Help - Quick KOBR question for Aussie/New Zealanders

Ladies down under - I received this question directly from a reader, and I was almost sure somewhere in the threads you all had said you can now get these books in the New Zealand area, but was thinking you went to a different Amazon site to do it. Help? Anyone? Or is she right and she can't get the Kindle versions in New Zealand yet?

"Hi, I have recently collecting your e-books on my Kindle. So far I have enjoyed all the Nature of Desire books, and have got books 1 and 4 in the Knights of the Boardroom series, as they are all available from Amazon.

I'd like to get hold of e-versions of books 2 and 3 in the KotB series, but I have only found them on one site, which doesn't have the kindle-friendly versions, and which doesn't allow me to download because I live in New Zealand and am therefore out of the allowable downloading and purchasing zone."

Thanks in advance for your help!

Hi Joey,
As far as I know your reader is right. I just had a quick look at the US Amazon site. I am registered there with an Australian address and it is where I get my Kindle books. I can see Board Resolution available as a single Kindle document (separate from the 'Behind the Mask' anthology which is only available in paperback) as well as Afterlife in Kindle. None of the others show up as available in Kindle... only as paperback. By others I'm talking about the 'Unlaced' anthology with Controlled Response and 'Laced with Desire' containing Honor Bound.
Now entering the grey zone... When I alter my registered details to a *cough* US address *cough*, Unlaced and Laced with Desire become available as Kindle books but I think they come with all of the stories. I don't think you can selectively just get yours (Controlled Response and Honor Bound).

Joey,
Could it be that the issue is Ellora's Cave?? Controlled Response and Honor Bound aren't available for separate e-purchase on their web site either (at least that I could find). For what it is worth, I enjoyed the other authors also published in Unlaced and Laced with Desire. (although of course Controlled Response and Honor Bound were the best!) If the readers really want e-format, that's not an awful way to go.....

Shyness, thanks for that info - I'll pass it on to her! And Boardroom, thanks also for that input, but Controlled Response and Honor Bound are published through Berkley, not EC. I have no problem with my EC books availability overseas, but we've had chronic problems with the Berkley ones until recently. About a year ago, we had to do a contract change to make it clear that Berkley could sell the digital versions overseas, and it was supposed to take effect in most areas (including New Zealand, I thought), but they indicated that process might not happen immediately in all countries affected. So I'm going to also check with my publisher and see if there is a hitch with New Zealand (that message to Shyness as well as BR :>)

While EC offers Book 1 separately from the anthology, the Berkley books, digital and print, are only available as anthologies at this point. Yes, this was my lesson never to divide a series between two publishers (laughter). Thanks for those compliments to me and the other authors, by the way - I enjoy their work as well!

LOL. There's always a hitch somewhere in carefully laid plans. Thanks for having the contract changed to include 'most overseas areas affected'. Good thing though that they have the disclaimer "but maybe just not where you are"
I think we've had this discussion before but it seems to make little sense that they would want to avoid or restrict sales in other markets. Seems contrary to any business plan I've ever heard of.

I agree - I have zero problem on this with my smaller independent epub. I think the issue is the "big guys" in publishing have hit a lot of stumbling blocks in reworking their thinking in a digital world in terms of distribution, access, contracts, etc. They're catching up, but it's never as fast as we'd like! :> You described it well - "everywhere except maybe where you are" chuckle...

Thanks everyone. I'm tossing up whether I misrepresent myself and lie about being based in the US to get the ebooks from either Amazon or direct from Berkley, or just wait until/if they are ever released downunder. Interestingly, the paperback versions are available for sale here, just not the ebooks.

Abyway, I appreciate the help.

cheers,
the Kiwi who started this all off

Hi Trendoid!
Welcome to the Forum! I wouldn't blame you if you misrepresent to Amazon. They certainly have misrepresented to the general public when it suits them!

Hey Trendoid,
I totally understand your hesitation. If you are primarily an ebook reader, it seems a shame that you would miss out on some of Joey's books because the publishing machine takes a long time to evolve. You could be waiting a looooong time. I don't believe it's an intentional restriction just a factor of the "bigs guys" having trouble shifting their momentum like Joey mentioned. When you are making your decision, one thing to keep in mind is that you won't actually be sneaking the copy for free if you virtually holiday in the US for a brief moment. You will still be paying for the books. I don't think the publishers can complain about that.
Hope the situation gets resolved for you quickly... whichever path you choose.

Trendoid, Shyness is correct - if it works, the publisher and I get the royalty either way, so no one is being deprived of anything, no worries! Good luck!

Wow,
It never occurred to me that changing your home address would change what the publisher (and by extension the author) would get paid. Guess I was just naive that way... Please consider this my support for the concept (and all applicable laws) that you should pay for your e-books! SERIOUSLY, NOT JOKING.

Joey needs to get paid so she can keep us all in books!

BF,
Changing your address definitely WON'T change the price of a book.
The point I was trying to make was that whatever address you use makes little difference to the end result. You will still pay the same amount and still be supporting Joey's work so the worry that you might be doing something 'sneaky' by changing your address shouldn't be an issue.
Sorry if I wasn't clear in what I trying to say.

Helen,
I totally didn't mean to have my post be a criticism of yours in any way. I just realized (after reading your post) that my earlier comment was a little flippant in light of the fact that someone could misconstrue it to mean that I would suggest cheating an author out of his/her/their hard earned royalties. I think we are both good. And in agreement with each other!

OMG!! Being deprived of anything having to do with Master Ben would be terribly upsetting!! I hope that you guys get this fixed. That would suck! HT is going to be coming out on Ereader first too!! Still do not understand why EC has to put it on their site first and then on Amazon or B/N, what a couple weeks later? Makes no sense.

I say, get it out there so everyone can have access to Joey's wonderful books and Master Ben!!! SM

SM, the reason it comes out on Amazon/B&N a couple weeks later has to do with Amazon/B&N. When EC prepares the book for production, it is sent to Amazon/B&N in advance of the release date. They have no control over when Amazon, B&N etc actually put it up on their site. The only reason I know that is I asked about it myself some time ago (smile). Oh, and the good thing is since EC is releasing Hostile Takeover, the Aussies and New Zealanders will have no problem getting that one.

And actually, if Controlled Response/Honor Bound were not part of the anthologies, Trendoid would be able to acquire them the same as she did Books 1 & 4. I heard from the editorial assistant for Berkley today. She'd talked to the subrights person, and I had one of my "duh-huh" moments after she sent me the information. When I mentioned that I'd signed a contract addendum a year or so ago to remove problems with Aussie/NZ/UK folks getting the ebooks, I wasn't thinking about the fact Books 2 & 3 are part of anthologies that can't contractually be broken apart - and one or more of the other three authors do NOT have that contract addendum. THAT'S why the ebooks can't be sold in the Aussie/NZ venue.

So not great news, but hope the "sneaky" way works, Trendoid! (smile) And maybe one day in the future Berkley will decide to do as EC's done and make the ebook version of anthologies available as single titles. It makes a lot of economic sense, so I expect we'll see it sometime sooner than later, depending on the current contract terms.

No worries BF.
Thanks for the information Joey. I agree... not great news, but seems it's a great example of how intricate the whole contract business can be. I will keep my fingers crossed that Berkley will see the light about including single title ebooks from anthologies in the not too distant future. For all our sakes!

Thanks for the heads up, Joey!! Yeah for you Aussie and NZ ladies, you will get the full dose of Master Ben! Better get prepared!

How is Master Ben doing, Joey? Figured you thought I was being a bit of a pest again on the B and M thread, as usual, and was pretty much being told to be quite again! SM

SM, I was thinking no such thing, hon, promise - I've been trying to stay on top of the threads where a direct question is being asked or a comment really seems needed, and everything else right now is my Mom. I haven't been able to do anything on either book for the past week while she's been in the hospital. Plus I just received the copyedit galley on Something About Witches (due 8/15) and the final galley of BBtVQ (due 8/22), so I'm trying to stay on top of those as much as I can. I do occasionally check the B&M thread because you all are so entertaining and active there, and it's fun to see all the speculation, but we've of course reached the point where I can't comment much on that speculation without giving spoilers (wink).

Shyness wrote:

Thanks for the information Joey. I agree... not great news, but seems it's a great example of how intricate the whole contract business can be. I will keep my fingers crossed that Berkley will see the light about including single title ebooks from anthologies in the not too distant future. For all our sakes!

Could not agree more with Helen!!!

Joey, so sorry to hear that you Mom is now hospitalized. I hope that she is comfortable and that you are taking care of yourself as well! We are your very devoted fans and I'm sure everyone would agree that we wish there was more we could do to support you in this difficult time. *hugs* Thanks again for taking precious time to check in with us!

Joey,

I am very sorry to hear that your Mom is not doing well now. I know; I have been through this twice myself. It is not easy. I hope that she is just going through short spell here and will be released and OK.

Sometimes it does seem that when it rains it pours. The two finished books coming back with stuff to do, finishing up HT, and getting going with the next SAW book too. Then on top of all of this having to deal with what is going on personally. Very hard. I am hoping that you do get a chance to sit on the chat tommorow night. Again, we are going to a pool party and as of right now, I do not know what time we will be returning.

Will try to hop on when I get home and see what is going on! Best Wishes, SM

Joey, Thinking of you

Thanks to you all for the good wishes. And yes, I should be headed home tonight when my brother comes back in to take over our fulltime care of her. So I should make the chat tomorrow, because I don't head back to Charlotte until Monday; except when medical procedures change things, we're trying to work a schedule where I'm with her Mon-Thu and he's with her Fri-Sun, and of course we overlap on the changeout day (smile).

And I will second that agreement with Helen - I hope it will happen sooner than later! That kind of stuff drives me crazy as an author, so I know it must be twice as frustrating to readers!

So, since your Mom is not doing so good, Joey, and I am do hope that she gets better , do you have an idea of how you might have to prioritize things going forward?

I am assuming the things for SAW and BBTVQ need to get done right away since those book after already been submitted, but will they give you any wiggle room in there considering what is going on with your Mom? Would they give you until say August 31st?

After that, do you work on HT first, since it is already pretty much done, and then the 2nd SAW book after that since that is not due until the end of October? Also, do you have a set date where you have to get HT or is is just whenever with EC?

I know this is hard and I cannot even begin to think how you juggle all of this! Very hard indeed. SM

SM, the galleys for SAW and BBtVQ come first because those are books in production. If I have to have more time, we'll have to work that out, but they always hope the production process won't be slowed down, so we put even more effort into trying to stick to those 8/15 and 8/22 dates.

The second SAW book takes priority over HT because In the Company of Witches is contracted with a deadline, and I've received an advance to write the book. EC has now contracted HT, but they don't set deadlines or give advances - the book goes into the editorial/production process once I send it in.

Right now both publishers know I'm entering an endstage situation with my mom, where very little writing is happening. I haven't been able to work on either WIP for over two weeks, and I'm struggling to meet the galley deadlines. So it is likely some deadlines and anticipated delivery times will get adjusted accordingly. I'll keep you posted, but right now there's nothing I can really predict - except that things are very unpredictable (smile/grimace). Thanks for the question...

I know you have a need to be professional about your work, Joey, but I would think that everyone (from publishers to fans) would understand that you need to have some space to deal with this very difficult time and to care for your Mom.

I wonder, is there anyone who can help with the galleys (one of your writer friends?) so that would take some of that pressure off you and yet allow the dates to be met? Or are they something that only you can do?

Obviously only you can do the WIPs but, I hope that the publisher for Company of Witches is understanding enough to give you some leeway (it is actually good there is no date for HT - sorry SM - so you don't need to feel any guilt about pausing on that one right now, because while your fans here may whimper a bit, they understand what you are going through).

I know from personal experience that during the end stage process, you aren't really thinking as clearly as you would normal would be so if there is a way to ease the non personal burdens off your shoulders for a bit, it helps to do so.

I'm not trying to be pushy or anything. I spent my career as a troubleshooter and just naturally try to find options to bad situations.