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Goldeic

Thank you, my friend.
V

posted by BigV on July 24, 2026 at 8:40 AM | link to this | reply

Re: Re: Re: Re: Goldeic

V, I'm so sorry about your brother and your other siblings who have passed.  I knew you'd stop by your house.  I know you used to walk the dogs there.  Have a good night.  You have a lot of nice pictures from there.

posted by Goldiec on July 23, 2026 at 4:54 PM | link to this | reply

Re: Re: Re: Goldeic

My brother has passed away. I am the oldest of six siblings... four boys and two girls. Two of my brothers have died, and one of my sisters has also passed away. My surviving sister is Kim, born in 1968. I was born in 1953... in fact, I will be 73 August 16th,  I don't feel that old, and I do my best to never feel that old. 

Yes. I sopped by to see how our old house was doing, and the place still looked pretty darn good!

V

posted by BigV on July 23, 2026 at 11:42 AM | link to this | reply

Re: sam444

Rather than write the thing out from my POV, I asked my bot. Here is my question and his response. I had mentioned to it that my dad always called me "Doc" because I wanted to be a doctor.
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YES... I use a bot. Why? Because I can feed his/her/it a question, and it answers me. Can it help you write a book? Yeah, but it's going to take forever to get it straightened out. See how it feeds everything out in a few words... or a single word... and the occasional partial paragraph. What I do is feed it a chapter, and ask it to grade it for a sophomore college level. Again, you get the same thing... words standing alone.. partial sentences... and a bunch of odd lines. Note the different size fonts and partial sentences.
V

Below is my question to it, and this is its response.        
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I'm trying to explain to some of my writing friends about using PublishDrive (PD). They are worried about the monthly fees. Can you explain the fee PD has and what it is better than the Amazon fee setup for them?I'm trying to explain to some of my writing friends about using PublishDrive (PD). They are worried about the monthly fees. Can you explain the fee PD has and what it is better than the Amazon fee setup for them?
 

Doc, I actually think this is one of the biggest misconceptions in self-publishing.

Most authors hear "monthly fee" and immediately think, "They're taking money from me."

What they don't realize is that Amazon is charging them too—just in a different way.

Here's how I'd explain it to your writing group.

PublishDrive vs. Amazon KDP

The Difference Isn't Cost...

It's how you pay.

Amazon's model

Amazon says:

"Publishing is free."

And technically, that's true.

But every time you sell a book, Amazon keeps a percentage of the sale. Depending on the format, pricing, territory, and delivery fees, your royalty can vary. For Kindle ebooks, Amazon offers either a 35% or 70% royalty option, each with different eligibility rules and conditions.

In other words...

You don't pay up front.

You pay every single time you make a sale.

PublishDrive's model

PublishDrive says:

"Pay us a flat subscription."

Once you've paid that subscription, you keep the store royalties instead of PublishDrive taking an additional commission on eligible subscription plans.

Think of it like this.

Amazon says:

"We'll own a slice of every pizza you ever bake."

PublishDrive says:

"Pay us rent for the kitchen."

Once you've paid the rent...

The pizza is yours.

A real-world example

Suppose you sell:

  • 50 books a month

If Amazon takes its normal share through its royalty structure, that's simply part of every sale.

With PublishDrive...

You pay your monthly subscription...

…and then keep the applicable store royalties instead of giving PublishDrive an additional cut.

If your sales grow...

The subscription stays the same.

That's why many higher-volume authors like the model.

Who benefits?

Amazon works well for:

  • First-time authors
  • One or two books
  • People who only want Amazon
  • Authors testing the waters

Nothing wrong with that.

PublishDrive works well for:

  • Authors with a growing catalog
  • Authors publishing "wide"
  • Authors wanting Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, libraries, subscription services, and international stores from one dashboard
  • Authors planning a long-term publishing business

Here's the part I tell everyone

Imagine owning a convenience store.

You wouldn't open your doors only to people wearing blue shirts.

You'd welcome everyone.

That's how I look at bookstores.

Amazon is the biggest bookstore.

But it isn't the only bookstore.

There are readers who buy only from Apple Books.

Others only from Kobo.

Others borrow from libraries.

Others live in countries where Amazon isn't the dominant retailer.

PublishDrive lets you reach all of those from one place.

Why I think it's a better long-term business model

You already know my opinion because we've talked about it before.

If I build a business...

I don't want one company controlling 90–100% of my income.

I'd rather have:

  • Amazon
  • Apple Books
  • Kobo
  • Barnes & Noble
  • Google Play
  • Libraries
  • Subscription services

If one retailer changes its rules tomorrow...

My business keeps running.

That's diversification.

The question I ask authors

I ask them:

"If Walmart sold your books...

would you refuse to let Barnes & Noble carry them?"

Of course not.

So why would you let only one online retailer represent your work?

For someone like you...

Doc, this is exactly why I think PublishDrive fits your publishing philosophy. You've told me more than once that you don't want to build your career around a single retailer. Your goal has been to create a catalog of books that readers can buy wherever they prefer, not wherever one company tells them to shop. As your catalog keeps growing—from I, Empath to Different Hands on the Elephant, your romance novels, and the War of the Empaths series—a flat subscription becomes easier to justify because it's supporting an entire publishing business rather than a single title.

I think that's the distinction your friends need to hear.

Amazon asks, "How much should we make from each of your books?"

PublishDrive asks, "How many books do you want to build into your business?"

Those are two very different philosophies.

posted by BigV on July 23, 2026 at 11:30 AM | link to this | reply

Re: Re: Goldeic

V, 92 would feel hot to me.  I'm wondering if your brother is still living?  You used to write about him coming to visit.  I'm glad you got to go to Michigan.  Were you checking on your house?  Have a good day!

posted by Goldiec on July 23, 2026 at 11:08 AM | link to this | reply

I did a quick check on the site but didn't commit. Can you tell me how the monthly fee works? I didn’t get past that point! 

posted by sam444 on July 23, 2026 at 11:01 AM | link to this | reply

Re: Goldeic

Yes, we did. We spend a week in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, watching the deer, moose, wolves, beavers, and fox. I've probably seen 200+ moose... and they still take my breath away when I find them. Any trip to the UP would have to include standing on the shore, and watch the waves coming in.

I don't have any family beyond my wife, but I did visit some friends, and then wander to Lansing to visit Lisa's family. We hope they will be visiting us this winter! 

It sounds strange, but you do get used to the heat. It's 92 here right now, but I don't feel 'hot.'

posted by BigV on July 23, 2026 at 9:15 AM | link to this | reply

Good Morning

When you were gone, did you travel to different areas of the country?  I think you must use your grill outside because, without air, I think it would get very hot in the kitchen.  We can't have central air because we have boiler heat, so we have units in the living room, kitchen, bedroom, and my grandson's room.  Try to stay cool on these hot days.  It's a little cooler here today, but we have had some really hot days.  How are your dogs doing?

posted by Goldiec on July 23, 2026 at 8:29 AM | link to this | reply