Say Goodbye

I had hoped that this next Monarch update would be more positive in nature, but alas things have not changed and I must again convey the negative.   A long exasperated sigh...

I have reached my wits end with Amazon.  I don't know what else to do.  For over one month I have checked my email hoping that they would have sent out the update to my readers.  During that time I have spent countless hours writing emails to the KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) department with no resolution.

Out of respect to my readers who have gone without their update I have unpublished Monarch on Amazon.  A piece of me dies by having to do this, but for the time being it is the right thing to do. 

Monarch is still available through Smashwords, Apple, Barnes and Noble and other eBook providers.  Stages One and Two will still be available on Amazon, but I can no longer in good conscience allow Monarch to remain up for purchase on their website.  Not until they address this issue.  It is shameful what they have done, and just so you know I have given them more than just a tiny piece of my mind.  That may not help to expedite the process but it sure felt good.  

My greatest fear now is that this inexcusable delay might happen again for the last two stages.  Amazon has unwittingly taken a piece of my joy away.  There should be moments of joy for me as I release these individual parts of my first book.  The rocky roads I have faced to get my work into a reader's hands (writing, editing, rewriting) were supposed to be the most formidable part of the process.

The most daunting stresses I have faced along the way are much the same as those facing my main character in Monarch: Keeping Promises.  I promised my readers that the first two stages of Monarch would be available by X and X days, and I have been able to deliver so far.  Amazon promised on several occasions over the last month that they would send out a mass email to my readers.  Read a few of my last blog posts and you'll know how well that's going.  Ginger made a promise to herself up on the mountain at the end of Stage One, and Stage Two deals largely with her attempt to keep that promise.  She said, "If you can't keep the promises you make to yourself, how can you expect to keep them to others?"  Needless to say, she was dealing with some internal stress at the time.  Ginger and I both have internal stress to deal with, but what stress is Amazon under?  If you can't keep your promises then don't make them.  Is that so difficult?  Just keep your promises is all I'm saying.  

With so little time for me to get Monarch completed and into a reader's hands, I was forced to put my trust in what people promised me that they would do.  If you are a big business and break promises, that business should suffer a loss and not be allowed to carry on as if their errors are nothing.  If you are an individual, know that no positive word will be spread about you and that when all is said and done you won't be a part of anything that follows. 

I firmly believe in a code of conduct when dealing with others.  The Golden Rule of conduct is golden for a reason.  (Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.)  When you are wronged you are right to make it known to others that someone or some company has done you wrong.  Some call it Karma, others call it Justice.  However one sees it, the breaking of promises shatters that code of conduct and paves the way for bad business and fractures relationships.  

In addition to hurting those of us who are still awaiting our updates, the Amazon house of horrors for an update system has led me to not want others to have to suffer needlessly because of Amazon's incompetence.  I cannot allow more people to suffer the needlessly long wait that others of us have in anticipation of an email update.

It's bad enough I've had to loose money because of Amazon by giving away my book to make up for their not updating it, but now I fear my reputation may be tarnished before I've even had a chance to release the entirety of my first book.  Suck it Amazon!

-aap