I'm not defending this policy, by any means...but this does present a dilemma for those of us who want to actually buy books. (There are a few of us out here still left!)
If we buy them at B&N or Borders or Amazon, we're feeding the "massive discount" system and screwing ourselves. If we buy them at Books-a-Million, we're buying in effect stolen property and screwing ourselves. If we buy them at used bookstores, it goes without saying that we're screwing ourselves. So where in the world are we SUPPOSED TO BUY BOOKS, then? Strictly from publishers' web sites? From the poor author who's expected to have inventory on hand and turn into a shipper? Please...clue me in.
I don't mean to be facetious. Really. But if small booksellers are dropping like flies--the nearest independent bookstore I can think of, off the top of my head, to me is a couple of hundred miles away now!--then where are we supposed to buy books at all? Not buying books isn't going to solve this problem. It's just going to put more booksellers under MORE pressure to find MORE ways to save MORE money...and in the end, once again, it screws us.
We're not going to change publishers' policies by writing blog posts. We're not going to do it by commiserating with each other. And we're not even going to do it by not buying books...since that does no one ANY good.
So what DO we do?
My piece by piece response:
If we buy them at B&N or Borders or Amazon, we're feeding the "massive discount" system and screwing ourselves.
The "massive discount" system isn't the problem and I never said it was so I'm not sure what this means. The issue is that large booksellers can and do return books from small publishers/self-pubbed authors (should they be enticed to buy them which most don't.) And the issue with that is that the POD distributors small press and self pubbed authors use NEVER give the option to have the returned book back AND they charge small publishers big fees when the book is returned. So again, don't know where this comment is relevant to anything I've said or written or know to be true. I'll discount my book to the nth degree but not when I have to pay for returns that I never see again.
If we buy them at Books-a-Million, we're buying in effect stolen property and screwing ourselves.
Books-A-Million has two distributors that provide stock to BAM. These two distributors only deal in returned-from-the-bookstore books. Yes. If my books show up in BAM I call them stolen as I know how they got there. To say ALL these books are stolen would be inaccurate as large publishers know exactly that this is what will happen to their returned-from-the-bookstore books and actually MAKE money off the deal. Small pubbed authors and self-pubbed authors surely do not. The only safe-guard is to make your book non-returnable which I've done.
If we buy them at used bookstores, it goes without saying that we're screwing ourselves.
Really? How's that? Used bookstores are great IMO. Most I know of acquire books from readers who are done with them. *Sue shrugs at this.*
So where in the world are we SUPPOSED TO BUY BOOKS, then? Strictly from publishers' web sites? From the poor author who's expected to have inventory on hand and turn into a shipper? Please...clue me in.
If it's a small press or self-pubbed author who has a website then that does sound like a grand place to buy them!! The author and publisher both make all the money. As far as a "poor author" turning into a shipper and expecting to have inventory on hand, POD distributors take care of that. Problem solved. You're not going to find these books in larger bookstores to buy them anyway. So yes. That's where you should go to buy these fine books. Oh and of course Independent Bookstores who so rock!
But if small booksellers are dropping like flies--the nearest independent bookstore I can think of, off the top of my head, to me is a couple of hundred miles away now!--then where are we supposed to buy books at all?
Small booksellers who make their books returnable will drop like flies or like rocks to the bottom of very deep pond. Small presses who make their books non-returnable will do just fine. But you still won't find these books in larger bookstores so apparently you will have to buy from publishers to get the books worth reading! Larger bookstores barely cater to small presses or self-pubbed authors because they don't see them as their money makers. I know. Right?
We're not going to change publishers' policies by writing blog posts.
LOL Is someone trying to do this?
We're not going to do it by commiserating with each other.
I'm going to assume the poster meant change the industry as nothing else makes sense. And no feeling sorrow or commiserating about something doesn't usually bring about change which is why I typically don't commiserate to bring about change. I do inform though and provide facts. =)
And we're not even going to do it by not buying books...since that does no one ANY good.
That sort of stands to reason. Glad to know that people aren't going to stop buying books.
So what DO we do?
As readers you should be aware that large bookstores are there because of and for large publishers. You should be aware that return policies set up to work between these two entities does not work for small presses or self-pubbed authors. Large bookstores barely even humor small presses and self-pubbed authors if at all. So if those are the authors you want to purchase books from, you won't find them in larger bookstores. Sorry.
As writers you should remember the above as well AND you should make your books non-returnable as large bookstores will still purchase them for customers and you won't eat your printing fee.
So there ya go! =)
Buy books.
Read and enjoy them!
Support small press and self-pubbed authors by shopping at publishers' site or Independent Bookstores. If you don't have an Independent Bookstore in your area, go to your larger Bookstore and place an order. It's really that simple.
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