And We're Live!

The Mechanic is live on Amazon...three days early!

First, and most importantly, happy Easter, happy Passover. Happy 420 for that matter! I hope that whatever meaning this day has for you it brings you joy and the companionship of friends and family.

Please prioritize this post well below those activities.

Strange and inscrutable are the ways of Amazon. Last night, as I was preparing to go up to the alley to the neighbor’s annual “Remember Us, We’re Your Neighbors” end-of-winter gathering, an email popped into my inbox:

“Congratulations!” it read. “Your book ‘The Mechanic’ is now live and available for purchase in the Kindle Store and enrolled in KDP Select!”

Amazing! Incredible. The culmination of years of writing and editing and thinking about a world ten years in the future and some of the people living in it.

Three days ahead of schedule. The book is supposed to drop this Tuesday, the 22nd.

This news set off a little bit of a scramble to advance some of the marketing support for the book. Aarron and Leslie, the two people helping me promote the book, probably had plans for last evening but somehow they juggled things to make it work. Hence why some of you got an email last night with this news. Those of you who accidentially got two emails last night with this news now understand why.

This post gives me, therefore, a chance to say “thank you” to everyone who’s already purchased a copy. I won’t say I’m obsessively checking the sales page but…

For those who might want to purchase the Kindle version of the book, you can find it here:

amazon.com/Mechanic-Jon-Austin-ebook/dp/B0F5NF52KX

The Kindle version is $7.99 but it is also available through the “Kindle Unlimited” program. I benefit more or less equally from either option so please pick the one most convenient for you.

Early sales, I’m told, are very impactful so every one counts and is truly much appreciated.

As far as we know, the print version is still on track to launch April 22nd (the evening of April 21st in North America). The paperback is priced at $19.95.

About reviews…

A couple of early purchasers have asked for guidance on how to leave a review of the book on its page. That is amazing and very much appreciated: Amazon reviews are incredibly helpful in reaching new readers.

Writing one is really pretty easy if you’re inclned to do so. If you go to the page above and scroll down, you will see a section of the page about reviews and ratings:

Click on the “Write a customer review” button and you should see:

From here, you can do something as simple as click on the number of stars or you can write a review that gives others some insight into what you thought of the book.

Amazon has tips for reviews but they pretty much summarize to this:

1. Keep it Personal: Talk briefly about your experience reading the book. What stood out or resonated with you? People appreciate genuine insights.

2. Be Specific (but no spoilers!): Mention particular elements you liked—characters, story pace, themes, writing style, or specific scenes—without revealing key plot twists.

3. Length and Clarity: Short reviews of 2-3 concise paragraphs usually get read more. Keep your thoughts clear and focused.

4. Star Ratings Matter: Amazon treats 4- and 5-star reviews as highly positive. If you genuinely loved it, rating accordingly makes a real difference.

5. Honest Enthusiasm: Readers can sense genuine enthusiasm. Share honestly what you enjoyed, how it made you feel, or who else might enjoy this book.

That’s all there is to it! Please note that your review may not post immediately as Amazon puts them through some sort of process.

Closing thoughts:

Sorry to turn this post into a shameless promotion but also not sorry. After living with this story and its characters for several years, I am deeply invested in the project and more than a little proud of how it turned out. It’s far from perfect but it’s the best novel I had in me. I really want it to find its audience even if that ends up being a baker’s dozen of people just as quirky as the author. I’m really excited to learn what that audience thinks of the future I’ve imagined and the people living in it. One of the cool things about writing near-future sci-fi is imagining what those characters would be doing today, in 2025. After getting to know them for the last four years, it would be a thrill to meet them!

And, last but not least, thank you. Many of you contributed to this book whether you know it or not. None of you are in it per se but at its heart The Mechanic is story about family and about people doing hard things in difficult circumstances. Much of what I know about those topics I learned from many of the people who subscribe to this Substack.

I am grateful.

About the Header Image: First time since I started posting here that I didn’t use Midjourney to create an image. Might get that one framed.