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# Amazon: A Life Saver?
- URL: https://www.philsimon.com/amazon-a-life-saver/
- Published: 2012-06-26T13:35:27.000Z
- Updated: 2025-07-01T20:36:53.000Z
- Description: A simply amazing story of how one author used Amazon platform's.
- Author: Phil Simon
- Tags: Platforms, Publishing, Amazon, Frenemies, The Age of the Platform, Facebook/Meta, Google

Amazon takes a great deal of flak these days for a wide variety of reasons. Many think that it's a *de facto* monopoly when [it's not](https://www.philsimon.com/are-amazon-apple-facebook-and-google-monopolies/). Independent book store owners are rife with contempt for the Seattle-based giant. For their part, investors wonder why CEO and founder Jeff Bezos seems strangely allergic to a little thing called [*profits*](https://ben-evans.com/benedictevans/2014/9/4/why-amazon-has-no-profits-and-why-it-works?ref=philsimon.com).

Say what you will about the company but many authors find it increasingly empowering. Case in point: Jessica Park. She published five books with traditional publishers and felt depressed when they wouldn't pick up [*Flat-Out Love*](https://www.amazon.com/Flat-Out-Love-Jessica-Park-ebook/dp/B004W9BYR8?ref=philsimon.com). She did it herself via Amazon and you can read her incredibly inspirational tale [here](https://ht.ly/bG2pU?ref=philsimon.com).

[Phil Simon: Google Reader and the Tension Between Users and CustomersDon’t confuse one for the other.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8f/b5/8fb5e321-49a6-4cf5-8a28-c6f6d5417e54/content/images/icon/cropped-newlogo-128.png)Phil Simon![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/8f/b5/8fb5e321-49a6-4cf5-8a28-c6f6d5417e54/content/images/thumbnail/google.jpg)](https://www.philsimon.com/blog/management/google-reader-and-the-tension-between-users-and-customers/)

## Simon Says 

> Today's powerful platforms disintermediate established powers-that-be.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Today's powerful platforms disintermediate established powers-that-be. In the case of Amazon, count bookstores and traditional publishers among the many with axes to grind. And Amazon is continuing the disruption in the publishing arena, [signing big-name authors like Tim Ferris to book deals](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/17/technology/amazon-set-to-publish-tim-ferriss.html?ref=philsimon.com).

Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google (the Gang of Four) have many detractors. However, I'd bet that they're probably many more advocates. Regardless of your stance, when you read a story like Jessica Park's, how can you not be moved?