Weekly Newsletter
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They asked me if I wanted anything from the chicken joint, but I just said nah, sipped my Red Bull and smiled, cause I know it’s gone gimme wings.
In author and publishing news, Smashwords made an announcement. (No, it’s not the sale. I’ll discuss that a little later.) Unfortunately, they have made some changes to their royalty plans. It’ll sound familiar to many authors who have been in the business for a while. As of January 2026, books under $2.99 will have a lower royalty percentage of about 40% and those above that price point will receive 75%. While this isn’t good news, most see it as having been a long time coming. This is all about overhead and affordability. The company has held out for years trying to keep a simple royalty deal that works for everyone. It’s still better than Amazon’s setup. The main difference is that Amazon did it years ago pretty much because they wanted to, while Smashwords (and D2D) are doing it because they have to.
To be clear, I’m not bashing on Amazon. They are more customer focused, while Smashwords and D2D pride themselves on author services. Both are important aspects of the industry. What does this new development mean to you as a reader? You are probably going to see a lot fewer ebooks priced at 99 cents in the future. If you’re in Kindle Unlimited or Kobo Plus, that probably won’t matter. I don’t think the change is going to be all that dramatic, but it is a sign of the times.
Speaking of Smashwords, you know I’ve got to mention the End of Year Sale. All my titles are half off, and three of them are FREE. This includes my first book, THE CURSE OF MR. M’S CASTLE. After clicking the link below, type my name in the search bar and click on the little pic of my ugly mug that pops up. Thousands of other authors participate too, so fill up your ereaders and reading apps. 👇👇👇
On the writing front, we are at 22.5 pages of jokes for kids. While still quite juvenile, I have noticed a lot fewer knock-knock jokes this time around. There are a some, but not like before. Go figure. As of yesterday, the introduction of MOONDOM FIVE has seen its first edit. The entire book has undergone a little formatting too. I do the first edit myself. The second edit is outsourced, then it comes back to me for the final. Hoping to knock a good deal of it out over Christmas Break. I’m still looking at late February to early March as a release date.
Until Next Time, God Bless and Merry Christmas!
