An Update and an Announcement

Wow, it's been a few months since I updated this thing!

I have been incredibly busy working on the next installment in The Curious Collectibles Series. The writing process for this was has been a little rough, and it took a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder for me to realize just how much more difficult it had become. Thanks to modern medicine I've improved, but the bad news is that its original release date of April 15th, 2015 has been delayed.

I don't anticipate that it'll be delayed by too much, but I'll make an official release date announcement closer to the time it goes up for pre-order. In the meantime, let's talk about all the exciting changes in store for the series!

I recently became aware of an absolutely fantastic cover designer named Damon Freeman. After reviewing his work, it became clear to me that my original covers were... lacking. As a result, The Curious Collectibles Series are all getting a face-lift in the form of brand new covers, and later on, the interior formatting will get an overhaul to reflect this new design.

I really couldn't be happier with the work Damon put into the project, and I think it suits the series well. Take a look at what we came up with and then leave your opinions in the comments!

Now, I know what you're thinking: Lana, these are so much better than the originals! Why aren't they up already on Amazon???

Well, let me tell you my other exciting bit of news: both The Magic Mirror and The Spellbound Spirit are getting second editions!

The content isn't going to change much, so if you've read them already, you're not missing out. I took some reviewers' criticisms to heart, and after looking at both works critically myself, I made a decision to slightly alter a few passages. The basic plots remain the same, and major events will not change in any way. But just in case you're interested in the changes, I'll post a link to a quick synopsis once I've published both second editions.

This is all coming very soon, so make sure you stay updated so you don't miss anything! You can find me most often on Twitter, but my Facebook page stays fairly active, too.

That's it for announcements. But what about that update I was talking about?

The update I have is in regards to Kindle Unlimited, a new-ish program from Amazon that I urge you to check out my previous blog posts to learn more about. I have been consistently critical about what I consider the program's glaring flaws: the fact that authors have no idea what they're getting paid until after the fact due to a variable royalty rate, Amazon's distinct lack of transparency about the issue, and their history of screwing over self-published authors whenever it suits them.

I'm happy to report that for the past two months (January and February), Amazon's pay-per-borrow amount has stabilized somewhat at around $1.40. That's the good news.

The bad news is that we still have no idea what we'll see for March. As has been the case since its inception, we won't have any clue until April 15th. And Amazon is still pumping millions of dollars of their own money into the program each month. If they weren't, authors would literally get paid pennies for each borrow.

Which begs the question I've asked before: how sustainable is this, really? At what point will Amazon stop operating at a loss and let the pay-per-borrow rate fall? And since the program requires that authors publish their work exclusively on Amazon, and that those agreements lock us in for 90 days at a time, what assurance do we have that if/when the hammer falls, we'll be able to pull out in a timely fashion?

The put it simply:  none. We have no assurance of this. Which means I'm still wary of the program in the long-term and that I'm still unhappy that authors are earning ~45% royalties from borrows as opposed to 70% royalties from actual sales (since borrows are no different from sales, as readers are paying for enrollment in the KU program).

But I'm cautiously optimistic. The fact that the rate of pay hasn't fluctuated wildly the past two months makes me think Amazon might be planning on keeping it at that level long-term. And if they were willing to lock it down for us, I would have far less reservations than I do now. I'd still have certain feelings about the lesser amount we're earning for what's essentially the same thing (sales vs. borrows), but knowing that I'm going to get paid $1.40 or so per borrow for as long as I'm enrolled in the program would be a step toward Amazon showing me that they respect me as an author. It would mean that Amazon wasn't holding all the cards in this deal and that they wouldn't be able to snatch their toys away at any time like the angry kid on the playground. And respect goes a long way with me, as I'm sure it does many others.

So, in short, things have improved on the KU front. I can only hope that with time, they continue to do so. This has the potential to be a great benefit to authors and readers alike. Let's just hope that Amazon decides to move in that direction rather than the self-satisfying one they've chosen in the past.

And as for The Curious Collectibles Series, it remains in the program for now, meaning you can still read The Magic Mirror and The Spellbound Spirit for absolutely FREE! If you're looking forward to the release of The Bejeweled Bottle, now's the time to catch up so you can dive right in as soon as it's out.

And remember to follow me on Facebook or Twitter for sneak peeks and special deals along the way (as well as ramblings, musings, and other fun stuff)!