Big publishers and bookstores. A monopoly?

Nothing is more of a monopoly in my opinion and yet things are allowed to continue as they do (probably because it is just my opinion though, otherwise things might change.) So many smaller publishers struggle to get their books in bookstores online and otherwise assuming, and rightly so, that the only way to sell items are to have them in places where people shop. Well, in case you haven't noticed, when you go into a brick and mortar large chain bookstore, the only books you'll see displayed front and center, and in mass, are books from larger publishing houses . . . PERIOD! The rare exception doesn't count to prove this theory/fact wrong.

The reason is not because these books are so very good or in such demand (even though some of them are very good and in demand.) The reason is because at some point in history larger publishers, or rather those publishers who could afford to do so, offered to make their books returnable for a full refund if the bookstores couldn't sell them. This suggests that at one time books weren't returnable and were only placed in bookstores if they had a good sales history. Perish the thought!

The monopoly begins to take root.

Why wouldn't bookstores order, in mass, books from any publisher when they could simply return them if they didn't sell? And guess what, best-seller lists are determined by the number of books sold to bookstores not to customers (this is actually never really clarified when exploring how best-seller lists are determined. Yet I have read in several instances that this is the case.) But wow! Isn't that fantastic if it's true in even one instance (I'm banking on it being true just as I'm banking on you to add the appropriate sarcastic tone. )

Of course you say, small publishers could do the same thing thus making my point mute.

Hardly.

Here's the defining difference. The profit made from a book sold is far, far, far, far, less than the amount of money a publisher loses when books are returned. The larger publishers took such a ginormous step forward with this move that smaller publishers NEVER recovered. It's doubtful that they ever will. So have fun visiting your local large booksellers and enjoying whatever author the larger publishers decide to "pimp" that year because their books are the only ones you'll ever see in bookstores on-line and otherwise.

Just a reminder, it will now be even more difficult for you to get Never Ceese the paperback ISBN#9780976994701 because I just made it non-returnable. I'm actually going in the hole making it so larger bookstores can order it should they decide to. Go figure.

My traditional publisher is going in the hole as well I'm sure as they have to make their books returnable to compete with the larger publishers. No small publisher can survive. It's like winning the lottery.

So for the one or two of you who read my blog, it's a good thing I enjoy writing for you because it's dead certain no one else will see my work anytime soon especially not with the way things are now. ;)