How Filmmakers Can Make $ on Amazon.com

In addition to writing THE ONE BOOK EVERY NON-STUDIO FILMMAKER MUST OWN about distribution in this new digital age, Jon Reiss maintains a blog where pioneering filmmakers share their secrets. On Feb. 17th, 2011, Jon Reiss got documentary filmmaker Jed Riffe to write a guest post based on his experiences selling films on Amazon.com entitled "How to Maximize Revenue Selling on Amazon." In his guest post, Jed Riffe lays it out very clearly, recommending filmmakers open an Individual Seller account (it only costs .99 cents plus a referral fee for each sale). But Jed doesn't stop there. Here's a sample of just how specific (and helpful) Jed's advice gets: "If you want to receive the most from each DVD sale on Amazon, and you want to capture the mailing address of each purchase then you have to set up the listings so that you fulfill it yourself. It takes me less than 3 minutes to go online, confirm shipment, copy the mailing address into my address book, then to an Avery label, put the DVD and sales sheet into the envelope and put on four “Forever” (.44 cents) USPS stamps. For doing this, in addition to capturing the mailing address of the consumer, I receive $22.40 for each sale. The buyer pays $24.95 plus $2.98 as a “shipping credit” which is a little more than the actual price of postage that also covers the shipping envelope and label."

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