By Stephanie Chandler  on Non-Fiction Authors Association Site:

This past November, I was among the many indie authors disrupted by the news that Pronoun was shutting down. If you aren’t familiar with it, Pronoun was an ebook distributor run by Macmillan Publishing. I was using it to distribute the ebook versions of my three nonfiction books on non-Amazon retailers.

I set off to choose a different platform for ebook distribution. My search took me to Facebook groups and other online gatherings of indie authors, where I encountered the shockwaves of this closure firsthand.

In hindsight, of course, none of us really should have been surprised. No one promised us a long run with the service. But a few of the reactions from indie authors were extreme. Some authors reacted with panic (move all your books NOW!). Others despaired. One person wrote, “There goes my plan for 2018!”

The loss of a distribution partner is an inconvenience, but it shouldn’t be a major setback. As indie authors, we need to be resilient to change. Heck, we need to embrace it.

That experience inspired me to create this indie author manifesto – I hope you find it inspiring as we start off on another year that’s bound to present its own surprises.

There Are No Guarantees (in Publishing or Life)

If there’s one fundamental truth of indie publishing it’s this:

Things change. Roll with it.

2017 brought countless changes that affect authors and publishers, in addition to Pronoun’s closure.

Amazon now features third-party sellers of “new” books alongside genuinely new books, incurring the wrath of indie authors everywhere.
Now Kindle does paperbacks?
Amazon closed the CreateSpace store.
Facebook announces algorithm changes (again).
[add your own here!]
Nearly every month, something shifts significantly in the publishing ecosystem. No doubt 2018 will be just as filled with change.

We may not control all of the parts of the systems that we use to publish and promote our books, but we do control how we react to changes. We can fear change or embrace it. You’ll be happier if you go for the second option.

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