The hurdles of self-publishing

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I am preparing a novella for self-publication through Kindle Direct Publishing. It is called The Missionary Dune and, if all goes well, it will be available on June 30th , 2021.

Regardless of whether anybody wants to read the book, I have very much enjoyed the process of getting it ready, and have plans for it to be the first of many. There is something very satisfying about seeing a project through from beginning to end, and being involved in every step.

The way has not been without its share of obstacles. Below are some of the challenges that I have faced so far.


Two-step authentication

This is really only a problem for people like myself, who don't own a mobile phone, or any kind of tablet device.

Publishing on Amazon requires sharing very confidential information – things like tax identification numbers that could be used to commit identity theft. Consequently, logging in requires both a traditional password and a one-time password (OTP). The latter is either texted to your mobile, or delivered via a voice call. Unfortunately the voice call service does not appear to be compatible with UK landlines.

The alternative is to use authentication software, however most of these apps will only work on mobile devices, or else require a mobile phone number in order to register.

Eventually I found an authenticator for Firefox that will run on a desktop PC. Having downloaded it, I stared at the little box that had appeared in the top right-hand corner of my web browser, like one of the cavemen at the beginning of 2001, wondering what an earth I was supposed to do next. After some prodding and poking, I managed to get it generating 6-digit OTPs, each with a 30 second shelf life, none of which were accepted by Amazon. By this time I was in a state of incredulous despair. The OTPs kept scrolling past like an unfathomable virtual simulation of the Rosetta Stone. Finally, I disabled the app and called it a day.

The following morning when I re-enabled the authenticator it worked fine. I have no idea why. I was able to log into Kindle Publishing and begin setting things up. It all feels a bit precarious, as if the technology hasn't quite reached the point where it can be comfortably used by the layman. That being said, I have kind of been forced to go off road due to my lack of a mobile. I think that, in the long term, I will invest in an OnlyKey which is designed to securely hold passwords and seems like a safer bet.


The IRS

When you self-publish on Kindle, Amazon will take either a 30% or a 65% cut of the price of the book, depending on the royalty plan you have chosen. In addition, because Amazon is an American company, the IRS requires that they withhold 30% of the cover price for tax purposes. Theoretically you could find yourself in an undesirable situation where 95% of the price of your ebook is going straight into the pockets of two large organisations.

Fortunately, if you live outside the US, it is likely that you will either be liable for a smaller tax withholding rate, or that you will not have to surrender any of your royalties to the Internal Revenue Service. In the UK and most of Europe, the withholding rate currently stands at 0%. In farther flung parts of Asia it hovers between 10-15% . In Australia and New Zealand it is 5%.

It is important to note that these withholding rates are not applied automatically. Amazon will assume that you are American unless you can prove otherwise. While researching this, I stumbled over a large number of websites where it was claimed that resolving the issue would require an international phone-call to the IRS who would set you up with a tax identification number. In fact, all you are required to do is prove that you are a citizen of a nation where a more favourable tax withholding percentage applies. You can do this by entering the tax identification number that applies to you in your home country. As a citizen of the UK I entered my national insurance number into the TIN field. Within a few minutes I was approved for 0% tax withholding.

The tax issue looks like it is going to be a massive headache the first time you come up against it. However, once you know what you are doing, it is very easy to resolve.


The British Library

The requirement to submit books, available within a particular territory, to a designated library or repository, is known as legal deposit. In the United Kingdom the practise has legislative roots dating back to 1662.

In the present day, the champion hoarders at the British Library are entitled to a free copy of any publication that is generally available, regardless of whether it has an International Standard Book Number. As far as I understand, the law requires that you send the best available format to their depositary in Wetherby. Ideally this would be a hardback, or if not that, then a paperback, or, if you absolutely must, an ebook. New books must be forwarded to the British Library within a month of publication. Furthermore, any new editions, even those containing minor corrections must also be submitted. Failure to comply with these rules can result in you being taken to court. The clear message here is: Don't fuck with librarians.

Additionally, there are five other libraries who are entitled to request a free print copy of your book within 12 months of publication, in the most available format. They are:

- The Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford

- The Cambridge University Library

- The National Library of Scotland

- The National Library of Wales

- The Trinity College Library in Dublin

This legislation has been an instrumental factor in me choosing to publish exclusively via ebook. Although Amazon does offer a print on demand service, the expense of purchasing and then mailing out six copies of a book that is likely to have an extremely limited appeal, is prohibitive in my present situation.


Digital Rights Management

When you set up you a new ebook on Kindle Direct Publishing, you will be asked if you want to apply Digital Rights Management (DRM) software, to protect your work from piracy.

My stance on DRM is shaped by my long history as a gamer and, to a lesser extent, by a period when compact discs were routinely issued with anti-piracy software, in an attempt to stave off the threat of illegal downloading.

In general, I have found that DRM can create problems for those who have purchased a legitimate copy of a piece of digital media. Furthermore, in most cases the security software can be cracked relatively easily, at which point the horse has bolted and the only people suffering from the side effects of DRM are those who supported your work.

To illustrate this point, I have videogames that I can no longer easily play but because the anti-piracy software is regarded as a security risk by modern systems. For a while all Ubisoft games would install a rootkit on your PC, effectively opening up a backdoor on your system. I also have some CDs incorporating DRM that will go berserk if you attempt to play them on a computer. Anyone who illegally downloaded these games or albums will not have experienced these issues. They were, and remain, exclusive to paying customers.

Working on the ethos that the best course of action is the one that benefits the people who are willing to invest in your work, I have decided to forgo the use of DRM protection.

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