The moment you try searching Amazon for a book you want to read, it becomes clear that something has gone quite wrong.
Maybe it’s vacant-eyed bugmen obsessed with fixing what’s not broken throwing wrenches in the works. Perhaps it’s cynical pens-for-hire hijacking the algorithm with payola. Or maybe it’s outright scammers muddying the waters with a flood of large language model word salad.
In all likelihood, it’s a combination of the three, plus more problems we can’t know about because our elite corporate class have erected protective domes between themselves and the unwashed masses.
Either way, the great hope that promised to replace oldpub and liberate working authors has fizzled out. You can visit Jeff Bezos’ former everything store right now and witness the end of the Amazon era.
The logical question for authors and readers alike is “What’s next?”
Do they go crawling back to oldpub, hat in hand, to choke down agitprop spewing unveiled hatred for them?
Not with oldpub author earnings having fallen 60 percent while newpub incomes rose by almost as much.
The eBook revolution gurus of Kindle’s Wild West days were right about one thing: Amazon destroyed oldpub. The dwindling clique of New York publishers exist only as crony capital-backed regime propaganda factories.
That’s cold comfort to newpub authors out to earn a living. So, what’s a working writer with a minimal grip on reality to do?
The answer is Neopatronage, as author David V. Stewart and I discussed on his recent live stream.
Watch now and learn the way forward:
For an even more in-depth dive into the rising Neopatronage model – including the inside scoop on how I’ve used it to grow my writing income by 10x compared to Amazon, join my monthly AMA. The first one streams tonight at 7:30 Central. Admission is patrons only, so why wait a whole month? Join the elite ranks of my neopatrons now, and reserve your seat for tonight’s – and each month’s, live author Q&A.
Bonus: In this week’s patron exclusive, I treat subscribers to a sneak peak at the cover of my first Soul Cycle prequel novel. Get access to your choice of recurring perks, including each week’s patron-only post and our elite Discord. Sign up now.
Special Offer: All writing is persuasion. But knowing what approach works and when can be a challenge. Let best selling ghostwriter Joshua Lisec show you the best persuasive techniques to supercharge your writing. Check out his offer today.
The Burned Book, first entry in an all-new series of prequels to my acclaimed Soul Cycle, comes to Indiegogo soon!
If you haven’t read the first captivating cycle, now is a great time to start the thrill ride.
Read Nethereal, Soul Cycle Book I, now:
Can’t tell you how happy you made me when you announced your subscriptions. It was a “Finally!” moment. You have enough of an audience and produce enough to have warranted it long ago. Can’t wait to see you grow even more, now that you have a bigger cash flow.
It’s been a long time coming!
See you at the inaugural AMA tonight?
Sorry, Brian. Had to work on my MFA and other personal matters tonight. Gonna have to keep an eye for the next AMA next month.
We missed you on stream, but that’s a good reason. No need for you to miss all the fun, though. You can still reserve your spot in the next AMA. Join before the end of September at Margrave tier or above, and you’ll get Part I of my outline for the Burned Book.
Get it here: https://www.patreon.com/BrianNiemeier