On August 25, 2025, ALLi asked: How do you decide which publishing platforms to use, and have you ever changed your mind?

I started with KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) because that’s what my sister-in-law, Nikki Leigh, introduced me to.  From there, I added Barnes & Noble after meeting an author, Penelope Lifestone, and noticing her books were available through them.  My choices haven’t been about chasing every platform at once—they’ve been gradual, shaped by personal connections and seeing what works for authors I respect.

In a sense, that is going wide, but I value steady growth over stretching myself thin.  Tossing a book onto every platform overnight might sound like a fast track, but it often means less focus, less strategy, and sometimes even making the book easier to access for free.  For me, it’s better to build step by step—making sure I understand each platform, how it works, and whether it genuinely benefits my readership.

At the end of the day, my main driver isn’t just the platform itself but word of mouth and reviews.  A book might sit on twenty storefronts, but if nobody is talking about it, sales won’t move.  That’s why I’d rather expand gradually, keep control, and let each step forward feel intentional rather than rushed.