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!
