I don’t mean for a week or a month. I mean ever.

There is a widespread belief, probably due to a large degree of truth, that independent authors and publishers cannot survive without Amazon now, and I’ve mostly held a nuanced view on that subject because on one hand, early Amazon was a huge factor in the democratization of the publishing world. It’s a lot easier to write and publish now without being under the thumb of a small cadre of NYC houses.

On the other hand, it’s a lot easier to write and publish now, so the market is oversaturated with lowest common denominator material, and it is much harder to distinguish oneself as an indie author without paid advertising on Amazon. That’s not by accident. Monopolistic business practices like these, as well as their anti-union stance, have been troublesome for a long time.

But really, the catalyst for me to take action was Bezos’ hard right turn politically and his eagerness to curry favor with the Cheeto regime as one of the flagship tech oligarchs. As publisher of the Washington Post, they went from their “Democracy dies in darkness” motto in 2016 to being one of two major daily papers to not endorse a candidate in 2024 (the Los Angeles Times was the other). The Post also has a new editorial policy to be an exclusive voice for “free markets and personal liberty,” which is code for the Republican platform that nowadays supports neither. I think it also speaks to his poor character that his ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott, has donated over $19 billions to charities, universities, and non-profit organizations independently of him, and reportedly doubled-down on her efforts when Elon Musk said her philanthropy was destroying Western civilization.

It’s a very personal answer to a personal calling for me, then, to try to go on my own without Amazon. I’m not trying to feed my family on my royalties, and I’m in no position to look down on anyone who is. But that puts me in a position of responsibility to conscience, and I simply don’t want to contribute to the wealth of oligarchs any longer.

If I could pull the paperbacks from the site completely, I would. Long story short, Amazon fills their retail stock through a distributor called Ingram, which also works with Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, and every mom-and-pop indie bookstore. I can’t keep them from offering the books to Amazon without pulling them from everyone else. Such is life. (I did pull the e-books from Amazon for what that’s worth.)

But if I can’t remove my presence completely, I can do my best to promote every alternative, and ask readers to take their book shopping business elsewhere.

My favorite by far is when you buy direct from the ND Media Bookstore. I fulfill each paperback order myself with a personal touch — it’s as close as e-commerce gets to buying from the merch table at a book reading. There are also DIY e-books for every title now, including the Deluxe Edition of “UNLESS” with bonus material you won’t find anywhere else. Also, I do absolutely nothing with your information — no lists, no data sales, nada. Payhip, the page builder for the Bookstore, offers me the chance to automatically add your email to my mailing list, but I declined. Ya oughta be able to buy something in this world without becoming a marketing target.

The next best option is Bookshop.org. They carry all the paperbacks, plus a new e-book of “UNLESS” that can be read on their app or the website. E-books are a new venture for them, and they have an impressive catalog of free public domain titles. I really can’t speak highly enough of them and what they’re trying to provide as an online bookselling alternative that hasn’t abandoned its brick-and-mortar roots, so if you want to purchase from a retailer with a full line of offerings, please give em some love. (And might I recommend a visit to my affiliate page as well? There you will find all three paperbacks, and listings for 30+ handpicked titles covering “My Influences” in the realms of spirituality, philosophy, and literature.)

#amazonboycott #indieauthor #indiebookstore #NDMedia #WaldoNoesta