments have appeared in Payoneer no later than the 29th of the month.


Mine were all fine, and on time.


----------



## TheLemontree

Quills said:


> Anyone else had a delay with their Amazon payments going into their Payoneer account this month? Amazon has all payments showing as paid on the 29th but so far only one has appeared in my Payoneer account. They're even showing the currency conversion rate so it looks like they must have passed the money on. Previously, all payments have appeared in Payoneer no later than the 29th of the month.


I'm glad I'm not the only one.

All the payments from both Amazon (.com, .au, and .ca this month) and Createspace (USD, GBP) show as having been paid on the 29th, but I've only actually received the .com/USD amounts.

I figure something has gottne caught up at their end, and won't be resolved until after the weekend (I'ts still not Monday morning there yet). If the payments don't show up overnight then I'll send Amazon a query email tomorrow.

The fact that its the same problem with both Amazon and Createspace makes me think it is an Amazon problem rather than a Payoneer problem, but maybe not - maybe they had a glitch about accepting payments from non-US clients.


----------



## Escapee

I'm also missing my payoneer payments from Amazon, but received the ones from Createspace.


----------



## RinG

I only have .com


----------



## kathrynoh

I've got all my payments.

Does anyone know why they have the two balances now? I have "$XXX.00 ($XX.00 on card)" -the difference between the two is quite substantial and doesn't relate to any payments I have coming in or out of my account.


----------



## AltMe

kathrynoh said:


> Does anyone know why they have the two balances now? I have "$XXX.00 ($XX.00 on card)" -the difference between the two is quite substantial and doesn't relate to any payments I have coming in or out of my account.


There is a maximum there can be on the card. 10k I think. So one value tells you how much you have in total, the other tells you how much is on the card and usable by it immediately.


----------



## kathrynoh

Thanks Timothy  Wow, I've just publicly outed myself on my Payoneer balance!


----------



## The Bass Bagwhan

kathrynoh said:


> Thanks Timothy  Wow, I've just publicly outed myself on my Payoneer balance!


Your shout at the pub, I reckon...


----------



## kathrynoh

Graeme Hague said:


> Your shout at the pub, I reckon...


If you turn up to my local, I'll shout. The flight to Tokyo might cost more than the beer though


----------



## RinG

Still only have .com and .au payments. How about everyone else? I wrote to Amazon to complain, but they said that it can take up to 5 days, and to wait until the 6th then let them know if I still don't have them. *sigh*


----------



## JB Rowley

Rinelle Grey said:


> Still only have .com and .au payments. How about everyone else? I wrote to Amazon to complain, but they said that it can take up to 5 days, and to wait until the 6th then let them know if I still don't have them. *sigh*


What a bummer, Rinelle. My payments are all in. Happy little Vegemite.


----------



## CJArcher

If it's only the Payoneer people who haven't received payments then it must be a Payoneer problem. My Amz payments came directly to my bank on the 29th as they always do.


----------



## TheLemontree

I wrote to amazon and they replied saying all was well at their end and to contact payoneer.

Haven't quite done that yet as I'm in the midst of some other stuff. Their email form is a pain as it makes you choose a pre-selected subject, and none of them are correct, and there is a word limit. I'll attempt live-chat next, but need to not be kid-wrangling as i do.


----------



## AltMe

CJArcher said:


> If it's only the Payoneer people who haven't received payments then it must be a Payoneer problem.


Not a general problem, as mine were fine.


----------



## stephanierylai

Hey guys thanks for all the info. So from what I've read it seems payoneer is the way to go if your income isn't in the thousands per month. I'll probably start setting one up tonight but have just a few questions (forgive me for my lack of knowledge with international transfers).

How does payoneer actually work? Is it like paypal and you can link it to your australian account. Or does it actually create an actual US bank account for you with an account number? If so is that through an externa US bank or does payoneer act as the us bank. 

Also, in kdp you can choose bank transfer or cheque. So im assuming you will have the details of a payoneer account to input here?

Sorry if i dont make sense but I'm really bad with these kind of things. Too used to paypal and just local banking. If there is a link to a post or video that explains it better please kindly post it here.

Thanks!


----------



## RinG

Payoneer creates a US bank account for you, with a US bank number etc. you put that in under bank details.

To access your money, they send you a MasterCard, which you can use like a normal credit card, or withdraw money from (for a 3% fee). You can also transfer the money to your Au bank, just like you do in PayPal.


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## AltMe

stephanierylai said:


> How does payoneer actually work? Is it like paypal and you can link it to your australian account. Or does it actually create an actual US bank account for you with an account number? If so is that through an externa US bank or does payoneer act as the us bank.
> 
> Also, in kdp you can choose bank transfer or cheque. So im assuming you will have the details of a payoneer account to input here?


Payoneer is the front end. The account is held by a US bank. (forgot which one). Its not like Paypal, which is internet based.

You do get a proper account number to give to KDP.

The account is also a debit card. You are sent the card, and can use it as a debit card all around the world.


----------



## Escapee

I'm still missing most of my payoneer payments. I haven't bothered to contact Amazon yet because of the five business day waiting period   I'm not convinced it is a payoneer problem due to receiving createspace payments and a payment from the Brazil store. Amazon move at a glacial pace when their payments fail. They still haven't paid me several thousand dollars for August for a US wire transfer that never went to my account. I won't be holding my breath this time.


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## TheLemontree

Quills said:


> I queried my missing payments earlier today and have received a reply saying that it can take 5-7 days for the payments to appear and to wait until the end of this week.


That sounds like good advice. I am skeptical of the Amazon person's claim to me that the problem isn't at their end, but I'll wait until next week to query again. It's really only peanuts that I'm missing, but it's not a problem I want to let roll into next month, either.


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## TheLemontree

I just sent an enquiry email to Payoneer, listing the dates, payment amounts and payment sources that are missing, and that Amazon has said that the payments have gone through from their end.

I'll report back when I hear something...


----------



## sarahgai

Hey all! Wow I've never heard of payoneer I just have them transfer to Aus account which seems to be taking FOREVER!!! from this end apparently. Does anyone else have this problem?


----------



## AltMe

sarahgai said:


> Hey all! Wow I've never heard of payoneer I just have them transfer to Aus account which seems to be taking FOREVER!!! from this end apparently. Does anyone else have this problem?


Are you sure you are getting a payment month? For wire transfers, there is a minimum, below which it isn't sent, until a month where it is.

With Payoneer, its done with EFT, and there is no minimum.


----------



## Escapee

I just saw on the KDP forum that Payoneer 'accidentally' rejected our Amazon payments and that they've been sent back to Amazon. Of course, this was five minutes after I sent an email asking Amazon where my payments are


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## TheLemontree

Ah. Good to know. I wonder what Payoneer will tell me 

Sent from my GT-S7390 using Tapatalk


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## RinG

Glad it wasn't the .com one, or I'd be furious!

Do you know if something is being done about it?


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## spellscribe

I'm in the missing pmt boat, just caught up with the thread. I emailed Amazon days ago - all fine on their end, please contact your bank and confirm account details in my KDP dash. Haven't done it yet but may wait and see how it pans out. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## spellscribe

Also... I either didn't know I could transfer from payoneer to my bank, or thought there was a walloping fee. How do you do it? What's the charge? 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## AltMe

spellscribe said:


> Also... I either didn't know I could transfer from payoneer to my bank, or thought there was a walloping fee. How do you do it? What's the charge?


You click the Withdraw button.

I cant remember if first time it asks you to enter a bank account, and if not, you need to do that. You need swift code for your bank, bsb and account number.

You select your account, enter the amount, your password, your birth-date, and your card number and cvv. Also your mothers maiden name and age when last a maiden. (maybe not).

Maximum is $10k at a time.

Fiddly, but straight forward.

No charge, but people say the conversion rate to Aussie is whooly, but banks all do this, and Payoneer is no worse, and is better than paypal.

It depends on the exchange rates as to how much you get. I think on $10k US, its been as low as 12.7k and as high as 13.5k. It varies all the time. Even if you do 2 of them a day apart, you dont get the same amount for each.


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## RinG

It's pretty simple, as Timothy described. I've calculated about 3% over the conversation rate. But that's much better than cheque or wire charges!


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## spellscribe

Haha I looked and yeah it's that easy! Must be the $200 min that made me think I couldn't, as my payments have been below that so far  


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## kathrynoh

From the Payoneer website: 2.00% above mid-market rates. But it's a 2% of total transferred if you do it to the same currency so they must be making money in the exchange.

I've never done it because I have a credit union account in Aus and it has TWO swift codes you have to use. Darn stupid. Also it's easier for me to work in $USD most of the time.


----------



## TheLemontree

Just received this email from createspace:

' Hello,

We were just notified that our attempt to issue an electronic payment to you for the marketplace(s) below was rejected by your bank in error but your reporting shows this payment as 'Paid'.  Rest assured, we are currently working with your bank to reissue your payment(s) and will let you know when this has been done.

Amazon UK

Thank you for your patience with this matter.  I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

Best Regards,'

So there we go. 

Still no word directly from kdp or Payoneer, the two parties I actually contacted about it, but it's reassuring that it's a known problem. 

My guess is that the payments will be issued at the end of this month with the next round. 

Edited to add: Just received a word-for-word identical email from kdp (with the appropriate vendors listed). Things will be resolved


----------



## TheLemontree

And I just got three of those completely uninformative remittance advice emails saying that payments have been authorized from CA and AU and Createspace (£).

Looks like the payments that Payoneer rejected have been re sent from Amazon's end. 

Sent from my GT-S7390 using Tapatalk


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## TheLemontree

Quills said:


> Yep, I've got notifications for the missing payments too. Interesting that these notifications didn't come through at the end of last month with the one about the US payment. I would have thought they would be triggered when Amazon sends the payment to Payoneer. But that would only make sense if this was actually something that happened on Amazon's end, rather than Payoneer's.


Oh that's interesting. I *did* get the notifications at the end of Sep, for all the payments I was due.


----------



## TheLemontree

I think they've had major shtf problems at kdp this month. All sorts of systems have been behaving inconsistently buggy. 

Sent from my GT-S7390 using Tapatalk


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## RinG

I received a second set of notifications for payments this month too. Hope I get notifications that they're in payoneer soon! (And they'd better not reject them again!)


----------



## A.A

I knew it - as soon as I intended to go with payoneer, Amazon would do something new with createspace ( as per my post of a few pages back). Now that createspace books are showing up in KDP (as of today), I'm assuming that createspace payments can now be paid via wire/EFT.

Apparently you still have to somehow bring the books over, but I got kicked out of my account today - which I think was caused by the createspace merge. More fun to deal with 

Edit: Looks like all the features of createspace won't be available for paperback books at KDP (yet) - sigh.... am sticking with createspace and their horrible cheques for a while longer and see what happens.


----------



## CJArcher

A.A said:


> I knew it - as soon as I intended to go with payoneer, Amazon would do something new with createspace ( as per my post of a few pages back). Now that createspace books are showing up in KDP (as of today), I'm assuming that createspace payments can now be paid via wire/EFT.
> 
> Apparently you still have to somehow bring the books over, but I got kicked out of my account today - which I think was caused by the createspace merge. More fun to deal with
> 
> Edit: Looks like all the features of createspace won't be available for paperback books at KDP (yet) - sigh.... am sticking with createspace and their horrible cheques for a while longer and see what happens.


I still don't have the paperback feature in KDP yet, but when I do, I'll give it serious consideration. I'm happy to give up some functionality of CS if it means no more cheques.


----------



## Ashley M

I just got another email from KDP saying Payoneer rejected the payments they re-sent again. Is anyone else still having this problem?


----------



## TheLemontree

I got an email saying I should have the money that they resent. 

I don't. 

Payoneer help seems to be an endless stream of autoresponder.

Might wait 24 hrs to see if payments turn up and then reply to kdp.

Edited an our later to add: just received one of the payments! Two more to go...


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## TheLemontree

Mine too, now.


----------



## Scratchy_Bitey

Mine are through. It's the first time I've had this happen in the four years I've been with them, coincidentally. At least we didn't have to wait until the next payment cycle. 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Escapee

Mine came through, too.


----------



## 9 Diamonds

Why use Payoneer when the system's set up just fine to pay from the US to Australia? I don't have any problems -- my money always comes through on time direct from the Zon to my Australian bank account ...


----------



## AltMe

9 Diamonds said:


> Why use Payoneer when the system's set up just fine to pay from the US to Australia? I don't have any problems -- my money always comes through on time direct from the Zon to my Australian bank account ...


The system ISN'T set up fine.

Amazon pays to Australia by wire transfer, which is slow to receive, and unless your a National bank customer, costs $25 in an invisible fee which you cant claim as a tax deduction because its not documented.

Amazon pay to Payoneer by Electronic Funds Transfer, which is fast, and costs nothing. Payoneer charge to receive it. Below a threshold, it's cheaper to use Payoneer.

On small amounts, its stupid to lose $25 out of it every time. The minimum for Amazon to pay out is $100. Why pay $25 of that in a hidden fee?


----------



## CJArcher

TimothyEllis said:


> The system ISN'T set up fine.
> 
> Amazon pays to Australia by wire transfer, which is slow to receive, and unless your a National bank customer, costs $25 in an invisible fee which you cant claim as a tax deduction because its not documented.


Timothy, sorry but none of this section is correct for me (can't vouch for others, of course). I get paid by wire from Amazon on the 29th each month like clockwork (unless it falls on a weekend), same as the US residents, I think. I bank with the ANZ and I pay $15 not $25, which is fine by me. Plus it's documented - ANZ send me a transfer letter in the mail for each currency transfer with the fee listed. They also send me an email, not sure why. I claim it on my tax return. Very simple. I don't know if that $15 is cheaper than the percentage Payoneer charge but I'd rather my money not go through a 3rd party if I can help it.


----------



## AltMe

CJArcher said:


> Timothy, sorry but none of this section is correct for me (can't vouch for others, of course). I get paid by wire from Amazon on the 29th each month like clockwork (unless it falls on a weekend), same as the US residents, I think. I bank with the ANZ and I pay $15 not $25, which is fine by me. Plus it's documented - ANZ send me a transfer letter in the mail for each currency transfer with the fee listed. They also send me an email, not sure why. I claim it on my tax return. Very simple. I don't know if that $15 is cheaper than the percentage Payoneer charge but I'd rather my money not go through a 3rd party if I can help it.


You want to take a very hard look at what was sent, and what you get. Because the $25 National take out of it is completely hidden, and only knowing exactly what was sent in A$, and what you received in A$ reveals the missing money.

When I did it, ANZ wasn't charging a fee to receive it. Maybe that has changed. When I spoke to ANZ, they were adamant the funds came in through National, and only them. Maybe Amazon has changed so it sends to more than 1 bank now.

But all the same, you want to check what they sent is what you got, less documented fees.

I spotted it because my first payment was exactly A$100, and I received only $75.


----------



## The one with all the big dresses on the covers

Sorry if I'm missing something obvious, but how do you know how much they sent in Australian dollars? I'm pretty sure I've only ever seen the US royalty amount on my various Amazon records and then an Australian dollar amount comes into my bank account. It's always been basically what I was expecting to receive but then I don't know exactly what exchange rate was used so I don't think I'd see a missing fee.


----------



## RinG

My missing payments arrived too!

I agree with Timothy though! Most banks charge quite a hefty fee for wire transfers. If you don't get that, you're lucky. But that's not the case for everyone. Therefore, payoneer is a very good solution, especially if you're payments are still small.


----------



## Escapee

I'm with CBA and they charge $10 per wire transfer. This is often more than I actually get paid for the small stores like BR, NL, CA, DE and FR. I use Payoneer for these stores, which incurs a 1% fee. I transfer the money from Payoneer to my Aus bank and receive a fairly decent exchange rate. I have the other stores like US, GB and AU go straight to my Aus bank. For them, $10 is a lot less than the 1% charge. I never use the Payoneer card to withdraw money because it incurs a 3% charge per use. The AU money is EFT'd to my account, so it doesn't cost me any fees (yay).


----------



## CJArcher

TimothyEllis said:


> You want to take a very hard look at what was sent, and what you get. Because the $25 National take out of it is completely hidden, and only knowing exactly what was sent in A$, and what you received in A$ reveals the missing money.
> 
> When I did it, ANZ wasn't charging a fee to receive it. Maybe that has changed. When I spoke to ANZ, they were adamant the funds came in through National, and only them. Maybe Amazon has changed so it sends to more than 1 bank now.
> 
> But all the same, you want to check what they sent is what you got, less documented fees.
> 
> I spotted it because my first payment was exactly A$100, and I received only $75.


This changed about June last year. The transaction statement from ANZ no longer says funds came from "National Australia Bank" with a $0 fee, but Deutsche Bank and a $15 is specified. I guess Deutsche Bank could be taking out a fee on top of that and I'll never know it. I tally it in spreadsheets and work out the exchange rate I'm getting from my deposits, taking fees into account, and it's slightly better than Paypal. Back in July, my last Smashwords payment into paypal, I got 1.30 USD to AUD from Paypal, and the same time from Amazon US I worked out 1.33.

Everyone needs to work out if the Payoneer fee plus the exchange rate they give you is worth it. For me, it's not. A 1% Payoneer fee on my Amazon payments would be about 10 times what I pay in wire fees for those payments, some months, and never less than 5 times the amount I pay in bank fees, on a low month. So yeah, it's not worth it FOR ME. I hope everyone works it out based on their own situations and what they read in this thread and others.


----------



## A.A

I'm glad you guys get your payoneer payments through 



CJArcher said:


> I still don't have the paperback feature in KDP yet, but when I do, I'll give it serious consideration. I'm happy to give up some functionality of CS if it means no more cheques.


Apparently we can't buy author copies, can't order proofs etc. I hope it doesn't stay that way  I'm going to wait and hope they bring in all the features before making the switch.



TimothyEllis said:


> The system ISN'T set up fine.
> 
> Amazon pays to Australia by wire transfer, which is slow to receive, and unless your a National bank customer, costs $25 in an invisible fee which you cant claim as a tax deduction because its not documented.
> 
> Amazon pay to Payoneer by Electronic Funds Transfer, which is fast, and costs nothing. Payoneer charge to receive it. Below a threshold, it's cheaper to use Payoneer.
> 
> On small amounts, its stupid to lose $25 out of it every time. The minimum for Amazon to pay out is $100. Why pay $25 of that in a hidden fee?


I need to check this - not sure how though. But if the difference between payoneer and wire is $10 (if it cost $15 to transfer from payoneer and $25 to transfer via wire, I'd rather the convenience of wire and no third party.) My payments are always there in my bank on the 28th or 29th. Wait - eek! What? Just read C.Js last post. Payoneer takes 1% of Amazon payments? Sorry, that's a huge amount. I'm out.



MelanieCellier said:


> Sorry if I'm missing something obvious, but how do you know how much they sent in Australian dollars? I'm pretty sure I've only ever seen the US royalty amount on my various Amazon records and then an Australian dollar amount comes into my bank account. It's always been basically what I was expecting to receive but then I don't know exactly what exchange rate was used so I don't think I'd see a missing fee.


On your KDP reports page, look under Payments. It 'should' say what the $AU amount was and what exchange rate was used. I say 'should' because the column where these things are reported often says "Pending confirmation from Bank". Seems to take months and months for the amounts to be shown, if at all. This doesn't help at all for knowing exactly how much was sent (in terms of hidden bank charges) but if you copy your net earning from the Net Earning column and then convert it (at xe.com or wherever) it will show you what you earned in $AU (as long as you do the conversion for a recently earned amount, when the conversion is more likely to be more or less correct).


----------



## kathrynoh

One thing worth mentioning, if anyone is thinking of changing payment methods. For me, every time I've done a payment change with Amazon they've totally screwed things up on their end and I've had payments delayed for months. I'm tempted to get a NAB account for my $USD payments next time in Australia but don't want to go through the screw ups again.


----------



## 9 Diamonds

TimothyEllis said:


> The system ISN'T set up fine.
> 
> Amazon pays to Australia by wire transfer, which is slow to receive, and unless your a National bank customer, costs $25 in an invisible fee which you cant claim as a tax deduction because its not documented.
> 
> Amazon pay to Payoneer by Electronic Funds Transfer, which is fast, and costs nothing. Payoneer charge to receive it. Below a threshold, it's cheaper to use Payoneer.
> 
> On small amounts, its stupid to lose $25 out of it every time. The minimum for Amazon to pay out is $100. Why pay $25 of that in a hidden fee?


Well clearly you have a different setup to us. Our bank only charges a $2.00 fee on all ZON US payments, and yes we do receive the correct amount exchanged. And as we're a legit business, properly set up, all bank fees are tax deductible. All the fee deductions are clearly itemised on our bank's statements.


----------



## Kate.

Putting the $25 wire fee aside, Payoneer has one massive benefit: I can buy USD products without any currency conversion. 

With my Aus bank account, I would lose money in the conversion both ways; once when Amazon paid me, and once when I paid cover designers, editors and promotion sites (all who invariably charge in USD).

But if you leave the money in the Payoneer account, its currency is never converted. You can pay for things using the Payoneer card or link it to a Paypal account. 

I still get my largest payments deposited into my bank account, but let the smaller amounts accumulate in Payoneer. I don't know how much it saves me, but my publishing expenses are pretty high, so it's probably a decent amount.


----------



## CJArcher

Kate. said:


> Putting the $25 wire fee aside, Payoneer has one massive benefit: I can buy USD products without any currency conversion.
> 
> With my Aus bank account, I would lose money in the conversion both ways; once when Amazon paid me, and once when I paid cover designers, editors and promotion sites (all who invariably charge in USD).
> 
> But if you leave the money in the Payoneer account, its currency is never converted. You can pay for things using the Payoneer card or link it to a Paypal account.
> 
> I still get my largest payments deposited into my bank account, but let the smaller amounts accumulate in Payoneer. I don't know how much it saves me, but my publishing expenses are pretty high, so it's probably a decent amount.


This is why I leave my Smashwords payments in Paypal and don't transfer them to ANZ. I use paypal to pay for editors, covers etc in USD. I agree, no point in converting twice if you can avoid it.


----------



## AllyWho

TimothyEllis said:


> The system ISN'T set up fine.
> 
> Amazon pays to Australia by wire transfer, which is slow to receive, and unless your a National bank customer, costs $25 in an invisible fee which you cant claim as a tax deduction because its not documented.


That's not true. I'm in NZ and paid by wire transfer and the money hits my account the same day its paid by Amazon. There has never been a delay except when it falls on a weekend, in which case it shows up Monday morning. And I don't know what bank you are with, but wire doesn't cost me $25. I pay $10, it's not "hidden" and I can see -$10 from my Amazon reports compared to what hits my account. A $10 wire fee is far cheaper than Payoneers 1% of deposits.

I then leave my monthly D2D payment in my Paypal account to pay for US services. It's a system that works fine for me.


----------



## A.A

I also leave my D2D payments in paypal to pay for US stuff.


----------



## RinG

Argh! Is anyone else struggling to fill in this new mytax thing, or is it just me? I've done my tax myself the last couple of years, since I'm still under the tax free threshold, with a few issues, but nothing major. This year, I am completely lost.


----------



## JB Rowley

CJArcher said:


> This changed about June last year. The transaction statement from ANZ no longer says funds came from "National Australia Bank" with a $0 fee, but Deutsche Bank and a $15 is specified. I guess Deutsche Bank could be taking out a fee on top of that and I'll never know it. I tally it in spreadsheets and work out the exchange rate I'm getting from my deposits, taking fees into account, and it's slightly better than Paypal. Back in July, my last Smashwords payment into paypal, I got 1.30 USD to AUD from Paypal, and the same time from Amazon US I worked out 1.33.
> 
> Everyone needs to work out if the Payoneer fee plus the exchange rate they give you is worth it. For me, it's not. A 1% Payoneer fee on my Amazon payments would be about 10 times what I pay in wire fees for those payments, some months, and never less than 5 times the amount I pay in bank fees, on a low month. So yeah, it's not worth it FOR ME. I hope everyone works it out based on their own situations and what they read in this thread and others.


Yep. I agree, C.J. 
Never had a problem with receiving the Amazon payments. Can't see the sense in receiving payments through a third party that has its own set of charges.


----------



## JB Rowley

Looking forward to welcoming Amazon to Australia. Finally! Unfortunate that we have to wait until September, though.


----------



## RinG

kathrynoh said:


> One thing worth mentioning, if anyone is thinking of changing payment methods. For me, every time I've done a payment change with Amazon they've totally screwed things up on their end and I've had payments delayed for months. I'm tempted to get a NAB account for my $USD payments next time in Australia but don't want to go through the screw ups again.


Ugh, now I hear this! Still waiting on my .com wire payment.  I thought a whole month would be plenty of time, especially since I've been getting my .au payments paid into the same account for months.


----------



## kathrynoh

Rinelle Grey said:


> Ugh, now I hear this! Still waiting on my .com wire payment.  I thought a whole month would be plenty of time, especially since I've been getting my .au payments paid into the same account for months.


Yeah, it's something that they screw up with changing currencies. Last time I did it, they told me I'd not put through the changes through in time even though I'd done them the minute after I'd received the previous month's payments. It took a lot of to-and-froing with CS to get it right too.


----------



## RinG

kathrynoh said:


> Yeah, it's something that they screw up with changing currencies. Last time I did it, they told me I'd not put through the changes through in time even though I'd done them the minute after I'd received the previous month's payments. It took a lot of to-and-froing with CS to get it right too.


Did it say it had been paid? Mine is listed on the dashboard as pending confirmation from the bank, and KDP support assures me its all right on their end and will be through soon.


----------



## Sam Kates

Hey, lovely Ozzie writers - just got in from watching your rugby union boys give ours (i.e. Wales) a trouncing. Well done! The better side, by a long way, won. I'm going to find a dark corner where I can go and lick my wounds.


----------



## JB Rowley

Sam Kates said:


> Hey, lovely Ozzie writers - just got in from watching your rugby union boys give ours (i.e. Wales) a trouncing. Well done! The better side, by a long way, won. I'm going to find a dark corner where I can go and lick my wounds.


Rugby union? What's that?


----------



## Sam Kates

JB Rowley said:


> Rugby union? What's that?


It's a game that we like to think we're good at; a game that Australia, South Africa and England _are_ really good at; a game in which New Zealand rule supreme (despite them losing to Ireland tonight). I think, in Oz, it comes behind rugby league, Aussie rules and another sport (cricket?) in terms of popularity.


----------



## JB Rowley

Sam Kates said:


> It's a game that we like to think we're good at; a game that Australia, South Africa and England _are_ really good at; a game in which New Zealand rule supreme (despite them losing to Ireland tonight). I think, in Oz, it comes behind rugby league, Aussie rules and another sport (cricket?) in terms of popularity.


I'm afraid it's all double-dutch to me. Aussie Rules is the national religion and I don't even know much about that! I had heard of the All Blacks and knew they were a kiwi sporting team but didn't know they were a Rugby Union team. So now I know.


----------



## A.A

JB Rowley said:


> Looking forward to welcoming Amazon to Australia. Finally! Unfortunate that we have to wait until September, though.


I just read a news article today on that: http://www.news.com.au/technology/online/jeff-bezos-his-controversial-empire-and-his-plan-to-take-over-australia/news-story/3e3489b63daee30120348bede9c6a534

So will this mean will can order our print books from an Australian facility? And I wonder what this will do to the local industries, both books and retail? This could be a very big change for Australia.


----------



## RinG

They question they didn't answer was when are we going to get prime TV?


----------



## Goulburn

Due to Amazon losing my payments to my bank for six months, and my going back to cheques so that that wouldn't happen again, I'm not keen to give the the same bank account details again, and I did not want to change bank. So I am experimenting with placing some of my books in Pronoun. 

The idea of all my book royalties from all sources and from all pen names going into my PayPal account, given I buy a lot of things through PayPal, appeals to me. 

Yes, I have read a lot of negative comments about Pronoun, all of them from authors who haven't tried it. 
I have tried it and pulled out of it twice due to formatting issues. So, what I've done his time is to strip my formatting to its simplest level, no fancy page breaks or images. I'll be able to know within a few days if it looks right when published. (It does in the test viewings) Also, this time, if I have problems, I'll not pull my books out at the first instance, I'll talk to the Pronoun support and see if I can work out if things can be fixed from their end. 

While all of these changes are happening I cannot fully promote my books until I see if they publish correctly to all sites. I don't want to be promoting sales if there is a formatting error in a book. If it works for me, I'll have my paid books 100% through Pronoun by Christmas. It will allow my family members to more easily access my income, something I want to happen.

Is this move from Amazon as a direct distributor a wise move? I've no idea until I test it out. Also, that's right for me will be quite different to what's going to suit others. I'm wanting an easy way to gift my income, and I'm not concerned if Payoneer has a better rate, I'm already set up on PapPal.  

I first heard about Pronoun on the Alli forum and the Alliance of Independent Authors has never given me any dud advice yet. 
Here's to my third try with Pronoun being a smooth transition for me. I've often come to this The AUSTRALIAN writer's support thread to keep on eye open to find the best banking practices for my needs. I did start off a payer account at one stage, but I never completed setting it up, and I cannot even real why, it was years ago. It was one of those, "The computer says, "No," farces, at that time, that I had no patience for.


----------



## Goulburn

Rinelle Grey said:


> They question they didn't answer was when are we going to get prime TV?


Good one. We could do with a few of the perks. What about us having to set our price the $3.99 au to get the 70% rate? I'd like for it to be $2.99.


----------



## JB Rowley

Rinelle Grey said:


> They question they didn't answer was when are we going to get prime TV?


According to Tony Boyd of the Financial Review: _The Amazon platform will be under the online brands used elsewhere called Prime, Prime Now and Prime Fresh._ http://www.afr.com/brand/chanticleer/amazon-is-still-coming-but-delays-australian-launch-by-six-months-20161103-gsgyby


----------



## RinG

That article's behind a paywall.  The only reason I'm caring is that The Grand Tour starts on the 18th of November, and I want to be able to watch it.

Still struggling with payment issues. Amazon says the payment is fine on the end and they're waiting on my bank, so I called my bank. They have no record, and say it must be still with their transfer bank (who was, of course, closed when I rang). Apparently I was supposed to fill out a form before sending a wire transfer, who knew. *sigh* They're saying that because it involved a change in currencies, it goes through the transfer bank  and requires all this, but I've never had this sort of issues with transfers from payoneer. 

That said, in the process of this I've realised that Payoneer is probably going through as a wire transfer anyway. Or rather, telegraphic transfer, which is apparently the same thing.

I'm confused, and stuck on which is the best option. I just want my money without all this hassle! ARGH!


----------



## JB Rowley

Rinelle Grey said:


> That article's behind a paywall.  The only reason I'm caring is that The Grand Tour starts on the 18th of November, and I want to be able to watch it.


I can access it directly using Firefox and Chrome. The Grand Tour?


----------



## RinG

Argh! The dramas! Still haven't received my wire payment, and having an awful time convincing Amazon to do something about it because they can't seem to comprehend that I've changed my account details to prevent this happening again! Has anyone called them from Australia? I think I need to talk to a person rather than email.

Also, anyone who gets wire payments successfully from Amazon mind sharing what bank you go through, and what their fees are like? Looks like I'm going to need a new bank, as mine (CUA) has such a convoluted process for getting wire payments that it's not going to work with Amazon. (And I'm not going to trust transferring from Payoneer anymore either, as it is technically a wire payment from what I understand.)


----------



## JB Rowley

Rinelle Grey said:


> Argh! The dramas! Still haven't received my wire payment, and having an awful time convincing Amazon to do something about it because they can't seem to comprehend that I've changed my account details to prevent this happening again! Has anyone called them from Australia? I think I need to talk to a person rather than email.
> 
> Also, anyone who gets wire payments successfully from Amazon mind sharing what bank you go through, and what their fees are like? Looks like I'm going to need a new bank, as mine (CUA) has such a convoluted process for getting wire payments that it's not going to work with Amazon. (And I'm not going to trust transferring from Payoneer anymore either, as it is technically a wire payment from what I understand.)


I get my payments paid direct to my Bendigo Bank account. Haven't had any probs. There's a $2 'telegraphic transfer fee' on the overseas payments but nothing on the Aussie ones.


----------



## rchapman1

It would be amazing if we could print our books in Australia, instead of paying postage from the U.S.


----------



## kathrynoh

Rinelle, if you are with CUA, cancel the wire transfer stat! You cant get wires with them. The SWIFT code you need to use won't work.  They actually use two. I eas with them and it was a complete balls up then finally got someone who knew what they were talking about and they told me about the two code thing. Basically you need to use one for NAB (i think) to get the payment from amazon then the second to get your payment to your account.  Its redonk because, of course, you can't put two codes in anywhere.


----------



## RinG

Yeah, their process is crazy! Which is why I need to find a new bank. Not happy about it though, because I love them for everything else! Who do you go with Kathryn?

Bendigo sounds good. $2 fee is pretty small.


----------



## 9 Diamonds

JB Rowley said:


> I get my payments paid direct to my Bendigo Bank account. Haven't had any probs. There's a $2 'telegraphic transfer fee' on the overseas payments but nothing on the Aussie ones.


That's exactly what we have too. It seems Bendigo Bank's a good place to be when it comes to payments from Kindle and YouTube


----------



## 9 Diamonds

Rinelle Grey said:


> Yeah, their process is crazy! Which is why I need to find a new bank. Not happy about it though, because I love them for everything else! Who do you go with Kathryn?
> 
> Bendigo sounds good. $2 fee is pretty small.


Bendigo Bank seems to be the best for Australian Kindle publishers. Just a $2 fee on o/s transfers and that's it.


----------



## kathrynoh

Rinelle Grey said:


> Yeah, their process is crazy! Which is why I need to find a new bank. Not happy about it though, because I love them for everything else! Who do you go with Kathryn?
> 
> Bendigo sounds good. $2 fee is pretty small.


Ha, I moved from CUA to Bendigo. You get slapped with the huge intermediary bank fees with them.

I just use Payoneer atm because I'm rarely in Australia so it's better for me to only have a $USD to whatever currency I need than going through my Aus bank. If I was in Australia on a permanent basis I'd probably go with ANZ or NAB.


----------



## JB Rowley

kathrynoh said:


> Ha, I moved from CUA to Bendigo. You get slapped with the huge intermediary bank fees with them.


The intermediary bank fee is $25.00 - which is, as I understand it, pretty much the same as with other banks although I believe one or two are higher than that.

A 2014 article by CHOICE suggest "it pays to avoid the big banks" when sending money overseas and gives three alternatives: OFX, World First, Currency Fair. CHOICE is referring to sending money but perhaps it would be worth checking out the three alternatives to see if they are better options for receiving money.

However, the article does make the point that the non-bank services are in the same boat as the banks as far as intermediary bank charges are concerned. It quotes this disclaimer that applies to CBA, ANZ & NAB: "_we are unable to control how the payment will be processed by other banks and therefore make no guarantee that intermediary and receiving banks will not deduce additional fees and charges_".

Link to article: https://www.choice.com.au/money/banking/foreign-transactions/articles/overseas-money-transfers


----------



## CJArcher

JB Rowley said:


> The intermediary bank fee is $25.00 - which is, as I understand it, pretty much the same as with other banks although I believe one or two are higher than that.


JB, this is NOT true for all banks. Sorry if I sound snippy but this was discussed on the previous page (p.91) of this thread. My reply #2233 and a few others after me confirmed that this is no longer the case for SOME banks (I can't speak for all). It used to be this way with an intermediary fee taken out for me at ANZ, but not any more.

It's also not completely hidden. ANZ have a foreign transaction department who talked me through this stuff some time ago so I suppose other banks have a similar department too. It's worth contacting them and finding out what your bank's fees are, and any intermediary fees.


----------



## kathrynoh

CJArcher said:


> JB, this is NOT true for all banks. Sorry if I sound snippy but this was discussed on the previous page (p.91) of this thread. My reply #2233 and a few others after me confirmed that this is no longer the case for SOME banks (I can't speak for all). It used to be this way with an intermediary fee taken out for me at ANZ, but not any more.
> 
> It's also not completely hidden. ANZ have a foreign transaction department who talked me through this stuff some time ago so I suppose other banks have a similar department too. It's worth contacting them and finding out what your bank's fees are, and any intermediary fees.


Yeah I think this is one case where the bigger banks have it over the smaller ones.


----------



## JB Rowley

CJArcher said:


> JB, this is NOT true for all banks. Sorry if I sound snippy but this was discussed on the previous page (p.91) of this thread. My reply #2233 and a few others after me confirmed that this is no longer the case for SOME banks (I can't speak for all). It used to be this way with an intermediary fee taken out for me at ANZ, but not any more.
> 
> It's also not completely hidden. ANZ have a foreign transaction department who talked me through this stuff some time ago so I suppose other banks have a similar department too. It's worth contacting them and finding out what your bank's fees are, and any intermediary fees.


Fair enough, CJ.

I did cross check by going to the websites of the banks for current information.

The ANZ website lists their fee for international money transfer as $15.00**. The double asterisk points to this: **Fee charged depends upon ANZ's arrangement with the relevant overseas bank. Underneath there is this note: In relation to the 'costs' that we refer to in the 'International Payments' section, we are unable to quantify the additional costs which may be incurred as they refer to miscellaneous costs which may be charged by the relevant overseas (or correspondent) bank. We have no control over these costs and their amount varies between each overseas bank.

That seemed to me to support what was said in the CHOICE article.


----------



## karenchester

I must be the only Aussie still doing cheques. I'm with St George. Depositing 1 cheque costs me $10.50, 2 costs $15.40, 3 costs $16.20. So I tend to bank 2 cheques at a time which works out to be less than $8 per cheque. Yes, it takes a lot longer for the cheque to arrive and clear, but it's still the cheapest option for me. 

For wire transfers NAB seems to be the cheapest at $11 per transaction. St George would charge me $38 for a wire transfer, so definitely not worth it unless I was earning thousands a month.


----------



## 9 Diamonds

Maybe we're only paying a $2.00 fee for all overseas transfers into our Australian account at Bendigo Bank because we set ourselves up as a business, and not as individuals. We registered with the ATO, and paid our lawyer to draw up all the paperwork which you need to open a business account with a bank in Australia. Like I've said in previous posts here, we only pay $2.00 every time the Zon wires us money from overseas, and there aren't any hidden fees; we can see everything upfront on our accessible statements.


----------



## JB Rowley

9 Diamonds said:


> Maybe we're only paying a $2.00 fee for all overseas transfers into our Australian account at Bendigo Bank because we set ourselves up as a business, and not as individuals. We registered with the ATO, and paid our lawyer to draw up all the paperwork which you need to open a business account with a bank in Australia. Like I've said in previous posts here, we only pay $2.00 every time the Zon wires us money from overseas, and there aren't any hidden fees; we can see everything upfront on our accessible statements.


Yes, same here. Mine is a business account and they take only $2.00 for overseas electronic transfers. But there is also a fee taken out by an intermediary bank. This is taken out before the money is deposited in your account. If the Payments section of our Amazon dashboard was up to date we would know what the FX rate was and it would be easier to work out the difference between what Amazon paid us and what was deposited in our account. The last time I did that (quite some time ago) the difference was $25.00.

The other way of working out the difference is to calculate the FX rate using the method CJ mentioned in her post (page 90, Reply #2233).


----------



## JamieCampbell

Hi everyone,

Greetings from the Gold Coast where it's hot and infested with Schoolies  

Hoping for some help. I've had a 0% withholding tax rate with Amazon for years, however I had to re-do my tax interview because it was expiring in December.

After doing the new interview, my withholding rate has gone up to 5%. Nobody at Amazon can tell me why it has changed when my details have not.

So my question is this, is 5% the normal rate and I've somehow been lucky these past few years? What is everyone else sitting at?

I have a US EIN, and obviously an Aussie TFN.

Thank you!


----------



## TellNotShow

9 Diamonds said:


> Maybe we're only paying a $2.00 fee for all overseas transfers into our Australian account at Bendigo Bank because we set ourselves up as a business, and not as individuals. We registered with the ATO, and paid our lawyer to draw up all the paperwork which you need to open a business account with a bank in Australia. Like I've said in previous posts here, we only pay $2.00 every time the Zon wires us money from overseas, and there aren't any hidden fees; we can see everything upfront on our accessible statements.


Are you saying you've definitely applied the exchange rate stated on the Amazon payments dashboard to the USDollar amount, and it comes through into AUDollars WITHOUT losing $25 on each payment?
Most people seem never to check, because Amazon sometimes take MONTHS before putting the rate there. But if you check older ones the rate will be there, and the maths can be done.


----------



## TellNotShow

By the way, I strongly suggest everyone check their Amazon payments against the withholding tax taken out by Amazon.
It was a couple of years ago, but they were systematically overcharging me, and when I asked what was happening they said they couldn't do anything about it, and that it was up to me to retrieve the overpayment from the IRS.
And eventually, KDP just stopped replying to my questions (and demands that they pay me what they owed me.)
It was over $400 all up, most of it in two payments, but small amounts on other payments as well. Mostly, they were charging me around 7% instead of 5% during that time. But sometimes it was 5%.

It hasn't happened since. Worth checking - you won't get the money back, but if they're doing this to you, at least it'll stop it from happening again. (I hope.)


----------



## TellNotShow

JamieCampbell said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> Greetings from the Gold Coast where it's hot and infested with Schoolies
> 
> Hoping for some help. I've had a 0% withholding tax rate with Amazon for years, however I had to re-do my tax interview because it was expiring in December.
> 
> After doing the new interview, my withholding rate has gone up to 5%. Nobody at Amazon can tell me why it has changed when my details have not.
> 
> So my question is this, is 5% the normal rate and I've somehow been lucky these past few years? What is everyone else sitting at?
> 
> I have a US EIN, and obviously an Aussie TFN.
> 
> Thank you!


Hi Jamie. My sympathies re the schoolies. Horrible things, teenagers. Well, I was anyway.

If you're Australian, you were getting away with that 5% all this time. Ssshhhhhhhh! Aussies pay 5%.


----------



## JB Rowley

JamieCampbell said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> Greetings from the Gold Coast where it's hot and infested with Schoolies
> 
> Hoping for some help. I've had a 0% withholding tax rate with Amazon for years, however I had to re-do my tax interview because it was expiring in December.
> 
> After doing the new interview, my withholding rate has gone up to 5%. Nobody at Amazon can tell me why it has changed when my details have not.
> 
> So my question is this, is 5% the normal rate and I've somehow been lucky these past few years? What is everyone else sitting at?
> 
> I have a US EIN, and obviously an Aussie TFN.
> 
> Thank you!


Yes, 5% is the normal rate.

Royalty payments for sales in the U.S. store are subject to 30% U.S. tax withholding. However, Australia has a tax treaty with the United States which means we are eligible for a reduced rate of 5%.

I have never heard of anyone with 0% tax withholding.


----------



## A.A

Apparently Aussies can get Prime streaming now: http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2016/11/amazon-prime-video-is-streaming-in-australia-right-now/



JamieCampbell said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> Greetings from the Gold Coast where it's hot and infested with Schoolies
> 
> Hoping for some help. I've had a 0% withholding tax rate with Amazon for years, however I had to re-do my tax interview because it was expiring in December.
> 
> After doing the new interview, my withholding rate has gone up to 5%. Nobody at Amazon can tell me why it has changed when my details have not.
> 
> So my question is this, is 5% the normal rate and I've somehow been lucky these past few years? What is everyone else sitting at?
> 
> I have a US EIN, and obviously an Aussie TFN.
> 
> Thank you!


Wow I haven't heard of any Aussie having a tax rate of 0%. It's always been 5% (if you provided a EIN).

Good luck surviving schoolies


----------



## JamieCampbell

Thanks for the replies. Maybe I'll just be happy that I've had 0% for so long!

**Sits quietly in the corner with her mouth shut   ***


----------



## 9 Diamonds

Always been 5%, as outlined in KDP Rights, Royalty and Pricing.


----------



## RinG

Yes, 5% is the best we get. If you don't fill in the form, it's usually 30%!

And yay for prime streaming. I signed up for my free trial a couple of days ago! 

Next thing you know Amazon will discover they can pay us every payment by EFT!


----------



## CJArcher

I just noticed that the older payments on the KDP dash's Payments page now show the Aussie dollar amount that was paid into my bank from Amazon. If this is showing up for everyone, it means you can now easily verify how much your bank, or any intermediary bank, is taking out in fees by checking this amount against what was actually deposited. Mine proves that my previous calculations were correct and I'm only paying $15 total in fees which isn't too bad.


----------



## TellNotShow

CJArcher said:


> I just noticed that the older payments on the KDP dash's Payments page now show the Aussie dollar amount that was paid into my bank from Amazon. If this is showing up for everyone, it means you can now easily verify how much your bank, or any intermediary bank, is taking out in fees by checking this amount against what was actually deposited. Mine proves that my previous calculations were correct and I'm only paying $15 total in fees which isn't too bad.


Wow, mine are there too. Good detecting, C J.

It only took them nine months. The $15 fee is certainly better than $25. But it's kinda ridiculous that it gets applied to every payment from every country every month. My recent eight countries of payments -- minus one for the Australian store, where the fee doesn't apply, means seven fees of $15 to $25 each. To receive money. Each month! Never mind that we're already losing out on the exchange rates -- that's over a grand a year, even at $15 a payment.

I never earn much at half of those countries, so that payment -- if I didn't use Payoneer for them -- would be like a 10% tax or worse on my revenue from several countries.

It's worth noting it's only Amazon who do this -- all the other retailers who sell books for us in different countries amalgamate the payments into one. So one bank fee a month. It seems pretty certain to me that Amazon get some form of kickback for doing it this way.

If it was all amalgamated into a single payment, that would be fair enough -- and Santa would be real, and corporations would start doing good in the world, and...
(Kids, I was just joking. Of course Santa's real. And you better be good, cos he's comin' to town!)


----------



## Patty Jansen

Quills said:


> How do you receive your Kobo payments? I'm currently getting them by TT but I'm losing almost half of each payment to fees. I have a Payoneer account but Kobo tells me they can't pay into that (why?). Is there any other option? Or is it possible to suspend payments for a while? I've been trying to ask Kobo's help desk but they're taking more than a week to respond each time and I'm getting nonsensical replies.


They pay by direct deposit into an Australian bank account in Australian dollars. There is no fee.


----------



## CJArcher

I'm the same as Patty - no bank fees from Kobo payments to my ANZ account.


----------



## 9 Diamonds

Quote from: 9 Diamonds on November 19, 2016, 07:16:55 PM
Maybe we're only paying a $2.00 fee for all overseas transfers into our Australian account at Bendigo Bank because we set ourselves up as a business, and not as individuals. We registered with the ATO, and paid our lawyer to draw up all the paperwork which you need to open a business account with a bank in Australia. Like I've said in previous posts here, we only pay $2.00 every time the Zon wires us money from overseas, and there aren't any hidden fees; we can see everything upfront on our accessible statements.



TellNotShow said:


> Are you saying you've definitely applied the exchange rate stated on the Amazon payments dashboard to the USDollar amount, and it comes through into AUDollars WITHOUT losing $25 on each payment?
> Most people seem never to check, because Amazon sometimes take MONTHS before putting the rate there. But if you check older ones the rate will be there, and the maths can be done.


Yep, that's exactly what I'm saying. I've just gone over all US deposits and checked the exchange rate on the payments dashboard and there's DEFINITELY no other fee apart from the $2.00 per transaction fee for each transaction. No $15.00 fee, no $25.00 fee, just the $2.00 fee.


----------



## CJArcher

9 Diamonds said:


> Yep, that's exactly what I'm saying. I've just gone over all US deposits and checked the exchange rate on the payments dashboard and there's DEFINITELY no other fee apart from the $2.00 per transaction fee for each transaction. No $15.00 fee, no $25.00 fee, just the $2.00 fee.


Bendigo Bank for the win! Not surprising they have a more favourable fee than the big banks.


----------



## 9 Diamonds

CJArcher said:


> Bendigo Bank for the win! Not surprising they have a more favourable fee than the big banks.


Yup


----------



## TellNotShow

9 Diamonds said:


> Quote from: 9 Diamonds on November 19, 2016, 07:16:55 PM
> 
> Yep, that's exactly what I'm saying. I've just gone over all US deposits and checked the exchange rate on the payments dashboard and there's DEFINITELY no other fee apart from the $2.00 per transaction fee for each transaction. No $15.00 fee, no $25.00 fee, just the $2.00 fee.


Bendigo Bank, here I come! Thanks for checking this out so thoroughly. I'll open a business account with them asap.


----------



## 9 Diamonds

TellNotShow said:


> Bendigo Bank, here I come! Thanks for checking this out so thoroughly. I'll open a business account with them asap.


You're welcome, TellNotShow. The money spent (on the legal paperwork) to open this sort of account is worth it. In the long run, as the royalties come in, you'll recoup it.


----------



## Bec

This question is bound to show off my prawniness but oh well.

I only just updated my details after moving back to Aus from Canada, so I haven't had to deal with this before...

The 5% tax... is that taken before or after the $100 threshold? 

Eg. I make $100. Do they send this to me, minus the $5 taken for the IRS, or do they wait until I've made $105+ so they can still take the tax out but be over the $100 threshold?

(I'm sitting on about $104 at the moment haha).


----------



## 9 Diamonds

Bec said:


> This question is bound to show off my prawniness but oh well.
> 
> I only just updated my details after moving back to Aus from Canada, so I haven't had to deal with this before...
> 
> The 5% tax... is that taken before or after the $100 threshold?
> 
> Eg. I make $100. Do they send this to me, minus the $5 taken for the IRS, or do they wait until I've made $105+ so they can still take the tax out but be over the $100 threshold?
> 
> (I'm sitting on about $104 at the moment haha).


It's taken out _after_ the threshold. In other words you have to earn at least $USD105.00 in the month before you can be paid $USD100.00. If you only earn $USD104.99, you haven't made the threshold for the month and you have to wait until you do over the coming month.


----------



## Writer1000

CJArcher said:


> I just noticed that the older payments on the KDP dash's Payments page now show the Aussie dollar amount that was paid into my bank from Amazon. If this is showing up for everyone, it means you can now easily verify how much your bank, or any intermediary bank, is taking out in fees by checking this amount against what was actually deposited. Mine proves that my previous calculations were correct and I'm only paying $15 total in fees which isn't too bad.


I just checked the AUD Payment Amounts on the KDP Payments page and the amounts showing there are *exactly* the same as the amounts that got deposited into my bank account for US, UK, CA. I guess that means St George hasn't been taking any fees out in the last few months.  I know they used to a few months ago ($25 from memory).


----------



## 9 Diamonds

MirandaPCharles said:


> I just checked the AUD Payment Amounts on the KDP Payments page and the amounts showing there are *exactly* the same as the amounts that got deposited into my bank account for US, UK, CA. I guess that means St George hasn't been taking any fees out in the last few months.  I know they used to a few months ago ($25 from memory).


Aha! Great news. Seems there's another bank besides Bendigo Bank that's not slugging a $25.00 fee.


----------



## Bec

9 Diamonds said:


> It's taken out _after_ the threshold. In other words you have to earn at least $USD105.00 in the month before you can be paid $USD100.00. If you only earn $USD104.99, you haven't made the threshold for the month and you have to wait until you do over the coming month.


Thanks! Here's hoping I make it over that $105 line! 

Re: Bank fees... I'm currently with NAB and they charge $12. Better than $25, but maybe I should look at some of the smaller banks.


----------



## 9 Diamonds

Bec said:


> Thanks! Here's hoping I make it over that $105 line!
> 
> Re: Bank fees... I'm currently with NAB and they charge $12. Better than $25, but maybe I should look at some of the smaller banks.


Only $2.00 with Bendigo Bank business acc.


----------



## RinG

Anyone making bank comparisons should be aware that the amounts reported are actually coming from your bank, of course they're going to match. If there's a fee from an intermediate bank, that's not going to show up. You could use the exchange rate noted and apply it to the US amount and see if that matches I suppose. Maybe people are already doing that? Just thought I'd mention it.


----------



## CJArcher

Rinelle Grey said:


> Anyone making bank comparisons should be aware that the amounts reported are actually coming from your bank, of course they're going to match. If there's a fee from an intermediate bank, that's not going to show up. You could use the exchange rate noted and apply it to the US amount and see if that matches I suppose. Maybe people are already doing that? Just thought I'd mention it.


No, Rinelle, we're talking about the amount Amazon report as sent (on the Reports page - they've just begun updating this again after a long hiatus) compared to the amount deposited in the bank account. If there's a fee, they will be different.


----------



## 9 Diamonds

Rinelle Grey said:


> Anyone making bank comparisons should be aware that the amounts reported are actually coming from your bank, of course they're going to match. If there's a fee from an intermediate bank, that's not going to show up. You could use the exchange rate noted and apply it to the US amount and see if that matches I suppose. Maybe people are already doing that? Just thought I'd mention it.


Yes, we are already doing that. As the above posts attest, it matches. Hence I have discovered no fee from my bank apart from the $2.00 fee.


----------



## Writer1000

CJArcher said:


> No, Rinelle, we're talking about the amount Amazon report as sent (on the Reports page - they've just begun updating this again after a long hiatus) compared to the amount deposited in the bank account. If there's a fee, they will be different.


Yes. I just went back to compare the earlier amounts to see when St George (or whichever intermediary bank) stopped charging wire transfer fees on my Amazon payments. From August *2015* onwards, all bank deposits from Amazon are exactly the same as the amounts showing on the KDP dash. Previous to that (July 2015 and prior months), the deposits were $25 less than what appear on the Reports page.

My account with St George is called Freedom Business and I get charged $10 account service fee every month. The last time I banked two cheques (1 from CreateSpace and the other from Amazon Affiliate--so both USD), I only got charged $10.80 for the two. Prior to that, I banked one cheque and the fee was $10.50.

Hope this helps.


----------



## 9 Diamonds

MirandaPCharles said:


> Yes. I just went back to compare the earlier amounts to see when St George (or whichever intermediary bank) stopped charging wire transfer fees on my Amazon payments. From August *2015* onwards, all bank deposits from Amazon are exactly the same as the amounts showing on the KDP dash. Previous to that (July 2015 and prior months), the deposits were $25 less than what appear on the Reports page.
> 
> My account with St George is called Freedom Business and I get charged $10 account service fee every month. The last time I banked two cheques (1 from CreateSpace and the other from Amazon Affiliate--so both USD), I only got charged $10.80 for the two. Prior to that, I banked one cheque and the fee was $10.50.
> 
> Hope this helps.


There are no monthly charges on our business account with Bendigo. All we ever pay is the $2.00 fee every time we get a foreign EFT payment. Plus we earn monthly interest on this account.


----------



## karenchester

Just got my first wire transfer into my new Bendigo Bank savings account. Hooray! Only $2 fee and no monthly account keeping fee. Thanks to everyone on this thread. I was getting really tired of banking those cheques.


----------



## JB Rowley

karenchester said:


> Just got my first wire transfer into my new Bendigo Bank savings account. Hooray! Only $2 fee and no monthly account keeping fee. Thanks to everyone on this thread. I was getting really tired of banking those cheques.


Welcome to the BB club, Karen.


----------



## karenchester

Thanks JB


----------



## 9 Diamonds

karenchester said:


> Just got my first wire transfer into my new Bendigo Bank savings account. Hooray! Only $2 fee and no monthly account keeping fee. Thanks to everyone on this thread. I was getting really tired of banking those cheques.


Glad we were of assistance


----------



## Selina Fenech

Aussie Author Belle Brooks has been meeting with Australia Post to try and get cheaper postage rates for authors posting books. She hasn't set up a petition yet, but I thought I'd post here now to give people a heads up. More details at https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=446371965694259&id=100009643783558 
I'll try and get back here and share the petition thread when it's available. I'm not sure what effect it will have, but it's worth a try, and the best chance is if we can get some good numbers.


----------



## Selina Fenech

The petition to Australia Post is now online. It would be great to get as many signatures as possible, so please sign and share with other Australian authors you know- https://www.change.org/p/australia-post-reduced-and-fair-costs-for-australian-authors


----------



## Book Cat

Hi,

I tried google and this site's search function but could not get a proper answer to my question.

In Australia, do you have to have a book out to be able to claim back expenses at tax time? I have spent over $1000 on my book this financial year (editing) but I am planning on finishing book 2 and maybe 3 of the series before I release book 1 so I can get them out all together. Because of that I am not sure if they will be done before July. 

As I will be getting a tax bill unless I can claim my book expenses (on top of my normal business expenses for another nonbook related business) I will be having to pay tax (which is fine). And I would like to lesson this tax bill by claiming back on my book expenses with I intend to release under my business name (or create a new one specifically for this). 

So can I claim on it without having a book out or will I have to release one to claim on it?

PS: I know this could be worded better but I don't know a great deal about how this works so tried to word it as best I could. Hope what I wrote is understandable!


----------



## 9 Diamonds

RileyMorrison said:


> Hi,
> 
> I tried google and this site's search function but could not get a proper answer to my question.
> 
> In Australia, do you have to have a book out to be able to claim back expenses at tax time? I have spent over $1000 on my book this financial year (editing) but I am planning on finishing book 2 and maybe 3 of the series before I release book 1 so I can get them out all together. Because of that I am not sure if they will be done before July.
> 
> As I will be getting a tax bill unless I can claim my book expenses (on top of my normal business expenses for another nonbook related business) I will be having to pay tax (which is fine). And I would like to lesson this tax bill by claiming back on my book expenses with I intend to release under my business name (or create a new one specifically for this).
> 
> So can I claim on it without having a book out or will I have to release one to claim on it?
> 
> PS: I know this could be worded better but I don't know a great deal about how this works so tried to word it as best I could. Hope what I wrote is understandable!


Ask your accountant, but I have a feeling that you have to have earnt the money in a particular financial year to be able to claim it back in that financial year, and years onwards. In other words I don't think you can claim expenses against non-income earned. But like I said, check with your accountant.


----------



## Book Cat

9 Diamonds said:


> Ask your accountant, but I have a feeling that you have to have earnt the money in a particular financial year to be able to claim it back in that financial year, and years onwards. In other words I don't think you can claim expenses against non-income earned. But like I said, check with your accountant.


Thanks.

I did ask the accountant I had at last year's tax time, but they had no idea. In fact, the whole topic about claiming book expenses seemed to confuse them. But that was at an H&R Block general accountant. Maybe I need to go back there and try to speak to someone else, or hunt down another accountant and ask them.


----------



## Bec

Don't forget, as artists and special professionals, we can income average  https://www.ato.gov.au/Forms/Income-averaging-for-special-professionals-2016/?page=2#Who_is_subject_to_income_averaging_

Edit: You most likely wont be able to use it this year, but keep it in mind for upcoming years!


----------



## Chinmoy Mukherjee

Need advice from Australians, I wrote a novel "Melbourne Rising" based on Melbourne.

It's selling great in Amazon India, https://www.amazon.in/Melbourne-Rising-Malcolm-Ponting-ebook/dp/B06XBYBVC6/?keywords=Lion.

But not much sales in "Amazon Australia"


----------



## Bec

Melbourne Rising said:


> Need advice from Australians, I wrote a novel "Melbourne Rising" based on Melbourne.
> 
> It's selling great in Amazon India, https://www.amazon.in/Melbourne-Rising-Malcolm-Ponting-ebook/dp/B06XBYBVC6/?keywords=Lion.
> 
> But not much sales in "Amazon Australia"


You might be better off starting your own thread for this - get more eyeballs on it.


----------



## kusanagi

Bec said:


> Don't forget, as artists and special professionals, we can income average  https://www.ato.gov.au/Forms/Income-averaging-for-special-professionals-2016/?page=2#Who_is_subject_to_income_averaging_
> 
> Edit: You most likely wont be able to use it this year, but keep it in mind for upcoming years!


Cheers &#128526;


----------



## Polleo1985

Hello Fellow Aussies!

I apologise in advance if this question has already been answered.

I am about to receive my first createspace cheque and wanted to know what is the best way to cheque these cheques.
I have spoken to my bank and they said it's up to the branch to charge any fees if they want to which i find quite strange.

Have any of you successfully setup a direct transfer from createspace, my understand is if you are from Oz they can only send you cheques which is quite annoying.

Have any of you tried to setup an account in US dollars or other alternative ways like payoneer.com etc

thank you

polleo


----------



## Patty Jansen

Polleo1985 said:


> Hello Fellow Aussies!
> 
> I apologise in advance if this question has already been answered.
> 
> I am about to receive my first createspace cheque and wanted to know what is the best way to cheque these cheques.
> I have spoken to my bank and they said it's up to the branch to charge any fees if they want to which i find quite strange.
> 
> Have any of you successfully setup a direct transfer from createspace, my understand is if you are from Oz they can only send you cheques which is quite annoying.
> 
> Have any of you tried to setup an account in US dollars or other alternative ways like payoneer.com etc
> 
> thank you
> 
> polleo


Createspace doesn't pay by direct transfer. You could do Payoneer, I think? But it very quickly becomes too expensive for payments over $2000. You can halt the cheques for a while so that you only pay the fee once every few months.


----------



## Selina Fenech

Regarding Payoneer, I don't know what the exact threshold is, but if you get enough payments going through them they will decide you're a "premium member" and waive the 1% incoming fee. The only fee then is the outgoing 2% above standard currency conversion... and from what I've been able to research (they don't make it very transparent) a lot of banks take 4-5% above standard conversion rate. 

Anyway, I'm a recent payoneer convert, and I'm just so happy not to have to bank foreign cheques anymore that I'd probably pay higher fees anyway! 
It's easy to sign up and give CS your USD payoneer bank details, and they will pay all three currency balances into it successfully (at least have for me).


----------



## Polleo1985

Selina Fenech said:


> Regarding Payoneer, I don't know what the exact threshold is, but if you get enough payments going through them they will decide you're a "premium member" and waive the 1% incoming fee. The only fee then is the outgoing 2% above standard currency conversion... and from what I've been able to research (they don't make it very transparent) a lot of banks take 4-5% above standard conversion rate.
> 
> Anyway, I'm a recent payoneer convert, and I'm just so happy not to have to bank foreign cheques anymore that I'd probably pay higher fees anyway!
> It's easy to sign up and give CS your USD payoneer bank details, and they will pay all three currency balances into it successfully (at least have for me).


Selina thank you so much! I will definitely look into that right away.

Can I ask do you still provide your aussie tax file number to both KDP and CS?

I have thought of another option which is to open up an account in the US. I will be going to Hawaii on holidays soon and I have called up one of the banks there and they will open an account for tourists you only need a passport. That way you can have the royalties go into that account and pay who you need to pay in US dollars. Any thoughts or experiences with this?

thanks

Polleo


----------



## JB Rowley

The Last Paradise said:


> Need advice from Australians, I wrote a novel "Melbourne Rising" based on Melbourne.
> 
> It's selling great in Amazon India, https://www.amazon.in/Melbourne-Rising-Malcolm-Ponting-ebook/dp/B06XBYBVC6/?keywords=Lion.
> 
> But not much sales in "Amazon Australia"


A lot of Aussies still buy through amazon.com


----------



## 9 Diamonds

JB Rowley said:


> A lot of Aussies still buy through amazon.com


Yes, that's my experience also. Our new release has been bought by at least twenty Australians through Amazon.com.


----------



## SteveHarrison

My Amazon sales are about 45% via the US site, 25% via both the UK and AUS sites, with the rest through Amazon Canada, Germany and Brazil. However, the bulk of my readership is in Australia and the UK, so I think a lot of people around the world still use Amazon USA.

I've heard - not officially - that Amazon is opening up fully in Australia later this year to sell physical goods, so I expect awareness and use to increase.


----------



## JB Rowley

SteveHarrison said:


> I've heard - not officially - that Amazon is opening up fully in Australia later this year to sell physical goods, so I expect awareness and use to increase.


I believe Amazon is still on track to open in September in Australia. http://www.afr.com/brand/chanticleer/amazon-is-still-coming-but-delays-australian-launch-by-six-months-20161103-gsgyby


----------



## SteveHarrison

JB Rowley said:


> I believe Amazon is still on track to open in September in Australia. http://www.afr.com/brand/chanticleer/amazon-is-still-coming-but-delays-australian-launch-by-six-months-20161103-gsgyby


Thanks, JB.


----------



## A.A

I wonder if Amazon will have a book printing arm in Australia?


----------



## The one with all the big dresses on the covers

A.A said:


> I wonder if Amazon will have a book printing arm in Australia?


That would be nice!


----------



## JB Rowley

A.A said:


> I wonder if Amazon will have a book printing arm in Australia?


Fingers crossed!


----------



## Tess McCallum

As well as paperback, I'd just like to see Amazon AU catch up on some of the basic marketing opportunities that we Aussie authors can't access (gifting books) and utilise in our local market (countdown deals). Also incorporation of our sales data and reviews within our Author Central (AC) profiles and additional AC book details such as From the Author, Inside Flap etc on our book pages in the AU store.


----------



## Bec

Getting paid by direct deposit instead of Wire transfers for other markets would also be nice!!


----------



## SimonEla5

Hi!

I'm an Aussie author, just signed up on Kboard, although have been reading on my Kindle Paperwhite for a few years.


----------



## A.A

SimonEla5 said:


> Hi!
> 
> I'm an Aussie author, just signed up on Kboard, although have been reading on my Kindle Paperwhite for a few years.


Hello and welcome


----------



## Guest

Hi, I'm a first timer here.  It's Angelin Sydney. I'm sure you can guess which city I reside in.


----------



## spellscribe

Cripes, Queensland! Take care guys. Hope everyone gets through the next couple days without damage or loss. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Goulburn

Thinking of everyone in northern and central Queensland. (((hugs.))) Stay safe. I'll not sleep until I know that tc.Debbie has been downgraded to a tropical low. 

The low-lying areas in the cyclones path will be hit by the king tide storm surge in about twelve hours time. Those areas are under evacuation orders. If they do evacuate, they have a nightmare task of getting out in poor visibility onto roads that may have trees down, and only a margin of another 2.5 hours to get out. Many don't know of a safe place to go. I've been talking to a young mother with a baby in low-lying land who is scared to leave home, but the emergency messages are telling her she has to go. I've been urging her to go. I left the conversation, telling her I'd not speak to her again until she contacted me from outside of the cyclone's path. I pray she left. She just wanted to stay put and talk in a non-cyclone proof house in land that will be under two metres of water by morning. The emergency services asked me to help coax people like her to leave. Then I was passed across to talk to someone with a question they rang the emergency services to ask: "Should I bring our dogs inside, they are outside dogs?"  

There is a book in every situation we find ourselves in. It was starting to get to me, so I came here, to wish all Queensland writers well and safe passage through the storm. I know that you all have the sense to take care of your animals in a cyclone. (((hugs.))) 

Hoping that Cyclone Debbie will fizzle down, because she, and the following floods caused by a tropical low in the inland will do damage. I hope it doesn't harm anyone from kboards. 

Many are thinking of you, Queenslanders, and willing and praying that there won't be further casualties.


----------



## Tess McCallum

Yes I'm watching the Queensland cyclone closely too. I grew up in Airlie Beach which is right in the firing line so I'm watching closing.  Many a time as a kid we got kept home or sent home from school due to flooding so interesting that my old high school in Proserpine is now serving as an evacuation centre.  Let's hope Debbie fizzes before crossing the coast.  My thoughts and prayers are with everyone there. Be safe.


----------



## The Bass Bagwhan

Hey everyone, on a completely different subject... recently I posted here on KBoards a "concept" of a service providing audiobook production and narration, _and_ copyediting services. In a nutshell, the idea was that the audiobook fees would be discounted for authors who _also _got their manuscript copyedited (because the copyedit process made narration easier).

A few authors just didn't "get" it, but the more interesting response was that for many my Australian accent was an issue. Which led me to rethink things and consider just working with Oz authors.

But I'll keep this post straightforward. In general, do many of you consider having audiobooks produced? Would you be interested in Australian production/narration? Most people don't realise you can publish/distribute through ACX via Kemah Bay.

I'm still just pushing the ideas around on my desk - but seeing the Australian Writer's Support thread pop up again reminded me to put it out here.

Cheers for any opinions and thoughts.


----------



## Goulburn

Tess McCallum said:


> Yes I'm watching the Queensland cyclone closely too. I grew up in Airlie Beach which is right in the firing line so I'm watching closing. Many a time as a kid we got kept home or sent home from school due to flooding so interesting that my old high school in Proserpine is now serving as an evacuation centre. Let's hope Debbie fizzes before crossing the coast. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone there. Be safe.


I'm with you in hoping Debbie's attempt to do Queensland fizzles out. I too went on a nostalgic journey today, using Google Earth, I revisited the Whitsunday Islands and that beautiful Airlie Beach region.

It's after midnight now, so everyone has to be battened down to stay put in the safest part of the building. Emergency teams are ready to go into the affected areas as soon as tc.Debbie passes through.

People are sharing photos of having turned their bathrooms into everything from duck ponds to small zoos to take care of animals, so their spirit is good. Families are sharing pictures of putting the children to bed in the center of their homes with thick mattresses around them. Power has gone out in some places, and I guess people are trying to sleep while they can. Not a lot of news coming in since they declared it had reached a huge category 4 cyclone strength and was continuing to build momentum. Landfall is expected in anything from 7 till 10 hours time. Some say that Debbie is dancing, turning this way and that, teasing Queenslanders about what she plans to do. The later she reaches land, the stronger she will be, so we should hope for her to head due west in a straight line and touch down earlier than expected.

My thoughts and heart are with northern Queenslanders tonight, while I'm safe in northern Victoria. It's been a strange day. A tornado just north of us, and we copped some of the wind gusts, plus the smoke from bushfire southwest of us. That's just an interesting four seasons in one day typical Victorian experience.


----------



## JB Rowley

SimonEla5 said:


> Hi!
> 
> I'm an Aussie author, just signed up on Kboard, although have been reading on my Kindle Paperwhite for a few years.


Welcome to the Aussie thread.

JB


----------



## JB Rowley

AngelinSydney said:


> Hi, I'm a first timer here. It's Angelin Sydney. I'm sure you can guess which city I reside in.


Welcome, Angelin. I notice that all your books are ranking very high. Congratulations! Yet they have very few reviews. That seems to be a quirky contradiction. What's your secret?


----------



## A.A

Yes, stay safe people in that part of Queensland. Very, very dangerous weather.



AngelinSydney said:


> Hi, I'm a first timer here. It's Angelin Sydney. I'm sure you can guess which city I reside in.


Welcome!  You have lots of books there! How long have you been writing?



Graeme Hague said:


> Hey everyone, on a completely different subject... recently I posted here on KBoards a "concept" of a service providing audiobook production and narration, _and_ copyediting services. In a nutshell, the idea was that the audiobook fees would be discounted for authors who _also _got their manuscript copyedited (because the copyedit process made narration easier).
> 
> A few authors just didn't "get" it, but the more interesting response was that for many my Australian accent was an issue. Which led me to rethink things and consider just working with Oz authors.
> 
> But I'll keep this post straightforward. In general, do many of you consider having audiobooks produced? Would you be interested in Australian production/narration? Most people don't realise you can publish/distribute through ACX via Kemah Bay.
> 
> I'm still just pushing the ideas around on my desk - but seeing the Australian Writer's Support thread pop up again reminded me to put it out here.
> 
> Cheers for any opinions and thoughts.


I didn't know about Kehmah Bay, so thanks for the tip. I've been too busy to even think about audio, admittedly.


----------



## Goulburn

SimonEla5 said:


> Hi!
> 
> I'm an Aussie author, just signed up on Kboard, although have been reading on my Kindle Paperwhite for a few years.


Welcome, Simon.


----------



## CJArcher

Welcome to the new authors to the Aussie corner of Kboards!

To the northern Queenslanders - I hope you're staying safe. It looks really scary up there.



Graeme Hague said:


> But I'll keep this post straightforward. In general, do many of you consider having audiobooks produced? Would you be interested in Australian production/narration? Most people don't realise you can publish/distribute through ACX via Kemah Bay.


Graeme, to answer your questions - I already am having audiobooks produced, some via Tantor (older series) and my 2 current series through ACX via Kemah Bay. I'm very happy with the way ACX and Kemah Bay work, but I wish ACX would open up to us Aussies directly so I don't have to pay anyone an extra slice of the pie  I'm not interested in Aussie narration as my books are set in England and first person female POV, but it sounds like a good idea to keep to Aussies only if you can't do other accents. Good luck with your venture.


----------



## Tess McCallum

Ryn Shell said:


> I'm with you in hoping Debbie's attempt to do Queensland fizzles out. I too went on a nostalgic journey today, using Google Earth, I revisited the Whitsunday Islands and that beautiful Airlie Beach region.
> 
> It's after midnight now, so everyone has to be battened down to stay put in the safest part of the building. Emergency teams are ready to go into the affected areas as soon as tc.Debbie passes through.
> 
> People are sharing photos of having turned their bathrooms into everything from duck ponds to small zoos to take care of animals, so their spirit is good. Families are sharing pictures of putting the children to bed in the center of their homes with thick mattresses around them. Power has gone out in some places, and I guess people are trying to sleep while they can. Not a lot of news coming in since they declared it had reached a huge category 4 cyclone strength and was continuing to build momentum. Landfall is expected in anything from 7 till 10 hours time. Some say that Debbie is dancing, turning this way and that, teasing Queenslanders about what she plans to do. The later she reaches land, the stronger she will be, so we should hope for her to head due west in a straight line and touch down earlier than expected.


I'm glued to the BOM tropical cyclone weather info and ABC News Live this morning, watching Debbie close in on Airlie Beach and surrounding area whilst I sit safely on the opposite side of the continent. Obviously I'm thinking of my friends and family still living in the area and hoping my lovely old home town isn't left too devastated. But I keep thinking about my first novel "Maelstrom" which is set in Airlie Beach - feeling a bit guilty for tempting fate. Silly I know but it's funny what goes through your mind at times like this .


----------



## The Bass Bagwhan

CJArcher said:


> Welcome to the new authors to the Aussie corner of Kboards!
> 
> To the northern Queenslanders - I hope you're staying safe. It looks really scary up there.
> 
> Graeme, to answer your questions - I already am having audiobooks produced, some via Tantor (older series) and my 2 current series through ACX via Kemah Bay. I'm very happy with the way ACX and Kemah Bay work, but I wish ACX would open up to us Aussies directly so I don't have to pay anyone an extra slice of the pie  I'm not interested in Aussie narration as my books are set in England and first person female POV, but it sounds like a good idea to keep to Aussies only if you can't do other accents. Good luck with your venture.


Thanks CJ for the info. I do classic storytelling type of narration without "acting" out voices. As someone with long experience in voice-over work you tend to get that radio/newsreader kind of voice that you'd think is devoid of any strong accent, but like most people we also tend not to hear our own dialect.

In the modern age I guess I'm only offering the slight advantage of dealing with a narrator in (roughly) the same time zone and avoiding the extra costs of an exchange rate.

My other idea was to offer just post-production. A lot of authors are trying self-narration, but don't have the Digital Audio Workstation skills to clean up, master and prepare the audio files. I haven't looked at any fee structures for this. The challenge is keeping things affordable.

Cheers!


----------



## Selina Fenech

On Audiobooks, has anyone tried Author's Republic for audio books? If you can get them narrated/produced and own the files for distribution, it seems like a good option, but I've never talked to someone who actually uses them. I went with ACX/Kemah Bay, but my first trilogy is out of the exclusive period now (I did exclusive with upfront payment, not royalty share), so I could move, and it looks like a higher royalty and more channels... 

Stay safe everyone in QLD!


----------



## Goulburn

Tess McCallum said:


> I'm glued to the BOM tropical cyclone weather info and ABC News Live this morning, watching Debbie close in on Airlie Beach and surrounding area whilst I sit safely on the opposite side of the continent. Obviously I'm thinking of my friends and family still living in the area and hoping my lovely old home town isn't left too devastated. But I keep thinking about my first novel "Maelstrom" which is set in Airlie Beach - feeling a bit guilty for tempting fate. Silly I know but it's funny what goes through your mind at times like this .


I'll have to read Maelstrom. It should be even more interesting, if it is about a cyclone in that part of the country, after watching Cyclone Debbie unfold on social media.

Re the Amazon AU chat: I transferred to Pronoun a year ago and I don't direct publish through or rely on Amazon as my primary writing income, so I didn't delve into the conversation.


----------



## CJArcher

Selina Fenech said:


> On Audiobooks, has anyone tried Author's Republic for audio books? If you can get them narrated/produced and own the files for distribution, it seems like a good option, but I've never talked to someone who actually uses them. I went with ACX/Kemah Bay, but my first trilogy is out of the exclusive period now (I did exclusive with upfront payment, not royalty share), so I could move, and it looks like a higher royalty and more channels...
> 
> Stay safe everyone in QLD!


I haven't used them but I did 2 audiobooks that way and distributed them through Listen2abook, so that's another option you may want to look at. The royalty rates are better than going through Kemah Bay/ACX, but their reporting is terrible and you only get paid every 3 months. I decided not to continue using them as I prefer the transparency of Kemah Bay/ACX. PM me if you want more details.


----------



## rchapman1

That would be fantastic!  Think of all the money we'll save on postage - not to mention the time it takes for deliveries to arrive!


----------



## A.A

Has anyone else's payment not turned up in their bank yet? It's the 30th and it normally comes in by the 29th.


----------



## CJArcher

A.A said:


> Has anyone else's payment not turned up in their bank yet? It's the 30th and it normally comes in by the 29th.


According to the KDP dashboard Payments page, we're being paid on the 31st this month. I don't know why it's different this time.


----------



## JB Rowley

CJArcher said:


> According to the KDP dashboard Payments page, we're being paid on the 31st this month. I don't know why it's different this time.


Yeah. I wonder if that's Aussie time.


----------



## A.A

CJArcher said:


> According to the KDP dashboard Payments page, we're being paid on the 31st this month. I don't know why it's different this time.


I should have checked that! Forgot all about looking there - thanks


----------



## Goulburn

I have a message from my distributor, Pronoun, that Amazon is running several days behind in services. and will soon catch up.


----------



## Aderyn Wood

Genre Con

https://www.awmonline.com.au/genrecon/

Anyone planning to go to this in November, or anyone been to past cons? Early bird registration closes today.


----------



## CJArcher

Aderyn Wood said:


> Genre Con
> 
> https://www.awmonline.com.au/genrecon/
> 
> Anyone planning to go to this in November, or anyone been to past cons? Early bird registration closes today.


I've never looked into it before. Have you been before, Aderyn? Is it worth going for an indie? Particularly an indie with no interest in scoring a publisher or agent? What do you get out of it?


----------



## Polleo1985

Hello Fellow Aussies,

So I have just received my first payment from KDP but it seems to be only the ebook and pages read portion.
The paperback portion has not been paid?
Is there a reason for that, does it get paid separately and lags behind or is there a problem?

thank you

polleo


----------



## JB Rowley

Polleo1985 said:


> Hello Fellow Aussies,
> 
> So I have just received my first payment from KDP but it seems to be only the ebook and pages read portion.
> The paperback portion has not been paid?
> Is there a reason for that, does it get paid separately and lags behind or is there a problem?
> 
> thank you
> 
> polleo


If you published the paperback with CreateSpace, it will be paid separately. Not sure what happens regarding payment of paperbacks if you published direct with Amazon.


----------



## AllyWho

Polleo1985 said:


> So I have just received my first payment from KDP but it seems to be only the ebook and pages read portion.
> The paperback portion has not been paid?


Unless you have published your paperbacks through the KDP dashboard, they are paid by CreateSpace. While owned by Amazon's CS is a seperate entity and pays out on their own criteria. For example, if you opt for cheque there is a $100 threshold.


----------



## Polleo1985

AliceW said:


> Unless you have published your paperbacks through the KDP dashboard, they are paid by CreateSpace. While owned by Amazon's CS is a seperate entity and pays out on their own criteria. For example, if you opt for cheque there is a $100 threshold.


To confirm I have published through the KDP Dashboard.

I only changed to CS in March.

So January and February print royalties were all through KDP


----------



## Aderyn Wood

CJArcher said:


> I've never looked into it before. Have you been before, Aderyn? Is it worth going for an indie? Particularly an indie with no interest in scoring a publisher or agent? What do you get out of it?


Hi CJ, I also have no interest in going the trad publishing route. But I am interested in meeting other writers and participating in some workshops. I like the sound of this conference because of its focus on genre writing, rather than literary, which so many other writing cons and festivals in Oz seem to focus on. I'll be going, so I'll report back on how it goes from the Indie perspective. Few months away though of course.


----------



## JB Rowley

My royalties have been paid BUT the bank took it all away! The transfer fee they withdrew (usually $2.00) was the same as the royalty amount. Now I'll have to wait until Monday to get it sorted. I was so looking forward to seeing my bank balance rise.


----------



## Polleo1985

Hello Fellow Aussies!

I have a question which I hope some of you may know the answer to.
It is the question of opening a business (company) for your publishing income.
Have any of you created a company in Australia for your KDP/CS publishing business?
Is it necessary, is it worth it? I am thinking of the protection of assets element and separation of personal and business.

If any of you have done it, could you please advise me on how to get started, what did you do? What to avoid? If there are some older threads explaining all these, please point me to them.

I write in the health niche and it is going reasonably well so far. I am about the hit $1000 mark per month after 4 months since I started (not sure if that is good by your standards but I am quite chuffed about it  )

Thank you all again and again any information would be much appreciated.

Polleo


----------



## 9 Diamonds

Polleo1985 said:


> Hello Fellow Aussies!
> 
> I have a question which I hope some of you may know the answer to.
> It is the question of opening a business (company) for your publishing income.
> Have any of you created a company in Australia for your KDP/CS publishing business?
> Is it necessary, is it worth it? I am thinking of the protection of assets element and separation of personal and business.
> 
> If any of you have done it, could you please advise me on how to get started, what did you do? What to avoid? If there are some older threads explaining all these, please point me to them.
> 
> I write in the health niche and it is going reasonably well so far. I am about the hit $1000 mark per month after 4 months since I started (not sure if that is good by your standards but I am quite chuffed about it  )
> 
> Thank you all again and again any information would be much appreciated.
> 
> Polleo


Set up as a business -- register it with the ATO; get your lawyer to draw up the necessary paperwork so you can set up your business (not personal) bank accounts, which we did. You will save money on bank fees, and this arrangement will simplify things for your accountant at tax time. Also the right accountant -- one who knows the ins and outs of international publishing and licensing and deductions and so forth -- will be able to deal better with your case if these things are set in place.


----------



## RinG

I've set up a business, but not sure of the advantages of setting up a company. Separation between business and personal is usually done to protect your assets if you plan to go into debt, but I can't see anyone going into that level of debt to publish a book! I'd speak to an accountant and find out what the tax implications of both would be before making any decisions. 

How to find a good tax accountant who actually understands more than just the taxes on working for a wage though, that's another question! Haven't managed to find a good one yet.


----------



## Selina Fenech

Polleo1985 said:


> Hello Fellow Aussies!
> 
> I have a question which I hope some of you may know the answer to.
> It is the question of opening a business (company) for your publishing income.
> Have any of you created a company in Australia for your KDP/CS publishing business?
> Is it necessary, is it worth it? I am thinking of the protection of assets element and separation of personal and business.
> 
> If any of you have done it, could you please advise me on how to get started, what did you do? What to avoid? If there are some older threads explaining all these, please point me to them.
> 
> I write in the health niche and it is going reasonably well so far. I am about the hit $1000 mark per month after 4 months since I started (not sure if that is good by your standards but I am quite chuffed about it  )
> 
> Thank you all again and again any information would be much appreciated.
> 
> Polleo


Joining the chorus of get a good accountant. They will be able to set your company up for you and also manage the yearly requirements of keeping a company for you. 
In my mind, after protection of assets, one of the best things for an author/publisher about having a company is the possibility to -somewhat- offset large income and small income years. If you have a big bestseller one year and a big income, but expect ongoing years to not be so big, a lot of the tax you pay in the big year can be used as franking credits in future years so it's not just sunk money, as it would be for a personal ABN business. From what I understand anyway... which is minimal... lol... this is why I have a good accountant to do it all for me.


----------



## Polleo1985

9 Diamonds said:


> Set up as a business -- register it with the ATO; get your lawyer to draw up the necessary paperwork so you can set up your business (not personal) bank accounts, which we did. You will save money on bank fees, and this arrangement will simplify things for your accountant at tax time. Also the right accountant -- one who knows the ins and outs of international publishing and licensing and deductions and so forth -- will be able to deal better with your case if these things are set in place.


Thank you for your help 9 Diamonds!
So would I need to consult my accountant as well as a lawyer?
Or can my accountant sort most of this out?

The other reason for the setting up of the company is just protection against liability. What I mean is I write a recipes and cookbooks in the health genre so if someone I don't know made a ludicrous claim that one of my recipes made them ill (unlikely I know but its a strange world that we live in) I would be protected against that.

With the business accounts then, assuming I did create a company would do I have to have a business bank account also
I already have a personal US bank account which makes things so much easier but its only personal not business.

Thanks


----------



## spellscribe

GenreCon isn't so much a con as a writing workshop I believe. I almost went last year when MRK went but couldn't get the money and time. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## 9 Diamonds

Polleo1985 said:


> Thank you for your help 9 Diamonds!
> So would I need to consult my accountant as well as a lawyer?
> Or can my accountant sort most of this out?
> 
> The other reason for the setting up of the company is just protection against liability. What I mean is I write a recipes and cookbooks in the health genre so if someone I don't know made a ludicrous claim that one of my recipes made them ill (unlikely I know but its a strange world that we live in) I would be protected against that.
> 
> With the business accounts then, assuming I did create a company would do I have to have a business bank account also
> I already have a personal US bank account which makes things so much easier but its only personal not business.
> 
> Thanks


I'm only talking about setting up as a business, not as a company. When we set up as a business, our bank stipulated that we couldn't set up a business account until our lawyer had drawn up the necessary paperwork registering us as a bona fide business. I informed our accountant of what we'd done, but it was after the setup with lawyer and bank. Everything's worked out fine and glitch-free the way we've done it.


----------



## A.A

Polleo1985, the costs of an accountant to do the taxes for a company are large. I'm not sure it's a good idea unless you're making at least a few thousand a month (or you expect to soon). You can also only use the money you put in the company for the company, not for personal things (apart from any wages you draw). You can use a trust instead of a company - the yearly costs of accountancy are still large, but not as large as for a company, and you can use the money as normal income.

You could ask a lawyer to draw up a disclaimer for you for your cooking/health books and give you advice on liability.

(But of course, ask an accountant before you do anything)


----------



## Patty Jansen

I use a business because we already happened to have a business, and I just tack on the writing. I did get a trading name for that, but a business can own several trading names.

If I had to do this on my own (i.e. if we didn't already have the business) I'd set up as a sole trader. Much cheaper and less cumbersome.


----------



## Jenmills

Are there any promotional opportunities that target Australian readers? Mailing lists, etc? Perhaps Facebook groups?


----------



## Magnus

Jenmills said:


> Are there any promotional opportunities that target Australian readers? Mailing lists, etc? Perhaps Facebook groups?


I can't think of any, and I don't know why you'd bother. You're better off spending your money to target the other 99% of the paying audience, unless you're writing something super-Australiana focused like saucy Bushranger romance or something involving a guy named 'Flinders'. Even then, you're probably still better off targeting the UK and US first.


----------



## RightHoJeeves

Patty Jansen said:


> I use a business because we already happened to have a business, and I just tack on the writing. I did get a trading name for that, but a business can own several trading names.
> 
> If I had to do this on my own (i.e. if we didn't already have the business) I'd set up as a sole trader. Much cheaper and less cumbersome.


That's what I do, although I already was a sole trader for a separate thing.


----------



## Jenmills

Magnus said:


> I can't think of any, and I don't know why you'd bother. You're better off spending your money to target the other 99% of the paying audience, unless you're writing something super-Australiana focused like saucy Bushranger romance or something involving a guy named 'Flinders'. Even then, you're probably still better off targeting the UK and US first.


Well, I have to disagree. The book is set in Australia, so it makes sense to at least try to place it in front of Australian eyeballs. I have consistently found that buyers gravitate towards books set in their own region. And generally I have better results targeting smaller groups - the more laser-focused the promotion, the more effective it has always been for me.


----------



## AdamDavidCollings

G'day everyone.
I haven't been around KBoards for some time. Releasing my first solo book on Thursday (previously just had a novelette and some anthology credits) so I thought this would be a great time to come and re-connect with the community and see what I can learn from you all.

I've been reading over the last few pages. Lots to think about regarding Payoneer, business accounts etc. Sounds like things have improved slightly since I tried to set up my bank details over a year ago and ended up just resorting to cheques.


----------



## Kat Betts

Been a long time since I popped in here, too. Don't forget, if you're on Facebook and like a writing group or two AFW is still going strong and you're all welcome to join, should you wish to: Australian Fiction Writers

I hope you're all doing well!


----------



## Anita Chance

Hi, I live in Australia and am new to kboards. It's nice to see an Australian thread though it is not very active which is a shame. A few years ago I was involved in a thread on the kindle forums that was very active so I guess I was hoping to find a thread like that for Australian authors.

It is nice to meet you all though. Thank you to Patty Jansen for posting the link to this thread for me. I see you are on this thread.


----------



## Anita Chance

Kat Betts said:


> Been a long time since I popped in here, too. Don't forget, if you're on Facebook and like a writing group or two AFW is still going strong and you're all welcome to join, should you wish to: Australian Fiction Writers
> 
> I hope you're all doing well!


Thanks for the link. I just joined and look forward to meeting other Australian authors.


----------



## CJArcher

Welcome Anita. Glad you found us. There aren't many Aussie-specific discussions to have anymore, so I guess that's why the thread isn't all that active. Most of our issues are the same as indie authors living elsewhere and get discussed in other threads. We can always discuss the weather or the football   I personally don't come to Kboards as much as I used to, and rarely post.


----------



## Anita Chance

CJArcher said:


> Welcome Anita. Glad you found us. There aren't many Aussie-specific discussions to have anymore, so I guess that's why the thread isn't all that active. Most of our issues are the same as indie authors living elsewhere and get discussed in other threads. We can always discuss the weather or the football  I personally don't come to Kboards as much as I used to, and rarely post.


Thanks for the welcome. Good point - and the world is growing smaller thanks to the internet. I love your covers to the Glass and Steele series. They are gorgeous. Also - you are inspirational - it is nice to see your books are selling so well!! It gives me hope that one day .... it is what we all dream of. I also love that they are fantasy, a genre I would like to attempt to write one day.

Haha the weather is cold, but warming up, and I've never been much for football.


----------



## 9 Diamonds

Just curious: do Australian publishers here find they're selling more on Amazon US or Amazon AU? While we have some very good months from AU, the bulk of our sales are consistently from Amazon US.


----------



## Marina Finlayson

Welcome, Anita! We have periods where this thread is more active, just not lately.

9 Diamonds, I'd say most people make vastly more sales on Amazon US than on Amazon AU. I know I do. They just have so many more people in America, all of whom are very used to buying whatever they want from Amazon.


----------



## spellscribe

9 Diamonds said:


> Just curious: do Australian publishers here find they're selling more on Amazon US or Amazon AU? While we have some very good months from AU, the bulk of our sales are consistently from Amazon US.


Pretty sure my mum in law is the only Aussie who buys my books.


----------



## JB Rowley

9 Diamonds said:


> Just curious: do Australian publishers here find they're selling more on Amazon US or Amazon AU? While we have some very good months from AU, the bulk of our sales are consistently from Amazon US.


Most Aussies still buy from the US store. Maybe that will change after Amazon put down roots here. I read somewhere that they have already started setting up a warehouse in South Dandenong. Not sure if that's fact or furphy.


----------



## Patty Jansen

At any one month, my AU sales are 10-25% of my total Amazon sales. The rest is made up of 50% US and 40% UK and 10% everything else (mainly DE and CA).

Then again, in any one month, Amazon is 40-60% of my total sales.


----------



## SteveHarrison

My sales via Amazon sites - which account for 80% of my ebook sales - are:

US 40%
UK 24%
AU 22%
Canada/Brazil/Germany/France 14%

The US/AU sales figures are distorted, because quite a few Aussie sales were via the US site, but I don't know how many.


----------



## Kat Betts

Anita Chance said:


> Thanks for the link. I just joined and look forward to meeting other Australian authors.


Your request was denied by another admin, so I've sent you a friend request. You can either accept that and I'll add you manually or you can head over to the group page again and resubmit. I'll keep an eye out for you.


----------



## Kat Betts

JB Rowley said:


> Most Aussies still buy from the US store. Maybe that will change after Amazon put down roots here. I read somewhere that they have already started setting up a warehouse in South Dandenong. Not sure if that's fact or furphy.


I can confirm this is fact. They are in the midst of hiring.


----------



## Anita Chance

Kat Betts said:


> Your request was denied by another admin, so I've sent you a friend request. You can either accept that and I'll add you manually or you can head over to the group page again and resubmit. I'll keep an eye out for you.


Thanks. Much appreciated. I am now a member


----------



## Kat Betts

Anita Chance said:


> Thanks. Much appreciated. I am now a member


Welcome!


----------



## Anita Chance

So I popped back in to see that everyone was right ... this thread is not very active


----------



## JB Rowley

Anita Chance said:


> So I popped back in to see that everyone was right ... this thread is not very active


What would you like to talk about, Anita?

We sometimes discuss the weather. It's as cold as the Snowy Mountains here in Melbourne.


----------



## Ceramic

9 Diamonds said:


> Just curious: do Australian publishers here find they're selling more on Amazon US or Amazon AU? While we have some very good months from AU, the bulk of our sales are consistently from Amazon US.


Hi there, 
My name is Karletta and I'm from Brisbane. 
I'm a non fictiion writer, who dabbles in fantasy fiction occasionally. I've got two poetry chapbooks and two memoirs.
Its nice to connect with more Australian authors.

My Australian sales are a little more than the American ones. The UK sales are about a third of Australian sales.

I am just letting the American sales build up, as financially it doesn't make sense to pay for an American bank account. I am yet to make $100 in any market.

Does anyone here have an American account for getting paid monthly? Who here is also letting their US sales build up to the $100 threshold?


----------



## spellscribe

Ceramic said:


> Hi there,
> My name is Karletta and I'm from Brisbane.
> I'm a non fictiion writer, who dabbles in fantasy fiction occasionally. I've got two poetry chapbooks and two memoirs.
> Its nice to connect with more Australian authors.
> 
> My Australian sales are a little more than the American ones. The UK sales are about a third of Australian sales.
> 
> I am just letting the American sales build up, as financially it doesn't make sense to pay for an American bank account. I am yet to make $100 in any market.
> 
> Does anyone here have an American account for getting paid monthly? Who here is also letting their US sales build up to the $100 threshold?


I'm using payoneer to circumvent the threshold.


----------



## Pacman

G'day fellow Aussies, just on payments, I had to open a Bendigo Bank account to receive wired transfers from Amazon, it works fine now. 

But Createspace still send cheques, which is a pain. I asked them when they were going to wire their payments and they said 'soon', so it's on the cards but could be 'whenever'.

Weather? In Canberra it was 21 C on Wednesday but today it's 12 and yesterday I think it was 10 C. I'm sick of scraping ice off my windscreen in the mornings.


----------



## vws

Just an FYI, if you're comfortable to jump across to KDP Print they will wire transfer your paperback royalties at the same time you get your ebook royalties. But they still don't have proof copies or author copies. I'm happy to use Ingram for that but not everyone's in the same position.


----------



## Ceramic

Pacman said:


> G'day fellow Aussies, just on payments, I had to open a Bendigo Bank account to receive wired transfers from Amazon, it works fine now.
> 
> But Createspace still send cheques, which is a pain. I asked them when they were going to wire their payments and they said 'soon', so it's on the cards but could be 'whenever'.
> 
> Weather? In Canberra it was 21 C on Wednesday but today it's 12 and yesterday I think it was 10 C. I'm sick of scraping ice off my windscreen in the mornings.


Gosh thats cold Pacman! You poor thing. Its nice here in Brisbane. Sunny out doors and quite cool in the shade.

I have a bendigo bank account. They send me Australian marketplace royalties, but not American marketplace royalties. Did you open a specific account to receive the US royalties?

Thanks Vaughan, i've set up a Createspace account. Last week I learned how to format for print. Just got to order my physical proof. 
I'm just looking into Payoneer now.


----------



## TheLemontree

Another vote for using Payoneer to bypass the threshold. 

And the weather? I'm in the south island of New Zealand.

It's still fecking freezing.

Although, I did need to take my merino layer off this afternoon while pushing the toddler's pushchair uphill in the sun, and the daffodils are peeking out and there's blossom and magnolias in bloom so life is pretty good. 

Sent from my GT-S7390 using Tapatalk


----------



## CJArcher

Pacman said:


> But Createspace still send cheques, which is a pain. I asked them when they were going to wire their payments and they said 'soon', so it's on the cards but could be 'whenever'.


Don't hold your breath. It's been "soon" ever since I started 6.5 years ago. I hate going into the my bank with createspace cheques. Last week it took them 10 minutes to find someone who knew what to do with them. KDP Print bundles payments with your ebooks but you can't distribute outside Amazon. Sigh.


----------



## spellscribe

I'm moving. It's like thirty degrees here on a cool day lately. Hate it.


----------



## Patty Jansen

I email Createspace to stop the payments and release them manually when they reach an amount that I can be bothered to go to the bank for.


----------



## Pacman

spellscribe, 30 C on a cool day? I hope that's not with 95% humidity. Canberra gets stinking hot in summer but very low humidity. When it's 36 C it's pleasant, no sweating under the armpits. After taking a shower we dry quickly, not like on the coast where you have to change clothes every few hours. But winters get darn cold. One good thing about a cold climate, I grow a cherry tree and eat my own cherries 

Ceramic, it's a standard Bendigo Bank account, my regular bank stopped accepting foreign cheques so I had to open an account with a bank that still does.

Hey LemonTree, Sth Island NZ is always feckin' cold isn't it? We're lucky, we don't have glaciers in our backyards and our mountains are tiny compared to yours. But, I guess having a glacier or two in the backyard would be pretty cool though


----------



## JB Rowley

spellscribe said:


> I'm moving. It's like thirty degrees here on a cool day lately. Hate it.


I'd trade places in a heartbeat - well, I'd certainly trade weather in an instant!


----------



## spellscribe

Pacman said:


> spellscribe, 30 C on a cool day? I hope that's not with 95% humidity. Canberra gets stinking hot in summer but very low humidity. When it's 36 C it's pleasant, no sweating under the armpits. After taking a shower we dry quickly, not like on the coast where you have to change clothes every few hours. But winters get darn cold. One good thing about a cold climate, I grow a cherry tree and eat my own cherries
> 
> Ceramic, it's a standard Bendigo Bank account, my regular bank stopped accepting foreign cheques so I had to open an account with a bank that still does.
> 
> Hey LemonTree, Sth Island NZ is always feckin' cold isn't it? We're lucky, we don't have glaciers in our backyards and our mountains are tiny compared to yours. But, I guess having a glacier or two in the backyard would be pretty cool though


As always, humidity is sitting at just over six million percent


----------



## Patty Jansen

spellscribe said:


> As always, humidity is sitting at just over six million percent


Humidity? It hasn't rained enough to wet the ground since June.


----------



## Pacman

spellscribe said:


> As always, humidity is sitting at just over six million percent


lol, it's a beautiful day outside, the sun is shining brightly, it is soooo inviting, but the darn wind is blowing and the temperature is freezing, it cuts thru like a blade. I tried half a dozen times to brave the wind but it beat me. I'm inside, the heater is on and I'm rugged up. Sigh, hurry up Spring, time's a wastin'.

And Patty, it rained yesterday afternoon and I thought, great, rain on the roof is so cool to listen to. So I opened the sliding door a crack to hear it properly, but nah, the bloody wind just drove the cold into the house. But then the rain hardly touched, let alone soaked into the soil.


----------



## Book Cat

Hi.

How does Createspace take out tax for Australians? I get the impression they only pay us via cheque when you make over $100 (Which seems crazy if you have $80 sitting there for five years!) but how do they deal with the tax side of things? Do we pay US tax? Do they take out Australian tax or do we do that ourselves?

Is there any decent guides/blog posts on getting paid as an Australian writer via Createspace and Amazon?

Thanks.


----------



## JB Rowley

Pacman said:


> lol, it's a beautiful day outside, the sun is shining brightly, it is soooo inviting, but the darn wind is blowing and the temperature is freezing, it cuts thru like a blade. I tried half a dozen times to brave the wind but it beat me. I'm inside, the heater is on and I'm rugged up. Sigh, hurry up Spring, time's a wastin'.
> 
> And Patty, it rained yesterday afternoon and I thought, great, rain on the roof is so cool to listen to. So I opened the sliding door a crack to hear it properly, but nah, the bloody wind just drove the cold into the house. But then the rain hardly touched, let alone soaked into the soil.


Melbourne made it to 18 degrees today! Now I have hope that the dark days will be over soon.


----------



## CarolineS

Hi everyone,

I'm a newbie to the KBoards forums. I'm based in Brisbane and am about to put my second book out. Both were written to support a community of not-for-profit writers in NSW and QLD. 

Looking forward to catching up virtually!


----------



## Brad__W

My sales in Oz are very minimal... mostly from people I used to work with and others that know me; I'm finding about 90% US sales, with a 8% split between DE & UK, and about 2% Oz or others. I tend to promote my books in a couple of specific Facebook SF RPG gaming groups whenever I release a new one, hence the heavy weighting for the US in my case.

And another vote for Payoneer... I've been using them for almost five years now and never had a problem, it beats waiting on meeting a threshold and the mailed cheque to arrive.

I'm an Aussie living in Ireland, so it's always fun to read how the weather is back home. In Dublin, we just had a scorcher of a day (+16C) with nights getting closer to freezing and winter about to hit us hard very soon.


----------



## JB Rowley

CarolineS said:


> Hi everyone,
> I'm a newbie to the KBoards forums. I'm based in Brisbane and am about to put my second book out. Both were written to support a community of not-for-profit writers in NSW and QLD.
> Looking forward to catching up virtually!


Welcome, Caroline. What do you mean by 'not-for-profit' writers? Please explain.


----------



## JB Rowley

RileyMorrison said:



> Hi.
> How does Createspace take out tax for Australians? I get the impression they only pay us via cheque when you make over $100 (Which seems crazy if you have $80 sitting there for five years!) but how do they deal with the tax side of things? Do we pay US tax? Do they take out Australian tax or do we do that ourselves?
> Is there any decent guides/blog posts on getting paid as an Australian writer via Createspace and Amazon?
> Thanks.


We receive separate cheques from CreateSpace for USA, GBP and EUR royalties. Each royalty is subject to $100/ £100 / €100 minimum threshold. We pay US tax - 30% if you don't fill out the appropriate tax information form but this is reduced to 5% if you do fill out and lodge the form with CreateSpace (and Amazon). You can claim this back against your earnings when you lodge your Aussie tax return. You need to sort out the Australian tax yourself.

Here is the link to Amazon's Tax Information: https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/A2W5L6XUL2KHTC


----------



## Pacman

Brad__W said:


> My sales in Oz are very minimal... mostly from people I used to work with and others that know me; I'm finding about 90% US sales, with a 8% split between DE & UK, and about 2% Oz or others. I tend to promote my books in a couple of specific Facebook SF RPG gaming groups whenever I release a new one, hence the heavy weighting for the US in my case.
> 
> And another vote for Payoneer... I've been using them for almost five years now and never had a problem, it beats waiting on meeting a threshold and the mailed cheque to arrive.
> 
> I'm an Aussie living in Ireland, so it's always fun to read how the weather is back home. In Dublin, we just had a scorcher of a day (+16C) with nights getting closer to freezing and winter about to hit us hard very soon.


Hi Brad, cracking any market is hard, with a population the size of Australia it takes time and strategy to break in and be noticed. I think Patty might be able to help here, she's been publishing longer than most of us and has some great tips.

I write post-apocalypse in Adelaide and the Australian desert, Birdsville and regions around Alice Springs, Marree, beautiful country if you like deserts. My sales are 80% US, 10% UK and 10% Aussie, with a sprinkle from Germany, Brazil, Mexico, etc. But I only started published my novels this year so I'm still developing a following and marketing strategy.

Patty suggests write and publish regularly, it sure helps. Good luck to you in sunny Dublin, my mother's country. And keep writing.


----------



## SteveHarrison

The bulk of my ebook sales are via Amazon, but it's difficult to ascertain how many buyers are in Australia, as many people here buy from the US site. The Amazon US site accounts for 48%, UK 24% and Amazon AU 20%, but my guestimate would be at least 30% are bought by Australian readers.

When Amazon Australia becomes a full service operation in Australia (in November, I think), it will be interesting to see if there's a boost for local authors. I think a lot of Australians currently don't realise Amazon has an Australian site for ebooks.


----------



## RinG

I'm pretty sure you can get your Createspace royalties sent through Payoneer too. And your affiliate earnings, if you are an affiliate.

Weather here in Brisbane is hot and sunny or cold and windy, sometimes on the same day! And dry. Very dry. Pretty sure I'm going to shrivel up soon.


----------



## Pacman

SteveHarrison said:


> The bulk of my ebook sales are via Amazon, but it's difficult to ascertain how many buyers are in Australia, as many people here buy from the US site. The Amazon US site accounts for 48%, UK 24% and Amazon AU 20%, but my guestimate would be at least 30% are bought by Australian readers.
> 
> When Amazon Australia becomes a full service operation in Australia (in November, I think), it will be interesting to see if there's a boost for local authors. I think a lot of Australians currently don't realise Amazon has an Australian site for ebooks.


Steve, I was just thinking that if you have a newsletter you could ask? I might do that myself, have a prize or something for anyone who answers.


----------



## SteveHarrison

Pacman said:


> Steve, I was just thinking that if you have a newsletter you could ask? I might do that myself, have a prize or something for anyone who answers.


Problem (with this) is that I am traditionally published, so I don't have access to any reader details, only the data regarding the country and sales platform.


----------



## CarolineS

@ JB Rowley - Hi there, The community is for people working in the charity or community sectors who are writing grants and tenders for their future activity and thus not for profit.


----------



## JB Rowley

CarolineS said:


> @ JB Rowley - Hi there, The community is for people working in the charity or community sectors who are writing grants and tenders for their future activity and thus not for profit.


Ah. I see. Thank you.

JB


----------



## Anita Chance

Marina Finlayson said:


> Welcome, Anita! We have periods where this thread is more active, just not lately.
> 
> 9 Diamonds, I'd say most people make vastly more sales on Amazon US than on Amazon AU. I know I do. They just have so many more people in America, all of whom are very used to buying whatever they want from Amazon.


Thanks for the welcome. I am glad to be here. I've been reading through the posts and have learned a few new things!!


----------



## Anita Chance

JB Rowley said:


> What would you like to talk about, Anita?
> 
> We sometimes discuss the weather. It's as cold as the Snowy Mountains here in Melbourne.


Good point  To be honest I have no idea what I want to talk about. I just wanted to meet some Australian indie authors.

The weather has been up and down and all over the place.

I guess the biggest topic in Australia is who is voting yes, who is voting no, and everything that comes with it, like the ads on TV, the writing in the sky in Sydney, etc and so on. Not that I expect anyone to tell me how they plan to vote. Though I don't have a problem telling people I voted yes. I don't even think it should be an issue in the first place. If someone wants to get married, it should be that simple.


----------



## Goulburn

Hello, Anita. Welcome.

I currently live in a rural retreat in the Goulburn Valley. I'm a yes vote for marriage equality too. On the question of payment method. I have all of my payment sources set up to come via PayPal. That works for me. 

Steve, during the years when I was an artist and travel writer, touring the inland and quiet coastal communities, I was surprised at how few Australians I encountered used Amazon. I decided to go wide, (I go wider than most) with my ebook sales, as I felt that represented the Australian.


----------



## Anita Chance

Ryn Shell said:


> Hello, Anita. Welcome.
> 
> I currently live in a rural retreat in the Goulburn Valley. I'm a yes vote for marriage equality too.


Thanks for the welcome. It's nice hearing the names of place I've been. Once upon a time a long time ago my family and I passed through Goulburn valley. My neighbours family lived there so it was nice to see a place I had been hearing about from them.

Yay to another yes vote!! I am hopeless at remembering to post things so I actually made myself get in the car, and drive to the mailbox up the road to post it as soon as I filled it in.


----------



## Anita Chance

Pacman said:


> I write post-apocalypse in Adelaide and the Australian desert, Birdsville and regions around Alice Springs, Marree, beautiful country if you like deserts.


I published a post-apocalypse story back in 2013 that did very well for a few months, right from the beginning, before dropping off suddenly. I'm not sure if it did well because of the genre, or because I was lucky enough to get a really nice review from someone who reviews a lot of post-apocalyptic stories a few days after it was published. I also got a review from a top 500 reviewer which I think also helped, but back then I also noticed that when new post-apocalyptic stories were published, they often ranked in the 3000s for a few months, before dropping off like mine did.

Have you found this as well? I suspect things have changed a lot since 2013. I plan to write more in that genre because I really enjoy speculating, as well as writing in that genre. Back then I didn't feel I had the confidence in my writing to do a story with a bigger scope, but I feel my writing has developed a lot since then so I am very curious about your answer. I often have a look at what titles are doing well, and follow them to see how long it takes them to drop off, though I haven't done it in quite a while.

I'll be sure to check out your stories when I get a chance. I don't tend to read much when I am working on something, because I worry that it influences my writing too much. I also enjoy reading the genre, and love that your stories are set in Australia. I was a big fan of John Marsden's Tomorrow series.


----------



## Anita Chance

JB Rowley said:


> I'd trade places in a heartbeat - well, I'd certainly trade weather in an instant!


As would I. I hate the cold.


----------



## Patty Jansen

I write SFF but a fair number of my localities take their cues straight from Kuranda, Atherton, Mareeba, Coen and Daintree. Yes, I used to live up there, but while that area features a bit on the screen, you don't see it a lot in stories and books.


----------



## Cyle Young

My company, Serious Writer, is looking for an Australian author or two who desires to teach video based courses on an online teaching and learning platform, www.seriouswriteracademy.com. We go live Oct. 2nd and classes offer profit sharing with the instructors. We are driving traffic to the site, but we are hoping hope to expand into other territories.

Our site focus is excellent instruction by writers who write relatively clean or inspirational non-fiction and novels.

Please message me if you are interested.


----------



## Goulburn

Cyle Young said:


> My company, Serious Writer, is looking for an Australian author or two who desires to teach video based courses on an online teaching and learning platform, www.seriouswriteracademy.com. We go live Oct. 2nd and classes offer profit sharing with the instructors. We are driving traffic to the site, but we are hoping hope to expand into other territories.
> 
> Our site focus is excellent instruction by writers who write relatively clean or inspirational non-fiction and novels.
> 
> Please message me if you are interested.


I'll message you, Clye. I invested in a new video studio set up this year, and have past experience in creating and selling tutorial video cassettes in the pre internet days. I have begun work in this area based on witnessing video tutorials outstripping non-fiction ebooks in growth. I'm an independent by nature, so I doubt that I'd want to be a part of someone else's business. I have fun doing things my way. I'm happy to chat about what you are seeking from and offering your team members.


----------



## Pacman

Anita Chance said:


> I published a post-apocalypse story back in 2013 that did very well for a few months, right from the beginning, before dropping off suddenly. I'm not sure if it did well because of the genre, or because I was lucky enough to get a really nice review from someone who reviews a lot of post-apocalyptic stories a few days after it was published. I also got a review from a top 500 reviewer which I think also helped, but back then I also noticed that when new post-apocalyptic stories were published, they often ranked in the 3000s for a few months, before dropping off like mine did.
> 
> Have you found this as well? I suspect things have changed a lot since 2013. I plan to write more in that genre because I really enjoy speculating, as well as writing in that genre. Back then I didn't feel I had the confidence in my writing to do a story with a bigger scope, but I feel my writing has developed a lot since then so I am very curious about your answer. I often have a look at what titles are doing well, and follow them to see how long it takes them to drop off, though I haven't done it in quite a while.
> 
> I'll be sure to check out your stories when I get a chance. I don't tend to read much when I am working on something, because I worry that it influences my writing too much. I also enjoy reading the genre, and love that your stories are set in Australia. I was a big fan of John Marsden's Tomorrow series.


Hi Anita, yes, I think things in 2013 were a lot different to the times now, so much more competition these days. My books are well received but they are just a grain of sand among a million other books. But what great fun, like you said, I thoroughly enjoyed writing them and will get to #5 next year. I write non fiction mostly and that's where the bulk of my sales come from.

So right now it's back to building up the income stream then, when I've published a few more, I'll be back to post-apocalypse in Birdsville, Marree, Longreach, Alice Springs, Adelaide, Darwin and I think I've got a squad heading off to Sydney for a rescue, in my next book.

Writing fiction is great therapy


----------



## Anita Chance

Patty Jansen said:


> I write SFF but a fair number of my localities take their cues straight from Kuranda, Atherton, Mareeba, Coen and Daintree. Yes, I used to live up there, but while that area features a bit on the screen, you don't see it a lot in stories and books.


SFF - is that science fiction/fantasy?? You're right - those places don't feature in books very much! Most Australian books I've read have featured places like Sydney.


----------



## Anita Chance

Pacman said:


> Hi Anita, yes, I think things in 2013 were a lot different to the times now, so much more competition these days. My books are well received but they are just a grain of sand among a million other books. But what great fun, like you said, I thoroughly enjoyed writing them and will get to #5 next year. I write non fiction mostly and that's where the bulk of my sales come from.
> 
> So right now it's back to building up the income stream then, when I've published a few more, I'll be back to post-apocalypse in Birdsville, Marree, Longreach, Alice Springs, Adelaide, Darwin and I think I've got a squad heading off to Sydney for a rescue, in my next book.
> 
> Writing fiction is great therapy


Writing fiction is great therapy indeed  I love escaping this way.

I've heard the PA genre has gotten very competitive over the last few years.

You hit the nail on the head, so to speak. There are just so many books on Amazon now that it is hard to get visibility for many genres. I have no idea how many books there are. I only know there are more than 8 million. Someone posted a screenshot from author central that showed their book was ranking in the 1 million (something or other) out of over 8 million books. Probably better not to know. It is intimidating enough as it is.

I'm glad to hear your non fiction is selling. Like you, I have decided to focus mostly on one area to try and build an income stream so that I can afford the time to write more books in other genres. All you can do is try, and try again, and hope like #%&* that one of them takes off. Because as much as I like writing, squeezing it in around other commitments is exhausting.

I live in eternal hope, but often joke to my son that by the time I finally write 'the book' that I'll probably be old and grey and won't get to enjoy it, to which he always makes a smart comment about how he will enjoy it for me when I am rich and famous. At least he believes in me haha. He has more confidence than I do about me ever writing a book that will actually make some real money.


----------



## Pacman

Anita Chance said:


> Writing fiction is great therapy indeed  I love escaping this way.
> 
> I've heard the PA genre has gotten very competitive over the last few years.
> 
> You hit the nail on the head, so to speak. There are just so many books on Amazon now that it is hard to get visibility for many genres. I have no idea how many books there are. I only know there are more than 8 million. Someone posted a screenshot from author central that showed their book was ranking in the 1 million (something or other) out of over 8 million books. Probably better not to know. It is intimidating enough as it is.
> 
> I'm glad to hear your non fiction is selling. Like you, I have decided to focus mostly on one area to try and build an income stream so that I can afford the time to write more books in other genres. All you can do is try, and try again, and hope like #%&* that one of them takes off. Because as much as I like writing, squeezing it in around other commitments is exhausting.
> 
> I live in eternal hope, but often joke to my son that by the time I finally write 'the book' that I'll probably be old and grey and won't get to enjoy it, to which he always makes a smart comment about how he will enjoy it for me when I am rich and famous. At least he believes in me haha. He has more confidence than I do about me ever writing a book that will actually make some real money.


Anita, 'the book', I would love to write that one too 

As so many others have said on the board here, find your niche and write. I guess that's good advice I try to stick to these days.

My wife keeps telling me she only married me because I promised to be rich and famous. I tell her I can't ever remember having that conversation, especially since I'm miles away from the first but in some circles I sort of achieved the second. Being noted doesn't pay the bills though.

Looks like we'll just have to keep writing


----------



## AdamDavidCollings

Patty Jansen said:


> I write SFF but a fair number of my localities take their cues straight from Kuranda, Atherton, Mareeba, Coen and Daintree. Yes, I used to live up there, but while that area features a bit on the screen, you don't see it a lot in stories and books.


Australia has some incredible places that can give inspiration for sci-fi locations.
My book is set in space. I do have two Aussie characters on board the ship, though. And I set a superhero short story in Hobart.


----------



## Pacman

You said it Adam, Australian locations are amazing settings for SF and Mad Max


----------



## queenboxi

Hello fellow Australians, I am from Salamander Bay NSW (just north of Newcastle) but I often simplify that to saying I'm from Sydney if I'm on an international forum lol ... but just between you and me, I'm really 3 hours north of Sydney in Port Stephens 

We had hail today!


----------



## CJArcher

Welcome new authors to the thread. Fire away if you have any Aus-specific questions. Or just discuss the weather, like we usually do here


----------



## JB Rowley

We have 27 degrees here in Melbourne. I'm so excited!


----------



## Patty Jansen

JB Rowley said:


> We have 27 degrees here in Melbourne. I'm so excited!


After almost five months of near-zero rainfall, it finally started raining in Sydney

https://www.instagram.com/p/BavILhul4D9/ Video taken at about 7 this morning on the Pacific Highway. Yup, the drains are clogged with leaves.


----------



## JB Rowley

Patty Jansen said:


> After almost five months of near-zero rainfall, it finally started raining in Sydney
> 
> https://www.instagram.com/p/BavILhul4D9/ Video taken at about 7 this morning on the Pacific Highway. Yup, the drains are clogged with leaves.


Glad you're enjoying the rain we sent you, Patty.


----------



## The one with all the big dresses on the covers

queenboxi said:


> Hello fellow Australians, I am from Salamander Bay NSW (just north of Newcastle) but I often simplify that to saying I'm from Sydney if I'm on an international forum lol ... but just between you and me, I'm really 3 hours north of Sydney in Port Stephens
> 
> We had hail today!


We drove through there a year or two ago on a driving holiday and loved it. A gorgeous area!


----------



## LordJR

Greetings! I'm a fantasy author from the US who now resides here in Sydney, NSW. Something that is common and that I see a lot is self-published and indie authors are able to get a table at a function or event and do book signings and sell their books. Does anything like that exist here in Australia? NSW? Sydney? I love the Ren and Medieval Faires and did see a booth with a few authors doing this, but are there other places? Is there an Indie Writer Expo held yearly here? Looking for a place I can sit, sell and do book signings. 

Cheers!
Jon Ray


----------



## spellscribe

LordJR said:


> Greetings! I'm a fantasy author from the US who now resides here in Sydney, NSW. Something that is common and that I see a lot is self-published and indie authors are able to get a table at a function or event and do book signings and sell their books. Does anything like that exist here in Australia? NSW? Sydney? I love the Ren and Medieval Faires and did see a booth with a few authors doing this, but are there other places? Is there an Indie Writer Expo held yearly here? Looking for a place I can sit, sell and do book signings.
> 
> Cheers!
> Jon Ray


Supanova, comic con, the Sydney and Brisbane writers festivals, genre con are just a few events you can look into.


----------



## The one with all the big dresses on the covers

Hey Aussies! It's taken me a while to build up enough paperback sales to have to deal with Createspace and their international checks, but it's now rolling along, and I vaguely remember someone ages ago saying something about being able to put your payments on hold until you reach a higher threshold than their minimum $100, so that you don't have to deal with the hassle and fees on the cheques too often. I can't find anything like that in Createspace, though. Does anyone know how to do it?

Also, on the topic of Createspace, I got an email from them about end of year taxes (it was a general email inviting me to go paperless) that mentioned that non-US persons would get IRS Form 1042-S. As an Australian, I don't have to submit anything to the IRS, do I? I never have before...


----------



## Patty Jansen

MelanieCellier said:


> Hey Aussies! It's taken me a while to build up enough paperback sales to have to deal with Createspace and their international checks, but it's now rolling along, and I vaguely remember someone ages ago saying something about being able to put your payments on hold until you reach a higher threshold than their minimum $100, so that you don't have to deal with the hassle and fees on the cheques too often. I can't find anything like that in Createspace, though. Does anyone know how to do it?
> 
> Also, on the topic of Createspace, I got an email from them about end of year taxes (it was a general email inviting me to go paperless) that mentioned that non-US persons would get IRS Form 1042-S. As an Australian, I don't have to submit anything to the IRS, do I? I never have before...


You email them manually and ask.

The tax form is so that you can give it to your accountant and offset those taxes (5%) against Australian tax paid. But the US tax year is different from the Australian one and it may not be worth the effort.


----------



## The one with all the big dresses on the covers

Patty Jansen said:


> You email them manually and ask.
> 
> The tax form is so that you can give it to your accountant and offset those taxes (5%) against Australian tax paid. But the US tax year is different from the Australian one and it may not be worth the effort.


Thanks Patty. I keep hoping one day they'll let us go to wire transfers!

Sounds like I can safely ignore that form, then, without upsetting Createspace or the IRS. I was just planning to take the withholding tax figures from my kdp dashboard for my accountant.


----------



## Selina Fenech

Hey guys, do any of you have books that are, or could be, free or 99c from 25th to 27th January? A friend and I are doing an Australia Day promotion featuring Australian authors OR books with Australian characters/settings. 
If you're interested we have a sign up form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc-LVrokezv1VLpNnb7SX1MR9oT6-hn5Z4MfP-ETsca3nYPCA/viewform


----------



## CJArcher

Selina Fenech said:


> Hey guys, do any of you have books that are, or could be, free or 99c from 25th to 27th January? A friend and I are doing an Australia Day promotion featuring Australian authors OR books with Australian characters/settings.
> If you're interested we have a sign up form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc-LVrokezv1VLpNnb7SX1MR9oT6-hn5Z4MfP-ETsca3nYPCA/viewform


Done! Thanks for the opportunity, Selina.


----------



## Marina Finlayson

I applied too. When you say Jan 25-27, do you mean in Australian time or Amazon US time? (ie should the promo price continue into our 28th, which is the US's 27th?)


----------



## A.A

Selina Fenech said:


> Hey guys, do any of you have books that are, or could be, free or 99c from 25th to 27th January? A friend and I are doing an Australia Day promotion featuring Australian authors OR books with Australian characters/settings.
> If you're interested we have a sign up form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc-LVrokezv1VLpNnb7SX1MR9oT6-hn5Z4MfP-ETsca3nYPCA/viewform


Signed up - thanks Selina

I'd also like to know if it will run during the US 25-27?


----------



## Pacman

Selina Fenech said:


> Hey guys, do any of you have books that are, or could be, free or 99c from 25th to 27th January? A friend and I are doing an Australia Day promotion featuring Australian authors OR books with Australian characters/settings.
> If you're interested we have a sign up form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc-LVrokezv1VLpNnb7SX1MR9oT6-hn5Z4MfP-ETsca3nYPCA/viewform


Thanks, Selina, just saw it and signed up, nice of you to do this.


----------



## azebra

Nice to see this thread resurrected.


----------



## Selina Fenech

Marina Finlayson said:


> I applied too. When you say Jan 25-27, do you mean in Australian time or Amazon US time? (ie should the promo price continue into our 28th, which is the US's 27th?)


Since we're Aussies, and it's an Australia day promo, we're going with Australian time zone/dates for this one. In the future we'll have to clarify dates a bit more 

Thanks for signing up!


----------



## DIAMONDSINTHESKY

Are there any Aussie writers on here who live near the Parkes Radio Telescope? If so please inbox me!


----------



## CJArcher

It looks like we can kiss our affiliate gift card money goodbye. 
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/amazon-to-block-its-us-website-for-aussie-shoppers-over-new-gst-rules-20180531-p4zikr.html

According to this article, Aussies won't be able to buy from the Amazon.com store after July 1. Since the affiliate program only pays non-US peeps in Amazon.com gift cards or cheque, we're now going to be limited to cheques as the gift card option will be useless. I don't know about you guys, but for me, that's akin to hitting my head against the teller window every time I have to deposit foreign currency cheques. It's an incredibly frustrating experience. I've fired off an email to both the affiliate program and to Amazon asking if the gift card balance can be transferred and if there's another payment option, but last time I asked (granted, it was a few years ago), they said no. If someone knows this has changed, please post.


----------



## Patty Jansen

What I do is set the affiliate payout threshold really high so it's worth going to the bank for.


----------



## CJArcher

Patty Jansen said:


> What I do is set the affiliate payout threshold really high so it's worth going to the bank for.


Thanks for this, Patty.


----------



## Patty Jansen

CJArcher said:


> Thanks for this, Patty.


For Createspace (same issue) I just put all payments on hold manually until it had accumulated to an amount that I consider worth going to the bank for. You save a lot on bank fees that way. It's even better if you can somehow coordinate the two and go to the bank with two big cheques and know that there will be a few thousand $$$ in your account later (er. after the clearing period of six weeks. SERIOUSLY)


----------



## CJArcher

Patty Jansen said:


> For Createspace (same issue) I just put all payments on hold manually until it had accumulated to an amount that I consider worth going to the bank for. You save a lot on bank fees that way. It's even better if you can somehow coordinate the two and go to the bank with two big cheques and know that there will be a few thousand $$$ in your account later (er. after the clearing period of six weeks. SERIOUSLY)


I used to do that but have moved everything off CS because I couldn't stand dealing with the banks with cheques. Even going once every few months was a pain. I moved all my print to IS and KDP for Amazon-only. It was surprisingly easy.


----------



## Patty Jansen

CJArcher said:


> I used to do that but have moved everything off CS because I couldn't stand dealing with the banks with cheques. Even going once every few months was a pain. I moved all my print to IS and KDP for Amazon-only. It was surprisingly easy.


I refuse to do IS for as long as they will charge me $25 a pop to make changes.


----------



## Simon Haynes

Patty Jansen said:


> I refuse to do IS for as long as they will charge me $25 a pop to make changes.


I was with LSI and they were also charging $12/year per title, in addition to $49 per change. I had 10 books on there! No thanks.

There's no excuse for it in the digital age, where we fill out the forms, upload the files and check the results ourselves.

They did try to move me to IS earlier this year, but wanted me to fill out all my account details again instead of transferring it. I said no thanks, closed my account, and am only with CS now.


----------



## AlexandraMoody

Another option is to set up a borderless account with Transferwise. It's essentially an online bank account and they give you a US bank account number. There are no charges involved except a small fee when you transfer the money to your Australian account (but they use the real exchange rate so well worth it in my opinion). I set this up a couple of months ago for my affiliate earnings and haven't had any issues so far!


----------



## Selina Fenech

I'm loving how easy Payoneer has been, only wish I'd done it sooner- all those years of international cheque pain! Good for CS and affiliate payments. 
Also for Ingram spark, if you are a member of ALLI you get free edits and setup.


----------



## CJArcher

Simon Haynes said:


> I was with LSI and they were also charging $12/year per title, in addition to $49 per change. I had 10 books on there! No thanks.


You don't have to pay setup fees! I've got dozens of books there and never paid a cent. There are always promo codes floating around. Right now you can use SELFPUB and all setup fees are waived.


----------



## CJArcher

There was a reason I didn't want to go with Payoneer but I can't remember why. It's been years since I looked into it. I'll look into Transferwise though, thanks Alexandra.


----------



## Simon Haynes

CJArcher said:


> You don't have to pay setup fees! I've got dozens of books there and never paid a cent. There are always promo codes floating around. Right now you can use SELFPUB and all setup fees are waived.


Thanks for that!

In the end, I was only involved with LSI because I wanted local Aussie printing and distribution, but guess what ... it's cheaper for Aussies to order my Createspace books from BookDepository with their free postage.

In fact, ALL of my novels are cheaper in AUD$ on BookDepository than regular trade published paperbacks are in Dymocks.


----------



## TellNotShow

Simon Haynes said:


> Thanks for that!
> 
> In the end, I was only involved with LSI because I wanted local Aussie printing and distribution, but guess what ... it's cheaper for Aussies to order my Createspace books from BookDepository with their free postage.
> 
> In fact, ALL of my novels are cheaper in AUD$ on BookDepository than regular trade published paperbacks are in Dymocks.


Always seemed to me that CS "royalties" were only better for us when the book sold on Amazon, but much worse through "expanded distribution".

Problem is, by the time all the Amazon-owned companies have taken "their share" of the sale, we usually end up with a dollar or something from a BookDepository sale through Createspace. Surely LS got you a bigger share of the pie?


----------



## JB Rowley

CJArcher said:


> There was a reason I didn't want to go with Payoneer but I can't remember why. It's been years since I looked into it. I'll look into Transferwise though, thanks Alexandra.


My reason was the percentage fee on payments received (plus the extra fees) made Payoneer a bit costly for transfers of larger amounts of money. Transferwise does look interesting though.


----------



## Selina Fenech

JB Rowley said:


> My reason was the percentage fee on payments received (plus the extra fees) made Payoneer a bit costly for transfers of larger amounts of money. Transferwise does look interesting though.


I looked at this quite closely when I signed up. From what I understood, even with the % they charge on incoming/outgoing payments, their stated currency conversion amount is much less than what banks (try not to state and make it very hard to find) snag on their currency conversion. I haven't got time to check right now, but payoneer was something like 2% on top of the standard rate, and banks are generally 4-5% on top of the standard rate. So it actually worked out better from what I could understand of it all.

Plus if you're earning decent amounts, Payoneer have a "VIP" level where they waive a bunch of transaction fees. I don't know the exact amounts or anything, but it was a nice surprise to get that email and bonus after already deciding they were better than getting cheques.


----------



## JB Rowley

Thanks for that, Selina.


----------



## Simon Haynes

TellNotShow said:


> Always seemed to me that CS "royalties" were only better for us when the book sold on Amazon, but much worse through "expanded distribution".
> 
> Problem is, by the time all the Amazon-owned companies have taken "their share" of the sale, we usually end up with a dollar or something from a BookDepository sale through Createspace. Surely LS got you a bigger share of the pie?


I barely sold anything through Createspace, and I don't think I sold a single copy in Australia.

The low royalty on CS expanded distribution makes sense, because the bookstore has to take a cut over and above the printing cost and CS's profit. (Whether that bookstore is owned by Amazon or not.)


----------



## nomesque

Simon Haynes said:


> Thanks for that!
> 
> In the end, I was only involved with LSI because I wanted local Aussie printing and distribution, but guess what ... it's cheaper for Aussies to order my Createspace books from BookDepository with their free postage.
> 
> In fact, ALL of my novels are cheaper in AUD$ on BookDepository than regular trade published paperbacks are in Dymocks.


I wonder if Amazon's decision to block Australians from international shows will apply to Book Depository too? I'm assuming so, and as a reader I'm gutted. Bright side: at least there's Fishpond, and they offer free postage now. From the US, I assume. 

One advantage to going through IS is having paper books distributed to Fishpond and Booktopia online stores - although I don't know, do CreateSpace offer the same channels?


----------



## Simon Haynes

I just checked, and yes Fishpond have my Createspace-published novels listed, with free postage from the US.

Be nice if Amazon started printing in Australia, although from the pricing it would still cost more here than printing in the US!  Maybe they'd print in Singapore or HK and ship to Australia from there.

I doubt Bookdepository will ban aussies, as they don't have a local presence.


----------



## Patty Jansen

Can you get Payoneer to deposit into your local bank account?


----------



## Escapee

Patty Jansen said:


> Can you get Payoneer to deposit into your local bank account?


Yep. I've been using Payoneer for Amazon and Createspace payments for years now. The payments are deposited to my Oz account and they have a pretty good exchange rate. They do keep 1% of every transaction, plus corporate fees on top, but my accountant takes all that into account when doing my tax, so at least I get some of the fees back.


----------



## nomesque

Simon Haynes said:


> I just checked, and yes Fishpond have my Createspace-published novels listed, with free postage from the US.
> 
> Be nice if Amazon started printing in Australia, although from the pricing it would still cost more here than printing in the US! Maybe they'd print in Singapore or HK and ship to Australia from there.
> 
> I doubt Bookdepository will ban aussies, as they don't have a local presence.


Ahh... it's good that both CS and IS distribute to Fishpond, at least.

Book Depository is owned by Amazon though - hence my concern. Could go either way, I suppose; depends how separate Amazon keeps it from its main business.


----------



## nomesque

Ahhhhhh I just realised that a) Ingram Spark distribute to Amazon AU; and b) Book Depository products are available on the Amazon AU site as well.


----------



## Book Cat

When you make a Payaneer acount, do you just change your bank details on Amazon, and they pay into your Payaneer account? What about US tax? I know we pay 5% already if you gave Amazon your tax file number, but does going the Payaneer route change that?


----------



## Escapee

RileyMorrison said:


> When you make a Payaneer acount, do you just change your bank details on Amazon, and they pay into your Payaneer account? What about US tax? I know we pay 5% already if you gave Amazon your tax file number, but does going the Payaneer route change that?


Yep, you just need to change your bank account on Amazon. Payoneer will send you an email once they have your US account set up. It will have the routing number, swift code and account number you need to input. I have my Aus royalties going directly to my Aus account, since it is sent by EFT rather than wire transfer and doesn't cost anything in fees and charges. No point sending that to Payoneer. You'll have to select which countries to send the royalties to the US account on Amazon, though. The tax won't change. It'll still be the normal 5% and you don't have to change anything at all.


----------



## Book Cat

Escapee said:


> Yep, you just need to change your bank account on Amazon. Payoneer will send you an email once they have your US account set up. It will have the routing number, swift code and account number you need to input. I have my Aus royalties going directly to my Aus account, since it is sent by EFT rather than wire transfer and doesn't cost anything in fees and charges. No point sending that to Payoneer. You'll have to select which countries to send the royalties to the US account on Amazon, though. The tax won't change. It'll still be the normal 5% and you don't have to change anything at all.


Thanks!


----------



## Book Cat

When setting up your Payoneer Account with Amazon, do you do it through KDP, or do you use the option to link Amazon with Payoneer via the option in your account on Payoneer?

I checked out the Payoneer option, and it only seems to allow you to choose one Amazon store and one account. That would be annoying if all of the stores had to go through one or two bank accounts via Payoneer.

*Instead, I added the bank accounts Payoneer gave me via Global Payment Service option and used the bank details from the US, EU in KDP and had the stores either go to the US bank, or the EU one. Was that they right way to do this?*

On a side note, the United Kingdom bank didn't work, as Amazon wants an account number that is longer than the one Payoneer gave me.

Also, istn't it sad Amazon won't transfer to Paypal, when pretty much every other online retailer pays out in Paypal if you want them to. I don't get it.

Thanks!


----------



## Forgettable

.


----------



## JB Rowley

Book Cat said:


> Also, istn't it sad Amazon won't transfer to Paypal, when pretty much every other online retailer pays out in Paypal if you want them to. I don't get it.


Eggsactly!


----------



## Forgettable

.


----------



## Patty Jansen

LMareeApps said:


> Paypal is (or at least was) owned by Ebay, one of Amazon's biggest competitors. It's not surprising Amazon doesn't use that platform.


I can never get over how stupid childish these companies are.


----------



## Forgettable

.


----------



## Simon Haynes

I'd be happy with an Amazon-backed mastercard/visa debit card. They can brand it, send me the card, and give me the option of banking all my royalties/affiliates/whatever into that account. Also, it would be nice if they would deduct AMS spend from there BEFORE the 5% tax is deducted, since the AMS is a business expense, no?

Ahh, utopia. I guess I'll just have to write one instead.


----------



## JB Rowley

LMareeApps said:


> Paypal is (or at least was) owned by Ebay


I think they got a divorce.


----------



## Forgettable

.


----------



## ShaneCarrow

Probably a bit early for this, but does anyone (particularly anyone in Melbourne) use an accountant for their book stuff? My day job and financial life is straightforward enough that I don't need one for that, but I did have a good one last financial year - good except he was damn near impossible to get in touch with when I was trying to get my tax bill paid off* before the deadline. I could just go to HR Block I guess, but if anyone in Melbourne has an accountant who's used to doing small (measly small) business stuff, especially anything to do with self publishing, I'd love to know.

(*You might wonder why, if he was a good accountant, I ended up with a tax bill at all. Turns out my day job didn't tell the ATO about my HECS debt. Whoops!)


----------



## JB Rowley

ShaneCarrow said:


> Probably a bit early for this, but does anyone (particularly anyone in Melbourne) use an accountant for their book stuff? My day job and financial life is straightforward enough that I don't need one for that, but I did have a good one last financial year - good except he was damn near impossible to get in touch with when I was trying to get my tax bill paid off* before the deadline. I could just go to HR Block I guess, but if anyone in Melbourne has an accountant who's used to doing small (measly small) business stuff, especially anything to do with self publishing, I'd love to know.
> 
> (*You might wonder why, if he was a good accountant, I ended up with a tax bill at all. Turns out my day job didn't tell the ATO about my HECS debt. Whoops!)


I have used Accounting Solutions, Bairnsdale for years. Excellent service and they know their stuff. I've never met them personally - all done by email. Easy peasey. Link: http://www.accountingsolutionsvictoria.com.au/


----------



## spellscribe

ShaneCarrow said:


> Probably a bit early for this, but does anyone (particularly anyone in Melbourne) use an accountant for their book stuff? My day job and financial life is straightforward enough that I don't need one for that, but I did have a good one last financial year - good except he was damn near impossible to get in touch with when I was trying to get my tax bill paid off* before the deadline. I could just go to HR Block I guess, but if anyone in Melbourne has an accountant who's used to doing small (measly small) business stuff, especially anything to do with self publishing, I'd love to know.
> 
> (*You might wonder why, if he was a good accountant, I ended up with a tax bill at all. Turns out my day job didn't tell the ATO about my HECS debt. Whoops!)


https://www.facebook.com/Colin-Perryman-Accounting-Services-115468709133801/
Colin Perryman. He works remotely if needed and has loads of experience in the creative industries. He's also very nice and quite affordable.


----------



## Simon Haynes

Createspace have been slowly adding to my Euro balance for about 7 years now without getting to the 108 Euro threshold required to issue a cheque. If Payoneer can wring that out of them it's worth a try.


----------



## ShaneCarrow

JB Rowley said:


> I have used Accounting Solutions, Bairnsdale for years. Excellent service and they know their stuff. I've never met them personally - all done by email. Easy peasey. Link: http://www.accountingsolutionsvictoria.com.au/





spellscribe said:


> https://www.facebook.com/Colin-Perryman-Accounting-Services-115468709133801/
> Colin Perryman. He works remotely if needed and has loads of experience in the creative industries. He's also very nice and quite affordable.


Thanks!


----------



## kathrynoh

Simon Haynes said:


> Createspace have been slowly adding to my Euro balance for about 7 years now without getting to the 108 Euro threshold required to issue a cheque. If Payoneer can wring that out of them it's worth a try.


Payoneer are really good for getting those smaller payments 

I recently thought about moving to Transferwise but you need an ABN. I've got one but the letter they sent me with it on is back home in Australia so it might take a while before I can open an account.


----------



## Forgettable

.


----------



## Book Cat

Does anyone know hot to set up a United Kingdom bank account on Amazon? I am using Payoneer, and trying to add the British bank details into KDP, but the account number does not have enough numbers in it. Amazon says it has a minimum of 15, and yet the account number on Payoneer is only 8 numerals long.

Has anyone else had this issue?

I am also not sure why no royalties have been paid into my US account. The EU one got paid within a few days of me setting up the account, but the US one has nothing. I think Payoneer said Amazon was transferring money to it, and yet none showed up and it does not show up under the "payments" tab in Reports on KDP.

I am confused. Can anyone help me? Thanks!


----------



## Simon Haynes

I just used the US account for all currencies (barring AUD and those which are over 100 a month anyway)

If you think about it, US authors get paid their euros/mexican whatevers/brazilian reals when the balance reaches US$10, and don't need separate accounts for them all. We're doing the same thing.


----------



## Simon Haynes

kathrynoh said:


> Payoneer are really good for getting those smaller payments


Just confirming amazon KDP and Createspace have indeed coughed up all those small EU/JPY/whatever amounts they've been accruing on my behalf. I just got a large batch of emails from them.

The oldest amounts are from *2012*.


----------



## notjohn

Simon Haynes said:


> If you think about it, US authors get paid their euros/mexican whatevers/brazilian reals when the balance reaches US$10


I get payments of less than $10 every month. Indeed, I once got a payment of 97 cents from the BR store.


----------



## Simon Haynes

notjohn said:


> I get payments of less than $10 every month. Indeed, I once got a payment of 97 cents from the BR store.


Thanks! That's good news indeed.

I was probably thinking of Createspace, because I thought one of them had a min $10. Ohh .. maybe it's the amazon affiliates account?

Anyway, better in my pocket than theirs!


----------



## Cannelle

Hello all. 
I'm from Tasmania.


----------



## Simon Haynes

Cannelle said:


> Hello all.
> I'm from Tasmania.


Welcome aboard!


----------



## kathrynoh

Cannelle said:


> Hello all.
> I'm from Tasmania.


Hi, I'm originally from Tassie too


----------



## Selina Fenech

Anybody heard from KDP about if/when we'll be able to get Author/Proof paperback copies again since we've been locked out of the .com store? 
Now that KDP do expanded distribution for paperbacks it'd be great to just tick that box for some titles I have with them instead of going through the process of setting them up on Ingram, but then I'd have no way of getting hardcopies of my own books (except at full retail price+). I just emailed them myself asking if they had any timeframe on fixing this issue, but thought I'd see if anyone else had heard something.


----------



## RinG

Selina Fenech said:


> Anybody heard from KDP about if/when we'll be able to get Author/Proof paperback copies again since we've been locked out of the .com store?
> Now that KDP do expanded distribution for paperbacks it'd be great to just tick that box for some titles I have with them instead of going through the process of setting them up on Ingram, but then I'd have no way of getting hardcopies of my own books (except at full retail price+). I just emailed them myself asking if they had any timeframe on fixing this issue, but thought I'd see if anyone else had heard something.


I'd love to know this too. Just starting to think about doing paperbacks, but if I can't get proofs, it makes me a bit leery.


----------



## Simon Haynes

Also waiting.  I'm with createspace, happy with their service but I believe KDP allows you to update covers and interiors without pulling the book from sale, which is a huge plus for me. (What can I say, I'm a tinkerer.)


----------



## Selina Fenech

Here's the response I got from KDP. Mostly just explaining again the whole GST thing, and saying they have no idea when it will be fixed (saying it won't be until GST law changes? Surely there's another way around this). But they did say they'd pass the feedback and request for this service along, so maybe if more of us keep on them about it they will sort something out.



> To remain compliant with changes to the GST law in Australia, from July 1, 2018, we've changed the way KDP authors in Australia access their books on Amazon. Authors can purchase retail copies of their paperbacks through a Global Store option on amazon.com.au. However, proof and author copies will no longer be able to be shipped to Australian addresses. I understand that this is a huge disadvantage and I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
> 
> Please note that these changes do not affect the ability to continue to list your books on our international sites or have them shipped to eligible non-Australian addresses.
> 
> Since we had to make these changes to compliant with the GST law in Australia we are unable to tell you if author/proof copies will available in the future for Australian publishers. This will only be available if the GST law in Australia will make the changes so that we can also change the way Australian publisher have access to their books on Amazon.
> 
> I've also passed this as feedback on to the business team so that they are aware and as we plan further improvements. Feedback serves an important role in helping us provide better service. Thanks for taking time to offer us your thoughts.


----------



## TheWriterFormerly

Yep, it's disgusting the situation the GST debacle has put us in. I put the blame squarely on the government, since Amazon made no secret of their intentions. I am considering a change to Lulu since they print in Melbourne and are a butt load easier to deal with than Ingram Spark.


----------



## TheWriterFormerly

They have budget and premium paperbacks, the budget are apparently similar cost to CS, but since they print them in melbourne, I can only assume delivery to Australia will be reasonable. How have you found their hardcovers?


----------



## Simon Haynes

Well, I'm tranferring my paperbacks to KDP and then I'm going to write them an email. I'll say I've done the conversion and now I'd like to order some author copies thanks.


----------



## The one with all the big dresses on the covers

Ugh, this is such rubbish. And we know that it's possible for the different arms of Amazon to have different systems/policies, too, because just look at Createspace where despite being owned by Amazon (and the year being 201 we can apparently only be paid via international check  Even if Australians can't order from regular Amazon anymore, authors should still be able to get author copies through kdp!


----------



## Simon Haynes

Check the new KDP/Createspace thread, because an aussie there just said they've been ordering KDP author copies (delivered to oz) for the past year.


----------



## Patty Jansen

OK, so hang on everyone.

When I go to my sole KDP print book and I click the three little dots next to the big Select button on the bookshelf, it tells me I can order print copies and proofs.

Someone else (not me) swears that books were ordered and delivered to New Zealand. Unless that is somehow vastly different from Australia, has anyone here actually TRIED this option? I'm not going to because I don't need books, but you may just try and see if it works and come back here before complaining any further.


----------



## Selina Fenech

Patty Jansen said:


> OK, so hang on everyone.
> 
> When I go to my sole KDP print book and I click the three little dots next to the big Select button on the bookshelf, it tells me I can order print copies and proofs.
> 
> Someone else (not me) swears that books were ordered and delivered to New Zealand. Unless that is somehow vastly different from Australia, has anyone here actually TRIED this option? I'm not going to because I don't need books, but you may just try and see if it works and come back here before complaining any further.


Yep, have tried. I ordered author copies through KDP, PRE-GSTmageddon, and it worked fine.

Post forcing us to the AU store, you can't anymore. The Author Copies option in KDP adds them to the .com (or selected country other than AU) store. You can add them to the cart, but as soon as you try to select an Australian shipping address it's red warnings everywhere and cannot progress.


----------



## Simon Haynes

Here's the post in the other thread ... maybe PM them?

https://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,266845.msg3716163.html#msg3716163

ETA: In about an hour I'll have one of mine on KDP and I'll test it.


----------



## TheWriterFormerly

Phoenix61 said:


> I have found their hardcovers to be top notch, although, a little bleed through on cream paper and you can only seem to get the white paper with case-wrap hardcovers. Delivery times are adequate and prices are as I imagined for hard covers.
> When you say budget quality for paperbacks, the quality is equivalent to CS?


I have no idea. I haven't found anybody yet to answer that and it will be a while before I can try it out. Only answer I have is from an author who used them a few years ago and said they were comparable to CS but did not remember if it was budget or premium they used.


----------



## The one with all the big dresses on the covers

Patty Jansen said:


> OK, so hang on everyone.
> 
> When I go to my sole KDP print book and I click the three little dots next to the big Select button on the bookshelf, it tells me I can order print copies and proofs.
> 
> Someone else (not me) swears that books were ordered and delivered to New Zealand. Unless that is somehow vastly different from Australia, has anyone here actually TRIED this option? I'm not going to because I don't need books, but you may just try and see if it works and come back here before complaining any further.


I actually don't have any KDP print books yet, but my understanding is that this has only been an issue since Amazon decided it couldn't deal with GST and was going to stop shipping to Australia. (That was, July, right?) So I imagine it wouldn't be a problem for someone in New Zealand. And I believe the option still exists on the dash because you can still order proofs and author copies to be sent to US addresses. (At least that might be of some use for giveaway winners and that sort of thing, I suppose.)

This is the big deal breaker for me with moving to KDP print. (Along with the watermark on the covers of the proofs.) I'd sure love to have the reporting centralized, though. And the payment via wire transfer!


----------



## Simon Haynes

Actually, amazon.com doesn't appear for me, only Amazon.uk.


----------



## The one with all the big dresses on the covers

I just caught up with the Createspace to KDP print thread. Looks like I'm not getting a choice about moving to KDP print anymore. Sigh. I guess that solves the check annoyance, though.


----------



## annski82

Does anybody know how an indie author gets listed as an "Australian author" on the amazon.com.au site? Looking on there, the main ones that turn up are those published by the Big Publishers. Now that everyone in Australia has to buy from the .au site it means that publicity there becomes all important for local writers. I always bought everything from the .com site, and have to go back there all the time just to find out essential information. I don't see anything there to promote or help non-mainstream authors, or any advice on how to be listed by Amazon as an Australian author. Or am I missing something obvious?


----------



## Simon Haynes

Right, when you try to order author copies through KDP, you select a store and then you're transferred to that store with the books in your shopping cart.

When I choose amazon.com, I can't ship to australia

When I choose amazon.co.uk, the books never appear in the shopping cart on that site.

Next I tried amazon.fr, where my schoolboy french got me through the order process and ... nope. They're telling me to order through amazon.com.au

I didn't bother with my schoolboy german or non-existent italian, but I am fluent in Spanish so let's give that a go:

Nope, just like the UK, they never get added to the basket in the first place. Ooh, wait, I wasn't signed in. I sign in and the items show in the cart.

But again, it's a nope. Es una lastima, pero no pueden mandarme los libros.


So we're toast, until this little problem is sorted out.

I think an email to KDP support is warranted. Wonder how many KDP authors there are in Australia?


----------



## RinG

I've emailed them, and when they suggested I buy my books retail through the .au store, I said the email was unhelpful, and told them it was rubbish to limit us because there's a tax to be paid. I dislike the new 
GST laws as much as anyone, but Amazon is an international country, and should be able to deal with them. It's no excuse.


----------



## Guest

It's pretty interesting the level of protest Amazon is showing for the changes to online tax in Australia. From what I've read about the government's stance and the reasons for the tax they sound perfectly reasonable almost to the point where you'd wonder why online business's weren't already subjected to the same tax system as local services. That Amazon have rejected this and turned their back on Australian customers (authors on KDP are minuscule compared to the consumer base this affects) really displays a severe level of greed and immaturity on the behalf of Bezos and the company. If our own government's attempts to salvage a relationship with Amazon have gone astray, I doubt an email from some puny indie author/s is going to do anything.


----------



## Simon Haynes

I have no problem with the Aus government trying to collect sales taxes on purchases by aussies. My nightmare scenario would be queuing up at the post office to pay $1.50 in GST on a $15 paperback, and this 'make the big guys handle it' suits me just fine. Of course, the big guys are refusing to handle it, but they're just getting between a government and their tax take, which is a pointless exercise.

I have a similar battle with iTunes, where they won't pay me aussie earnings (on apps OR ebooks) unless I register for GST, and I refuse to register for GST for a handful of sales per year. So, I list ebooks through smashwords and block my apps from aussie buyers.  It's not just the paperwork and quarterly statements and so on, it's the fact the ATO will just laugh if I say I'm running a business, then show them about $30 worth of AU sales for the year.

Every time an aussie emails me about not being able to buy my app on the apple store, I explain why. Maybe next time they need a new phone or tablet, they'll go for Android instead.

Google manages to deal with things without annoying their aussie customers. The others ought to take a leaf out of their book.


----------



## TheWriterFormerly

I am awaiting a local "fullfillment center" for KDP POD. Amazon have one for general crap nobody buys already, if they put a printery in there, our problems would be solved. The only draw back being our local laws demand they pay a minimum wage, and the local awards would make a minimum wage noncompetitive for getting people to staff it, so they would likely jack up the cost anyway. That would make their aussie printing noncompetitive against a couple of other local printing POD companies we already know about who absorb the difference and charge the same regardless of where in the world you are... Of course, if their other locations had fair wages paid to staff, that would be great, once the consumers cottoned on to the fact that they were paying more so people could actually eat and buy things. At this point, Aussies who buy books from third party sellers like Book Depository are slugged that much and more with none of the benefit to the actual workers or the authors themselves, which sucks the donkey.


----------



## Simon Haynes

I just posted in the ongoing 'Createspace/KDP' thread, because the response I got from KDP support was that they'd pass my comments to their business team (paraphrased.)


----------



## Cecelia

annski82 said:


> Does anybody know how an indie author gets listed as an "Australian author" on the amazon.com.au site? Looking on there, the main ones that turn up are those published by the Big Publishers. Now that everyone in Australia has to buy from the .au site it means that publicity there becomes all important for local writers. I always bought everything from the .com site, and have to go back there all the time just to find out essential information. I don't see anything there to promote or help non-mainstream authors, or any advice on how to be listed by Amazon as an Australian author. Or am I missing something obvious?


Hi Anna:

I have been looking for any site where we can list ourselves as "Australian Authors". Preferably Australian sites. One of my reasons for self-pubing is the closed environment of Australian publishing. It has worked for some of my friend authors & poets, but not for me.

(I can give other Aussie authors a plug in Weekend Notes, if I like their works, but their rules say I can't write about myself...)

So how to get listed as an Aussie is an issue for us Aussies most places I think.


----------



## Pacman

Phoenix61 said:


> I am going to repeat a post here that I made on the CS/KDP merger thread...
> 
> For any Australians still in doubt/denial about the availability of author copies or proofs once they are with KDP, I will post my email to KDP support and their response here.
> My email...
> Subject: Australian alternatives
> 
> It is a shame that I am unable to purchase author copies or proofs delivered to Australia at approximately the same cost as was the case with CreateSpace. The price disparity leaves me with no alternative than to register with Ingram Spark despite the longevity I have enjoyed with your company. I feel you will lose your entire list of Australian account holders for paperbacks because of the extra costs involved and the inconvenience.
> The resulting exodus of Australians may well see them move their ebooks over to other companies as well, for the convenience of having their stock in one location. I thank-you for CreateSpace and my time and money spent there with a great product. I bid you farewell for my paperbacks once they are transferred and will seriously consider moving my ebooks as well.
> 
> Their response...
> 
> Hello,
> 
> I'm very sorry for any frustration this issue has caused.
> 
> As you aware that, To remain compliant with changes to the GST law in Australia, from July 1, 2018, we've changed the way KDP authors in Australia access their books on Amazon. Authors can purchase retail copies of their paperbacks through a Global Store option on amazon.com.au. However, proof and author copies will no longer be able to be shipped to Australian addresses. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
> 
> Please note that these changes do not affect the ability to continue to list your books on our international sites or have them shipped to eligible non-Australian addresses.
> *******
> Although at this time there is no option for this, I'll forward your comments to our business team to find alternate solution to ship author and proof copies to Australia at same printing cost, we'll be sure to consider your feedback as we plan for further improvements and find a solution for this.
> 
> We definitely value your opinion and will continue to listen and respond to our customers' concerns. We will make every effort to evaluate the information you have provided, and try our level best to lead it to program changes or enhancements.
> 
> It is always important for us to hear how customers react to all aspects. Your feedback will help us to improve the selection and service we provide and we're glad you took time to write to us. We are sure that KDP Paperback will soon be supported in Amazon.CA too
> 
> Thanks for your understanding and support. We look forward to having to providing continued support to you.
> 
> Can't get any clearer than that. The thing they offer about buying a book through retail, even though you get a royalty for that, it denies you a true proof copy. You have to publish your book to order one. There is no disputing a problem with their printing in that case. You have approved it, therefore, no grounds to say they printed it wrong if there are pages missing etc. A proof copy is exactly that--proof, of a product that, if satisfied and meeting your standards, may then be sold to the public.
> 
> On a side note..
> I have contacted Ingram Spark Australia to see if they can migrate my titles over to their dashboard for no cost. They used to do that if you contacted them. I will let you know their response.


Thanks Poenix61.

Firstly, this ongoing 'story' by Amazon that they can't give us a proof copy of our own books because of Australian tax laws (GST) is plain b/s.

Secondly, I have an IngramSpark account and love it, although their reports are rubbish they do provide me with reduced price author copies whenever I ask for them at whatever volume I need.

All we can do is vote with our feet. I suggest we all migrate to IS and ignore the useless rhetoric of Amazon's b/s smokescreen to gouge more money off Aussie authors.


----------



## Marina Finlayson

I"m firmly convinced that the new GST laws are only an excuse. Amazon's real purpose in refusing to ship to Australia any longer is to force us all into using the new Aussie store, because they want it to dominate the local market, and no one was using it before because it's so inferior to the US store.

Author proofs and copies are just collateral damage of that policy.


----------



## Marina Finlayson

On another, ironic, note: I ordered a proof from Createspace last Friday. It arrived today. Clearly they now have the ability to print in Australia. Finally, fast copies from Createspace--just in time for it to close down.

Why can't they use this facility to print author copies for KDP for us??


----------



## Erron Adams

Hi,  my first post here.

I'm an Aussie in Melbourne. 66 years old and retired. I've written one fantasy novel to completion, which I am in the early stages of researching publication options for.

The way I'm reading the information in the Writers Café is that there are basically two options if you want to do both electronic publishing and have the option of print: CS or IS. Due to all the current changes in CS, I'm thinking just start with IS and publish to Amazon through them. Are there any flaws in this thinking?

Thanks for any help/feedback on this.


----------



## Selina Fenech

Marina Finlayson said:


> On another, ironic, note: I ordered a proof from Createspace last Friday. It arrived today. Clearly they now have the ability to print in Australia. Finally, fast copies from Createspace--just in time for it to close down.
> 
> Why can't they use this facility to print author copies for KDP for us??


I had a few super-fast shipments before the end too. But in the back of the books it still said it was printed in SC USA, so unless they are fudging that detail, they have just worked out super-fast shipping or something. Where do yours say they were printed?


----------



## Guest

Marina Finlayson said:


> Amazon's real purpose in refusing to ship to Australia any longer is to force us all into using the new Aussie store...


For all the hand wringing and complaining, I'm surprised how many of you don't use mail redirection. It's quick and simple and I've found that postage US-Downunder is way cheaper than what retailers offer and I end up saving money. Some services are free or there is a minimal charge. Here is the AusPost one:
https://shopmate.auspost.com.au/our-services/how-shopmate-works

Then you order you author copies or proofs and enter the US address. Quick, simple, works every time.

A mail redirection service in conjunction with Payoneer also works to access ACX direct and do your own audio.


----------



## The one with all the big dresses on the covers

Tilly said:


> For all the hand wringing and complaining, I'm surprised how many of you don't use mail redirection. It's quick and simple and I've found that postage US-Downunder is way cheaper than what retailers offer and I end up saving money. Some services are free or there is a minimal charge. Here is the AusPost one:
> https://shopmate.auspost.com.au/our-services/how-shopmate-works
> 
> Then you order you author copies or proofs and enter the US address. Quick, simple, works every time.
> 
> A mail redirection service in conjunction with Payoneer also works to access ACX direct and do your own audio.


Have you tried this with boxes of books, Tilly? I was wondering about this option as a workaround for author copies, but I'm concerned that once I pay regular US shipping to the redirect address, plus whatever they charge for the on-shipping to Australia, it will end up being expensive still. (I give author copies to all my beta readers and then sell most of the rest to family and friends, so I don't tend to charge too much for them on my end.)


----------



## Erron Adams

Phoenix61 said:


> G'day mate. There is no reason you cannot choose KDP for your ebooks and IS for your paperbacks/hard covers. If you want them all under the one umbrella, then sure, use only IS. At present, it appears that only IS offers us Aussies proofs and author copies at cost, plus delivery. Lulu is very expensive for paperbacks and limited as far as book sizes are concerned. The big disadvantages to IS is their set-up fees-$49 (outside promos), their adjustment fees-$26 when tweaking a manuscript and their requirement to have your own ISBNs. Other than, most folks have been happy with their services and their quality. Good luck with your book/s.


Thanks for this! I was a bit concerned that perhaps IS does not give the same access to Amazon distribution, mostly.


----------



## Simon Haynes

Tilly said:


> For all the hand wringing and complaining, I'm surprised how many of you don't use mail redirection. It's quick and simple and I've found that postage US-Downunder is way cheaper than what retailers offer and I end up saving money. Some services are free or there is a minimal charge. Here is the AusPost one:
> https://shopmate.auspost.com.au/our-services/how-shopmate-works
> 
> Then you order you author copies or proofs and enter the US address. Quick, simple, works every time.
> 
> A mail redirection service in conjunction with Payoneer also works to access ACX direct and do your own audio.


I did think about a redirect service, but I wouldn't use the Aus Post one. A quick test showed that sending myself 3 paperbacks (under 1kg weight) came in at AU$37. Amazon used to charge me around $14 I think it was.


----------



## CJArcher

Tilly said:


> A mail redirection service in conjunction with Payoneer also works to access ACX direct and do your own audio.


It's great for ACX. I use Transferwise not Payoneer but same thing. Low fees, good conversion rate. I was using Joe Nobody's service and paying them 10% plus PayPal fees. I went from a monthly fee between $2k and $3k to paying just over $100 so colour me impressed.


----------



## Selina Fenech

CJ did you just change the bank info in ACX? How did you get around the need for a US Postal address?


----------



## Marina Finlayson

Selina Fenech said:


> I had a few super-fast shipments before the end too. But in the back of the books it still said it was printed in SC USA, so unless they are fudging that detail, they have just worked out super-fast shipping or something. Where do yours say they were printed?


Interesting--I'd forgotten they did that. Yeah, mine say they were printed in SC, too, on the 31st. I did order the fastest shipping, but even that has always taken at least a week to arrive in the past.


----------



## Marina Finlayson

Tilly said:


> For all the hand wringing and complaining, I'm surprised how many of you don't use mail redirection.


Not hand wringing, just pointing out that I think the GST argument is an excuse, and their real reason for the change is that it's part of their business plan to build up the Aussie store. They were probably thrilled that the Australian government handed them such a good excuse, so they could make the government look like the bad guys for a move they'd probably already been planning.

I get my author copies from IS, which prints locally.


----------



## RinG

Simon Haynes said:


> I did think about a redirect service, but I wouldn't use the Aus Post one. A quick test showed that sending myself 3 paperbacks (under 1kg weight) came in at AU$37. Amazon used to charge me around $14 I think it was.


Do you know any better ones? This sounds like a viable solution!


----------



## Forgettable

Marina Finlayson said:


> Not hand wringing, just pointing out that I think the GST argument is an excuse, and their real reason for the change is that it's part of their business plan to build up the Aussie store. They were probably thrilled that the Australian government handed them such a good excuse, so they could make the government look like the bad guys for a move they'd probably already been planning.


.


----------



## Fieldykins

Hey all. For anyone considering one of the "US address" mail redirection service, Choice did a handy article comparing 7 different companies (including what it costs for a 2kg parcel from the US to AU). Here's the link https://www.choice.com.au/shopping/online-shopping/buying-online/articles/shopmate-and-us-freight-forwarding-services

The cheapest option is apparently ComGateway at $36 USD for 1.5-2kgs (or $24 for up to 500gms).

And be warned, customers using ShopMate had a lot of negative things to say about the experience.


----------



## CJArcher

Selina Fenech said:


> CJ did you just change the bank info in ACX? How did you get around the need for a US Postal address?


I used the free Australia Post one, Shop Mate. I've never used it to actually ship anything here, so can't vouch for the service, but just to provide a US address for ACX, Amazon affiliate etc, it works fine. Be sure to enter your details as an Aussie (apart from the address and bank details) so ACX still take out the 5% tax treaty amount. I don't want the IRS or ACX coming down on me for tax issues.


----------



## RinG

Chelsea Field said:


> Hey all. For anyone considering one of the "US address" mail redirection service, Choice did a handy article comparing 7 different companies (including what it costs for a 2kg parcel from the US to AU). Here's the link https://www.choice.com.au/shopping/online-shopping/buying-online/articles/shopmate-and-us-freight-forwarding-services
> 
> The cheapest option is apparently ComGateway at $36 USD for 1.5-2kgs (or $24 for up to 500gms).
> 
> And be warned, customers using ShopMate had a lot of negative things to say about the experience.


Thanks! That's a great breakdown!

Has anyone actually ordered proofs this way and had it work?


----------



## Simon Haynes

Phoenix61 said:


> Just a heads up, peeps. I put in a request for Ingram Spark to migrate all my titles from CS as someone told me they could do this at no cost. Answer back from them was, they could only do so if you have your own ISBNs, not CS assigned ones. Fair enough, I knew I couldn't use the CS ones. Went to Australian avenue for ISBNs Thorpe Bowker, to buy some ISBNs. $88 for ten, seemed like a reasonable price...until I got slugged an extra $55 for a registration fee!!!! Just as well I didn't buy them because I can't change the ISBN on the CS dashboard anyway. Dashed off an email to CS to see if I can change them. Will let you know the outcome.
> Seriously thinking of giving up on paperbacks now! Grrrrrr!


You definitely can't use CS ones.

Check the price of 100, because when I bought my block that was by far the cheapest option. I've used 30 in the past 18 years. And, having seen the price skyrocket, I'm glad I bought so many.


----------



## Pacman

Phoenix61 said:


> Just a heads up, peeps. I put in a request for Ingram Spark to migrate all my titles from CS as someone told me they could do this at no cost. Answer back from them was, they could only do so if you have your own ISBNs, not CS assigned ones. Fair enough, I knew I couldn't use the CS ones. Went to Australian avenue for ISBNs Thorpe Bowker, to buy some ISBNs. $88 for ten, seemed like a reasonable price...until I got slugged an extra $55 for a registration fee!!!! Just as well I didn't buy them because I can't change the ISBN on the CS dashboard anyway. Dashed off an email to CS to see if I can change them. Will let you know the outcome.
> Seriously thinking of giving up on paperbacks now! Grrrrrr!


Phoenix61, if you join the 'Alliance of Independent Authors' you can add and change your IS books for free. That is well worth the Alliance membership fee.

https://www.allianceindependentauthors.org/


----------



## JB Rowley

annski82 said:


> Does anybody know how an indie author gets listed as an "Australian author" on the amazon.com.au site? Looking on there, the main ones that turn up are those published by the Big Publishers. Now that everyone in Australia has to buy from the .au site it means that publicity there becomes all important for local writers. I always bought everything from the .com site, and have to go back there all the time just to find out essential information. I don't see anything there to promote or help non-mainstream authors, or any advice on how to be listed by Amazon as an Australian author. Or am I missing something obvious?


Hi Anna,

I received a notification on my phone Kindle app in August with the title: 'Australian Authors on Kindle'. Clicking on the link brings up several pages of Australian authors. I'm guessing it's a filter we can use to focus on Australian authors.


----------



## Forgettable

Phoenix61 said:


> Thanks Pacman, but at $129/year, I do not publish enough books per year to make it worth my while. I am more inclined to wait for a promo period to publish through IS once I have purchased the ISBNs. I am in no rush as I rarely sell paperbacks online. Most of my sales come from author copies sold locally. For that reason it is important to me to be able to purchase the author copies. I also require proofs BEFORE I publish as I can only effectively proofread my books in hard copy.


.


----------



## JB Rowley

MelanieCellier said:


> Have you tried this with boxes of books, Tilly? I was wondering about this option as a workaround for author copies, but I'm concerned that once I pay regular US shipping to the redirect address, plus whatever they charge for the on-shipping to Australia, it will end up being expensive still. (I give author copies to all my beta readers and then sell most of the rest to family and friends, so I don't tend to charge too much for them on my end.)


Yes, I use author copies for my beta readers. With a new release due in October, I'm wondering about a solution - temporary solution since it is up to Amazon to provide a permanent one. I'm thinking of releasing the paperback at a special launch price (assuming KDP Paperback offer us a minimum price) then buying what I need at that price before putting the price up to the regular retail price. Do you guys think that'll work out?


----------



## The one with all the big dresses on the covers

JB Rowley said:


> Yes, I use author copies for my beta readers. With a new release due in October, I'm wondering about a solution - temporary solution since it is up to Amazon to provide a permanent one. I'm thinking of releasing the paperback at a special launch price (assuming KDP Paperback offer us a minimum price) then buying what I need at that price before putting the price up to the regular retail price. Do you guys think that'll work out?


I'm not across on kdp print yet, but I think you'll find the minimum price they'll let you set is a lot higher than the price for author copies. It might not matter too much if you only want a handful of copies for your beta readers, though.


----------



## JB Rowley

Thanks, Melanie. Same as you - I'm not across KDP Print yet.  Will have to assess the pros and cons when I get a sense of the minimum price.


----------



## spellscribe

JB Rowley said:


> Thanks, Melanie. Same as you - I'm not across KDP Print yet. Will have to assess the pros and cons when I get a sense of the minimum price.


Lowest I could get was about $8+AUD for 270 odd pages. That didn't include postage - but you can get that free with Prime, if you're over $50


----------



## The one with all the big dresses on the covers

spellscribe said:


> Lowest I could get was about $8+AUD for 270 odd pages. That didn't include postage - but you can get that free with Prime, if you're over $50


Is that ordering the book retail off the amazon.com.au site?


----------



## JB Rowley

MelanieCellier said:


> Is that ordering the book retail off the amazon.com.au site?


AND do they pay a royalties on the $8.00 price, spellscribe?


----------



## JB Rowley

So I asked KDP Help what happens if I decide to proof a print copy of my book via the 'buy a copy retail' route and this is the response:
.............................
Hello,
I trust this email finds you well.

I understand your frustration in this matter. Please note that we had to change this due to the new Australian GST law.
Before publishing your paperback, it will go through two separate reviews to make sure our customers have a positive reading experience.
First, it will go through the online print previewer.

This tools allows you to see what your book cover and manuscript will look like before you publish it and will also help you identify formatting errors that need to be fixed before publishing. There are lines that show the "safe" areas on the cover and tool tips that appear when you hover your mouse near them. These tips provide helpful information to make sure nothing is getting cut off and your files are formatted according to the margin specification.

After you approve the paperback within the print previewer and click "save and publish" on the pricing page the book will go to our manual review team.

They look at image resolution, fonts, margin settings, and overall readability of your book. They also review all new or revised KDP books for compliance with our content guidelines. If they find any issues, they'll let you know via email.

Should you after this order a retail copy and still find the title to be faulty then please let us know. Should you wish you will be able to unpublish the book while you fix the issues you may have found. Furthermore I would like to advise you to look at Amazon refund policy here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=15015721
......................

I've also written to Josh Frydenberg (our current treasurer under our current PM and who knows how long that will last) asking him to clarify why the GST affects Amazon in this way. In other words: Are Amazon's claims totally accurate?


----------



## VioletA

I've decided to switch to IngramSpark because of the issue with kdp and proof copies. However, I'm finding IngramSpark setup a bit confusing, so if there's anyone with experience with IS, I'd love some help!

I've obtained an ABN as per their requirements. But after chatting with support, they're telling me that my 'publisher' name that will be displayed in storefronts is the same as my 'business or legal name'. I don't have a business name, so I just registered using my real name, but I don't want that to show up on storefronts! Can I just put my fictitious publishing company name there? Or does it have to be an actual business name that's registered with ASIC?

This is way more complicated than Createspace.


----------



## Simon Haynes

Ingram's approach is that you're a small publisher with a catalogue. KDP is more like 'authors, we can print your books!'

So yes, it's very different. I have a registered business name (it's cheaper now that ASIC has taken it over from the state government.) and I used that for Ingram.

I definitely wouldn't use a fictitious name in this instance.


----------



## Erron Adams

VioletA said:


> I've decided to switch to IngramSpark because of the issue with kdp and proof copies. However, I'm finding IngramSpark setup a bit confusing, so if there's anyone with experience with IS, I'd love some help!
> 
> I've obtained an ABN as per their requirements. But after chatting with support, they're telling me that my 'publisher' name that will be displayed in storefronts is the same as my 'business or legal name'. I don't have a business name, so I just registered using my real name, but I don't want that to show up on storefronts! Can I just put my fictitious publishing company name there? Or does it have to be an actual business name that's registered with ASIC?
> 
> This is way more complicated than Createspace.


As a newbie who is as yet unpublished, I am trying to go with IS also. I joined ALLi (https://www.allianceindependentauthors.org/) because they apparently are a good source of impartial advice, and have a deal with IS whereby members don't have to pay for title setup or revisions (https://www.ingramspark.com/lp/alli).

Good luck, will be watching with interest if you post on your progress.


----------



## VioletA

Simon Haynes said:


> Ingram's approach is that you're a small publisher with a catalogue. KDP is more like 'authors, we can print your books!'
> 
> So yes, it's very different. I have a registered business name (it's cheaper now that ASIC has taken it over from the state government.) and I used that for Ingram.
> 
> I definitely wouldn't use a fictitious name in this instance.


Looks like I'll have to register a business name. Thanks, for the advice, it's really hard to find Australia specific info. I think the advice I read about using a fictitious publishing company was American.


----------



## JB Rowley

I notice that Balboa Press is pitching to Aussie writers through KBoards ads. Just in case anyone is tempted be aware that Balboa is part of the infamous publishing shark Author Solutions.

Writer Beware on Balboa Press: https://accrispin.blogspot.com/2013/08/more-warnings-spectacular-productions.html

David Gaughran on Author Solutions:  [URL=http://davidgaughran.com/2013/02/19/penguins-solution-for-authors-one-racket-to-rule-them-all/]http://davidgaughran.com/2013/02/19/penguins-solution-for-authors-one-racket-to-rule-them-all/ [/url]


----------



## Cecelia

VioletA said:


> Looks like I'll have to register a business name. Thanks, for the advice, it's really hard to find Australia specific info. I think the advice I read about using a fictitious publishing company was American.


If you are a sole trader, in Australia you can either trade under your legal (birth name) or a registered business name. So if you are John Smith, you may trade as "John Smith", or "J. Smith", without registration. However, if you wish to add something, like "Smith's Books" you need to register the name.

I had a registered business name for my tutoring business, so I also used it as my publisher name. You could continue to use your own name, the only drawback would be that you would be: TITLE by AUTHOR, published by: AUTHOR which is a flag that you are self published.


----------



## ashleycapes

Hi everyone, just doing a quick introduction post 

I'm Ashley (from Victoria) and I'm writing and publishing spec fic and poetry. I'm also hoping to post a call for entries soon - it's a promo called OZtober aimed at showcasing Australian writers of speculative fiction.

But more on that later, just wanted to say 'hi' and looking forward to spending time here, have long used the ace resources here on kboards and thought it was time to sign up at last!

Ashley


----------



## Simon Haynes

ashleycapes said:


> Hi everyone, just doing a quick introduction post
> 
> I'm Ashley (from Victoria) and I'm writing and publishing spec fic and poetry. I'm also hoping to post a call for entries soon - it's a promo called OZtober aimed at showcasing Australian writers of speculative fiction.
> 
> But more on that later, just wanted to say 'hi' and looking forward to spending time here, have long used the ace resources here on kboards and thought it was time to sign up at last!
> 
> Ashley


Welcome aboard!

It's a great resource, that's for sure.


----------



## ashleycapes

Simon Haynes said:


> Welcome aboard!
> 
> It's a great resource, that's for sure.


Thanks, Simon!

No other (open to all) site has better marketing-related info, I reckon


----------



## JB Rowley

Phoenix61 said:


> Yeah, I noticed that ad coming up. Went to their website, took me all of three seconds to work out that they were nothing more than a vanity publisher. I mentioned it in the thread about the new TOS. Imagine a noob coming on here thinking any advertisement pitched on KBoards has to be legitimate and gets sucked into spending $ for no return? New owners are only in it for the revenue, don't care who gives them money, as long as they keep giving it. NOT COOL!!


Definitely not cool. I'm glad you mentioned it elsewhere as well, Phoenix.


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## Pacman

ashleycapes said:


> Hi everyone, just doing a quick introduction post
> 
> I'm Ashley (from Victoria) and I'm writing and publishing spec fic and poetry. I'm also hoping to post a call for entries soon - it's a promo called OZtober aimed at showcasing Australian writers of speculative fiction.
> 
> But more on that later, just wanted to say 'hi' and looking forward to spending time here, have long used the ace resources here on kboards and thought it was time to sign up at last!
> 
> Ashley


Hi Ashley, great promo, is it for the entire month of October? I'll need to line up the discount with my publisher, I'm certainly interested in an Oz only promo like this.


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## JB Rowley

Pacman said:


> Hi Ashley, great promo, is it for the entire month of October? I'll need to line up the discount with my publisher, I'm certainly interested in an Oz only promo like this.


I'd prefer AUStober. I know - in this case it works because October starts with O but I just hate it when Aus is represented as Oz. Yeah, I know I should 'get over it' but...


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## ashleycapes

Pacman said:


> Hi Ashley, great promo, is it for the entire month of October? I'll need to line up the discount with my publisher, I'm certainly interested in an Oz only promo like this.


Hey!
Would love to have you aboard - it's actually for a weekend only, the 19-21st.

Here's a rambling write up I did on my blog (with relevant links)

http://ashleycapes.com/?p=6140

Reckon it would be overkill to post an OZtober thread in the main forum? I can post one here but would expats be more likely to see something in the main forum than if I only posted here?



JB Rowley said:


> I'd prefer AUStober. I know - in this case it works because October starts with O but I just hate it when Aus is represented as Oz. Yeah, I know I should 'get over it' but...


Yeah, but I'd miss the terrible pun if I went with AUS


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## VioletA

Cecelia said:


> If you are a sole trader, in Australia you can either trade under your legal (birth name) or a registered business name. So if you are John Smith, you may trade as "John Smith", or "J. Smith", without registration. However, if you wish to add something, like "Smith's Books" you need to register the name.
> 
> I had a registered business name for my tutoring business, so I also used it as my publisher name. You could continue to use your own name, the only drawback would be that you would be: TITLE by AUTHOR, published by: AUTHOR which is a flag that you are self published.


I thought so, thanks. I ended up registering a business name since I write under a pen name. It would have been even more confusing if my real name had shown up as the publisher!


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## VioletA

I'm pretty close to releasing my book and have everything set up with IngramSpark. Does anyone know how long it usually takes for a print book to show up on Amazon once you've given it the ok to go into distribution through IS? I'd like it to show up on Amazon around the same time the ebook is released, and I'm not sure if I should release it early or not in case there's a delay.


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## Ceramic

Hi Ashley,

I write poetry as well.

Nice to meet you.


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## Carleton Chinner

Any of the Aussie crowd going to Conflux in Canberra at the end of the month and want to catch up?


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## Cecelia

Ashley I'm glad you added the end note that you are also looking for fantasy/horror. Some of my poetry is classed as SF, but my vampire series would not be. Two books from my vampire series might be eligible. I am planning a special Halloween release, however, and the Amazon for that volume is not available for your form.


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## Simon Haynes

Carleton Chinner said:


> Any of the Aussie crowd going to Conflux in Canberra at the end of the month and want to catch up?


Not me, but I used to attend a few Aussie cons. (Swancon is my local.)

I remember attending Continuum in Melbourne in 2001, when we launched Andromeda Spaceways. I can't believe that's 17 years ago now.


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## Cecelia

Carleton Chinner said:


> Any of the Aussie crowd going to Conflux in Canberra at the end of the month and want to catch up?


I tend to plan travel up to a year ahead... and usually research trips to get great book cover pictures! If you go to Conflux let us know all about it. Cost, value, advertising opportunities for us authors...


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## Carleton Chinner

Cecelia said:


> I tend to plan travel up to a year ahead... and usually research trips to get great book cover pictures! If you go to Conflux let us know all about it. Cost, value, advertising opportunities for us authors...


Will do. It's not my local con, I'm in Brisbane, but I'm heading down to Canberra for other reasons so I thought I might as well attend.


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## Patty Jansen

I've been to a couple of Confluxes. It's unbelievable that we don't have a con in Sydney, but it's indicative for the industry, I believe. To run a con in Sydney would be outside the price range of out of town visitors and these cons are niche and small, focused at small publishers, and folk just don't have the money for Sydney events.

That said, the Aussie SFF cons are VERY VERY VERY much trad oriented and quite traditional. I've been asked to sit on some selfpub panels, but you usually share the table with someone who has press publish on Amazon and knows nothing about selling, or about covers, or even how to get an editor. It's sad, and I hope that things have started to change, because I stopped going. I've found the atmosphere quite hostile to people who think out of the box, really.

If you do want to go to cons to sell books and meet readers (as opposed to meeting writers), I suggest you go to the Supanovas. There are six (Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth). Just google Supanova and the website will tell you more. Thousands and thousands of people come to these events, and they're consumers, not creators.


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## azebra

Hi Ashley
I do think you would do well to set up a new thread for your promo - I only check the Aus support thread occasionally. This thread also has quite a few kiwi authors on it - can you take kiwis? And, supposing kiwis are allowable, would you consider middle grade spec fic. I specialise in interactive fiction.
Deb


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## Carleton Chinner

Thanks for the details Patty. I hear where you're coming from with the trad side of things. I attended Genrecon in Brisbane last year and it had a similar focus, you were a nobody if you weren't with one of the big four. The program for this year's Conflux looks as if there are a few items that may be of interest, but I'll wait and see how it goes.

SupaNova is a completely different beast. I'm sharing tables with a group of other authors at the Brisbane event and can't wait.


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## Cecelia

Ashley:

I need some more information about you and your promotion to write a decent blog entry about Oztober. Plus would be nice to know if you are taking my books....

I see you had Sean Williams' _Stone Mage and the Sea_ in 2017. Is it possible you know Sean? (I used to, before he got so busy.)


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## ashleycapes

azebra said:


> Hi Ashley
> I do think you would do well to set up a new thread for your promo - I only check the Aus support thread occasionally. This thread also has quite a few kiwi authors on it - can you take kiwis? And, supposing kiwis are allowable, would you consider middle grade spec fic. I specialise in interactive fiction.
> Deb


Hi Deb,
Thanks for the advice! I did put a thread in the mains and got some interest 

(I'll definitely look at expanding the 2020 OZtober to folks in NZ too )

Ashley


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## ashleycapes

Cecelia said:


> Ashley:
> 
> I need some more information about you and your promotion to write a decent blog entry about Oztober. Plus would be nice to know if you are taking my books....
> 
> I see you had Sean Williams' _Stone Mage and the Sea_ in 2017. Is it possible you know Sean? (I used to, before he got so busy.)


Hi Cecelia!

Vampires are definitely welcome, absolutely. I'll probably update a note somewhere that I'll be accepting 1 title per author, forgot to ad that.

I've got some info on my site, hopefully that's useful, and alas, I wish I did know Sean he seems like a really nice chap


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## ashleycapes

Also, sorry about the delay in writing back - I've been watching all the bad stuff for a few days to help me decide how much time I should actually spend here


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## Cecelia

ashleycapes said:


> Hi Cecelia!
> 
> Vampires are definitely welcome, absolutely. I'll probably update a note somewhere that I'll be accepting 1 title per author, forgot to ad that.
> 
> I've got some info on my site, hopefully that's useful, and alas, I wish I did know Sean he seems like a really nice chap


I've accidentally sent you info on 3 of mine then. I suggest we go with Number 1 or 3 of the series.

I don't know about bad stuff - but people here have been very handy exchanging information about opportunities, promos, publisher discounts and the like. I will be checking regularly unless the goodwill completely dries up!


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## ashleycapes

Cecelia said:


> I've accidentally sent you info on 3 of mine then. I suggest we go with Number 1 or 3 of the series.
> 
> I don't know about bad stuff - but people here have been very handy exchanging information about opportunities, promos, publisher discounts and the like. I will be checking regularly unless the goodwill completely dries up!


Can do!

And it's definitely not the people - but the owners. There's a few threads in the main forum about it at the moment.


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## VioletA

I've hit the point where my taxes for this financial year are going to be significant and complex enough that I'm going to have to hire an accountant. My question is, how do you provide your accountant with evidence of your royalties earned from Amazon? Do I just give them copies of the payment report spreadsheets generated from the KDP dashboard? The end of year tax forms Amazon provides aren't much use since they cover the US financial year, which is Jan-Dec not July-June.


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## Chinmoy Mukherjee

Hello Aussie Authors,

Where do you advertise your kindle books? What has worked for you?

Cheers,


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## Patty Jansen

Chinmoy Mukherjee said:


> Hello Aussie Authors,
> 
> Where do you advertise your kindle books? What has worked for you?
> 
> Cheers,


Same as everyone else here. It's a worldwide business.


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## webletgurl

NicoleSwan said:


> I hope NZ stays its own country, I want to move there one day, has all the right things that I want, well, that or Tasmania


We're keeping Jacinda, though!


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## Chinmoy Mukherjee

Patty Jansen said:


> Same as everyone else here. It's a worldwide business.


For US readers, I had some success with Twitter advertising, but same strategy did not work for Australia, hence asking.


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## AdamDavidCollings

Any Aussie authors got themselves set up to publish on Google Play? They're open to new authors now.
I'm trying to fill in my tax information, and am asked the question:

Please choose the description that best fits your business status:
1) Corporation
2) Intermediary, withholding foreign partnership, withholding foreign trust, or a flow-through entity (for example, foreign partnerships and foreign trusts)
3) Tax-exempt entity.

Honestly, I'm pretty sure I'm none of these.
So I'm at a bit of a loss.


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## Patty Jansen

I don't remember having to do any of that. They just take your TFN. They pay from Australia in an Australian bank account. To me, it sounds like you might be trying the US site, or you're in the app-selling part of their publisher portal.


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## AdamDavidCollings

Oh right. I've already given them my Australian bank account details. (I was thrilled they take BSB/Acc instead of all that swift stuff).
I guess I just assumed that I needed to fill in a US Tax treaty form like I did for Amazon and Kobo, so I clicked on the "US Tax Info" button.
But if they're paying from Australia then I guess I don't need to do anything.

Awesome. Thanks, Patty. You've just made my day.


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## Patty Jansen

You didn't need it for Kobo either. But both DO need your TFN.


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## L.E.Glazebrook

Hi all,
Just found this post for Australian writers. I been around here for a few months and am about to publish my second book.

Currently, I'm making an audiobook of my first book. Anyone know when Amazon will take aubiobooks form Aussies, if ever? Are there tax issues needing to be resolved, or something else?
Of course, I won't wait for them and will make it available through other channels, but I do wish I could go through ACX.

Also, does anyone know if audio books narrated by aussies sell at all to US and UK markets via the other channels? Or, do we have to learn to speak like them, like our aussie actors have to?


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## Patty Jansen

L.E.Glazebrook said:


> Hi all,
> Just found this post for Australian writers. I been around here for a few months and am about to publish my second book.
> 
> Currently, I'm making an audiobook of my first book. Anyone know when Amazon will take aubiobooks form Aussies, if ever? Are there tax issues needing to be resolved, or something else?
> Of course, I won't wait for them and will make it available through other channels, but I do wish I could go through ACX.
> 
> Also, does anyone know if audio books narrated by aussies sell at all to US and UK markets via the other channels? Or, do we have to learn to speak like them, like our aussie actors have to?


Use Findaway Voices.

I have an ACX account through an intermediary, opened before that option was shut down. ACX does offer a superior audition process, I've found, but IMO the best way of finding narrators is to ask fellow authors and contact them directly. Then you pay them directly for the files and the files are yours to upload directly wherever you want. Kobo allows you to upload direct to the site.

I've got books by a variety of narrators (US and UK and I'm doing some myself, which will be Aussie LOL). The true audio book snobs are very peculiar about the type of voice they like, but it's different for everyone. For example the typical science fiction narrator has a very nasal American male voice and I'm like nope, not listening to that for ten hours, but other people seem to like it.

So it's about finding people who like your choice.


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## L.E.Glazebrook

Patty Jansen said:


> Use Findaway Voices.
> 
> I have an ACX account through an intermediary, opened before that option was shut down. ACX does offer a superior audition process, I've found, but IMO the best way of finding narrators is to ask fellow authors and contact them directly. Then you pay them directly for the files and the files are yours to upload directly wherever you want. Kobo allows you to upload direct to the site.
> 
> I've got books by a variety of narrators (US and UK and I'm doing some myself, which will be Aussie LOL). The true audio book snobs are very peculiar about the type of voice they like, but it's different for everyone. For example the typical science fiction narrator has a very nasal American male voice and I'm like nope, not listening to that for ten hours, but other people seem to like it.
> 
> So it's about finding people who like your choice.


Thanks for your reply, Patty

I'm doing the narration, myself, because of limited funds. I do articulate very clearly and my husband has top notch recording facilities, which he uses to meet ACX quality standards - in preparation for when/ if ACX becomes available on Amazon Australia.

Not knowing too much about Findaway Voices, are you saying to use a US/UK narrator, instead? Or, can I submit my aussie narration to them for indirect access to ACX? Do they point blank reject Aussie accents?

Are your own narrated books selling equally good/bad LOL, as your US/UK narrated books?


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## Patty Jansen

L.E.Glazebrook said:


> Thanks for your reply, Patty
> 
> I'm doing the narration, myself, because of limited funds. I do articulate very clearly and my husband has top notch recording facilities, which he uses to meet ACX quality standards - in preparation for when/ if ACX becomes available on Amazon Australia.
> 
> Not knowing too much about Findaway Voices, are you saying to use a US/UK narrator, instead? Or, can I submit my aussie narration to them for indirect access to ACX? Do they point blank reject Aussie accents?
> 
> Are your own narrated books selling equally good/bad LOL, as your US/UK narrated books?


They won't reject anything simply because of the accent.

Other than that, can't answer your questions beyond: try it, and see.

And just use Findaway, if the choice is to have audio for sale and not have audio for sale. I've been "waiting" for ACX to allow Australians for my entire career. Don't wait for them.

The other thing is if you do it yourself, you hold all your own rights and can choose to do whatever the hell you want, including re-recording if you want.

Audio tends to be about 10% of regular sales so that's the general sales scope. However, I have a feeling that beyond a certain number of titles, it starts to lead its own life, and this is what I'm testing. I've done some short stuff, and that doesn't sell, but with Bookfunnel you can give it away.

Findaway also allows you to set your own price, so you can give short stories for free on retailers (except Amazon), or sell audio for 99c.


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## karenchester

I've been using Bendigo Bank for my Amazon US earnings for sometime. Telegraphic transfers cost $2. No other fees. 

However, I noticed a discrepancy with my last payment on 30 Dec between what Amazon said they paid me and what I received. The difference was exactly $25. I queried both Amazon and Bendigo Bank without much luck. Just some vague stuff about intermediary banks and telling me to go ask the other party. 

Has anyone else using Bendigo Bank noticed a discrepancy in their payments? Wondering what I should do. $25 is a really hefty fee to pay when amounts are small.


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## VioletA

I have a GST related question that I probably need to ask an accountant, but I thought I'd ask here in case anyone has experience. If I have an ABN and I'm making more than $75 000 in royalties only, do I need to register for the GST? I'm not selling books direct, only through Amazon etc, and I'm registered with Zon under my real name and not my ABN.

Also, if I _do _start selling direct but won't sell in significant numbers, do I need to register for the GST if I'm earning $75k+ in royalties?


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## HobieYak

Anybody know how to order proof copies from KDP for delivery to Australia?
I've completed my book's setup but now would like to check a printed copy before hitting the publish button. When ordering the proofs I need to select an Amazon marketplace and Australia is not on the list of choices. I chose Amazon.com but when I get to the checkout I get a message back saying my delivery address is invalid.
Thanks


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## 9 Diamonds

HobieYak said:


> Anybody know how to order proof copies from KDP for delivery to Australia?
> I've completed my book's setup but now would like to check a printed copy before hitting the publish button. When ordering the proofs I need to select an Amazon marketplace and Australia is not on the list of choices. I chose Amazon.com but when I get to the checkout I get a message back saying my delivery address is invalid.
> Thanks


Check that your address details are correct. Amazon delivers proof copies to Australia direct now. We've had no probs.


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## Selina Fenech

Well, they were delivering to Australia but currently they seem to have stopped delivering outside of the US. I haven't seen an official announcement as to that but can't order myself anymore either and have had a heap of Aussie customers asking what's going on too. I'm guessing it's temporary due to the increased load at the moment.


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## HobieYak

Selina Fenech said:


> Well, they were delivering to Australia but currently they seem to have stopped delivering outside of the US. I haven't seen an official announcement as to that but can't order myself anymore either and have had a heap of Aussie customers asking what's going on too. I'm guessing it's temporary due to the increased load at the moment.


My address details were correct. I messaged KDP and got the following answer:

****
Hello,

I'm sorry for the inconvenience and frustration this may have caused.

Since the out break of Covid-19, We have seen increased demand as people have been guided to stay at home.

Because of this, you may experience delays in both manufacturing and shipping for all books and sometimes it also gives error as cannot be shipped to selected address including author orders.

We are working hard to reduce this to meet customer demand and return to standard manufacturing and delivery times.

The potential impact of COVID-19 is still unknown, so we will keep you updated via our KDP forum.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

****

I just tried ordering again but still get the same message "Sorry, this item can't be shipped to your selected address".


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## lea_owens

I ordered 20 copies of one of my books two weeks ago. In the past, they've arrived together, nicely packed in a solid box. This time, I had ten arrive well packed in a solid box on Tuesday, delivered to my door. Then the post office contacted me on Thursday about a box there, and a flimsy box with nine books in it, six of which have damaged covers (one bent in half, others with corners damaged from rattling around loose in the box, and four of the books had been jammed  together with interlocking pages so they don't close properly now). I was so disappointed about the damaged books that it took a day before I realised there were only nine. The next day, the twentieth copy arrived in my mail box, inside a flimsy bubble-wrap envelope with no cardboard to protect it, so it has been bent and thrashed, thrown around and damaged. I don't know what idiots put the nine loose and interlocked in a box without packing to protect them and the one in the envelope without any protection - but they're clearly an ignoramus.  I'll get on to Amazon about it, but I guess it will be my tough luck - the darned books are about 400 pages so they are big and heavy and expensive to mail.


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## HobieYak

lea_owens said:


> I ordered 20 copies of one of my books two weeks ago. In the past, they've arrived together, nicely packed in a solid box. This time, I had ten arrive well packed in a solid box on Tuesday, delivered to my door. Then the post office contacted me on Thursday about a box there, and a flimsy box with nine books in it, six of which have damaged covers (one bent in half, others with corners damaged from rattling around loose in the box, and four of the books had been jammed together with interlocking pages so they don't close properly now). I was so disappointed about the damaged books that it took a day before I realised there were only nine. The next day, the twentieth copy arrived in my mail box, inside a flimsy bubble-wrap envelope with no cardboard to protect it, so it has been bent and thrashed, thrown around and damaged. I don't know what idiots put the nine loose and interlocked in a box without packing to protect them and the one in the envelope without any protection - but they're clearly an ignoramus. I'll get on to Amazon about it, but I guess it will be my tough luck - the darned books are about 400 pages so they are big and heavy and expensive to mail.


That's scary! Perhaps time to look elsewhere - Ingram Spark ?


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## rchapman1

That's pretty rough Lea.  I hope they will replace them - and quickly.  I'm going to look seriously at Ingramspark next time.  I believe they are much better to deal with.


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## HobieYak

Anyone used a printer called Publicious? They seem to have an Ingram Spark type of setup and operate from Currumbin in Queensland. I'll get a print quote from them to see how they compare.


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