To our shareowners:
The Power of Invention
发明的力量
“To us, the value of Amazon Web Services is undeniable – in twenty seconds, we can double our server capacity. In a high-growth environment like ours and with a small team of developers, it’s very important for us to trust that we have the best support to give to the music community around the world. Five years ago, we would have crashed and been down without knowing when we would be back. Now, because of Amazon’s continued innovation, we can provide the best technology and continue to grow.” That’s Christopher Tholen, the Chief Technology Officer of BandPage. His comments about how AWS helps with the critical need to scale compute capacity quickly and reliably are not hypothetical: BandPage now helps 500,000 bands and artists connect with tens of millions of fans.
“对我们而言，Amazon Web Services 的价值不言而喻——只需二十秒，我们就能将服务器容量翻倍。在像我们这样高速增长且开发团队规模很小的环境中，能够确信自己拥有为全球音乐社区提供最佳支持的能力至关重要。五年前，我们会在系统崩溃后不知何时才能恢复。而现在，得益于 Amazon 持续不断的创新，我们能够提供最先进的技术并持续成长。” 这段话来自 BandPage 的首席技术官 Christopher Tholen。他所谈到的 AWS 在快速可靠扩展计算能力方面的关键作用并非假设：如今 BandPage 已帮助 500,000 支乐队和艺术家与数千万粉丝建立联系。
“So, I started selling on Amazon in April of 2011, and by the time we became the top Amazon lunchbox seller in June, we had between 50 and 75 orders a day. When we hit August and September – our busiest time, with the start of the school year – we had 300, sometimes 500 orders a day. It was just phenomenal… I’m using Amazon to fulfill my orders, which makes my life easier. Plus, when my customers found out they could get free shipping with Prime subscriptions, the lunchboxes began selling like crazy.” Kelly Lester is the “mom entrepreneur” of EasyLunchboxes, her own innovative line of easy-to-pack, environmentally friendly lunchbox containers.
“我在 2011 年 4 月开始在 Amazon 上销售产品，到 6 月份我们成为 Amazon 午餐盒类目的销售冠军时，每天已经有 50 到 75 个订单。到了 8 月和 9 月，也就是开学季最忙的时候，我们每天有 300 个订单，有时甚至达 500 个，简直不可思议…… 我使用 Amazon 来完成订单履约，这让我的生活轻松了很多。而且当顾客发现他们订阅 Prime 就能享受免运费时，午餐盒的销量就开始疯狂增长。” Kelly Lester 是 EasyLunchboxes 的“妈妈创业者”，她创立了这条易于打包、环保友好的午餐盒创新产品线。
“I sort of stumbled onto it, and it opened a whole new world for me. Since I had over a thousand \[book] titles at my house, I thought, ‘I’ll give this a try.’ I sold some and I kept expanding it and expanding it, and come to find out this was so much fun I decided I don’t ever want to get another job again. And I’ve got no boss – other than my wife, that is. What could be better than that? We actually work together on this. We both go out hunting, so it’s a team effort that’s worked out very well. We sell about 700 books a month. We ship between 800 and 900 to Amazon each month and Amazon ships out the 700 that people buy. Without Amazon handling shipping and customer service, my wife and I would have to be running to the post office or someplace every day with dozens of packages. With that part taken care of for us, life is much simpler… This is a terrific program and I love it. After all, Amazon supplies the customers and even ships the books. I mean, how can it get better than that?” Bob Frank founded RJF Books and More after getting laid off in the midst of the economic downturn. He and his wife split their time between Phoenix and Minneapolis, and he describes finding the books he sells like “a treasure hunt every day.”
“我算是偶然发现了这个机会，它为我打开了全新的世界。我家里有一千多本书，于是我想，‘不如试试看。’我卖掉了一些，然后不断扩大规模，结果发现这实在太有趣了，我再也不想找其他工作了。而且我没有老板——当然除了我妻子之外。还有什么能比这更好的呢？我们实际上是一起做这件事，我们俩都会出去“寻宝”，所以这是一次合作非常顺利的团队努力。我们每个月大约能卖出 700 本书。我们每月向 Amazon 发货 800 到 900 本，Amazon 再把其中 700 本寄给买家。如果没有 Amazon 负责发货和客户服务，我和妻子每天都得抱着几十个包裹跑邮局或者其他地方。有了这部分帮助，生活简单多了…… 这真是一个了不起的项目，我爱死它了。毕竟，Amazon 提供客户资源，还负责发书。我是说，这还能更好吗？” Bob Frank 在经济低迷期间被裁员后创立了 RJF Books and More。他和妻子在凤凰城和明尼阿波利斯之间两地生活，他把寻找要出售的书籍形容为“每天都像在寻宝”。
“Because of Kindle Direct Publishing, I earn more royalties in one month than I ever did in a year of writing for a traditional house. I have gone from worrying about if I will be able to pay the bills – and there were many months when I couldn’t – to finally having real savings, even thinking about a vacation; something I haven’t done in years… Amazon has allowed me to really spread my wings. Prior, I was boxed into a genre, yet I had all of these other books I wanted to write. Now I can do just that. I manage my career. I feel as if I finally have a partner in Amazon. They understand this business and have changed the face of publishing for the good of the writer and the reader, putting choices back into our hands.” That’s A. K. Alexander, author of Daddy’s Home, one of the top 100 best-selling Kindle books in March.
“多亏了 Kindle Direct Publishing，我现在一个月赚到的版税就超过了过去在传统出版社写作一年所能获得的全部收入。我再也不用担心付账单的问题——过去好多个月我都付不起——现在终于有了真正的储蓄，甚至开始考虑去度假；这是我多年未曾奢望的事…… Amazon 让我真正展翅高飞。以前我被限定在某一类型，但我还有很多其他书想写。现在我可以做到。我自己掌控职业生涯。我感觉自己终于在 Amazon 找到了合作伙伴。他们了解这个行业，并且为了作者和读者的利益改变了出版的面貌，把选择权重新交还到我们手中。” 这段话来自《Daddy’s Home》作者 A. K. Alexander，该书在三月份跻身 Kindle 畅销书前 100 名。
“I had no idea that March of 2010, the first month I decided to publish on KDP, would be a defining moment in my life. Within a year of doing so, I was making enough on a monthly basis to quit my day job and focus on writing full time! The rewards that have sprung out of deciding to publish through KDP have been nothing short of life changing. Financially. Personally. Emotionally. Creatively. The ability to write full time, to be home with my family, and to write exactly what I want without the input of a legacy publisher marketing committee wanting to have a say in every detail of my writing, has made me a stronger writer, a more prolific writer, and most importantly a far happier one…. Amazon and KDP are literally enabling creativity in the publishing world and giving writers like me a shot at their dream, and for that I am forever grateful.” That’s Blake Crouch, author of several thrillers, including the Kindle best seller Run.
“我完全没想到 2010 年 3 月——我决定在 KDP 发布作品的第一个月——会成为我人生的转折点。在那之后不到一年，我每月赚到的收入就足以让我辞掉白天的工作，全职写作！选择通过 KDP 发布带来的回报堪称改变人生：财务上、个人上、情感上、创意上。能够全职写作、留在家里陪伴家人，并且完全按照自己的想法写作，而不用让传统出版社的市场委员会对我的作品每个细节指手画脚，让我成为了更强大、更高产、更重要的是更快乐的作家…… Amazon 和 KDP 实实在在地在出版界释放了创造力，让像我这样的作者有机会追逐梦想，对此我感激不尽。” 这段话来自多部惊悚小说作者 Blake Crouch，他的作品包括 Kindle 畅销书《Run》。
“Amazon has made it possible for authors like me to get their work in front of readers and has changed my life. In a little over a year, I have sold nearly 250,000 books through the Kindle and have traded in old dreams for bigger and better ones. Four of my books have hit the Top 100 Kindle Best Sellers List. Also, I have been approached by agents, foreign sales people, and two movie producers, and have received mentions in the LA Times, Wall Street Journal, and PC Magazine, and was recently interviewed by USA Today. Mostly, I am excited that all writers now have the opportunity to get their work in front of readers without jumping through insurmountable hoops. Writers have more options and readers have more choices. The publishing world is changing fast, and I plan to enjoy every minute of the ride.” Theresa Ragan is the KDP author of multiple Kindle best sellers including Abducted.
“Amazon 让像我这样的作者有机会把作品呈现在读者面前，彻底改变了我的生活。短短一年多时间，我通过 Kindle 售出了近 25 万本书，把曾经的小梦想换成了更大更美好的梦想。我的四本书登上了 Kindle 畅销书前 100 名。与此同时，我也收到了经纪人、海外版权代理人和两位电影制片人的联系，并出现在《洛杉矶时报》《华尔街日报》和《PC Magazine》的报道中，最近还接受了《今日美国》的采访。最让我兴奋的是，现在所有作者都有机会把作品直接呈现给读者，而无需跨越难以逾越的障碍。作者拥有更多选择，读者也有更多选择。出版界正在迅速变化，而我计划享受这趟旅程的每一分钟。” Theresa Ragan 是多部 Kindle 畅销书（包括《Abducted》）的 KDP 作者。
“Past age 60 and in the midst of the recession, my wife and I found our income options severely limited. KDP was my one shot at a lifelong dream – our only chance at financial salvation. Within months of publishing, KDP has completely changed our lives, enabling this aging nonfiction writer to launch a brand-new career as a best-selling novelist. I can’t say enough on behalf of Amazon and the many tools that they make available to independent authors. Without reservation, I urge fellow writers to investigate and seize the opportunities that KDP offers. As I’ve happily discovered, there is zero downside risk – and the potential is virtually unlimited.” Robert Bidinotto is the author of the Kindle best seller Hunter: A Thriller.
“在 60 多岁、身处经济衰退期时，我和妻子的收入来源变得极其有限。KDP 是我实现毕生梦想的唯一机会——也是我们财务救赎的唯一希望。在发布作品后的短短几个月内，KDP 就彻底改变了我们的生活，让这个年迈的非虚构作家开启了一段畅销小说家的全新职业生涯。我无法用言语表达对 Amazon 以及他们为独立作者提供的丰富工具的感激之情。我毫无保留地敦促同行作家去了解并抓住 KDP 提供的机会。正如我愉快地发现的那样，这里没有任何下行风险，而潜力几乎无限。” Robert Bidinotto 是 Kindle 畅销书《Hunter: A Thriller》的作者。
“I leveraged KDP’s technology to blow through all the traditional gatekeepers. Can you imagine how that feels, after struggling so hard, for so long, for every … single … reader? Now, inspirational fiction lovers I never would have reached are enjoying Nobody and my other two novels from the Kindle Store at \$2.99. I’ve always wanted to write a Cinderella story. Now I have. And, thanks to Prince Charming (KDP), there will be more to come…” Creston Mapes is the author of the Kindle best seller Nobody.
“我利用 KDP 的技术突破了所有传统的守门人。你能想象这种感觉吗？在为每一位读者辛苦奋斗了那么久之后，现在我以前永远触及不到的励志小说爱好者正以 2.99 美元的价格在 Kindle Store 阅读 Nobody 和我另外两本小说。我一直想写一部灰姑娘的故事，现在我做到了。而且，多亏了 Prince Charming (KDP)，后续还会有更多作品问世……” Creston Mapes 是 Kindle 畅销书 Nobody 的作者。
Invention comes in many forms and at many scales. The most radical and transformative of inventions are often those that empower others to unleash their creativity – to pursue their dreams. That’s a big part of what’s going on with Amazon Web Services, Fulfillment by Amazon, and Kindle Direct Publishing. With AWS, FBA, and KDP, we are creating powerful self-service platforms that allow thousands of people to boldly experiment and accomplish things that would otherwise be impossible or impractical. These innovative, large-scale platforms are not zero-sum – they create win-win situations and create significant value for developers, entrepreneurs, customers, authors, and readers.
发明以多种形式和不同规模出现。最激进、最具变革性的发明往往是那些赋能他人释放创造力、追逐梦想的发明。这正是 Amazon Web Services、Fulfillment by Amazon 以及 Kindle Direct Publishing 正在发生的事情。借助 AWS、FBA 和 KDP，我们正在打造强大的自助式平台，让成千上万的人大胆试验，达成原本不可能或不切实际的目标。这些创新的大规模平台并非零和游戏——它们创造双赢局面，为开发者、创业者、客户、作者和读者带来巨大的价值。
Amazon Web Services has grown to have thirty different services and thousands of large and small businesses and individual developers as customers. One of the first AWS offerings, the Simple Storage Service, or S3, now holds over 900 billion data objects, with more than a billion new objects being added every day. S3 routinely handles more than 500,000 transactions per second and has peaked at close to a million transactions per second. All AWS services are pay-as-you-go and radically transform capital expense into a variable cost. AWS is self-service: you don’t need to negotiate a contract or engage with a salesperson – you can just read the online documentation and get started. AWS services are elastic – they easily scale up and easily scale down.
Amazon Web Services 如今提供三十项不同的服务，客户包括成千上万家大大小小的企业和个人开发者。作为 AWS 最早的服务之一，Simple Storage Service（S3）现已存储超过 9000 亿个数据对象，并且每天新增超过 10 亿个对象。S3 常态下每秒处理超过 500,000 次事务，高峰时接近每秒 100 万次。所有 AWS 服务均按需付费，将资本支出彻底转变为可变成本。AWS 是自助式的：你无需签合同或与销售人员接洽——只需阅读在线文档即可开始使用。AWS 服务具备弹性——能够轻松扩容，也能轻松缩减。
In just the last quarter of 2011, Fulfillment by Amazon shipped tens of millions of items on behalf of sellers. When sellers use FBA, their items become eligible for Amazon Prime, for Super Saver Shipping, and for Amazon returns processing and customer service. FBA is self-service and comes with an easy-to-use inventory management console as part of Amazon Seller Central. For the more technically inclined, it also comes with a set of APIs so that you can use our global fulfillment center network like a giant computer peripheral.
仅在 2011 年的最后一个季度，Fulfillment by Amazon 就代表卖家发出了数千万件商品。卖家使用 FBA 后，其商品即符合 Amazon Prime、Super Saver Shipping 以及 Amazon 退货处理和客户服务的资格。FBA 是自助式的，并在 Amazon Seller Central 中提供一个易于使用的库存管理控制台。对于技术能力更强的卖家，它还提供一套 API，使你能够像使用大型计算机外设一样利用我们遍布全球的履约中心网络。
I am emphasizing the self-service nature of these platforms because it’s important for a reason I think is somewhat non-obvious: even well-meaning gatekeepers slow innovation. When a platform is self-service, even the improbable ideas can get tried, because there’s no expert gatekeeper ready to say “that will never work!” And guess what – many of those improbable ideas do work, and society is the beneficiary of that diversity.
我强调这些平台的自助特性，是因为有一个也许并不显而易见的重要原因：即便是善意的守门人，也会拖慢创新。当平台是自助式的，哪怕看似不可能的想法也能得到实践，因为没有“这肯定行不通！”的专家守门人挡在门前。结果如何？——许多看似不可能的想法确实成功了，而社会正是这种多样性的受益者。
Kindle Direct Publishing has quickly taken on astonishing scale – more than a thousand KDP authors now each sell more than a thousand copies a month, some have already reached hundreds of thousands of sales, and two have already joined the Kindle Million Club. KDP is a big win for authors. Authors who use KDP get to keep their copyrights, keep their derivative rights, get to publish on their schedule – a typical delay in traditional publishing can be a year or more from the time the book is finished – and … saving the best for last … KDP authors can get paid royalties of 70%. The largest traditional publishers pay royalties of only 17.5% on ebooks (they pay 25% of 70% of the selling price which works out to be 17.5% of the selling price). The KDP royalty structure is completely transformative for authors. A typical selling price for a KDP book is a reader-friendly \$2.99 – authors get approximately \$2 of that! With the legacy royalty of 17.5%, the selling price would have to be \$11.43 to yield the same \$2 per unit royalty. I assure you that authors sell many, many more copies at \$2.99 than they would at \$11.43.
Kindle Direct Publishing 已迅速发展到惊人的规模——如今已有一千多位 KDP 作者每月销量超过一千本，其中一些人的总销量已达数十万本，另有两位作者跻身 “Kindle 百万俱乐部”。KDP 对作者而言是一次巨大胜利：使用 KDP 的作者保留版权和衍生权，可按自己的时间表出版——在传统出版中，书稿完成后通常要等待一年或更久才能上市——而且……最后再来重磅好消息……KDP 作者可获得 70% 的版税。最大的传统出版社在电子书上只支付 17.5% 版税（即付给作者销售价的 25%×70%，折合 17.5%）。KDP 的版税结构对作者来说具有颠覆性。KDP 书籍的常见定价是对读者友好的 2.99 美元——作者能拿到大约 2 美元！如果沿用 17.5% 的传统版税，要拿到同样 2 美元，每本书就得卖到 11.43 美元。我保证，作者在 2.99 美元的价位能卖出远远多于 11.43 美元时的销量。
Kindle Direct Publishing is good for readers because they get lower prices, but perhaps just as important, readers also get access to more diversity since authors that might have been rejected by establishment publishing channels now get their chance in the marketplace. You can get a pretty good window into this. Take a look at the Kindle best-seller list, and compare it to the New York Times best-seller list – which is more diverse? The Kindle list is chock-full of books from small presses and self-published authors, while the New York Times list is dominated by successful and established authors.
KDP 对读者也同样利好，因为他们能享受到更低的价格，但也许同样重要的是，读者还能接触到更丰富的作品——那些可能被传统出版渠道拒之门外的作者，如今都有机会进入市场。对此你可以很直观地看到：看看 Kindle 畅销书榜，再对比《纽约时报》畅销书榜——哪一个更加多元？Kindle 榜上满是来自小型出版社和自出版作者的书，而《纽约时报》榜则由成功且已成名的作者占据主导。
Amazonians are leaning into the future, with radical and transformational innovations that create value for thousands of authors, entrepreneurs, and developers. Invention has become second nature at Amazon, and in my view the team’s pace of innovation is even accelerating – I can assure you it’s very energizing. I’m extremely proud of the whole team, and feel lucky to have a front row seat.
Amazon 人正面向未来，以激进而变革性的创新为成千上万的作者、创业者和开发者创造价值。发明已成为 Amazon 的第二天性，在我看来团队的创新步伐正在加速——这无疑令人振奋。我为整个团队感到无比自豪，也很庆幸自己能坐在这场盛事的前排。
As always, I attach a copy of our original 1997 letter. Our approach remains the same, and it’s still Day 1!
一如既往，我随信附上 1997 年的原始股东信副本。我们的方式始终如初，而现在仍然是 Day 1！
Jeffrey P. Bezos
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Amazon.com, Inc.