Mercy Celeste: And Here We Are!

Ah November arrived. And it's been a doozy so far.

I'm not going to talk about that here. I've said all I'm going to say on Facebook. Words are words. Actions are actions. I've said the words. Now it's time for action.

I will no longer support billionaires who actively worked to take away my and my children's rights. I won't speak the name because I no longer acknowledge his existence. What I will say is this, for the last 13 years I've made money from his site. 70% of all actual sales and less than half a cent per page read in the exclusive reading program. I've paid 100% of the production costs on all of my self published books. I paid 100% of the production for the one Audible book I was able to afford to produce. I would never advise anyone to ever get involved with Audible. The royalty split for just hosting the book is egregiously slanted to the host and not the creator. I believe with every fiber of my being that all sales and page counts are inaccurately accounted for. I believe with every fiber of my being that I am paid for far fewer copies than are sold. And since I no longer have a career than can only survive on that platform I will be pulling every book I still have listed there as they fall out of the reading service.

This is not a decision I've made lightly or brashly or any other form of 'ly verb. It's been a decision I've been dancing around for years. Only to not follow through because the limited sales I have come from there and readers absolutely refuse to leave the reading service.

I get it. I do. Times are hard. And they're going to get harder in the next few years. Art and artists will be the first sacrifices people make when the belts have to be tightened. I do understand that. I haven't bought a book for myself this entire year. I buy my youngest books when I can and they are hella expensive. I get it. The joy of holding a book in your hands and smelling it and the art and the words. It's something I do miss. I miss walking through bookstores and buying my favorite authors. Sadly most of those ladies have all passed away now. Or given up writing. Or, became born again something or other that would see me and mine harmed.

But as a non-binary author with trans and non-binary and queer children, I will not continue to support the business of a person who actively used his newspaper to promote harm to mine. This is my line in the sand. It is drawn.

You don't have to agree with me. You don't have feel anyway at all about that platform. That's your decision to make. You can absolutely do you, boo. But I will not be there.

When the 26 titles I still have listed there fall out of KU they will be removed. You have until then to purchase the books you may not have. You have until then to get them into your KU library if you want them there. They will not return. I will not be closing my account because to close your account removes your purchased media. That and financial reasons as I will be paid for three months next year. I do not advize closing your account, if you're of a mind to, just stop paying for things there.

Anyway, I've decided that I will return all books to Kobo at the very least, including the books I have "unpublished" when their series ends in KU. I wish I could convince you to go to Kobo instead. Kobo Plus is the same as KU, cheaper for you, and better for the creator, as book reads count for every read instead of just the first read.

I won't talk about the coming book purges because that's just speculation. I won't talk about any of it anymore.

I will just do.

Ebooks will move to Kobo, and possibly back to Apple and Barnes and Noble. I would like to change all of my covers to discreet covers. I would like to publish them all in paperback. I would need financial help to do that. I would like to ask for financial help to start with Under a Crescent Moon. I will not change the title but the cover must be redone, at least for an ebook. I would need between 150 and 400 dollars. I have a Ko-Fi account listed in my linktree in the About Me tab on the menu above. If maybe you'd like to "buy me a coffee" or something.

Again, if you want to read or purchase my books while they are still available on Amazon, I will list the titles with the dates they leave KU below. You can click the covers in the side bar to find them. If you'd like to wait until they are back in my store that would be awesome, but not necessary. If you are interested in buying the unpublished books, or the remaining signed paperbacks from me, you will find them in my payhip store, link also available in my linktree.

With love and respect,

Mercy

Titles leaving KU November 22

Double Coverage

Wicked Game

Need You Now

The 51st Thursday

The QB Connection

One True Pair

Light from the Dark

Beyond Complicated

Out of the Blues