I've been avoiding making a post about the boycott because so many other authors have and I worry you're tired of seeing the same things over and over...but I can't stay silent any longer.
If you want to boycott Amazon, boycott Amazon. If you truly think an out of touch billionaire is going to see his bottom line impacted by you buying books elsewhere, I support you in that pursuit.
If you don't want to boycott Amazon or if you are unable to boycott Amazon, I support that too. Amazon is convenient, it is THERE, it is ingrained deeply in our day to day lives. To walk away from that willingly--in some cases--is a privilege. I will not fault you if you are not actively supporting the boycott.
I will not fault you if you are.
Amazon, and KDP in particular (predatory practices aside) has created a platform for so many thousands of people to create jobs for themselves, to pursue their passion, to indulge their creativity. And whether we like it or not, for most indie authors, Amazon holds the keys to the castle. KU is as great as it is horrible. I am a KU author and I am a KU reader. More than 70% of my income is from KU, and "going wide" isn't as easy as turning that off and then getting 70% of that money elsewhere.
Going wide takes work
Early in 2024, EM and I took the Mallory series wide. The books had pretty much ran their course in KU so it was a risk we felt comfortable taking. We were lucky enough to get a Book Bub Featured Deal on the first book, which netted us hundreds of sales on wide platforms and eventual read through, but if we hadn't gotten that...who knows where those books would be at.
We took Blood in the Water wide so we could sell the audio direct (which is an upfront cost to the narrator/producer, to a new website plug in to host a sales platform, to the lost sales by not getting 40% royalty from Amazon for exclusivity...you get the idea). The audio is nowhere near earning what we've put into it.
And that's FINE. We knew the risks when we did it, and I'm grateful we're financially able to take those risks, but not everyone is. Diversifying your platform and your income takes work.
And it takes money.
Which brings us back around to the idea...not everyone can or will support the boycott. That's fine. Authors just want to write. In an increasingly unknown landscape, we just want to write and we just want to share these stories and we just want to pay our bills and make enough to cover and edit the next book, ad nauseam... We want to write when our livelihoods are being threatened, when there are states that draft bills to threaten us with felonies, to make our content--and our existence--illegal. But we're still here, doing what we can, supporting EACH OTHER where we can, and supporting YOU in the decisions that align with your moral compass. I'm not saying any of this to guilt anyone one way or another. There is no right answer. I'm simply asking for your support...not just for myself, but for my peers So, when you see authors with patreons - support us there. When you see authors buying direct - support us there. When you see us asking for reviews, likes, or shares - support us there.
When we ask you to sign up for our newsletter - support us there.
We are all in the same boat, and a rising tide lifts all shifts.
xo, Kate
Patreon: http://patreon.com/katehawthorne
Newsletter: http://www.katehawthornebooks.com/extra
Shop Direct: https://www.katehawthornebooks.com/category/all-products
Amazon: http://author.to/katehawthorne
Kobo Plus: https://shorturl.at/06SYM
Comments