A self-published author's diary, podcast

My BargainBooksy and AudioThicket recap, the “need” to write and more…

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Episode 61

Today, I share with you my book promo results using BargainBooksy as well as my audiobook promo results using AudioThicket. But first, I start by sharing some good news as well as explaining why sometimes it feels like I “need, need, need” to write. And more advice from writers on TikTok:

  • Pick one thing at a time and master it. You don’t have to be brilliant at everything right out of the box.” by @mckennadeanfiction and
  • “Be easy on yourself” by @katryanwrites

Mentioned in this episode: 

The TikTok video where I asked what advice writers would give someone just starting:

Ways to help Ukraine

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My EU VAT Saga As A Self-Published Author: What I Learned (and Got Wrong Info About) from Amazon KDP Support A self-published author's diary: The Ups and Downs of Self-Publishing (and everything in-between)

If you're an indie author self-publishing wide, or specifically on Amazon KDP, and you're based in the EU, this episode is for you (or at least, it's for you to commiserate with me). I walk through my ongoing, unresolved, and occasionally maddening experience trying to figure out EU VAT reporting for my Amazon royalties as a Belgian-registered sole proprietor and US citizen self-employed author.Topics covered in this episode:Amazon KDP's EU VAT Invoices requirement and the self-billing agreement, and why that option isn't showing up in my accountWhat actually happened during a two-hour Amazon KDP support chat, including an agent who left mid-conversation and wrong information about my tax formsWhy a US citizen living abroad still has to file a W-9, not a W-8BEN, no matter where they liveWhat I found digging through KDP's own (and partly outdated) VAT help pagesThe next step I've identified but haven't tackled yet: submitting VAT invoices to Amazon manuallyA Patreon update: three new paid tiers now live (Emotional Support Crew, Spicy Pickles, and Raccoon Author), and what free members and newsletter subscribers can still expectAn early audiobook release for # Sweets For Love, going out chapter by chapter on PatreonA Barnes & Noble payment update and a quick note on my ongoing TikTok experimentDisclaimer: This episode is not tax, VAT, or legal advice. It's a personal account of one indie author's experience. Please consult a qualified tax advisor, VAT specialist, or your local tax authority for guidance specific to your situation.Stick around for the blooper reel. I still cannot say "EU VAT" cleanly.Links mentioned:Patreon (with the Raccoon Author tier): https://www.patreon.com/c/elodieswritingnook/membershipFAQ VAT (old document I think): https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GZJMEVQJPYBGJ8Z7FAQ VAT (newer FAQ): https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GZU8XMCDUGR6PM7FContact: elodie AT elodienow.com
  1. My EU VAT Saga As A Self-Published Author: What I Learned (and Got Wrong Info About) from Amazon KDP Support
  2. Numbers: A TikTok Experiment As an Indie Author (the yay, the nay, and what it costs), pre-order numbers and more
  3. Writing and revising, Author Taxes & the Emergency Room: 3 Days in My Self-Published Life
  4. Numbers: Amazon blocked one of my e-books (one that had been live for ten years)
  5. ROMO Or My Reality (Realities) Of Missing Out In the Self-Publishing World…
  6. Numbers: The Book That Had 23 Preorders and…became my most read book.
  7. This isn't a grand gesture …
  8. My Self-Pub Weekly Diary: Some Wins, Some Wobbles, and Absolutely Zero Words (on My Manuscripts)
  9. My F***-It Book: She Had Cancer and Still Gets a Holiday Steamy Rom-Com
  10. New Release Hiccups, Metadata, Pen Names, and Mild Panic