RED LIGHT BYTES: EMERGENCY EDITION
BAD NEWS ABOUT AMAZON, A GREAT NEW PRIMER, NEW ART & MORE!
I’m fronting the bad news today because this effects 365 Infantry a great deal. In my on-going quest to deliver quality, pulp-era entertainment at true pulp prices, a new challenger has arrived: Amazon operating costs.
“For the first time since starting print operations almost two decades ago, from June 10, 2025, we are changing the royalty rate for books priced below certain list prices (e.g. less than 9.99 USD). The royalty rate on these titles will decrease from 60% to 50%.” — Kindle Direct Publishing
While this wouldn’t seem to be that hefty a cut, what it has done is nullified the profitability of the 365 Infantry Quarterly in several regions, including the United Kingdom and Australia, and shaved our main American market down to as little as 20-cents/book. It may also eat into the profits on our Annual Collections as well. I’ll be spending some serious time deliberating on how to adjust pricing across all our titles, but what it does also mean is this: I need The Ride for 2025 to do well. And I mean very well.
I need it do well for YOU.
This will be your LAST CHANCE to get the kind of low prices I’ve been offering for the past two years. After this, the party’s over and I’ve got to figure out how to balance my goal of affordable entertainment with the current economic climate.
Because I’m fulfilling this campaign through the author’s copy function in KDP (print cost + shipping and taxes), this will be the most money I’ll be able to make per title during this change. That’s money being put back into the series, its art, its bonus materials, everything. Whether you’re just joining us and want to give the series a try or you’re a longtime fan who’s been with us from the beginning, I NEED YOU to help take this campaign to the next level.
The good news is that this shakeup doesn’t effect sales of eBooks. The better news is that you actually own what you buy from me directly, unlike when you “purchase a digital license” from Kindle. So even if you can’t give much, our $3 Quarterly tier will still help make a huge difference in keeping this series riding high. If you want to go above and beyond, our range of stylish paperback collections and digest magazines are worth their weight in gold with how many exhilarating stories of courage, bravery and hellraising fun they’re filled with.
Nowhere else can find our brand of heavy metal science fiction, led by our badass pack of hardened wolves, and nowhere else can you get deals this good!
Should this campaign succeed, going forward I will honor every single backer in a permanent space in our quarterly credits and acknowledgements. Your name etched into every single book we make going forward as one of the intrepid soldiers who helped the Force take all in the The Ride for 2025. Every annual collection, every magazine issue.
Everything from a $1 donation to a $120 Top Brass subscription will be honored, so ACT NOW to secure you’re name in the Base’s Hall of Fame. We need you on the frontlines now more than ever! ENDS JUNE 5!
Now, speaking of frontlines…
NEW PRIMER: TALES FROM THE FRONT LINES
Action, crime, romance! The lone anthology within the five-prong attack leaves many opportunities for special stories to be told in the world of 365 INFANTRY. Their given name: "TALES FROM THE FRONT LINES!"
Listen on to learn more about why I keep this potpourri of storytelling in play and some of the series most special stories. A friendly reminder that this year’s offerings in the series are part of a project called Wasteland Warriors, chronicling tall tales from across the desert. First story “Acid Arrows” starring J.B. Marshall received a wonderful review from Derek James Kritzberg in his DREAD Reviews series.
Favorite line: “He’s that one rugged uncle you probably know at the family reunion, complete with a doe-eyed Dodge truck that’s got more personality in it than your half of the Thanksgiving cast.” Absolutely killed me when I read it.
UPDATES
Production on the series itself is chugging along nicely. Goal is to have Alan Firedale recorded and off to our crack editor Brendan Rechnitzer later this week, and to have stories off to our test driving team shortly thereafter. Meanwhile, Kevin John Jacob has pulled through with roughs of everything, and one very special piece I just had to share:
There’s a reason this man has been with us since the beginning. When he’s good, he’s goddamn-right on the money. I’ll be keeping the details tight to the chest on the meaning of these stories, but know that they will be a little more introspective while still maintain that driving action style…
ICYMI
Friend of the Force Lyn Perry has finally launched his Space Opera Stories fundraiser, so for the newbies not too sure about the whole wolf thing, here’s your chance to read a story by me that’s all about people.
Or rather an Earthling, a Venusian, and a sentient off-roading buggy. But now I’m just getting ahead of myself!
Each of the four volumes is packed with six riveting tales (yours truly features in Volume 2: Alien Invasion) featuring the tremendous talents of writers like B. Harlan Crawford, Andrew Darlington, Angelique Fawns, Matthew Ross and many more. Each also feature a punchy little cover by the great Jason J. McCuiston, perfectly capturing that pure pulp spirit. Campaign ends JUNE 12!
New episode of On The Culture’s Crest dropped last week, with Richard and I focusing our attention on the expansive, lucrative and controversial world of video games! Always available on YouTube, Transistor.fm, and your podcasting platform of choice!
Lastly, we’re continuing to chug along with work on Wild Eye Archive. This week’s edition runs a wild gamut from talking about Bo Burnham’s 2021 postmodern comedy special Inside to the depraved depths of NYC’s 42nd Street!
Other than that, the band plays on and so do we. As always:
May God Bless You & This Force. See ya Friday!
Cool! Best wishes and thanks for the shout out.
Gee, and I STILL don't have any digital payment methods to help support!