Categorical Denial, Part I

In my last post, I used the metaphor of spinning plates to describe how I feel about juggling everyday life with my writing routine—fiction, this blog, & social media posts. What I neglected to add to that brief list was the business side of being an independent author.

No surprise there since I've been known to dread even the mention of that aspect, let alone any serious delving into it like I've been doing over the past several days—or has it been weeks, months, years . . .?

Hence the title of this particular post. Until recently, I'd been in denial about reworking all the categories & keywords I so diligently came up with at the end of last year to attach to my first self-published novel, Pearl Fields & the Oregon Meltdown.

If you're also in the independent author camp, you're hopefully aware that fairly recently some well-meaning souls working at Amazon made an interesting decision. From now on, an author publishing through KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) is only allowed three categories to go along with their seven keywords instead of the old system of choosing up to ten categories if they asked nicely—as I did nearly a year ago now.

Thanks to Dave Cheeson of Kindlepreneur for helping spread the word beyond Amazon's email that books already published through KDP are also subject to the same guidelines. I would've no doubt gone on assuming that change was only directed toward future books like the standalone form of the serialized novel I'm finishing that will be eligible for KDP in early March 2024.

So my dilemma at this point is simple:

Choice #1: turn away from the last chance I have to control the categories for my beloved novel, citing the realities of the market or the novel's "unique & immersive" narrative style (Lee Hall);

Choice #2: pour over how-to articles & my various & sundry data to decide once & for all which three permanent categories & seven keywords to update.

Given that the attitude exemplified by Choice #2 has permeated my year or so as an independent author, I suppose there's really no dilemma.

Time to roll up my sleeves, stop grumbling about revisiting old files & data, & get on with tossing another plate brimming with decisions up in the air alongside those already spinning & wobbling like no other.

Keep you posted.

Drew

Drew Faraday
Pearl Fields and the Oregon Meltdown