I can't help but to feel that becoming a full-time author is a pipe dream. So few authors make a living off of their work, and the starving artist persona is very much alive today.
But more and more artists are breaking the mold on what's possible. They're becoming content creators, entrepreneurs, publishers as well as authors. For the past several months, I've listened to podcasts, watched YouTube videos, and paid close attention to the market, and I see a movement happening that I want to be a part of. It's scary, but I got to shoot my shot.
I've taken the print versions of all my books off Amazon and am moving towards selling my books directly through my website only.
I've already sold some books through the my square site here, but now that will be the only place to get print copies. I plan to move everything to this wix site and also include ebook versions in the future, but the timeline for that is yet to be determined.
There are many reasons behind this decision, though a big one is that I hate Amazon like the next person. Amazon has become so dominant in the book market that I'm sure many people are thinking I'm shooting myself in the foot by leaving the platform. But with Amazon's dominance comes certain risks. They have the power to change their terms and conditions to the detriment of authors, and I want to reduce this risk by controlling the distribution process (and I get more money per book that way).
Many of the most successful indie authors are slaves to the Amazon algorithm, writing and releasing books every three months so they stay relevant. I can't sustain that pace nor do I want to because it would surely be to the detriment of my books. I need to pursue other business models, and I believe selling only direct is one part of that chain.
As I embark on this new chapter, I want to express my gratitude for your continued support. My decision to remove the print versions of my books from Amazon and move towards direct sales is driven by a desire to maintain creative and financial control over my work so I continue sharing the stories you and I both love. While the transition may take some time and will be new for both of us, I believe it will ultimately be worth it.
Stay tuned for updates on the future of my ebook availability, and in the meantime, I look forward to this exciting new journey where we can share in the passion of storytelling together. Thank you for being a part of my literary adventure, and I can't wait to see where this path leads us.