Goodbye Kindle Select, Hello Bargains on Smashwords

I love Amazon. Really! I buy a lot of stuff from them, including books, of course.

But the restrictions on my setting prices to have a book in the nebulous KDP/KU programs chafed by (fill in anatomical part here). Every book I have is available at Amazon whether or not it's in the Kindle Select program.

All of my books are now available through Smashwords, and are in their distribution circle. Because of the VAT being added to the price of ebooks for European markets, I repriced the books to make up for it. I didn't sit with the VAT percentage per country list and try to figure it out. Can't do that for a single book. Do I deduct the VAT for France or the VAT for the UK?

I could do that at Smashwords because the royalty percentage does not drop from 70% to 35% below $2.99 (USD). I can't adjust my prices to give the Euro market a break without cutting my royalty in half. Yes, some of my books are already less than the $2.99 minimum. You won't find my short stories priced at $2.99. Just can't do it. It'd be like those boxes of cereal only half full because the packaging makes them look like there's more even if there isn't.

If my book is $5.99 at Amazon, it's $5.50 at Smashwords (and all other distributors)
* Witches of Galdorheim Boxed set is only $2.50 at Smashwords until Valentines Day using coupon MX85B at checkout.

If  my book is $2.99 at Amazon, it's $2.50 at Smashwords (and all other distributors)

If my book is $1.99 at Amazon, it's $1.75 at Smashwords (and all other distributors)

$0.99 books are $0.99 everywhere.

I do have two works (they're not full-length books) only at Amazon since they are still under the Select program. They are both story samplers. All stories in these are also available in Mixed Bag and Mixed Bag II. Both are $0.99.

Lemons and Other Kid Tales

Fish Story: A Three Story Sampler