This week, I’ve had to make the momentous decision to remove my paperback novels from Amazon KDP’s printing service. It means my books lose some ease of access – two-day shipping, casual delivery – but they remain available online via retailers like Indigo and bookstore catalogues through Ingram.
I’ve been battling with Amazon for about a month now after receiving multiple damaged books. Not damages in shipment – but damages in production. The spines of the books were improperly glued, leaving the books warped and hanging open when laid flat. The bindings were so flawed that I assume they’d fall apart after soft use.
Upon trying to bring it to my first bookstore, I was immediately told the books were damaged and unsellable despite being straight out of the package. That’s how bad it was – a first glance told a bookkeeper that it cannot be sold.
You can read the whole process and battle with KDP right here on my Twitter if you missed it. I shared photos of the damaged copies and my email exchanges with KDP, who refused to take accountability for the printing press beyond “we’ll look into it,” while repeatedly passing me from agent to agent. On Monday, I finally took matters into my own hands: I called KDP directly and spoke to a production manager – only to hear the same hollow promises.
As it turns out, KDP has no interest in quality control. If a defect occurs, they “just email the printing factory itself and politely ask them to investigate the issue, they “notify the printing facility,” and that’s where the trail ends. No follow-up. No refunds. No replacement guarantees. Just empty words. They offered no compensation, no timeline for a fix, and no genuine concern for how this damages an author’s professional opportunities.
So, I made the only decision I could: I am removing my paperbacks from KDP Print.
It’s not as big a hit as it feels. Their author copy shipping was abysmal compared to retail times anyway. I still have my books available through Ingram, meaning they’re listed in major bookstore systems and can still be ordered online, even through Indigo kiosks.
All the positive changes I announced over the last few months – splitting Embers of Orden into two volumes, bringing in lower prices, new covers, and fixing the bloated page counts – are all still full speed ahead. It’s a shame that I split Embers of Orden so it could be released through Amazon and be more readily available, but it’ll still be at a MUCH lower price than it was before in two separate books (Embers of Orden and Stormwrought).
It’s disappointing to face another hurdle right after escaping my contract with vanity press extraordinaire, Tellwell. But I meant it when I said I would fight for these books. They’re my life’s work. And some battles you don’t back down from, no matter the exhaustion or the odds. Someone once told me that when you’re fighting a lot of battles, it means you’re going the right way, and I promised myself at the beginning of this year that I would fight them.
I’ll be exploring alternate printing options going forward. Amazon KDP isn’t the only path for indie authors – and frankly, we deserve better than the way they treat us. Ingram may not be perfect, but it’s far better suited to professional, bookstore-ready distribution.
One thing is for sure. I’m four books into the Sovereign Soul series, with the fifth well on its way… and I’m not giving up. Ever.
Have any of you had horror stories with Amazon and its henchman, KDP – the mega-company that has the world by its wallet? What are some publishing alternatives you’ve found? Let me know in the comments below, or feel free to shoot me a message on any of my socials with your experiences.
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Sovereign Soul 