The Ethics of Self-Publishing on Amazon10/30/2022 Self-publishing is a great way to get your work out there in a way that isn’t playing into the hands of greedy and corrupt publishing houses. However, it can be quite difficult and pricey to publish on your own. No worries, this is where Amazon comes in! Through Amazon, self-publishing your novels become far easier and more accessible. But, it bears acknowledging that Amazon is yet another Big Evil Corporation, so where does that leave writers who don’t want to fund another rocket for Bezos, but who still want to get their works out there and have them be accessible to be read widely? I won’t pretend that I have the answer to this dilemma, but it is an interesting one to examine, as any interactions with Amazon become morally murky. However, I think there are very few people who need to fully withhold judgment on people who use Amazon for any reason. Unfortunately, Amazon and its subsidiary corporations have become enmeshed in our everyday lives, through our favorite shows on Amazon Prime, listening to books on Audible, or even tracking our reading on Goodreads. Amazon has become a veritable behemoth in the reading world, and in the general world as well. So that all being said, I will not absolve myself from responsibility here. I listen to Audible religiously and love watching Hell’s Kitchen reruns on Amazon Prime. It’s not as though I’ve banished it completely from my own life, so I understand what it’s like to still be dependent on Amazon. However, all that being said, what are the moral implications of self-publishing on Amazon, and more importantly, what are the alternatives? There are millions of books already on Amazon, and adding to the collection could be considered akin to adding to Bezos’ dragon hoard of wealth. Not only that but your work would be lost among the millions already there. There has to be a way to make your work stand out, and a way to not play into the pockets of Amazon. There are, of course, other corporations that you can choose to publish with, such as Apple or Google books. Somewhat better, but still a large corporation that you’re dealing with. The last main option is to find a printing or distribution service yourself, but this is very difficult if you have very little time and/or money. It can be harder to self-publish this way since you have to do most of the heavy lifting, so it’s a more challenging jump for many writers who might not have the same privileges that other writers do. Ultimately, the choice of where you publish is up to you, and you can decide which route is best to take. Unfortunately, as writers, we’re sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place, since the traditional publishing industry is rife with problems, like racism, classism and queer-phobia, among others. When you publish traditionally or with Amazon, or even with any other corporation, you still play into someone’s greedy hands. So really, there are very few options for you to go with when choosing to publish that won’t have morally murky consequences. So I guess all I can say is that you should choose whatever publishing option works best for you, and weigh the pros and cons on your own. At the end of the day, anything you do will be playing into this capitalist hellscape that we’re all living in. Nate Fahmiis a young writer from Ottawa, Canada. When he isn’t in school, he enjoys reading, writing, crochet, and playing with his two cats. Their favorite genres are horror and fantasy, and they enjoy all things strange. You can find him on Instagram at @nate_fahmi
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