It’s hard out there. Like, it’s really hard right now to stay positive. The world feels like it’s on fire. The social media platforms where authors usually connect with readers are favoring AI content over real people. And right now I’m between writing projects, so my usual escape isn’t quite an escape right now.
The good news is you can preorder Night and the Jade Goddess now, and the cover is absolute fire.
I know the solution to this is probably to dig more in my garden and not just immediately jump into another writing project (especially because I have pesky business-type things to do) but damn, it’s really tempting to hang out with imaginary people rather than real ones.
One thing I did want to touch on today in this less-than-perky blog post is audiobooks (why is it always audiobooks?) because I was just forced to join Audible’s new payment model or I would have had to remove all my books from their platform.
Super fun to feel forced into things we don’t want, amirite?
“I was just forced to join Audible’s new payment model or I would have had to remove all my books from their platform. Super fun to feel forced into things we don’t want, amirite?”
Now, I don’t love Audible and I’m glad that some writers feel like they can take a conscientious stance and simply remove all their books from the platform. Personally I cannot. While I’ve had great success with direct stores and wide platforms with my ebooks, the vast Vast VAST majority of my audiobook listeners are married to the Audible platform.
Which… sucks. Like, so much.
Just to give you an idea, if every person who bought one of my self-produced audiobooks on Audible this year had bought it from me instead, I would have the budget to produce 15+ new audiobooks.
Yeah. I know.
As it is, the ones that I produced last year have not even come close to paying for themselves yet, so it will be probably months more before I can produce the audiobook for Obsidian Empire.
Very happy to be working with Tantor for the audiobook release of Child of Ashes, which is coming November 17th! You can preorder it at many places. (Check the link!)
The problem seems to be that given the option to buy an audiobook from me for $15 or spend $15+ dollars for a credit at a big retailer, audiobook listeners would prefer to give the retailer their money.
“The problem seems to be that given the option to buy an audiobook from me for $15 or spend $15+ dollars for a credit at a big retailer, audiobook listeners would prefer to give the retailer their money.”
I don’t know why, but yes. It’s very frustrating.
So that’s part of why it’s 10am and I’m still in my pjs drinking coffee and blogging instead of doing my bookkeeping.
Also, I need to stay off of Threads, because that’s a hellscape of negativity and the ideas I’m getting from it are not worth the crushing mental strain. Damn, I miss Old Twitter.
Anyway, you can preorder Night and the Jade Goddess in all the places now, including the shop and if you go to this link, you can read a sample of the new book! ElizabethHunter.com/JadeGoddess
You can preorder the signed paperback of Night and the Jade Goddess in the shop!
