Paperback finally in hand

After more than a month of (impatiently) waiting, the author’s copies of the Island of Stone finally arrived! When you e-publish on Amazon, you can purchase (yes, they are not free) copies of the paperback version at cost ($4.99 rather than the full price of $11.99)- who knows, they may still turn a profit. I will also add that I had to pay for shipping, as you cannot combine it with other orders to get free shipping. These points will help illuminate my disdain outlined below. Although not without its stressors, this moment is super exciting for me! Although Amazon printing and shipping was extremely slow, and customer service was helpless, I have to say that I am thrilled with the quality of this book. If you saw the Island of Stone on a shelf in a bookstore, it would not only look like it belonged there, it would stick out!

Now, for the complaints. I understand there are difficulties now, and I expected some delays. Those that know me, know I am pretty easy going, but these books were supposed to be delivered two weeks ago. They just never showed up. Of course I was concerned, especially when I never received an update. I reached out to customer service, and they told me there were troubles with the printing. I asked them what I should do? They told me to cancel and reorder. Really? So, I tried to cancel, but it wouldn’t let me because it was in the process of shipping. I was stuck in the damned Amazon error loop! So this pushed things back even further. I didn’t receive an update email until a full week later, basically saying the same thing customer service said. I’m sure you all know what I’m talking about. Amazon is usually awesome, but when they’re not, it can be a little taste of hell.

As a customer, this experience was unacceptable, but I am not just a customer; I am one of their vendors! My customers were starting to receive copies of the book before me and I, the author and publisher of the product, had yet to see it. Frustrating? Just a little. I was putting a product out there and asking people to spend their hard-earned money on a new author’s book, and I had not seen the product myself. For an industry built on positive reviews, that is quite a gamble.

What was I so worried about? You might not be aware of how many decisions go into designing and formatting a paperback book. It was indeed a learning experience for me. Did I want glossy or matte finishes? What color and feel for the paper? How big did I want the book? What type and how large should the font be? How far should the text run to the edge? How should the chapter headings look, the drop caps, the headers, the page numbers, and not to mention the front and back cover designs? A million things could have gone wrong!

But now it’s here, and it’s beautiful! I am more than thrilled. A copy is now sitting in a little stand on our mantel in a place of extolment. Since I was little, I dreamed of being a writer. I always had an active imagination and the thought of creating worlds and characters was extremely appealing to me. I remember looking at others’ books and just being amazed at the possibilities they could contain. Now, holding my own novel, I can’t describe how extraordinary it is to finally reach a lifelong goal! There is something about seeing your words on paper and feeling the pages pass through your fingers that is difficult to describe.

In many ways, the Island of Stone is my firstborn. Being first, it will always be special. I may not achieve greatness in life, but I can say that I wrote, published, and actually sold copies of a book, and I’m content with that. When I am old and withered, left with 2 cents rattling around upstairs, I will be able to pick up the Island of Stone and catch a glimpse of myself in my youth. And, when I depart this world, a part of me just may live on, and that’s super neat.

Cheers!