My frustration subsided and I relaxed as my Amazon listing for the paperback version of Wayward Patriot: Preserving the Vote took weeks to fall into place. In fact, I have watched with amusement as one little element at a time was cleaned up in Amazon. Even now, while the projected time to receive the book has been reduced to 7-10 days, the image of the book has not been posted. Since this is a print-on-demand book, the longer ship times is understandable until Amazon is able to assess the demand.
I talked to some people at the writers’ conference that I attended last week and have concluded that the issue is probably not so much a conspiracy against a book with this title as it is a competitive finger in the eye for using a third-party printer. I had the option of using Amazon’s on-demand printer but for business reasons elected to go with a third party. Amazon does have an agreement to work with that third party but their commitment is to have the book data completed in the listing within 30 days. It is now 23 days and counting! I expect to see a book image in seven days.
What has happened with my eBook upload reinforces my perception. I did choose to initially launch the eBook in the Kindle format. This goes through the Amazon printing and distribution company. Once the book file was uploaded, the listing was up on Amazon and completed within three days, including the book image.
Another lesson learned in my journey as a new author. The bottom line is this. This Wednesday, we are proceeding with the book launch, focusing on the Kindle format. The paperback version will also be available from multiple online outlets, including the option to purchase a personalized, autographed copy from me.
Two years in the making, people will finally be able to purchase the book in the format they choose. What about an audiobook you ask? We will have to see how the demand is for the printed versions before deciding on that.
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