I’ll be the first to admit I could have been a little more timely with this article, but I just read it myself. Regardless, having personally suffered the negative effects of the whims of Amazon (when they recently removed all of my reviews), I am that much more ready to stand up to them.
I urge indie authors to take back their power and say “no” to Amazon KDP Select and KU. Amazon is not looking out for you; they are only looking out for their own interests, and I, for one, think that Jeff Bezos has more than enough money. You are doing all of the work. You should enjoy the fruits of your labor and not have to worry about Amazon squeezing you to increase their profits. As authors, you need to stick together and trust your readers to support you and other indie authors. As for me, I will continue to turn away all offers for Kindle Unlimited because I think you deserve more than 1/2-penny per page!
2018 Book Publishing Predictions – Are Indie Authors Losing their Independence?
Welcome to my annual publishing predictions post where I prognosticate about the future and share my views on the state of the indie nation.
Each year around this time I polish off my imaginary crystal ball and ask it what the heck is going to happen next.
My crystal ball was a bit surly this year. The first thing it told me was, “you don’t want to know.” Less than helpful.
The second thing it told me was, “Re-reread your 2017 predictions. 2018 is going to play out as a continuation of last year.”
That’s a little more helpful. Most of my predictions for 2017 were pretty close.
When I think about the future, I start by looking at the past and then I look for patterns and trends.
What are the entrenched macro trends and forces that, like gravity, are likely to continue in the same direction for many years to come? And how will these trends impact what they touch, and how will that change the course of the future?
It’s a fun exercise, even when what I see doesn’t fit within the rim of rose-colored glasses.
By imagining possible outcomes, we can formulate strategies for the future, or we can take steps to prevent that future from happening.
Things are tough out there for most authors.
This is nothing new. Authorship has always been a tough business. Even before the rise of indie authorship, most traditionally published authors still had to maintain day jobs to make ends meet. (continue reading…)
The Marginatrix 