Updates from January to June of 2026

Dear WAers,

Before I could finish the first line of this post, mosquitoes were already feasting on me, and I had to take a break to light a mosquito coil to keep them away from. But then we are back to the business...

A lot has been going on this end since January that I can't even remember each and every event. However, I do remember that this year is very different for my Amazon author business. I've made more sales than ever, even in the half of the year, and that means a lot.

The sales are for my Amazon books, Kindle, Paperback, Hardcover, and Audiobooks, and even from subscription (Kindle Library borrows). The sales came as a result of learning email marketing from this website and community, then I used it for my books business. I then did something serious: redesign and redo everything.

By February 2026, I have redesigned all the 100 book covers, rewrite content all the 100 titles with the help of ChatGPT, to align them to reader's needs and expectations, rewritten book descriptions, chose relevant categories (though Amazon sometimes decides which ones are best for some books), rewritten all keywords, and series titles and descriptions. I had also run $1/day ads on Facebook, which is part of the reason I got sales almost every day since March 2026.

But...

Apart from these successes, there were and there are challenges to face. One challenge was that Payoneer, my only way to get paid by Amazon, for author royalties, was suspended recently due to identity verification issues, mainly because I have edited my profile to point to the fact that I am not a Kenyan, but a South Sudanese creator. For some reason, Payoneer doesn't like my current address, and they need a proof of address/residence.

I can't provide a utility bill information because I doubt if Kenya even have these as expected from an American/Western resident. I don't have a driver's license since I never drove a thing, (unless a canoe on the Sobat (so bad) River.) Even if I do have one, it would show South Sudan and my Juba residence address, which they will automatically reject as they have done with my ID (National Certificate) and passport, and photos.

The solution...

It seems Amazon accepts direct bank deposits to an Equity bank account from Kenya, and I have done the needful on the Amazon end, which was already detecting that my Payoneer account on file was invalid. They have confirmed my bank account details and are working to send money to it by the end of this month. I'll write you about it when the first direct deposit is confirmed, which will be the best option yet, since I won't pay for bank transfers anymore after that from Payoneer to my Kenya or South Sudan bank account.

See!

Trouble comes with options!

Business aside...

On the family side of things, I have been with my elder wife (since I have no word for 'first' wife as if to rank her) in Juba with our three kids: Chol (22), Nyanlong (14), Maluth (5) and Angeer (2 years and 6 months old), and she can really get angry at some time! Please don't punish me when you read this later! I mean, if she could read this 18 or so years from today.

My younger wife left for Nairobi in December last year without my knowledge. She was in Kakuma, and we used to talk on phone, every week, (not every day) even when she was somewhere in Nairobi, and I thought she was in Kakuma. She's planning to focus her/our energies on bringing up the two daughters we have, plus 1 daughter and 1 son she came with into our marriage. I'm fine with that choice, but there are other issues I won't disclose here yet for some reason.

Read this post for more information about my family life.

For your information, polygamy (polygyny) is not an issue yet this end. Men either choose to, or are influenced into it by the current social system of the country and of the continent. I'm aware this might sound backward to some readers, but I'm sharing these updates to also make you aware that humans are still in different stages of modernization, even in 2026.

Back to business...

In the future, I'd love to either get my scholarship to study a Masters in Contemporary Chinese Studies with Renmin University of China in Beijing, or if it fails, and there are chances it will fail, go back to Nairobi, and focus on my Amazon books. I'd love to edit where I have to, redesign things, rewrite and polish things up, and do aggressive marketing to churches (South Sudanese) and schools (Kenyan) with relevant books with relevant audiences.

I have been also writing opinion articles published on the newspaper in the country, creating a public voice and connections with people in opposition and government sides alike, and eventually, made both enemies and friends from the nation and beyond. Yep, some people, including my Bishop, now refer to me as pro-China. Really? I thought I am pro-humanity instead, but that's what I think, anyway.

Over to you...

What have you been up to, job, life, family, society, and more?

Ah, today, I'm right now taking a South Sudanese-made beer, called South Strong, made in South Sudan! I never knew they had one. I tried the Kenyan "Tusker," which was not good for me. Almost tasteless and gives me headaches a day after. Then I tried Gunness, not sure from which country, and it was good, but very bitter. Now, South Strong is in-between, and it's 12% alcohol. Tusker was 4%, Guinness was 6% and this doubled it.

Anway, let me beg to stop here and hear from you instead. Happy weekend to you all wherever you are! What is happening in your world this month?

To our success,

John