Waybound Kindle Pre-Order Has Been Canceled

6/3/2023

TL;DR - Ebook pre-orders for Waybound have been canceled, and Amazon says there's nothing they can do about it.

Audiobook pre-orders are unaffected.

I woke up this morning to a phone call that Waybound was down on the Kindle Store and people were getting messages that their pre-orders had been canceled.

Obviously, that's a red alert around here.

After talking to a senior support specialist at Kindle and checking with our team members, we think it's OUR FAULT. We had uploaded a manuscript and we had multiple people check it, to the point of going through it page-by-page to make sure there was nothing wrong.

But there was a final step we were supposed to complete, and our team member didn't know that. When something like that happens, Amazon automatically removes the file 72 hours before the listed release date.

Apparently with no way to undo it.

We have calls out to different people at Amazon, and we're hoping they know a secret way to reverse all this. If we hear from them, I'll let you know immediately.

If we don't, we'll be uploading the book manually. In that case, it'll come out on time or a little earlier, but it won't be exactly at midnight in your region like the pre-order would have been. Which is one of the major reasons why we did pre-orders in the first place.

On the bright side, hey, we might get you the book early!

FAQ:
Does this affect audiobooks or paperbacks?
It does not! Only the ebook pre-order was affected. Audible pre-orders are completely separate, and in fact you can still pre-order through Audible, and paperbacks didn't have a pre-order process so they're still unchanged.

If I pre-ordered the book, will I get it?
Right now, it looks like you will not. You won't be charged either--the entire thing was canceled. So unless we hear from someone at Kindle who knows the forbidden magic to get it back up, pre-orders are dead.

If your uncle is Jonathan Kindle, by all means give him a call.

Is Waybound still coming out on June 6th?
Yes. I will do everything I can to make sure it is available on or before the 6th.

I'm very sorry.
That's not a question, but I am sorry. We've been doing pre-orders to prevent problems like this, so there won't be any errors in the upload process, and there still was.

This is our biggest release ever, both for me and for you guys, and to let you down on this one is absolutely devastating. I'm sorry, and I still hope we can fix it.

Rough day today.

-Will

106 Comments

Dawn Chapman

6/3/2023 07:50:59 am

Big hugs, do what you can, get it out there. And we'll ALL share the word you know we will!

Dawn

Will link

6/3/2023 07:53:52 am

Thanks, Dawn. Really sorry about this.

David J

6/3/2023 09:36:03 am

You're effectively our digital drug dealer. Come June 6th we will all be scratching and looking to get our next fix of Cradle.

Spencer

6/3/2023 07:51:52 am

That's rough buddy. We love and support you and your team! Hopefully someone at Amazon will be in contact by Monday. You'll conquer this challenge!

6/3/2023 07:54:55 am

Thanks, Spencer. This is going to cause a lot of frustration for readers, and that's what gets me. Of all the times for us to screw up, you know?

Cloudsmith

6/3/2023 09:09:09 am

I don't think it's going to cause all that much frustration. I mean, a huge chunk of the readers is audiobook listeners, for one thing. They aren't even affected by this.

And those of us who were intending to read the ebook on release... we're just going to read it a few hours later. Or earlier. Or we might have to press a button an extra time. It is the mildest of inconveniences, and I will not even notice it when compared to the sheer hype of getting to read the conclusion to Cradle.

Dustin Cramer

6/3/2023 02:22:09 pm

Yeah I wouldn't worry that much about it. All of us who pre-ordered it will figure out the problem since we'll likely be looking for it and then we just have to buy it again.
Since you posted about it we can easily be reassured there won't be a double change either.

Brian Block

6/3/2023 10:42:58 pm

Thanks for the post, as I would not have known had you not said anything. No cancellation notice on my pre-order, which is odd. Luckily, I would have noticed that day that it hadn't been downloaded to my Kindle, as I am eagerly awaiting the book :) .

Jason

6/3/2023 07:52:26 am

No worries Will. Thanks for the update…hopefully this doesn’t cut into your ability to plan a massive celebration for the end of a phenomenal series!

6/3/2023 07:55:20 am

I'm hoping we'll be able to laugh about this in a few days. I'm certainly not laughing right now.

Tim

6/4/2023 02:32:27 pm

Maybe an evil Dross-style laugh cackling at the chaos! In all seriousness, no worries on my end. I will patiently await word for the book availability!

Matthew

6/3/2023 07:58:28 am

As the ambassador of everyone, I'm pretty confident saying no worries

Everyone

6/3/2023 08:15:23 am

Yeah, Matthew is totally right. From all of us here - no worries.

Everyone else

6/3/2023 04:05:15 pm

Yeah we agree as well

Enduriel

6/3/2023 07:59:18 am

Just want to say I'm really sorry for you guys and I'm sure everyone feels the same rather than any negative feelings so please don't beat yourselves up over this. I hope you guys work something out and it sucks that this happened at such an unfortunate time.

Power to you guys and massive respect for getting where you are, bad things happen and there's only so much we can do to fully prevent them :/

Victor

6/3/2023 08:00:11 am

Rough start to the day, but it'll get better!

Thanks a ton for being transparent, taking ownership on the situation, and letting us know as soon as you did! Definitely was the right thing to do and I bet it wasn't easy.

Appreciate all you and your team do for us, and pre-order or not, I'll make sure to get Waybound one way or another!

Cheers

NoWay

6/3/2023 08:01:00 am

We’ll be alright! The last book I awaited as much was Harry Potter and I lined up for that, no problem

Brent

6/3/2023 08:02:42 am

We are human and these things happen. Can’t wait for it to come out and we will be here when it does!

Crissi

6/3/2023 08:10:51 am

Pretty sure Reigan Shen was involved!

Steve

6/3/2023 06:15:02 pm

🤔

Jesse

6/3/2023 08:13:33 am

We've waited this long, we can wait a little longer, no sweat man. We know the book is already complete so it's not like we're never getting it.

Contracted Partner to Yoko

6/3/2023 08:14:21 am

When we get out of here, Amazon will be running from us.

Sam Wight

6/3/2023 08:16:51 am

Well that’s the first time I’ve laughed today lol. Bless you.

Curtis

6/3/2023 10:55:26 pm

😂 I’m ded.

Karthik

6/3/2023 08:14:22 am

Yikes! I'm very sorry to hear that. But don't take it too hard Will. You know Waybound will be the biggest success of your writing career so far. We'll ensure it will. And who knows, if the book releases in advance, we'll all be extremely happy that this glitch occurred.

Yosef Berg

6/3/2023 08:14:44 am

If you have to manually upload it, it will be like ten years ago guessing when the next traveller's gate book would go live depending on where we live. Its not the thing I miss most of those days but would be a good bookend to the last ten years of your writing

6/3/2023 08:17:16 am

Honestly, you're absolutely right. Isn't that funny?

Ten years later, and what happens? We have to go back to the way we did things in the beginning.

Astroturf

6/3/2023 08:28:18 am

Was Travis futzing around with his time machine again? You work him too hard.

Seriously though, given all the randomness with Kindle over the last few years, it just wouldn't be a proper sendiff to the series if everything finished smoothly. Sorry about the stress and hassle you have to suffer for the authenticity.

Kevin

6/3/2023 08:28:54 am

My pre-order says it is still good. We’ll see. Won’t stop me from getting my hands on this release. Just adds to the anticipation. Amazon can get over itself. Now we’ll be pushing the book harder for you to make sure everyone gets their hands on it. Blessing in disguise.

Lucas

6/3/2023 08:30:36 am

Won’t effect my desire to buy the book!

Rayray

6/3/2023 08:31:30 am

how dare you folks make a mistake?

do you know how hard i’ve been waiting for this to come out?

as recompense, I am prepared to accept the book today, k thanks bye!

(I hope you folks figure it out and don’t have to scramble too much to get it out on time, thanks for all your hard work!!)

Tessara Garrett

6/3/2023 08:35:00 am

This has to be such a kick in the pants when the first day of sales and pre-orders does a lot for a book. I’m so sorry, Will.

Send an update to your Kickstarter backers to let them know, and ask them to be watching for news!

Jason Daniel

6/3/2023 08:36:31 am

This is a non-event for us, but obviously a huge pain for you. Meh, it will pass and still be a huge success. Feel free to release it today though if you feel too badly about it.

Trev

6/3/2023 08:49:15 am

For real bro, an early release would go crazy. You’re all good will don’t worry about it!

Waverly

6/3/2023 08:40:07 am

I read: Oops. There was a problem. You may have to purchase the book manually. YOU MIGHT GET WAYBOUND A FEW HOURS EARLY!!!

6/3/2023 08:42:32 am

Don't know if others are showing this but my e-book order is still showing pending delivery on June 6th.

Patrick Ireland

6/3/2023 08:47:42 am

Will,
Im sorry you guys are having to experience this. However, it doesn't change my desire for the book in the slightest. This series got me back I to reading and from the bottom of my heart I want to express my thanks to you and your team. Whatever it takes to get the book, even if that meant standing in line all night, not that it would would not be a bridge to far. I can only speak for myself but I think we the fans support you and want you to know that we are going to be there for you.
Gratitude

Sean K

6/3/2023 08:48:44 am

Companies and people make mistakes all the time. While no one likes mistakes, how they are handled matters so much to the consumer. There is no better way you could have handled this other than communicating it to us all, and doing everything in your power to make sure we still can get the book the day it comes out!

Heck, I'm kind of excited that I might not have to make an Australian kindle account to read Waybound on Monday!

Chris

6/3/2023 08:54:15 am

Oddly my Amazon account still has the pre order active

Tracey

6/3/2023 08:59:49 am

To the blood pits with you !!!

Ian

6/3/2023 09:59:40 am

Lindon, Lindon. You know what I have to do to you now?

Blood pits?

No, order the book the second it goes live. What kind of Underlord would I be if I didn’t?

Dan

6/3/2023 09:07:24 am

You guys are rockstar, everyone makes mistakes but please know that your fans have no issue accepting a little frustration to support this amazing series. Keep your heads up, we support you all completely!

K. Webb

6/3/2023 09:07:37 am

No worries Will! Not even this will stop the Dragon's advancing! We will all, I'm sure, hit the purchase button the moment our does become available, because you are awesome, and your books are phenomenal!

Michael

6/3/2023 09:08:37 am

Can you please tell us what was wrong with the file if that wouldn't be spoilers or confidential?

Grumpy

6/3/2023 09:12:03 am

We need to spin this differently. We love our fans so much we will release the kindle book early! Just for you because we love our fans

Stuart

6/3/2023 09:18:14 am

I may be way out of my lane here, but I would have expected Amazon/Kindle to send an email to Will saying something along the lines of “Hey brother, we’re about to CANCEL THOUSANDS of pre-orders; oh, and this CANNOT be undone. Just wanted to let you know before we completed this catastrophic event. Thanks.” But what do I know. Sorry to hear this happened and put a damper on Waybound-mania

Awayting patiently

6/3/2023 09:24:04 am

Don't you worry one bit Will! These things happen sometimes, its alright! We are with you!
Buying manually isn't such a big deal, somehow we'll all manage, I'm sure. As much as I was planning to read it through the night, I won't mind getting it a little late, or early for that matter. I do hope its early though, no pressure. Apologies. And Gratitude!

Logan

6/3/2023 09:26:16 am

As someone with a programming background, a favorite saying of mine is “computers are great until they’re absolutely the worst.” — and this feels like one of those times. Don’t let it take away your happiness and excitement, because I’m sure all of us out here are reading this post and are still just as excited and amped as we were yesterday for Waybound. Don’t forget we’re here for YOUR books, technology be darned :)

6/3/2023 09:39:15 am

>computers are great until they're absolutely the worst

That is EXACTLY how I feel right now.

Vishal

6/4/2023 07:27:46 am

Too true! We used to love this saying: ‘To err is human; to really mess it up takes a computer!’
Don’t sweat it Will. The sweet fruit of patience…et all!

Jeremiah

6/3/2023 09:27:05 am

So does this mean I still have time to speed read Dreadgod one more time before it releases?

Charles Taylor

6/3/2023 09:54:27 am

Sounds like a tough day but no stress! I actually pre ordered it twice hoping to get it a little earlier with my Amazon Japan account while traveling abroad before I get home and get back to work (on the 6th 😬). I can promise you I’ll reorder literally the second it becomes available. Been waiting for years to see this series to the end, can wait a little longer

Danillo

6/3/2023 09:59:59 am

No worries, Will! We can (by which I mean "will") all just go ahead and order-order it, rather than pre-ordering.

Azqa

6/3/2023 10:15:06 am

So we click Buy Now instead of the ebook getting downloaded automatically....okie doke.

I am sorry to hear that you all are feeling so stressed right now, and I hope things smooth out for you. You've done an amazing job getting the word out, so I'd expect nearly all the people who pre-ordered will know how to deal with the situation and will be just fine.

This, too, shall pass. :)

Julia

6/3/2023 10:22:54 am

It's okay Will ❤️ we still get to read it and that's what matters. Even if it comes out a WEEK late, we're all gonna get our fix and worst case scenario, the hunger madra creates a new dreadgod which, I mean... could mean another book, no? Don't be too terribly upset, we're all just excited for the release and the fact you made the issue known is a huge help so we're all able to get ahead of it. No stress man, it's time to bask in the glory of the completion of your biggest series to date.

P.S. Feel free to drop it on Monday.

Suanne

6/3/2023 10:31:58 am

I blame Dross.

Bryan W

6/3/2023 10:36:03 am

Okay everyone, let’s spread the word. Get this thing off the ground and back on track!

Theon P

6/4/2023 10:52:59 am

This. No worries Will, we’ll spread the word to the rest that haven’t seen the post. The dragon advances!

6/3/2023 11:19:55 am

Keep ya head up big G! We still getting the book!

Josh

6/3/2023 11:27:43 am

Your great thanks for the update. Also quick question how old is little blue?

Andrew F

6/3/2023 11:44:07 am

No worries! Accidents happen, even to Monarchs, Judges and apparently Eldritch Lords of Oreo like yourself! Personally there is a 0% chance I'd get upset at my favorite author for something as silly as a paperwork issue so I really hope this little mixup hasn't added to your usual pre-release stress too badly.

Speaking of, as a rabid fan I know you tend to get stressed up leading up to a release because what if people don't like it or something along those lines right? I just wanna say even if this story doesn't end the way I want or expect it to that's totally fine, the journey you've shared with us the past few years has been amazing, it's made me laugh, it's made me cry, it's made me skip nights of sleep while I keep mumbling "just one more chapter" till the sun rises. Your stories have inspired me, they reignited my own creative passions and they've been a reliable source of entertainment and comfort over the past couple of years, and they've been some pretty rough years. I can't wait to read the conclusion to my favorite series, I'm actually a little sad it's almost over cause it feels like goodbye is coming, but I want to see it through to the end.

Gratitude!

6/3/2023 12:01:47 pm

Sorry for the stress this must cause you and your team! I hope it gets all resolved reasonably painless.
I checked and the book page on amazon is gone, however my preorder is still listed as it was before.

Brian

6/3/2023 12:39:11 pm

Please don't stress, guys. For 99% of your readers, this is a complete non event. We'll just push the buy button again to fix the issue in 2 seconds. And if the ebook drops early because of this situation, then I bet most of us would celebrate our good fortune.

Rob

6/3/2023 12:52:33 pm

Thanks for the heads up. I’ll be buying it as soon as it’s back up I’d the preorders fall through.

Sam

6/3/2023 12:53:55 pm

You're way too hard on yourself, we have waited this long and can wait a bit longer if we need to. Most of us are big boys and girls who understand that sometimes shit happens! No one reasonable will be angry or hold it against you or your team. I can't wait to read it regardless of whether it comes out early, late, or right on time. Best of luck and please try not to stress too much, especially over things that are out of your control anyway!

Sierra Nevada

6/3/2023 01:20:31 pm

Clearly this was an effort by Reigan shen to sabotage the book so we couldn’t learn of his humiliating defeat

6/3/2023 02:14:31 pm

Eh, we’ve waited this long, it won’t kill us to wait a bit longer (I think?)
Looking forward to reading it when it does get to that point! Relax if possible!

Aaron

6/3/2023 02:33:10 pm

I'm sorry this will have added so much more stress to your release date team! I just want to pass along encouragment, Kia kaha (I'm from New Zealand, it's means stay strong).

Thank you for all the adventures so far, I can't accurately and meaningfully put into words how much your stories have meant to me and what they've done for me, but thank you

The Mad King

6/3/2023 02:46:37 pm

Mad King: Hahahahahahahahaha. My plan is working. The Judges are now paralyzed since fate has not released the book. I will now wrest gate in my favor and release the book when it’s in my favor.
Void Sage: yeah let me just empty that working. While I’m at it I need some fire and destruction from your fiend. Just a little taste.
Mad King: Curse you Twin Stars!

My order still shows for the ebook but if I click into it there’s an error. And I can’t find the book at all anymore except in audiobook format. But like the others, if it doesn’t show up I’ll just buy it when it does. No biggie. To be honest the preorder was just to show support for you in appreciation of the many years of being entertained.

6/3/2023 03:07:19 pm

No worries, don’t sweat this. I’d buy this book at least twice without complaint if it came to that! You’ve given us an incredible journey and we are so thankful!

Jonte

6/3/2023 03:44:52 pm

I am sure you Will Wight all the mistakes

Rune

6/3/2023 04:47:00 pm

Geez, I’m sorry to hear that. This isn’t a big deal for me at all, but I can see why it could be a major headache for you.

Oi.

David Maxwell

6/3/2023 04:47:38 pm

My friends, you bow to no-one.

Nick

6/3/2023 04:57:07 pm

Love ya Will, it's unfortunate, but you actually care enough about your readers to a) let us know, and b) do what you can to fix it.

Champion.

Adrian_V

6/3/2023 05:23:35 pm

Is it bad i am happy since this means it could come out even 1 day earlier? Also if this error happened some days or even weeks ago you would think someone in amazon or the system would tell you guys at least once to correct it.

Conor

6/3/2023 05:45:42 pm

Love and support to you Will!!

Mark

6/3/2023 06:21:39 pm

I have the kindle book pre-ordered on Amazon and it hasn't been cancelled. I never received any email and when I checked the order status, it still it's pre-ordered.

Chris R

6/3/2023 06:32:54 pm

Interesting. I had not received such an email and it still shows preorder with delivery June 6th...

Tim K

6/3/2023 07:44:37 pm

Sounds very stressful, sorry this happened now. I, for one, will make sure to buy the book no matter how or when.
Thank you for 10 years of hard work, great storytelling, and consistency. *kanpai* to another 10 years

6/3/2023 10:48:46 pm

Do you know how many pre-orders you had? For the sake of best sellers lists, etc., would it be helpful/put your mind at ease if those with the means to were to buy multiple copies of the book (with different accounts)? If so, we can start getting the word out.

Arjun Singh Arora

6/3/2023 11:52:31 pm

Keep your head up, Will! I'm sure it feels like everything is falling apart, but this stuff happens and its a learning experience. Love your books, keep it up! I will make sure to buy it. Have been looking forward to it since Dreadgod came out, haha! Inhaled the last one.

Anthony G

6/4/2023 01:00:57 am

FYI- The Waybound book page is still down.

Mistake or not, that sounds like the wrong answer from Amazon, that they can’t undo an automated process when it will likely lead to a loss in revenue for them by way of preorders impacting chart placement.

Helazoid

6/4/2023 02:01:45 am

As compensation for their inability or lack of desire to fix the issue, Amazon should give Will a freebie and pass on 100% of the profit to him.

Tempered Soul Eater

6/4/2023 03:18:07 am

Hi, bad luck all around, im sure its still going to be a major success.

But why not release it on a weekend insteaf of a tuesday

Scott

6/4/2023 03:49:50 am

As a reader this does not cause me any problems whatsoever....I will buy all of your books in every format you offer to support you. I just hope this mass cancellation doesn't cause you to lose some sales.

Everyone makes mistakes, we should all understand that. This in no way negatively impacts the most exciting book release for me since Harry Potter book 7...we love ya!

Vin

6/4/2023 05:05:46 am

Was wondering what happened to Waybound. Sorry Will. Its something to learn from. The series is great and the books are amazing. Happy to have been part of the journey and kudos to you for finishing the series without making your readers wait years for the story to finish. I will buy the book as soon as it's out. I am curious though how much do you get if I buy the book outright versus get it on Kindle unlimited?

Barry

6/4/2023 05:43:31 am

Will (& Team), don't even sweat it. Looking forward to reading the next and unfortunately last in the series,.however it gets into our hot little hands and eReaders. Thanks for your work, and looking forward to see what's after this!!

“Australian”

6/4/2023 10:11:05 am

For those of that pretend to be Australian to get it early, will a manual release affect us? Or will it still release a day early in Australia?

Michael Kelley

6/4/2023 10:34:08 am

Yet another reason to not do pre-orders. Mostly it is because I remember too well a time in my life when it mattered it I bought the book on Tuesday or on payday which was Friday at the time. Overdraft fees are expensive. That isn't where I am any more but old habits die hard.

Thor Odinson

6/4/2023 03:17:52 pm

Hey Will

Maybe drop another sneak peak chapter 😬😬😬. Just trying to get my cradle fix 🥹😉

Mutinous Nic

6/4/2023 03:19:35 pm

Comment after comment of support, understanding, and reassurance. You've touched each of our lives Will, and we love you for it.

Not Impressed

6/4/2023 04:22:14 pm

I love this series! My heart skipped a beat when I clicked on the book on amazon, and read "Page not found". Thanks for the update; I just pre-ordered the audible instead. Thank you for all your brilliance. Please tell the team member that as long as he/she is not secretly working for Regin Shen, we are ok. 🙂

Doug

6/4/2023 04:36:55 pm

Anyone who preordered has been listening to the chapter 1 sample over and over and over and checking your blog for any word. If you post it, we will find it.

For anyone else, it will get published on Amazon eventually.

James Bratten

6/4/2023 05:35:40 pm

I’m not ready to say goodbye to the World of Cradle and it’s magic systems😭

Ron Popeil

6/4/2023 07:44:06 pm

These things happen! Even if it doesn't get fixed I'll be happily clicking to buy it direct from the new page when it's manually uploaded. Also congrats on completion of a fantastic and epic saga!

Jon

6/4/2023 08:15:49 pm

Sounds like there's a position opening up on your staff. You hiring?

6/4/2023 08:50:31 pm

Uhmmm, so just so you know, the book is available for purchase (in South Africa at least), a day early! Will, way to skip Monarch and go straight to Judge-level, well done! And now my work-week will take back-seat a day earlier than planned…

6/4/2023 09:30:07 pm

Uhh…ditto for India. Just downloaded it. May such errors continue to bless us Will! Off to read now!

Daniel C

6/4/2023 09:19:48 pm

On behalf of all ebook pre-orderers: this is not a big deal at all!

Also: thank you!

Paul

6/4/2023 10:39:57 pm

Great news! ... in that I wasn't expecting the paperback for a few months. Now I can get it in a couple days. This is fantastic.

Raphael

6/5/2023 12:06:26 am

Ugh, that's rough. Good luck!

Not to pile on, but I can't seem to find the listing for Waybound on German Audible. It's listed on Amazon DE in paperback and Kindle formats, but not audio; when I search through the Audible app, it doesn't show up either. Thought it might just appear on the sixth but since you specifically say here pre-order should be available, I thought I'd mention it.

Cheers!

Kris

6/5/2023 12:23:53 am

Just bought the book (again) on Amazon, it already sees like the full version is available for purchase on Amazon.com

no worries about the pre order, it’s has been a long wait. But so worth it!!

Matt

6/5/2023 04:39:26 am

Waybound is live on Kindle, just got it (USA). Huzzah for a day early!

6/5/2023 01:16:29 pm

Guess that means you owe us more cradle related material. Not my call; it is the will of the Gods.

David Carpenter

6/5/2023 08:03:15 pm

Regardless of the SNAFU you have and continue to create amazing content. I'll take the goof every day of the week and twice on Sunday and be happy. Thank you for the series! Keep the content coming regardless of Space or Hunger.

Amber

6/5/2023 08:29:54 pm

Will it’s almost like you and your team are human or something and you occasionally make mistakes like the rest of us mere mortals. 😂

I’m 1/3 of the way through it on kindle unlimited and it’s FANTASTIC! Thanks for all your hard work writing and getting us the book early!

In which we ramble on.
And by we, I mean me.