Quality Matters in Independent Publishing: Fixing ‘Reunion: Coda’…and Other Matters

Afternoon, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, Miami, Florida

Hi, there. It’s another scorching late spring day in South Florida on this last “Hump Day” of May 2025. Outside, it’s 89°F (32°C) under mostly sunny skies. With humidity at 63% and a gentle 9 MPH (15 Km/H) breeze from the southeast, it feels like 98°F (37°C). We’ve reached the forecast high for the day, so the temperature might get hotter before late afternoon. The forecast for today, then, calls for mostly sunny conditions and the aforementioned high of 89°F (32°C).

Yesterday, I submitted the final revisions of Reunion: Coda through my Kindle Direct Publishing account. Unlike the majority of corrections made last month, which were primarily issues related to duplicated passages or formatting errors caused by the Kindle Create application, these recent adjustments were relatively minor but distracting. One issue involved an incomplete reference to an anniversary of an unspecified life event; the other concerned an inconsistent description of one of Reunion: Coda’s main characters. Specifically, I had inadvertently described Martina Elizabeth “Marty” Reynaud as being of “average height” in the scene where Jim first encounters her (in-universe), despite having previously established her as tall and graceful, possessing dancer’s legs.

Honestly, these mistakes might not seem like a big deal—most readers probably wouldn’t even notice them, or if they did, they’d likely forgive me and move on. But as a former college newspaper copy editor, they stuck out like a sore thumb. Once I spotted them, I couldn’t unsee them. And since the novel has my name on it, I couldn’t just let them slide. So, I spent part of yesterday morning fixing the issues and uploaded the revised manuscript to Kindle Direct Publishing. By this morning, the updates were live, and now readers will get the polished version I know they deserve.

This might sound a bit obsessive, but it highlights something really important about publishing today. Self-publishing platforms like Kindle Direct Publishing have made it easier than ever for writers to share their work with the world, skipping over the complicated hurdles of traditional publishing. While that’s amazing for giving talented writers a chance, it also means there’s a flood of less-than-stellar books from people who don’t care about quality and just want to make a quick buck. Unfortunately, this has given independent publishing a bad reputation. That’s why it matters so much to me to put out work that’s worth my readers’ time and trust. Quality isn’t just a nice bonus—it’s something I take seriously because I respect the people who pick up my book.

Oh, and just a heads-up—updates like these don’t appear instantly. If you’re reading on Kindle, you’ll see the revised version by Saturday. But if you’re more into paperbacks or hardcovers, you might want to hold off a bit before ordering to make sure you get the latest, polished edition.

On Writing and Storytelling: So…What’s Next?

Besides doing quality checks on Reunion: Coda, I’m juggling a bunch of other things too. I’m writing my daily blog posts and tackling some marketing tasks for the novel, even though I’d rather just focus on writing. On top of that, I’m starting to brainstorm ideas for the next story after Reunion: Coda.

Earlier this month, I decided to try something new and offered Kindle readers a one-week price reduction—from $5.99 to $3.99. It got a few nibbles, sure, but it didn’t exactly set the world on fire or send sales soaring. (And yes, marketing really is soul-killing—who knew trying to sell your book could feel so draining?)

I’ve also been doing my best to self-promote in small, manageable ways. The truth is, I just can’t afford to buy professionally produced ads on Amazon or splash out on big promotional campaigns. So, I’m leaning on the hope that readers who enjoy Reunion: Coda will take a few moments to leave a review—whether on Amazon, their blogs, or wherever they share their thoughts. Better yet, maybe they’ll feel inspired enough to buy copies as gifts for the book lovers in their lives.

I know I’m no businessman. That’s not in my DNA, nor is it something I find particularly enjoyable. But for now, this is me doing the best I can—one small step at a time, hoping the right words will find the right readers. And that’s all I can ask for.

Even though my attention is on fine-tuning Reunion: Coda and keeping up with my daily blog, I can’t help but feel excited about the possibilities of starting a new project. I don’t quite know where it’s headed yet, but here’s what I do know: it won’t be another novel or an adaptation of the Reunion Duology for audio or screen. I’m leaning toward a short story—something manageable and refreshing after putting so much into Reunion: Coda. Plus, I’ve got a Reunion-related project brewing for Winter 2025, but I’m pacing myself with that, sticking to just one day a week. In the meantime, if you haven’t already, why not grab a copy of Reunion: Coda? And if it’s not your thing, maybe consider it as a gift for a book-loving friend or a fun addition to your local Little Free Library. Every purchase, every reader, makes a difference—and it means the world to me!