Newsletter: It's Good To Have Fans

You're all stars

Last Chance Saloon

In life we have to try things. They don’t always work out. That’s fine. Experimentation leads to experience.

I’ve been working on my new site for a while. The plan was to create a way for fans to buy books (printed and digital) direct from me, which means I make a bit more money from every sale. I could also offer things like special editions, or clothing items.

I’m proud of that site, but I think I’m going to shut it down as an experiment that didn’t work; or maybe could work, but was just launched at the wrong time. Let me explain.

I run the site through a vending portal, and that has a monthly charge. As long as I sell more items than the subscription costs, I stay in the black. But I’m looking at the sums and, although I have sold quite a few items, it’s a risk. I still sell a lot more books through bookshops than I do directly.

Also, the site host – Shopify – has been awful to work with. Their customer support was useless whenever I contacted them. Further, Shopify won’t release the money I’ve made from selling books, for various convoluted reasons. I reported them to the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority, but as is so often the case, bodies that are supposed to help consumers turn out to be toothless. As such, I have a pot of money which I need, but can’t access! Luckily I have one way of accessing my funds, and it is tied to closing my Shopify account and getting a one-off payment. So I will get my money (before anyone starts worrying for me!)

It reminds me of the time Paypal wouldn’t pay out thousands of pounds I’d made in book sale royalties, because they thought the funds were “suspicious”. I had to battle for months to get that money, and show them how a major promotion of my work on another site had led to an increase in sales. I would never use Paypal again after that stressful experience!

So, about a month from now, I will close down my Shopify website and switch to one that doesn’t have direct sales options. It will just list my books and where to buy them. Some of the items I currently sell won’t be available to buy anywhere, though. That includes clothing, luxury hardbacks, and ebook bundles. So this is your last chance to buy any of those things! Then I’ll get a single payout of earnings at the end of the month, so every purchase is greatly appreciated.

If you want to just browse the items that won’t be available for sale after I shut the site, use this link or click on the image below.

Or browse everything on the site.

The quotes at the start of this newsletter might tempt you to try some of my books, or to venture into one of the other genres I write in!

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The Sun Has Had Its Hat On

And thus, thanks to our star’s beneficence, more gardening has taken place. I always love the wildlife I see in my garden: birds, insects, mice, hedgehogs, flowers. But a wonderful thing happened: I found a frog in my pond! I didn’t think any lived there, but they must just be good at hiding. It leaped in with a “plop!” and swam down to the bottom, where there is plenty of cover.

Dolly, looking for the frog

Every time I go in the garden now, I squat patiently by the pond’s edge, hoping for another sight of the watery resident.

I also have some news on things I mentioned in my recent newsletters.

• I have updated my article on Apostrophes: I won! A few days after I raised the issue, Yorkshire Council reversed their policy and reinstated apostrophes on road signs.

• Christoffer Petersen was also excited about our new co-written book, Afua! Read his post here: A long time ago, not all that far away…

• I had mentioned my dental woes. Unfortunately there’s been no progress. I still have a broken wisdom tooth. You can read more here. Profits from book sales are all gratefully received for the Drinkwater Dental Fund!

• I’ve written some posts in my “other life” as a prospective MP. Ethical Vision Entertainment has links to some music that I’ve been listening to a lot recently. Continuing that theme, Nakba includes a bit of historical background about the land of Palestine. Finally, Tick Tick Boom is a quick commentary on English Government proposals to build a nuclear power station in Scotland, against the wishes of the devolved Scottish Parliament.

Thanks for reading, I hope you have a wonderful week! You can reply to this email if you want to get in touch.

Karl