When I first launched Phineas Fitch and the Curious Chest and Whispers of the Fallen, I priced the Kindle editions at $9.99. At the time, that felt fair. The books were new, carefully crafted, and aligned with what I saw other indie titles going for.

But the more I stepped back, looked at the genre, and thought about my readers — especially parents buying for their kids or readers outside Kindle Unlimited — I realized something:

💡 Price shouldn't be a barrier to a good story.

So I've lowered both Kindle eBooks to $4.99.

Not because I think the books are worth less — but because I believe you deserve honesty and access. And that brings me to something more important than price:

🧭 Transparency and integrity are at the core of who I am — and what I create.

I want you to know that I believe the paperback and hardcover pricing is fair, based on what it costs to produce, print, and ship them. But the system behind the scenes? It's hard. Royalties get severely undercut — by distribution fees, taxes, and other forces that often ask authors to choose between being paid fairly or getting their work out into the world.

In fact, eBooks are one of the only places authors can earn something close to fair compensation, without losing most of it to the machine. And even that is changing. Print costs are rising, royalty percentages are shrinking — and don’t even get me started on bookstore viability (that’s a blog for another day).

But here's what won’t change:

You will always get the real me — the one who values stories, readers, and creative integrity over profit margins.

You’re not just readers. You’re fellow travelers in these worlds I build — explorers, kindred spirits, and allies in imagination.

So thank you. For reading. For sharing. For believing in the power of stories told with heart.

And if I can make those stories easier to reach, even if it means a little less in my pocket, so be it.

This is only the beginning.

— Ryan L. Smith