Papa Amazon finally came through for the indie authors and let us participate in ebook pre-orders with Big Pub. Nevermind that Nook, Apple, Kobo, Smashwords, and Google Play beat them to it–Amazon got there eventually.
One wonders: might this have something to do with the FACT that indies dominate 50% of the top 7000 genre books on Amazon? Might it have something to do with the pro-Amazon, anti-Hachette petition going around that over 8000 authors have signed, including Hugh Howey, the hybrid god of the indies (and me, the also ran)? Or could it just be that Amazon got tired of all of us bitching about it?
Whatever it is matters naught. What matters is that ebook pre-orders for indies have come to Amazon. Just log into your KDP account and set up a new book. You’ll find the pre-order option on the book details screen. You do have to upload a draft of your manuscript and an ebook cover, to prove you’ve got game, and the real ebook must be up 10 days before your release date or Amazon will ban you from the pre-order party for a year. But those are small things. Tiny gnats on the giant elephant’s tushy that is Amazon allowing ebook pre-orders for indies.
It’s like the Berlin wall has fallen. Next thing you know Amazon won’t be giving a preference in its algorithm to Big Five books during peak shopping hours. Or maybe they will. (I’m not holding my breath on that one, yet) I would take pre-orders for paperbacks if they wanted to include us, though.
I’ve already got my upcoming release, Going for Kona, live and ready for its first clickers now.
I feel so almost-equal.
Scratch that. I feel more than equal. I made $40,000 this summer and kept 100% control of my content, design, and business strategy, in my 28th month of publishing.
And Amazon opened ebook pre-orders to indies.
Woo hoo!
Pamela
Pamela Fagan Hutchins, President of Houston Writers Guild, is an
employment attorney and workplace investigator by day who by night writes award-winning and bestselling romantic mysteries (perma-free Saving Grace, Leaving Annalise, Finding Harmony) and hilarious nonfiction (How to Screw Up Your Kids, What Kind of Loser Indie Publishes?, and others). She is passionate about great writing and smart authorpreneurship. She also leaps medium-tall buildings in a single bound, if she gets a good running start. Visit her website http://pamelahutchins.com, or follow her on Facebook http://facebook.com/pamela.fagan.hutchins.author.