First Word

Today is royalty payment day. As I'm collecting information from the sales channels and most specifically Apple iTunes Connect I want to write Apple this letter: Dear iTunes Connect, Why? Sincerely, Michelle Why? is a very simple and direct question to ask about their stupid sales and tracking system. Unlike Nook or Kindle, the geniuses over at Apple seem to think they're more clever than the rest of us. They created a sales reporting system that doesn't show what was sold and when! It's strictly a total. Nothing tracks back to the actual product sold and when. The number of products (iBooks) sold is completely disconnected and you can't tell if payment has been remitted either. If I want to know the payment remittance I have to check my business account. I'm hoping my complaints somehow receive the light of day and either A. someone changes the system or B. I'm the one who just doesn't know where the "easy" reporting system is located...

Keep it Simple Stupid... how many times did I hear that in high school? We'll distill this down to keep it simple, period. I'm not a fan of calling anyone stupid -- although some moments warrant the descriptor or moniker depends on how you use the name. So here is my real point. I've been learning our back-end systems at 3L Publishing , which includes the remittance functions for our vendors. Money is important after all. So in my intrepid exploration of the systems, I have constantly run into Apple-related (I won't be kind because honestly they earned it) stupidity. I am specifically talking about their two silos, which should be one system (take a hint from Kindle): iTunes Connect and iTunes Producer. First, let me express my disappointment that any Apple-related product be this disconnected and "dysfunctional". I'm a Mac diehard since the Mac resembled an over-sized lunchbox turned upright on my desk. I use all Apple products. I'm a fan. I am NOT...