Update: Device Limits on DTP/Indie Authors on Kindle

On Thursday, I broke the news that Amazon had instituted a new 5-device limit on all books published thru their DTP system (essentially all independent authors). This limit hit every DTP book, regardless of the original publishing date and came as surprising news to many authors. Several of them asked Amazon what was going on, since this provided roughly 17% less value from an DTP published book versus one from a major publishing house and since the authors had not asked for the change (most, in fact, considered themselves to be the "publisher," being self-published, and not Amazon, which it turns out is the case).

It seems that Amazon's DTP support didn't know anything about the change (they asked the authors to provide ASIN's, so they could research the issue -- but this affected every DTP ASIN in the store). The employee assigned the "dtpadmin" login on the forum (if it's one employee, it's one with a fake registration date, from 1969, so is probably a shared login by an group of employees) later posted this note, at 1:41PM (presumably PDT):

Hello,

We have identified an error in our system. We are fixing the problem to remove the device limit for DTP titles. We apologize for this error.

Thanks!

Sounds a lot like the response following the recent uproar when all LGBT titles disappeared from the Amazon search engines and sales ranks. Hopefully this was just an "error," but as of midnight tonight (EDT), no corrections have been made to the actual book listings.

Fantasy Friday

I keep finding bargains faster than I can possibly read them. Today's roundup features three from author Patricia Briggs, a few from independent authors, including two aimed at young adults/children, a magazine and some fantasy role-playing game resources.

Miss Kitty, Rocky and the Immortals ($3.99), by Jay A. Stout, is something of a departure from his normal military history genre (it's hard, really, to pick just one genre to list it under). I'll admit, I bought it just because it features the Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort, SC, just a hop and a skip from the island I called home for three years.

This contemporary story is set at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina. Captain Michael "Rocco" Barducci is killed in a tragic accident, yet his time on earth is far from over. Delivered back to earth as an angel in raccoon form, Rocco is befriended by Miss Kitty, another reincarnate whose service as an angel has spanned the globe since she was killed by Indians in 1764. Together, they team with Rocco's former wingman to stop a cabal of fallen angels and criminals from stealing a top secret military weapon. The transfixing culmination is unlike anything ever done. This crisp, credible and fast-running techno-thriller fantasy takes the reader on a roller-coaster ride aboard cutting edge fighter aircraft, through failures and triumphs in romance and relationships, and finally into a close and reasoned consideration of the family pet.

Patricia Briggs

Alpha & Omega ($2.39) is a novella that precedes/inspired the Cry Wolf series, set in the world of Mercy Thompson, a series that I have been grabbing up as each one was released. The other two below are not in the same series, but I'll be adding both of them to my TBR mountain.

See how it all began...Anna Latham never knew werewolves existed, until the night she survived a violent attack... and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the Chicago pack, she's learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. But when she discovers wrongdoing in her pack, she has to go above her Alpha's head to ask for help.Charles Cornick is the son -- and enforcer -- of the leader of the North American werewolves. Now his father has sent him to Chicago to clean up a problem there. Charles never expected to find Anna, a rare Omega wolf -- and he certainly never expected to recognize her as his mate...

Steal the Dragon ($3.99)

Slave. Swordwielder. Spy. Some girls have all the luck. When Rialla was young, slave traders from Darran ambushed her clan, killing all the men and enslaving the women and children. For years, Rialla lived in bondage, serving her master while waiting for a chance to escape. When that chance came, she made the best of it--and fled to the mercenary nation of Sianim . . . Now she can strike back at her former masters. A lord in Darran seeks to outlaw slavery--but there are plots to kill him before he can. Rialla is chosen by the spymaster of Sianim to prevent the murder--and is plunged into a world of deadly magic, where gods walk in human form. Where her most trusted companions are not what they claim. And where Rialla could be enslaved again . . . As a spy, Rialla realizes the danger of her mission. As a former slave, she realizes she has no choice.

When Demons Walk ($4.79)

Sorceress. Lady. Mistress. Thief. Just call her an overachiever . . . Sham had spent most of her young life as sorceress and thief, stealing from Southwood's nobility to survive. Now Sham must face the greatest test of her skills . . . A killer has struck Southwood, claiming the lives of nobles. Lord Kerim, Reeve of Southwood, turns to Sham for help. Posing as his mistress, she delves behind castle walls to find the killer. But this murderer is no mortal--and Sham must use all of her magical wisdom to send the demon away. Because the city of Southwood has nowhere to hide--and no time to run . . .

Independent Authors

Celtic Evil: Roarke ($1.00), by Sierra Rose, is Book 1 in a 5 part paranormal/romantic suspense series, the Fitzgerald Brothers.

Once world famous young singers, the Fitzgerald brothers had it all until an evil Warlock killed parents & tore them apart. Now, 15 years later, the evil has returned to finish the job by either killing them or turning just one to his side and breaking the Circle they have been destined to form for centuries. This book is Roarke's tale. The fourth born son has been running from his past since the day he witnessed his parents deaths. Now, he's forced to return home to Ireland to reunite with his brothers & face the pain, guilt & shame that he's been running from before his chance for happiness, love & family is destroyed forever. However, it's unclear if the brothers combined magical powers will be enough to stop the Warlock before his evil takes another life or if the danger much closer to home will do his job for him. Roarke finds that he must learn to trust not only his brothers again but also himself if he hopes to fight and survive the battle that started 15 years prior. Only this fight may also claim the life of the woman he loves and the family he needs.

The Lost Secret of Fairies ($1.24), by Tiffany Turner, is the start of a new series, The Crystal Keeper Chronicles, aimed at children/teens.

Wanda had always read about adventure. Now she was in the middle of one. The World of Fairies is real, and she is their new Crystal Keeper, human caretaker to the World of Fairies. But the Fairy World is in trouble. The fairies are falling ill from the pollution that ravages the world above. Wanda has to find the key to their cure, before it is too late.

But like in all adventures, there are a few unanswered questions to solve. What has happened to the old Keeper? What are Germites? And can Wanda get used to her cat giving her backtalk while trying not to get grounded for helping the fairies? Join Wanda on her adventure, while she finds out that sometimes the best solution to a problem is the one you find within yourself.

The Holmes and Watson Mysterious Events and Objects Consortium: The Case of the Witch's Talisman ($1.99), by Elmore Hammes, is another young adult/children's title.

Kevin and Ginny are best friends. They enjoy spending their summer vacations exploring Sharper's Woods, coming up with neat experiments, pretending to be Sherlock Holmes and Mister Watson, and sometimes just sitting in the clubhouse of The Holmes and Watson Mysterious Events and Objects Consortium. They are the only members of the club, but that doesn't stop them from having fun.

Sometimes their exploring gets them into trouble, either for going somewhere they shouldn't have or by finding something that was better left unfound. In this case, it is a strange metal object, a talisman, which calls forth, unbeknownst to Kevin and Ginny, a powerful witch. The kids do know that weird events have been happening in their small town. Animals have been found dead, and then they disappear. The metal object they found has a strange effect on Ginny when she touches it. It will take all their detective skills and courage to solve the mystery, and to defeat the witch once they realize who they are up against.

Magazine

The July issue of Bards and Sages Quarterly is out and I like how they list their magazine as a "book" rather than in the Kindle Magazines section. This means you get access to the magazine on multiple Kindle devices, plus your back issues are yours forever (not just one machine and a few back issues, as with the subscriptions options). This is Volume 3 of this magazine (Volume 1 and Volume 2 are also available), all currently on sale for $3.19 each. Each issue promises to feature original fantasy, horror, and science fiction From the lighthearted to the heartbreaking, from the humorous to the horrific, fans of speculative fiction will find talented new voices in the genre within the pages of each issue.

This issue features an in depth interview with author David Lawrence, as well as his award-winning sci-fi story Blood of the World. Also in this issue:

Detective Matthews may be in for more than he bargained for when he reaches out to two scholars of ancient Egyptian lore and history for help investigating a bizarre murder as we continue with Alphonso Warden's Vita Nova Ex Stellis Veniet.

The Dubh Sithe looks to tighten the noose around Gwynne, who will need to call in few favors (and get the cooperation of a fickle mirror) just to stay alive in part three of William Meikle's Hair and Graces.

Author Eugie Foster gives readers a glimpse at how Chiya and Hikari discovered the truth of each other's unique abilities in part II of Gifts Not Asked For.

Plus plenty more original short fiction!

Gaming

I'm not sure when (or if) we'll see the Dungeons and Dragons rule books books on Kindle, if only because of the lack of support for color pictures and quick flipping of pages. However, that hasn't stopped at least a few entries for those playing role-fantasy games from starting to show up on Kindle. One is System Reference Document Spell List ($1.00). It won't help you learn the game and is short on description, but it is a thorough (and long) listing of spells for Wizards of the Coast.

This is the complete list of spells made available in the System Reference Document (SRD) and released under the original Open Game License (OGL) published by Wizards of the Coast (WoTC). This product is released under the OGL, and third-party publishers can use it as a reference for designing 3.5/OGL material. This is not an official WoTC product. It is published under the Open Game License.

Wayfinder is a new fanzine from Paizo publishing.

Created by the fans for the fans, the first issue of the Wayfinder fanzine includes more than thirty articles designed to expand upon the world of Golarion. Inside you will find original fiction, new prestige classes, sorcerer bloodlines, magic items, and traits—and this is just a small portion of what awaits you.

Originally released in print for attendees of PAIZOCON 2009, this PDF is your chance to enjoy what your fellow Paizonians have created for the community—for FREE! The PDF release of Wayfinder #1 is in full color and includes a special challenge by Tim "Timitius" Nightengale, organizer of the first PAIZOCON.

You'll need a free account to get the free PDF, HERE. Dig around their site a bit and you'll find bargains on (paper) back issues of Dungeon and Dragon, as well. Once you create your account, you should find all of these automatically added to your downloads page (all PDF), as well:

• The Pathfinder Character Traits Web Enhancement
• The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beta Playtest Edition Magic Items
• The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beta Playtest Edition Prestige Classes
• Pathfinder: Curse of the Crimson Throne Player's Guide
• Pathfinder: Rise of the Runelords Player's Guide (OGL)

Refurbished Kindle Reduced to $199

Amazon has just reduced the price of a Refurbished Kindle to $199.99. This is the original Kindle (Kindle 1 or Kindle Klassic, as some call it), which has a bit touchier keys and is thicker than the current Kindle, but has a better keyboard, an SD card for expansion and a user-replaceable battery, in addition to switches for turning off wireless access (easier to show on a plane that the wireless is off).

Device limited Kindle Books

Amazon has said all along that Kindle books are limited to six devices, not necessarily simultaneously, but in total. This limit isn't actually in the Terms of Service (I can't even find those for actual Kindle books, only for the Kindle device), but has been in the marketing materials and on the FAQ page under Kindle Support.

Most books and other non-subscription items you purchase from the Kindle store may be simultaneously accessed for your personal use on to up to six Kindles (or Kindle compatible devices) registered to your Amazon.com account.

If you reach the device limit and wish to replace one of your current devices with a new one, you must first deregister and delete the content from the device you wish to replace before you can access the content in question from your new device. Please see the "Registering Your Kindle" section of our Managing Your Kindle Settings Help page to learn how to register/deregister your Kindle. There is no limit on the number of times a title can be downloaded to a registered device.

It turns out that removing a license isn't all that simple and may not be possible at all for a device that you are simply no longer using, although they can be removed for devices that have been replaced. If you have a device break and are at the limit, you have to get Customer Service to remove the license from each book in your library, a process that is apparently done by hand, one book at a time. (Have these people never heard of computers, search engines and automated programs? There is no reason this could not be done by the end customer or at least in a more automated and faster fashion by Customer Support.)

Also implied in this paragraph is that some books won't allow six devices. In fact, each publisher may limit book purchases to fewer than six devices. In the past, you had to guess as to which books were limited, by simply trying to add six devices and hitting the limit, whatever it might be. This week, though, I started noticing this new disclaimer on many books:

• Simultaneous Device Usage: Up to 5 simultaneous devices, per publisher limits

It has been applied to a number of titles and a wide variety of publishers have apparently started entering limits. You would think that with four readers here, it wouldn't be a big deal - but we have six devices (four Kindles, plus a DX and one iPhone App). With the encouragement from Amazon to use the iPhone app and sync back and forth (which really only works well for an account with either a single reader or readers who never read the same book at the same time), plus hints of releasing a Kindle App for other devices (I want it on my Sprint Mogul, for example), I can easily see people hitting the device limits with only 3 active readers (and for whatever odd reason, I know of at least one Kindle reader who has three actual Kindle devices, reading different material on each one or multiple at a time - not unreasonable for research or studying purposes, really, or for a professional editor).

I've spot checked the books in my library and have found this limitation on a surprising number of them -- mostly independent authors using DTP and some that are using Amazon's CreateSpace as the publisher (I suspect they must actually use the Amazon DTP services to get their books on Kindle, however). But other independent authors do not have such limits set, which leads me to believe that these authors are intentionally limiting the use of their books - which begs the question, why are they picking five versus the default of six? Is there some (perhaps new) setting in the DTP system that is misleading authors into thinking that they are being the least restrictive by picking "five" as the device limit (perhaps leaving that selection as blank yields the six-device limit). I suspect (hope) a misunderstanding of the process has lead to all these books being limited to five devices, as only one single book that I checked had any other number as the limit (Gluten-Free Girl: How I Found the Food That Loves Me Back...And How You Can Too, which I purchased many months ago, has a 4 device limit; so did all the other Kindle books from the same publisher, Wiley).

Here's a quick summary of just the books I've bought this month (which mainly shows, I think, that I buy too many books; in my defense, many of them were free), by limitation and "publisher." There is only one obvious DTP publisher in the default limitations list (and that one appears to be listed from mobipocket.com), while almost all those with limits appear to be self-published (one of which is Chris Anderson's FREE: The Future of a Radical Price). The number in parenthesis is the count of books purchased from that publisher, if greater than one.

No/default device limitations

Mike Darretta (DTP; mobipocket.com)
Samhain Publishing, Ltd (2)
Scribner Ebooks
Aspect
St. Martin's Press
Harlequin
Aladdin
Tor Books
Good News Publishers/Crossway Books
Public Domain Books (3)
Harvard Business School
Ballantine Books
Delacorte Press

Limited to Five Devices

Penguin/Putnam/NAL (3)
Hyperion e-books
AuthorHouse
CreateSpace

However, I don't think that in many cases it is the actual publisher who is setting the limitation, but the author (and one who is using Amazon DTP). Lee Golderg's latest book, My Gun Has Bullets, for example has the five device limit and claims to be from St. Martin's Press (but is priced as an indie/DTP book), yet a book I purchased earlier in the month with the same publisher does not have the limit (sorry Lee, your book just happened to get used in this example!). The three from Penguin/Putnam/NAL all all one author, who has stated on another board that he owns the digital rights, so I suspect that he is the actual publisher. Chris Anderson's book is from Hyperion and the last two are obvious DTP published independent authors.

The other possibility is that Amazon themselves has (hopefully, mistakenly) added this limitation. I've spot checked books going back several months and found this 5-device limit on nearly every DTP/indie authored book that I checked (the earliest of which I purchased last August).

So, if you are an indie author using DTP, let me know: Did you set this limit on purpose? Or is Amazon unfairly limiting books published independently? Are you going to let Amazon know you are unhappy about this?

If you are a reader: What do you think of the new limits? Is it fair to be applied retroactively? Are you going to let Amazon know you are unhappy about this (please, no boycotts - just vote with your purchases)?

Almost Free Ebook - God is Closer Than You Think

God is Closer Than You Think, by Mike Darretta, is available for the Kindle and at Mobipocket for non-Kindle mobi-compatible ereaders (including your PC) and PDA's. It isn't quite free - it'll cost you a single penny (the lowest price allowed in the Mobipocket store). If your credit card is one that doesn't allow such small charges (due to it's fraud protection rules), you can easily buy a Kindle Gift Certificate, send it to yourself via email, then apply it to your account. I find that this makes it a lot easier to check my credit card statement, as well as to stick to a budget for Amazon books.

Book Description
People often view God as a harsh and judgmental God. Read the biblical book of Leviticus and you just might agree. Leviticus presents a God who seems distant and unapproachable, someone you would not want to get close to. But, as Mike Darretta points out, "we live in a day where God is no longer distant, but near". But what has changed? What has brought God near to you and me? In God is Closer Than You Think, you will discover why God is near and is someone you would want to have a close, meaningful friendship with.