Want your book in a B&N Brick & Mortar store?

Then sell your soul to the devil. Here's one example of how that works. Pulled from Barnes & Noble corporates website.

Your willingness to place your book with a book wholesaler may determine whether or not we carry it. Wholesalers normally expect a 50-55% discount, pay in 60-90 days, and expect books to be returnable. Some expect free freight. Placing your book with a wholesaler will simplify your billing (one invoice to one location). It also allows Barnes & Noble to place larger orders and put the book on automatic replenishment. Wholesalers are used by many segments of the book industry: publishers, libraries, and booksellers. Other bookstores order from the same wholesalers used by Barnes & Noble. We can help put you in touch with an appropriate wholesaler.

Amazing isn't it?



They say, "Your willingness to place your book with a book wholesaler may determine whether or not we carry it."



Just forget the word "may." If you or your publisher do not work with a wholesaler/distributor such as Ingram's Lightning Source or BookMasters, you can forget about your book ever seeing the inside of a B&N. You can bank on that.



They say, "Wholesalers normally expect a 50-55% discount, pay in 60-90 days, and expect books to be returnable."



Not the case at all. Barnes & Noble expect a 50-55% discount, pay in 60-90 days and expect the books to be returnable according to "industry standard" rules. They're the ones asking for that not the wholesalers/distributors. Like the way they put that off on the "other guy."



They say, "Some[wholesalers/distributors] expect free freight."



LOLROFL Somebody has to PAY for freight. B&N NEVER does because their large publishing houses do. Oh bad distributor/publisher of small press books!!! Bad, bad, bad!!! How dare you expect B&N to operate like a "real" business.



They say, "Placing your book with a wholesaler will simplify your billing (one invoice to one location). It also allows Barnes & Noble to place larger orders and put the book on automatic replenishment."



Barnes & Nobles only place larger orders with their big publishers. They just want you to sign on to that ludicrous "industry standard" return policy so they can send your poor book back the second it comes in the door, (for free because they didn't have to pay freight and they don't have to give your publisher their money back for 60 to 90 days and you'll never get the book back.)



They say, "Wholesalers are used by many segments of the book industry: publishers, libraries, and booksellers. Other bookstores order from the same wholesalers used by Barnes & Noble. We can help put you in touch with an appropriate wholesaler."



Translation, "Others do business that way too so it must be okay." What a way to justify something so messed up. Good grief.

Want to set up an Author Event at a brick and mortar B&N?

Okay, here's what B&N corporate has to say about that:

National touring authors are typically organized and supported by publishers through our home office. Most store events, however, are arranged through our stores in coordination with publishers.

If you would like to be considered for an author event, call your publisher or contact the community relations manager or store manager at any local Barnes & Noble store. Use our Store/Event Locator to find the store nearest you.

Here's what I say. I called about getting an event set up having done a few in the past, one of which I've yet to be paid for but I too poor to sue over a few books sold. Of course they know this so what do they care. Thanks local B&N for all your wonderful support. Anyway, corporate B&N told me that CRM's are no longer being used in this capacity. Funny they haven't changed that on their site yet. And the CRM position was being done away with. Well, there goes ANY chance of anyone OTHER than a large publishing house scheduling ANY event at a Barnes & Noble.



National Touring Authors are with big publishers. Of course B&N gives them events. No one else gets in ever. Getting rid of the CRM to me is like getting rid of the dead wood as the ship goes down. But yes, that's what coporate B&N told me.