Assalamualaikum
My question is regarding whether selling a book through Amazon’s self-publishing platform is Halaal, here are the details:
What is it?
In a nutshell, a publisher uploads a digital manuscript of their book onto Amazon, and Amazon creates a product page for the book, where the description, price, sample pages, reviews, front & back cover pictures are shown to the customer. Click this link to see an example of a Book product page
Through the Amazon website a customer is able to purchase the book as an ebook (electronic kindle version) and as a paperback (softcover book). If the customer selects the paperback option and makes a purchase then Amazon prints the book on demand and sends it to the customer.
Also note the following:
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Amazon pay the royalty to the publisher when the book ships in response to a paid customer order.
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If the customer subsequently returns the book to Amazon or cancells the order after the book has been printed, no amount is deducted from the publisher’s account. Amazon either disposes of the book, or puts it on a warehouse shelf to fill the next customer order (therefore, Amazon doesn’t pay rolyalties to the publisher a second time for the same book held in their inventory due to a return or cancellation if that is sold. (If no one ever buys said book again Amazon is stuck with the loss.))
Amazon is taking all the risk here. There are no costs to the Publisher - it is like the Publisher permits (grants a licence) for Amazon to sell their book as an Ebook or Paperback in return of royalties (a percentage from the profits).
Kindly, please let me know if selling using Amazon’s self-publishing platform is Halaal (including the print-on-demand paperback system)? (I am Hanafi)
@Mufti_Billal @Mufti_Faraz_Adam Jazaakallahu khayr
