Dear O'Abby: How can I stop people returning my books after they've read them?

 Dear O'Abby,

I'm not sure if this is a new thing or not, but recently I've noticed an exponential rise in the number of my books being returned on Amazon after they have been read in their entirety.  I have been an author for a number of years and have been making a reasonable income from my writing with several series and a few stand-alone novels out there.  Suddenly my income is dropping and I can only put it down to the increase in the number of returns.

Now, I don't mind the odd return if a reader gets a chapter or two in and realises the book isn't their cup of tea, but it seems a bit rich to return something if you've read it all the way through.  Even if you didn't like it that much.

Is there anything I can do about this?

Yours,

Miffed

Dear Miffed,

Yes, unfortunately this is a thing at the moment.  It seems some influencers on Tik Tok have been telling readers they can return books after they have been read and that has led to a whole lot of writers feeling the same way you do.  It is a flaw in Amazon's policy and they seem unwilling to do anything about it.  And why would they?  The download fee has already been paid and that is not refundable even if the price of the book is returned to the purchaser.  And who pays the download fee?  The author or publisher.

So it's a bad situation for authors who are essentially paying for people to "borrow" their books.  Apparently it's even worse for people who have their audio-books available through Audible because people can return audio-books for up to a year!

In terms of what you can do, short of pulling your books from Amazon and selling only on other platforms, which is probably both rash and foolhardy given Amazon's market share, you're short on options.  There is a petition going around to try and get Amazon to change its policy, but whether this will have much effect is yet to be known.  But my advice would be to sign it even if you are doubtful it will make a difference.  If enough authors sign, Amazon might be forced to take notice.  

And talk about it.  Loudly.  Wherever you can.  Readers don't necessarily know that doing this is costing authors.  Readers don't think about the months or years it took to write that book and how little per hour the return is for the work.  So make them aware.  I'm pretty sure most readers would be horrified to know they are essentially stealing from their favourite authors when they return a book they've read.

X O'Abby

Luke Dalton's Debut Author Spotlight #NewBook #20Questions at Operation Awesome

The Nightmare's Truth by Luke Dalton

1- Which of your tattoos is your favorite and why?

My favourite tattoo? That’s a tough one! Probably Anubis on my right forearm because ancient Egyptian mythology is one of my oldest fascinations. This piece also holds personal weight as I had it inked shortly after a relative ended his life. It reminds me to treasure each moment… plus it’s cool AF.

2- Would you please, in 160 characters or less, give a #WriteTip ?

Be wary of any advice which deals in absolutes. The only thing black and white about writing is the words printed on the page. ‘Rules’ are more like guidelines.

3- What ignited your passion for writing?

I think my passion for writing was always there, even at 6 years old writing about a fish called Freddy. But that passion became palpable when I realised how therapeutic and eye-opening the writing process could be and how much I could grow with my stories.


4- How are you supporting #IndieAugust?

I’m a bit late to the #IndieAugust party, and still (guiltily) working my way through the #IndieApril books I grabbed (oops!). That said, I've made a couple of new purchases from this month's tempting selection, and will be providing opportunities for my fellow indie authors to shout about their work and reach a wider audience.

5- What's your Twitter handle, and do you have two or three writer friends on there to shout-out to for #WriterWednesday ?

My handle on all my social media channels (Twitter, IG and Facebook) is @LDaltonAuthor. Shoutouts to @ladybrooklynn, @dzintrasullivan and @VillimeyS for being brilliant authors and even better humans.

6- Would you share a picture with us of your book on summer vacation?

While I might not have had a summer holiday to take my book on, a certain dedicated beta reader dragged The Nightmare's Truth all over New Zealand with him. These are some of my favourite snaps.

7- What are your thoughts on how some publishing companies manage print and ebooks coming out on the same day with presales on Amazon, even though it's impossible for Indie authors using KDP to do so?

Amazon KDP is a terrific platform, but the inability to link eBook and print books for presale and simultaneous release is madness. People expect professionalism and this limitation makes that goal unnecessarily tough for us indie authors. With my debut, I had a presale set for the eBook and hit publish on the print copy 48 hours before the intended release date (as Amazon advised). I think my print book was live 19 hours later… something along those lines, anyway. This meant some quick reacting to spin suitable announcements and, while it worked out fine, straying from the position of professionalism like that grated at me. Amazon really need to fix this, there’s no reason for it. KDP has the functionality built in already, it should be an easy update and would make a huge difference to indie authors everywhere.

8- What most motivates you to read a new book?

Recommendation from those I trust is the most sure-fire way to motivate me to a new read. I don’t like to judge on the reviews of strangers, cover designs or blurbs… but it happens, too. I like to look for books with more to offer than entertainment alone, so that’s another safe bet to sway me to read if I get that impression at first glance.

9- What is your favorite book by someone else, what's the author's Twitter handle, and what do you love most about that book? #FridayReads book recommendation time!

I'm so terrible at choosing 'favourites', so I'm going with the latest Indie book I read
Author name:Dzintra Sullivan @dzintrasullivan
Title: Once Upon a Death
Love because: I'd recommend Zee's latest book to anyone who enjoys supernatural tales woven into reality with style and skill. Dzintra nails everything in this mystery. Plus, come on, the reaper wears a Mickey Mouse watch - that's too priceless to pass up!


10- Who is currently your biggest fan? What does that person love most (or "ship") about your debut novel?

A few people jump to mind as my potential biggest fans, but I’ll have to go with the one who has officially labelled The Nightmare’s Truth as their favourite book. Her name’s Emma, and what she loves most about it is how it drew her into the characters' stories and lives, making her feel like she knows them all personally and really drawing her into their journeys.

11- What emotions do you hope your book will evoke for the reader, and is there a particular scene you hope will resonate with readers?

I do my best to charge my work with an array of emotions, from those which lift and warm a hopeful heart to those which crush you mercilessly under their heel. Overall, though, I hope to evoke feelings of self-confidence and reflection in my audience. I want them to question the good and the bad for true meaning and character evolution. There are too many scenes I could mention which I hope resonate with readers, and too many I’ve been told by fans have resonated. I don’t want to give any spoilers, I guess you’ll have to have a read and find out!

12- Do you have a favorite place?

Although I've visited some fantastic countries with breathtaking history (Italy, I'm looking at you!), my favourite place to be is the incomparable Download Festival. Come (frequent) rain or shine, that music festival strengthens my spirit like nowhere else in the world. Every time I'm there I feel like I'm home, living for 5 days with the most wonderful extended family of rock loving, genuine nutters.

13- How do you hope your book will help readers in their life?

I put my characters through the emotional ringer. I tear lives apart, collapse worlds on my characters, and take you on the journey of re-discovery – of their known and unknown strengths. Writing this story helped me to overcome depression and become who I am. I seasoned it with truths I’ve learned and existential notions which, I hope, all combines to help readers identify, find their own strength and stand up for it. I want my audience to realise they’re not alone, that none of us are, and that there’s always a way forward (even in the face of an impending apocalypse).

14- What is the most memorable trait or visual oddity of one of your characters?

The first which springs to mind is a character called Dante. He’s a powerful and savage immortal whose face becomes horrifically burned by an alchemical fire during the story. This fuels his rage to new heights through his inability to heal the wound with his own power and self-inflicted sense of deserving such gruesome scarring as punishment for his failures. This is his character art.

15- In what ways are the main characters in your book diverse? diversebooks.org #WeNeedDiverseBooks

I aim to mix ample diversity into my storytelling, while also never labouring the point as I feel this is where the line blurs and it becomes about trying to be diverse, rather than it simply being a natural part of the story and character lives. In my main roster we have 3 female leading roles and many characters from across the world of varying ethnicity. I show characters with clear feelings of profound love for same-sex characters (romantic and non) and include numerous themes centred around the acceptance of our differences and diversity and the need for us all to stand as one - the human race.

16- Who is your favorite book review blogger?

Oh wow, a favourite book review blogger? But there's so many talented reviewers out there! I think I'm going to have to say @wendy_wanner, because her review of my debut gave me so much confidence when I was still worried that my only audience would be family and friends. That was a big turning point for me.

17- What was the deciding factor in your publication route?

The deciding factor for me going self-published was creative control. I didn't want anyone else to have a say in the stories I could or couldn't tell. I knew that was the only way I could tell my story how it needs to be told. Plus I loved the idea of making it happen while flying solo, no pitching or waiting for acceptance, just running with the dream and self-belief. I don't like having to rely on other people to get things done, so self-publishing felt the most natural fit.

18- Why do you think readers should write book reviews?

Book reviews are the BEST way to help an author whose work you loved. Even a few short words of appreciation can be enough to bring a whole host of new readers to the story, and that's a pretty sure-fire way to guarantee you're going to get MORE stories from this author. Essentially, you're boosting awareness, whether it's with a full or short review, or even a 5 star rating on its own. You're becoming part of the story's story, and that's pretty badass if you ask me!

19- Do you have one question or discussion topic which you would like the readers of this interview to answer or remark on in the comments?

What entices you most to a new story as a reader? What do you NEED to see or feel to drop everything and say, "I HAVE to read this book, NOW!"

(and for my fellow writers, same question but also from an author's perspective - what draws you to write a new story?)

20- Anything else you would care to share about your book and yourself?

Well, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that I have a new book out this month on the 21st... HANG ON, that's TODAY!


It's a standalone short story set in the same world as my debut, The Nightmare's Truth. I wrote it to be (mostly) friendly to anyone fresh to the series, with as few spoilers as possible. I'm taking part in the Amazon UK Indie Storyteller Awards with it, so any support you guys can offer in the form of shares, purchases and reviews would mean the WORLD to me. I turn 30 next month and am so pumped to have released 2 books before then (#goalcrusher) and they're actually announcing finalists of the KDP competition the day after my birthday, too. Crazy timing or destiny? You decide.

You'll find a purchase link and extract from my new short story, Graveyard City on my website - https://ldaltonauthor.com/graveyard-city
And while you're there, you can treat yourself to a sample of the first 3 chapters of The Nightmare's Truth - https://ldaltonauthor.com/the-nightmare-s-truth

Also I appreciate you SO much for taking the time to read this interview. Thank you all, and a special thanks to J Lenni Dorner. Mr Dorner; bro, homie and Operation Awesome Interview Guy. I'm super grateful for this opportunity!
The Nightmare's Truth by Luke Dalton

Meet Christina June in this Debut Author Spotlight

It Started with Goodbye by Christina June

1- What's your favorite cupcake?

Can I pick all of them? My all-time favorite is the vanilla cupcake from Best Buns in Arlington, VA. I also love chocolate with peanut butter frosting. I’m newly gluten-free, so I’m on a mission to find the best celiac-friendly cupcakes. It’s a difficult task, but I’m up for the challenge.

2- Can you share a story from your life that shows who you are as a person and why you are a writer?

To understand me as a writer, you probably need to understand me as a reader. I read everything. Books. Magazines. News articles. Food labels. Ingredients on the shampoo bottle. Before we would go on road trips, my parents always made sure to take me to the bookstore, where I would inevitably bring them a stack of paperbacks that might hold me on the drive. I’m constantly updating my TBR list and checking the library to see what’s available. I read on my kindle, I listen to audio, and my shelves are overflowing with hard copies. A fun Saturday for my family is a trip to our favorite used bookstores. So, it feels like it was a foregone conclusion that I would write my own books once day.

3- How do you feel about Allison Janney's portrayal of Ms. Perky in "10 Things I Hate About You"?

While I can’t say my day looks anything like hers, I love Ms. Perky and she makes me laugh. I did know an English teacher years ago who was a little like her….

4- What ignited your passion for writing?

As I mentioned above, I’ve always been a big reader. I wrote short stories and poems growing up, but as an adult, I didn’t believe I could write a novel until I actually did it. In my day job, I spend roughly 200 hours a year writing recommendation letters for my students, which is a labor of love, but one that leaves me itchy to be creative when I’ve finished. In 2012, I gave NaNoWriMo a shot and won. Once I had proven to myself that I could do what I thought was impossible, I immediately wrote another book. But it was getting involved with the YA writing community, being active on social media, connecting with critique partners and readers, that really kept me going.

5- As a Cinderella story, does "It Started With Goodbye" have a special pair of shoes? Or was there, perhaps, some "shoespiration"? (shoe + inspiration)

My shoespiration for writing the book was an actual shoe. I spied an abandoned dress shoe on the side of the road the Monday morning after Homecoming and knew I needed to write a Cinderella story. In the book, the “glass slipper” is actually a keychain, but there’s also a nod to the actual glass slipper at the end.

6- Would you share a picture with us from your favorite vacation?


Here are two! About ten years ago, my husband and I did a road trip around Scotland, wandering the Highlands, castles, ruins, and so many amazing sights. He even got to compete in the oldest free Highland Games competition in Scotland, and was on the winning tug-of-war team. Another of my favorites was a trip to Costa Rica with my husband and my parents. It is such a beautiful country with warm people, delicious food, and activities for everyone. I loved ziplining and soaking in the hot springs.

7- What are some of your short and long term writing goals?

My goal is really the same for both short and long term. I want to write books. Even if they don’t get published, I’ll still do it. As long as characters tell me their stories, I’ll keep writing them down.

8- Do you play the cello or are you close with someone that does?

Sadly, no. My short strings career was with the viola in fourth grade, which I chose because my high school-aged neighbor played it and I naively assumed he would have an extra to lend me to learn on. Little did I know that nine year-old girls and sixteen year-old boys don’t use the same size instrument. I moved on to choir soon after that. I’ve always enjoyed the cello though. It reminds me of a human voice.

9- Who is currently your biggest fan? What does that person love most (or "ship") about your debut novel?

When my husband started reading ISWG, I was in the room. He kept laughing and saying things like “This is so you. You would totally say that.” Sometimes he’d send me screenshots of the lines he noticed where I’d stolen he recognizes. It’s been fun to experience my book, where the main character is very similar to me, through the eyes of the person who has to put up with me everyday. He’s definitely my biggest fan when it comes to support and cheerleading.

10- How have you spoken out against hate, injustice, or wrongdoing in 2017?

I do my best to listen, lead by example, and boost voices that need to be heard. My favorite thing to do is place books in the hands of people who might need to see themselves or need a character to relate to. I’ll give you my favorite example. I had a student once who had recently come out to his family and his parents were not as supportive as the student had hoped. As part of our discussions, I recommended a handful of YA novels that might help the parents understand how their child was feeling. Several months later, the family came back to me and thanked me—the author’s words had indeed helped open a dialogue at home. I’m grateful for the opportunity to do this.

11- What emotions do you hope your book will evoke for the reader, and is there a particular scene you hope will resonate with readers?

For teen readers, I hope they might feel empowered to stand up to the things they feel are unfair in their lives, big or small. An important part of ISWG is Tatum realizing that her parents make mistakes and that they come with their own baggage. She tries hard to balance being an individual who has agency with being a respectful family member, which is something I see kids grapple with a lot. There’s a scene near the end where Tatum gets some important clues about her stepmother and she begins to realize maybe everything isn’t exactly as she’d imagined.

12- What most helped you to improve your writing craft?

I like craft books in theory, but I’m also a big believer in finding your own method and putting together pieces from the authors you admire. I love Susan Dennard’s posts on Publishing Crawl because they’re easy to follow and apply to whatever genre you’re writing. I also really enjoyed Libbie Hawker’s Take Off Your Pants, which focuses on outlining. Experience, time and practice, coupled with patient critique partners, are also crucial to improvement. But the most helpful thing has just been to read and study the beautiful and clever things other authors do and file them away to pull out when needed.

13- #DiversityBingo2017 Which squares does your book cover on the card?

While my main character is white, her stepfamily member are of Chilean descent, the love interest is biracial, and the performing arts school that appears on page is very diverse. Some of my recent favorite books featuring marginalized narrators have been GIRL MANS UP by M-E Girard, ALLEGEDLY by Tiffany D. Jackson, and the forthcoming THE GIRL WITH THE RED BALLOON by my amazing critique partner, Katherine Locke.


14- Which character has your favorite Personality Contradiction?

Tatum’s stepsister Tilly is my devious rule-follower. She is generally straight-laced and sticks to what her mother has mapped out for her, but she’s also not afraid to step out of line for something she really wants. I love that I get to expand on her and this particular contradiction in my 2018 book, EVERYWHERE YOU WANT TO BE, in which she is the narrator.

15- As a reader, what most motivates you to buy a new book to read?

I’m a sucker for a great cover, but who isn’t? I will automatically pick up anything that has to do with prom, the boy next door, studying abroad, the UK, Paris, and swooning. I typically stick to contemporary novels, but there are many fantasies I’ve gotten sucked into (hello Sarah J. Maas!) and I love a good mystery or thriller every once in a while.

16- What was the deciding factor in your publication route?

Laziness? I knew I didn’t have the energy or the time to put into self-publication. I’m also really looking forward to seeing my book on the shelf at my local indies and Barnes & Noble. In hindsight, I’m very glad I went this route 1) because my agent is wonderful and always steers me in the right direction and 2) I probably wouldn’t have connected with my editor and the team at Blink without my agent. I’m so grateful to have such amazing and talented people in my corner.

17- What in Amazon's review policy has caused you to stop accepting friend requests on Goodreads?

Amazon seems to be taking down reviews of people they think are connected to authors, so if a friend or family member is generous enough to write me a review, I’d like it to be able to stay put. It seems unfair, and unrealistic, that my mother can’t write a review for my book (which she loves) if Amazon realizes we’re related.

*Information on this topic:

Amazon also refused to disclose "how we determine that accounts are related" because that information is "proprietary".
Quote found HERE.
The Change the "You Know This Author" Policy Petition closed with 17,589 supporters on August 27, 2015. No reply has been noted.
Operation Awesome Tips

18- What is one discussion topic which you would like the readers of this interview to answer or remark on in the comments?

I would love to hear about moments when readers had to defend the things they love, or stepped out of the box someone else put them in.

19- Anything else you would care to share about your book and yourself?

IT STARTED WITH GOODBYE by Christina June

Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Tatum Elsea is bracing for the worst summer of her life. After being falsely accused of a crime, she’s stuck under stepmother-imposed house arrest and her BFF’s gone ghost. Tatum fills her newfound free time with community service by day and working at her covert graphic design business at night (which includes trading emails with a cute cello-playing client). When Tatum discovers she’s not the only one in the house keeping secrets, she finds she has the chance to make amends with her family and friends. Equipped with a new perspective, and assisted by her feisty step-abuela-slash-fairy-godmother, Tatum is ready to start fresh and maybe even get her happy ending along the way.

A modern play on the Cinderella story arc, Christina June’s IT STARTED WITH GOODBYE shows us that sometimes going after what you want means breaking the rules.

Paperback, 304 pages
Expected publication: May 9th 2017 by Blink/HarperCollins

About Christina:

Christina June writes young adult contemporary fiction when she’s not writing college recommendation letters during her day job as a school counselor. She loves the little moments in life that help someone discover who they’re meant to become—whether it’s her students or her characters. Christina is a voracious reader, loves to travel, eats too many cupcakes, and hopes to one day be bicoastal—the east coast of the U.S. and the east coast of Scotland. She lives just outside Washington, D.C. with her husband and daughter. Christina’s debut, IT STARTED WITH GOODBYE, releases May 9, 2017. A companion novel, EVERYWHERE YOU WANT TO BE, will be published in 2018.

Find Christina online:

www.christinajune.com
www.blinkyabooks.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristinaJuneYA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaJuneYA
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinajuneya

May 9, Christina is running a release day giveaway contest. Anyone who posts a selfie with their favorite valediction and hashtag #ItStartedWithGoodbye on Twitter, FB or IG is entered to win a signed copy of the book, a key chain, a nail polish and a lip balm. She'll choose 2 winners and international is okay.

#AtoZchallenge Key Steps to Writing Your Online Book Description

The #AtoZChallenge 2017 Theme at Operation Awesome is the Publishing Journey.

Today's guest post is by Michele Keller.
Key Steps to Writing Your Online Book Description

Writing a good hook is your book's most important sales tool. But simply reusing your query won't guarantee the best results online. The internet is complex media, and your online book description needs to take advantage of all aspects of the online world.

Start with a great hook

Since you are already a writer, this should be the easy part. A quick review of the most important elements:

A great hook:
Uses specific details, not generic phrases
Does not use unexplained world specific names. If the average person wouldn't know what it is, don't use it.
Does not tell how your inciting incident happened. It explains why it's important to the character
Has a logical flow. The connection between the elements must be obvious
Matches the tone of the MS

Now you must optimize it for online use.

The internet is a visual medium. Effective online descriptions take full advantage of that medium to present information in an interesting way. That means using HTML in your description. Simple tags for bold, italic, H1, H2 are simple enough to for even the novice. (If you need help, type WYSIWYG HTML generator in a search engine. There are plenty of free ones to choose from. Then, you can cut and paste this into your description.)

This example overwhelms the reader. Giant blocks of uninterrupted text on a screen is unappealing. Notice that you don’t even need to read it to be turned off. The content could be amazing, but readers will click back before they have even read the first sentence.

The first text the readers sees must entice them to learn more. The hook must be front and center, and occur before the critical “read more” break.

The full description is presented in a visually appealing way. Notice the breaks in the text and the variations in the fonts. This gives the eyes a place to rest.

Now let's create yours

This is my awesome tagline (use HTML heading 1)

This first paragraph will use 54 words or less to guarantee any reader will click on the crucially important 'read more' link that follows. If you want the secret to generating sales for your self-published novel you can't afford not to click on that link. (Got it?)

Now that the reader has clicked read more, we don't want her to regret it. The second paragraph should give more details and expand on what came before. You do not have to use all the allotted space for your hook. Giant blocks of text turn readers off.
Break things up with subheadings
Congratulations you've hooked your reader. They clicked on 'read more' and made it to the end. It's time to reel them in with a great close.

If you have a great review, use the extra space to quote it, and be sure to use bold or italics to distinguish it from the rest of your hook.

The final step is optimizing your keywords

There is no way around this step. If you want to sell your book on Amazon or any other online bookstore. You will be buried by your competition without keywords. Unless you are going to debut on the top 50, no one is going to find you by randomly clicking. It will not happen. You must use keywords.

There are plenty of conspiracy theories about how Amazon's algorithm performs keyword searches. There are just as many and people claiming to have cracked the code and will gladly sell you the secret. If you don't have a marketing department the simplest method is the autofill cheat. Go to Amazon and slowly type in a keyword description of your novel in the search window, e.g. urban fantasy male protagonist. Amazon will suggest in the drop down window some similar keyword searches. Pick your keywords from that list. Also, you are not married to your first choices. Revisit your keywords. If your sales are lagging, scroll through what is selling, find something your novel has in common, and add it to your keywords.

Selling e-books in this competitive market requires more than just good writing. It requires an expertise in marketing that many authors simply don't have. By optimizing your online description, you can give your book the professional look that will help you edge out the competition.

Bio:

Michele is a former music teacher turned writer. She specializes in family-friendly travel, health and wellness, and the adventure known as parenting. Her alter ego, The Manuscript Shredder, critiques first chapters and uses them to inspire articles designed to help beginning writers improve their craft.

You can find Michele at
http://michelekeller.wordpress.com
Twitter: @ml_keller