What is a Release Date Anyway?

Okay, if you are reading the title and thinking I've lost my mind, just hang in there for a second. Yes, I'm well aware that a release date is the day a book becomes available. But... I've learned a few things about release dates and I want to share them with you today.

First, don't get married to your release date. Touch of Death has always had a release date of 1/15/13, but... the ebook released early on December 23, 2012 and Amazon decided to release the paperback on December 30, 2012. Why? Um, your guess is as good as mine. Spencer Hill Press asked me about releasing the ebook in time for Christmas and I was all for it, so that was no surprise. Amazon, however, was. Still, I'm celebrating my book birthday on January 15, 2013.

Love All had a release date of 1/15/13 but it changed to 1/8/13 and now it changed again to 1/22/13. The next two novellas were scheduled to release in March and May but have been moved up to 2/5/13 (Serving Up Heartbreak) and 3/12/13 (Perfect Match).

I'm completely fine with all the changes. Why? In short, my books are still coming out. So what if it's not on the dates I originally thought? My point is, I've seen writers cry over changes in release dates. Don't. It happens all the time. And your books will still release. Celebrate and be happy about that.

What do you think about changes in release dates?