Since my first book was published in 2019, Amazon is where 99% of my sales have come from. Sure, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and all the other book spots had some sales, but nothing like the mighty Zon. That partnership came at a price, though, which is why I have made the decision to move on. What’s next for an author ditching the world’s biggest book market? Read on and find out.
Why Did I Ultimately Make This Move?
At the end of the day, it all came down to basic economics. Let me keep the math as simple as possible here. If I have a 99-cent eBook on Amazon, they take 65% of every sale, which is an absolutely ridiculous cut. After that, I then have to do a 50/50 split with my publisher. I am more than happy with that, as they paid for the covers and editing and all that good stuff. So, at the end of all that, I am left with 17 cents from every 99-cent book sold. Not exactly the path to riches.
I Want Full Control
Heading into 2026, I told myself that it was time to become a little more selfish. Since becoming a published author, I have spent more time pushing other authors than marketing myself. I always feel a little off hyping my work, but making this move will almost force me to put myself out there. If I want to make sales, and I very much do, then I need to sell myself more. Don’t get me wrong, I will still actively promote other authors I like, but I need to put myself first. This move will also allow me to get creative with pricing, which I really like.
The Massive Rebranding Job
I will retain rights to my covers, but while the more popular titles will stay untouched, the lesser seen books will likely get a makeover. This will be a slow process, as it is not cheap to have new covers made. I don’t mind using AI for smaller releases, such as drabble and flash fiction collections, but when it comes to my novels and novellas, I want real artists every single time. I have created a very basic logo for my future endeavors, which will fall under the Black Thistle Publishing banner.
Long story short, I am fast approaching 60, and I do wonder how much longer I will be able to continue churning out stories. It feels like the right time to try something on my own, knowing full well that it could be a disaster. Only time will tell, I suppose. If you want to see where my books will be going, in eBook form at least, check out the button below.
Also, if you want to support my endeavors, please do consider a wee donation, although zero pressure on that front. Reading this and maybe spreading the word will be a huge help.
I'm struggling with how I want to publish my next book. I want the validation of a publisher taking a chance on me and paying for all the typesetting and artwork, but I also enjoy the process and control of doing it myself. I have some stuff on KDP but it's a wasteland. Nice logo BTW.
Wow, I didn't realize what a huge cut Amazon would be taking from my .99 cent Sci-fi novel that came out last October. I haven't gotten my first royalty statement from my publisher yet, but I'll be setting my expectations more realistically now.