After I got home yesterday, I saw a post in a reader/author group I follow that went something like this: "I ordered an author copy of my paperback from Amazon on the 1st. It didn't ship until the 13th and it still isn't here yet. It's only got to go from IL to CA. Should I demand a refund?"
I'd like to go over this. First off, author copies take time to print. And how fast yours gets printed depends on how many other books are in the queue ahead of yours. It's not magic. You don't snap your fingers and poof there it is. I think they say it normally takes 10 days to print a book.
Second, Amazon ships paperbacks via the USPS First Class Mail. Nowhere in the normal scheme of things does first class mail get from IL to CA in 3 days. Never has. Doubt it ever will. It takes 4 days to get from MO to MI, for petesakes. On a good week.
Thirdly, notice the words normal and normally in there. This is totally not normal as we once knew it. Normal things... everyday things... take longer now. Unless whatever you want is in electronic form, it's going to take a while.
My advice? Chill out. Seriously. CHILL. The world would be a better place if everyone just chilled out.
No, I did not say that to the author in question. I blocked her stupid, entitled ass so I never have to see her whiny shit again. Yeah, I need to chill a little myself. I have no patience for stupidity, entitlement, or whining. I used to have a little, but as I've aged, the little patience died a horrible, violent death.
Your book will get there, lady. No need to go all litigious on Amazon. Or the postal service. Yet. I mean, if two weeks go by and your book still isn't there, by all means, demand your money back. Until then, get into the lotus position (figuratively, of not literally) and chant calming things at yourself.
And yes, I do understand that you can't set the book for sale until you approve it and you can't approve it until you receive it. You want it and you want it now so you can start maybe seeing money from it. (That will take two months to actually reach your account, by the way, so more waiting and chilling.) It's aggravating and it's frustrating, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it.
This whole thing is not for the impatient. On the bright side, at least this isn't traditional publishing which can take a whole lot longer.
Too bad most "chill pills" are prescription only. Heck, it takes 3 days to get a letter across town these days. Which reminds me, I need to get my oldest BFF's b-day card in the mail and it's only going up I-35 to Wichita but I bet it's belated because I forgot to send it early. Oops. Bad me.
ReplyDeleteAlso, how many print copies does she actually sell? I think I've sold...4(?) in the past year? I mean, really?
Also, I've had notice from D2D and one of my small press publishers about printing and shipping delays, non-Amazon related, so you can bet that the 'zon is also having issues.
The world ain't what it used to be. Sadly. Supply chains are totally FUBAR'd. And not just in publishing. It's crazy what is plentiful at the grocery store one week and the shelves are bare of those items the next.
Let's not even go into entitlement. Just...no. My brain is having enough trouble this morning as is. I have coffee which is my chill pill of choice. I'm going to drink my second cup and debate whether I want to tackle another clear-and-sort area or attempt new words. It's a tough choice at the moment because both are equally repugnant. LOL
Speaking of words. Stormy came home with us to spend the night and I don't actually remember what he said but he used the word "Horrendus." LG and I cracked up. The kid's too smart for 7!
Hope your weekend gets chilly! Later, tater.
Agreed on all counts. Everything takes a loooong time these days, and it doesn't help to whine about it. Not in public, anyway.
ReplyDeleteYesterday I noticed a new thingy in Kindle - we can print hardbacks now. Well, it's only in Beta, but it's interesting. Maybe not useful for fiction, but nonfiction writers might like it.