Thinking of Self-Publishing? Read This First.

This post reflects my personal publishing experience. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by any company, and is shared in good faith for the purpose of transparency and community discussion. These are my well-documented experiences.

They named it after a treacherous river that winds through an unforgiving jungle for a reason.

It’s vast, it’s bountiful, it’s hosted many successful explorers, maybe there’s even gold in its depths—but the trail is narrow, the river is murky, and if you wander off the path, don’t expect a rescue. You enter with high hopes and leave (that’s if you leave)… if not wiser, then at least scratched and bitten in places you didn’t know could bleed.

I recently published a box set of the first three books in my Absolution of the Morning Star series. It was something I had wanted to do for a while, and in the summer lull, I finally got around to it. It was quite a bit of effort to combine the files and format them, but it was nice to have the first half of the saga in one place, as it would make things easier for readers who plan to dive into the entire series. After a couple of weeks of fiddling and polishing to get it just right, I released it into the world like a proud father. I didn’t offer it for pre-order, and admittedly, I didn’t promote it very much. I have already heavily promoted the series, so this was more of a helpful conveyance that allowed people to purchase three books at a discount.

I didn’t expect it to do much, but it gained traction in page reads almost immediately—a trickle at first, then a flood (for me anyway). Readers were engaging with the book; page reads were rolling in like tidewater. By the second day, more than 500 had been recorded, and this continued until the equivalent of one box set was read, then two, three, and so on. We are talking about a tome of 1,536 pages, so this is no little feat.

I was pleasantly surprised, so I checked my ranking, and that is when the nightmare began. There was no corresponding lift. No sales rank movement, no visibility on the storefront, no keyword traction. No sales rank at all! It was like shouting into a void.

So I did what any author would do. I contacted support, and that’s when the real adventure began.

As of my last count (I first contacted them via their chat function on June 28), I’ve exchanged 23 emails and two chats with nearly 20 different representatives. Each reply was from a different person, requiring me to start over and re-explain the same issue in painstaking detail, because apparently reading previous messages isn’t part of the workflow. It became a parody of communication: I’d state my problem and get a cheery response, along with a timeline of 1-2, 2-3, or 3-4 business days so they could look into the problem, I’d follow up on my case number, and get a different person. Sometimes, they would ask me to send screenshots, invoices, and confirmations—only to be asked again for… screenshots, invoices, and confirmations. I spent more time correcting their misunderstanding than getting to the root of the problem.

I’m not impulsive. I reviewed all of their documentation to ensure I wasn’t mistaken. I was stuck in their bureaucratic mud, but it was clear that something was wrong with their page-read reporting, so I decided to test the ebook and the audiobook. At this point, after weeks of page reads with no sales rank showing, I wanted to see if the problem was impacting the other platforms for the book. So, I purchased both the ebook and audiobook myself.

Here’s the kicker. My own purchases also didn’t appear in the reporting dashboard. Yes—you read that right. I purchased my own titles to test the system, and they disappeared into thin air. There had to be something wrong, right? I waited several days to ensure it wasn’t a payment delay. The charges showed, but still, nothing. With the ebook open on my screen and listening to the audiobook version through my headphones, I again contacted their support, expecting immediate action. What did I get? A kind reply and a request to wait 2-4 business days. I did and then had to follow up with them again (never trust their timelines). What did they do? Ask me to send the order number, the invoice, and a separate screenshot of the order, three separate instances of the same information. They said there was a known technical issue and they were working on it. Two days later, the purchases magically appeared. If I hadn’t known to look for them and hadn’t sent proof from their own system, would these sales ever have been counted? Hmm.

To make matters worse, I later discovered a verified review on their popular audiobook platform—proof of at least one more listener out there. However, that sale never appeared, and it still hasn’t. I checked my reports to see if it had been returned- nothing. Customer Service has refused to explain why a verified purchaser was able to leave a review, despite not receiving any royalties for the sale.

Throughout the entire ordeal, the explanations I received were varied and contradictory. Initially, it was a technical issue that their technicians were diligently trying to resolve; then they informed me that there was no issue, as their systems were functioning as designed. At another point, I was told page reads don’t influence sales rank. Then I was told they do—but only when bundled within some unknowable formula involving moon cycles, trending hashtags, and presumably the blood of a sacrificial goat (although page reads do not impact sales rank, the initial borrow of the book through their subscription platform does). I was then informed that there had been two eBook purchases, although my royalty report only reflected one. I asked where the other one went. They said they’d get back to me in 3–4 business days. It was Friday, so with the weekend, it took a week to hear back, only to be told the last representative made a mistake. It took them a week to come up with that answer.

At the time of this writing, my box set has received 9,480 page reads (oops, now 9,542), an audio sale (my own), and an ebook purchase (my own) in little more than a month, totaling the equivalent of at least eight separate purchases of the box set—and yet it displays only a rank jump for my own purchases, which I had to prove existed. As is customary, after the little bump in the ranking from those two sales, the book has slowly slid into the void. I’ve vanished from my keywords, and the book is getting no visibility on the platform, despite proof that it’s selling. It is still running strong, but I expect it will eventually fade, as it no longer appears in searches on the platform.  

The reporting tools are inconsistent. The time ranges offered for data to appear can be anywhere from days to weeks. The various tools contradict each other. Proven sales don’t show up unless you point them out; even then, it takes a week. Their documentation is convoluted, and since the algorithm is proprietary, we have no clear understanding of how it all works. Even they state that their data is suspect. And every effort to get clarity from support feels like a Choose Your Own Adventure with only dead ends, likely produced by a Chatbot. At one point, I asked to speak with a supervisor via chat. The service person said, “Sure, one moment,” signed off, and then rejoined the chat, saying they were the supervisor. I was confused as the name was clearly the same. I pointed this out, and he said that happens all the time, but assured me he was a different person. Okay, I like a good coincidence, but after this struggle and talking to a different person every time, I have to admit that I couldn’t help but doubt the authenticity of this response.

If you’re new to this self-publishing raft (don’t mind the leaking water), let this be your introduction to the river. At least you’re moving, right? If you’re a veteran, none of this surprises you. You’ve probably endured worse. I see you out there with your black eyes and missing limbs. This is not my first foray into the jungle, and it won’t be my last. We all have a war story to tell, and I invite you to share your own in the comments below—not to wallow in despair, but to validate one another. This isn’t paranoia. This isn’t nitpicking. This is a broken mirror we’re all being asked to admire ourselves in, and it’s the only store selling mirrors.

And yet… I’ll keep publishing. Why? Because I have no choice.

The digital storefront in question has a firm grip on the indie publishing market. It accounts for somewhere between 70–80% of global ebook sales, depending on which report you read. It is the river cutting through the jungle, after all. It may be swirling and full of piranhas, but if you’re not on it, you’re nowhere. The alternative? Hack through the jungle, spending thousands on ad spend and funnel building, begging for scraps on social media, or hand-selling your book out of a duffel bag at sweltering farmers’ markets.

So yes, I’ll keep uploading. I’ll keep formatting to spec. I’ll keep smiling for the algorithm. I’ll even reluctantly turn a blind eye as a hand slips into my pocket. But I won’t stay quiet. I’ve given them ample time and opportunity to right the wrong, and they refused. A trillion-dollar company really needs those few dollars in royalties, and they can’t let a no-name author take visibility away from the big five, right? 🙂

My last communication with them validated my frustration, wished me well, and ended with, “I genuinely appreciate your patience and your passion for your work. If there’s anything specific you’d still like us to investigate or if you have questions outside of this issue, I’m here and happy to support you in any way I can. Wishing you continued success with your publishing journey.” Excuse me, *clears throat*. Sorry, I threw up in my mouth a little.

Silence is the currency of complacency. I believe that if enough voices speak up—not in rage, but with clarity, persistence, and data—we might get the tools, transparency, and respect that storytellers deserve.

In the meantime, if you want to test the system yourself (and read a damn good yarn in the process), the box set is here. Act quickly because, although I have refrained from using the name of this giant, added a disclaimer, and have been honest and fair with my criticism, there is no telling what they’ll do to me. The river gets hungry sometimes.

Be careful out there. The jungle doesn’t care who you are. But some of us who’ve come before are still leaving signs carved into the trees. Here’s hoping they’ll help you out of the jungle intact.

Oh, and don’t forget, Duke Rhime of the Spire releases July 29th!

Cheers!