The Nod/Wells Timelines Omnibus Editions and The Amazon Conundrum

I have a few things I'd like to cover that are somewhat related, so I'm combining them into this single post:

First, I'm pleased to report the official release dates for my previously-announced omnibus editions.

• "The Nod/Wells Timelines - Volume 2" - June 2, 2026
• "The Nod/Wells Timelines - Volume 3" - January 5, 2027

Volume 1 - Volume 2 - Volume 3

It's also worth noting that the eBook edition of "The Nod/Wells Timelines - Volume 1" is currently available for just $2.99 (US) worldwide from a variety of online stores until the end of March.

As expected, producing and publishing these omnibus editions has taken a fair amount of time and effort but I'm very happy with the results, and excited for a whole new wave of readers to experience The Timelines due to their increased availability.

Along those lines, I wanted to talk a little about Amazon and the complex relationship I have with it as an independent, self-published author. For those of you who aren't interested in the nuts-and-bolts behind-the-scenes aspects of writing and publishing, feel free to skip the rest of this post but there are a few things I've been wanting to say publicly on the subject and this strikes me as a perfect opportunity to do so.

To address the elephant in the room, I know it's become rather fashionable to paint Amazon with a wide brush, portraying it as a sort of irredeemable, monstrous entity for a variety of arguably-valid reasons; however, in the interest of being fair and honest, I believe it's important to not overlook or be completely dismissive of the good the company has done for authors such as myself over the years. The simple truth is that I owe a lot of my success to Amazon and the self-publishing infrastructure it's built and maintained for decades. Was a lot of that done by it for less-than-wholesome reasons? Perhaps, but at the end of the day, many authors who otherwise never would have had a comparable opportunity to have their works published, presented, and sold to a global audience unquestionably benefited from the arrangement, myself included.

That being said, I am very aware of the reasons why many people choose to not shop at Amazon these days, which is why I've done everything I realistically can to provide as many legitimate alternatives as possible for those interested in acquiring editions of my works, particularly where paperbacks and eBooks are concerned.

Still, I find myself lamenting the decline of Amazon as I believe it will ultimately harm newer and less popular authors, who will certainly struggle to reach potential readers in a way those of us who were present on Amazon during its heyday never did. I can't help feeling a bit sad and sorry for those people, knowing how long and hard I struggled to build an audience even with that advantage, and that no similarly-effective option currently exists to fill the void being created by Amazon's gradual but seemingly-inevitable collapse.

I do see some hope for the future with the rise of book marketplaces like Kobo and Bookshop.org, and alternatives to Goodreads like The Book Radar and The StoryGraph, however, even the best of those platforms still have a long way to go to achieve a significant fraction of the relevance those entities still have despite their diminishing influence. The thing is, Amazon and Goodreads aren't actually going anywhere any time soon, even if they continue to hemorrhage marketshare, because their brand recognition is simply too strong but that's only really useful for established authors and publishers, who already have similar brands and name recognition of their own. Thus, those places are increasingly akin to traditional bookstore chains like Barnes & Noble, where only the big names, and the occasional indie darling, have any real chance of success. What's really being lost by Amazon's implosion is the generally-level playing field that used to allow indies to start from scratch and build viable businesses with sufficient skill, effort, and a lot of luck.

Unfortunately, that's the reality, and the hidden cost of Amazon's decline, so don't be too excited or happy about it because a lot of authors and publishers have consequently begun to fall by the wayside, and will continue to do so should that persist. Worse yet, as I alluded to before, many more won't even get a chance to succeed until that void is filled, which is unlikely to happen for a while, assuming that another company with sufficient technical ability and resources manages to pick up the proverbial baton and run with it, and proves to be any better for all concerned than its predecessor.

Admittedly, the whole situation is rather disheartening because, for all Amazon's issues, I know better than to think it will be easily replaced or improved upon when all factors are considered. Still, we creatives are often a resilient bunch, so I remain confident that people will find ways to succeed even if the current trend continues; however, I certainly don't envy anyone attempting to begin a career in writing and publishing at the moment. This was already an extremely difficult and complex path to walk and I firmly believe these and other recent developments will make most aspects of it significantly more challenging for several years to come.

In any case, here's hoping that things work out for the best for all concerned. Also, rest assured that I will continue to make and keep my books available for all of you in as many different places and forms as possible, including those offered by Amazon.

Until next time, happy reading, everybody!

Visit my official website.

The Nod/Wells Timelines in 2026 - A Year of Celebration

One of the strangest phenomena associated with becoming a "successful" author is the realization that, with each book you write and release that connects with a significant number of readers, you inevitably join an ever-shrinking group of individuals participating in the profession who've managed to do as much or more.

Most people who aspire to will never write one commercially or critically successful book. Of those who do, few will go on to write one, or two, or three more.

Thus, having written and published nine novel-length books that, by the standards of the profession, have been at least somewhat successful, both critically and commercially, I find myself in a place where I feel comfortable taking a moment to pause and appreciate all of that.

Of course, me being me, I'm not about to rest on my laurels and sit around eating bonbons, even if that were financially viable, which it certainly is not; however, I can't help feeling a bit more, for lack of a better term, relaxed as 2026 unfolds and I continue my work on the official compendium for The Nod/Wells Timelines, and the two announced omnibus editions that have yet to be published.

For the first time since all of this started back in 2017, I feel confident about the way things are proceeding  in a way that I've only flirted with previously.

The fact is, I have largely become the noteworthy author of speculative fiction I set out to be all those years ago and that's a pretty great feeling. Would I like to do more and become even more successful? Absolutely, but I think it would be a mistake to not at least briefly acknowledge how far I've come from where I started , and how fortunate I've been to reach this point. As long and hard as I've worked to create my books and the positive reputation that's become associated with them over the years, I'm very aware that there are plenty of people out there who have done just as much, or more, but may never experience anything similar.

So, as is often the case, this post largely boils down to me being extremely thankful and grateful for all the support and assistance I've received throughout my career. With how crazy and unpredictable life, and the world in general, can be, there's no telling how things might play out moving forward but, if nothing else, I'm very proud and honored to be where I am, and able to continue my efforts as an author and publisher while writing these words.

Thanks again, and happy reading, everybody!

Visit my official website.