I’m trying something new! Alongside the deeper-dive episodes, I’ll also be sharing shorter Dear Raccoon Author Diary episodes—honest little snapshots from the messier, more emotional side of the self-publishing life.

Today’s entry was recorded on one of those publishing days that felt a bit harder. I talk about disappointing royalty numbers, Substack, the comparison game, and how quickly one difficult day can make it feel as though everyone else is doing better than you.

More Dear Raccoon Author Diary entries will be available to members of the Raccoon Tier over on Elodie’s Writing Nook on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/elodieswritingnook/membership

What exactly is a Raccoon Author, and what does that have to do with author branding?

In this episode of The Raccoon Author’s Self-Publishing Diary, I’m reintroducing myself, talking about how I think about branding as an indie author, and why the raccoon has somehow become part of mine.

I’m also sharing where the raccoon idea came from, how it connects to the way I write and work, and why branding doesn’t have to mean squeezing yourself into one tiny, perfectly polished box.

Plus: my Gallup Strengths, Achiever energy, multiple pen names, too many projects, manuscript bloopers, dictation, an Instagram Reel that got 145 views and no love, and ten dictated chapters in one weekend.

Basically: author branding, creative chaos, self-publishing, and a lot of raccoon energy.

Links & things I mentioned

• Support The Raccoon Author on Patreon — including the Raccoon Author tier and the Emotional Support Crew.
• Preorder Cancer Is Not My Brand — the nonfiction book I’m currently revising and, appropriately enough, the book that got me thinking even more about branding, identity, and what we choose to be known for.
• I’ve learned a LOT from Becca Syme and the Better-Faster Academy. You can find Becca Syme’s Patreon here.
• I also backed Claire Taylor’s Writing Iconic Relationships Kickstarter — because apparently the Learner/Input part of my raccoon brain still wants more things to learn and I really liked her writing iconic characters book. Plus I write romance and that iconic relationships bit speaks to me...
• The Raccoon Author⁠ — the home for my slightly chaotic, very curious self-publishing diary.

If you're an indie author self-publishing wide, or specifically on Amazon KDP, and you're based in the EU, this episode is for you (or at least, it's for you to commiserate with me). I walk through my ongoing, unresolved, and occasionally maddening experience trying to figure out EU VAT reporting for my Amazon royalties as a Belgian-registered sole proprietor and US citizen self-employed author.

Topics covered in this episode:

• Amazon KDP's EU VAT Invoices requirement and the self-billing agreement, and why that option isn't showing up in my account
• What actually happened during a two-hour Amazon KDP support chat, including an agent who left mid-conversation and wrong information about my tax forms
• Why a US citizen living abroad still has to file a W-9, not a W-8BEN, no matter where they live
• What I found digging through KDP's own (and partly outdated) VAT help pages
• The next step I've identified but haven't tackled yet: submitting VAT invoices to Amazon manually
• A Patreon update: three new paid tiers now live (Emotional Support Crew, Spicy Pickles, and Raccoon Author), and what free members and newsletter subscribers can still expect
• An early audiobook release for # Sweets For Love, going out chapter by chapter on Patreon
• A Barnes & Noble payment update and a quick note on my ongoing TikTok experiment

Disclaimer: This episode is not tax, VAT, or legal advice. It's a personal account of one indie author's experience. Please consult a qualified tax advisor, VAT specialist, or your local tax authority for guidance specific to your situation.

Stick around for the blooper reel. I still cannot say "EU VAT" cleanly.

Links mentioned:

• Patreon (with the Raccoon Author tier): https://www.patreon.com/c/elodieswritingnook/membership
• FAQ VAT (old document I think): https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GZJMEVQJPYBGJ8Z7
• FAQ VAT (newer FAQ): https://kdp.amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/GZU8XMCDUGR6PM7F

• Contact: elodie AT elodienow.com