That's right. There have been a few others ATTEMPTING to do a BRICK & MORTAR book signing and broadcasting it live via whatever platform providing the guest with a signed electronic CARD or label they can PASTE into their PRINT book should that be what they order.
My Virtual Book Singing will be the first ever and probably only one of its kind for quite a while where you receive, shortly after the signing, your very own personally signed DRM Free PDF to be converted into whatever format is your preference via one of many sites out there that allow this.
The up side, I don't have to go near a large "bully" book store and YOU get an ebook signed to YOU or to whoever you'd like it signed to with a personalized message. Just wanted to clarify that. No other author or publisher has offered this to date.
Here's the link once more in case you need it. ;D
Hope to see you there!
Showing posts with label Books-A-Million. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books-A-Million. Show all posts
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Kindle version of Never Ceese!
What's that you say? Never Ceese is now available in the infamous KINDLE format? Has Sue Dent lost her mind?
That's right folks, Never Ceese is now available in KINDLE format and not through Amazon!!! Simply go to this link here. Say it once, say it twice, say it three times.:
SmashwordsSmashwordsSmashwords
and purchase Never Ceese in a variety of e-book formats including but not limited to Kindle. Straight from the publisher, Black Bed Sheet Books via Smashwords.
The jokes on you too Amazon, as you won't be giving this Kindle away for FREE via your little "Lending Library" scheme that you force Kindle publishers to participate in just so Amazon can sell more Kindle e-readers.
So off you go people with Kindles and every other e-reader device. The future is here and so are the e-books.
That's right folks, Never Ceese is now available in KINDLE format and not through Amazon!!! Simply go to this link here. Say it once, say it twice, say it three times.:
SmashwordsSmashwordsSmashwords
and purchase Never Ceese in a variety of e-book formats including but not limited to Kindle. Straight from the publisher, Black Bed Sheet Books via Smashwords.
The jokes on you too Amazon, as you won't be giving this Kindle away for FREE via your little "Lending Library" scheme that you force Kindle publishers to participate in just so Amazon can sell more Kindle e-readers.
So off you go people with Kindles and every other e-reader device. The future is here and so are the e-books.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Setting up Book Signings.
All personal matters aside, this blog is also designed to help aspiring authors get their books out there. Aspiring authors for some reason think they need to set up book signings to sell books, sort of like using the "if you build it they will come mentality."
Of course that makes sense unless one understands that chain bookstores and sadly a LOT of Independent bookstores only survive because of the money brought in by authors published by large houses (you see at one time there was no such thing as self-pubbed or small press or *gasp* POD.)
The first store I'd like to let you know about in detail is Books-A-Million, the third largest book retailer in the nation or so that's the claim I saw. Don't know how or when this was decided but assuming it's the truth, that's what they are.
I have one in my immediate area and a few not that far away. The workers there are quite nice but that's about as far as that goes. Like Barnes & Noble and other chain stores there is a CRM to set up signings for an author. It is quite the joke though and here's why. Most Small Press publishers have finally figured out that not only is it prudent to print their books using Print-on-Demand but it is also prudent to make their books non-returnable so that chain bookstores won't order their books on a whim or at the coercion of some overzealous bookseller at BookMasters(a POD distributor) who wants to earn a commission and doesn't seem to care that the publisher is going to eat all those books when they're returned because said book didn't sell during the time they were in the box in the bookstore's back room. And by eat I mean the publisher NEVER EVER sees the returned book again because no POD ever accepts returned books back. It cost them too much. Lightning Source does offer to print publishers a NEW book for $2.00 which helps recoup SOME of the printing fee but small press still EATS returned books ALWAYS.
Now back to BAM. Google it if you want but BAM uses two distributors. Both distributors ONLY sell returned-from-the-bookstore books and/or books acquired through liquidation. When a small press/POD publisher calls to see about setting up a signing they are told they are not in BAM's system. It doesn't matter whether your book shows up for sale on-line, you have to be in BAM's "system." They'll tell you that you have to send a form or contact their "home" office. Well, I've tried this quite a few times and even once accidentally overheard two individuals talking/laughing, whilst they were transferring me. "It's that crazy lady again. Do you want to talk to her?"
My guess is that there is no form and there is no way for any author to do a signing at BAM. But then, who would want to when all they sell are books that neither the author or the publisher ever made/make money off of. Yes, the large publisher's made their money. They sold a gazillion books to the chain bookstores initially, as is standard mode of operation, (this is how they achieve best-selling status without ever selling a book to anyone,) those books that don't sell are then sent back to the distributor who then sells the leftovers to folks like the distributors BAM gets their books from.
BAM now has quite a few of my hard copies of Never Ceese for sell because my first publisher liquidated over 4000 when they went under. They also have copies of Forever Richard because BookMasters, for lack of a better term, STOLE, returned copies and sold them to earn more money that my publisher nor I never saw. The real rub was when I went into my local BAM and was told I WAS in their system with Forever Richard and was allowed to do a signing. A month later when I wanted to help get rid of the other fourteen books that were on the shelf, I was told I was no longer in the system.
Fact is, I was never in the system. Local store folks thought I was because Forever Richard was in stock. They got in trouble which is fine because I was sure hotter than hell knowing that I sat there and made an attempt to sell stolen books that I of course would never see one dime from and neither would my second publisher who worked so hard to help me get out there.
But yes, that's how BAM operates. They simply order books from two distributors who dabble in returned-from-the-bookstore books or liquidated books. I'd like to say I made that up but you can google it yourself. I apologize if you don't have a BAM in your area and don't know what I'm talking about. I'll cover Barnes & Nobles next. ;D
large published authors can bring them because for the longest time large publishers was all that existed.
To help out I do post every now and then the chain stores I've gone to
Of course that makes sense unless one understands that chain bookstores and sadly a LOT of Independent bookstores only survive because of the money brought in by authors published by large houses (you see at one time there was no such thing as self-pubbed or small press or *gasp* POD.)
The first store I'd like to let you know about in detail is Books-A-Million, the third largest book retailer in the nation or so that's the claim I saw. Don't know how or when this was decided but assuming it's the truth, that's what they are.
I have one in my immediate area and a few not that far away. The workers there are quite nice but that's about as far as that goes. Like Barnes & Noble and other chain stores there is a CRM to set up signings for an author. It is quite the joke though and here's why. Most Small Press publishers have finally figured out that not only is it prudent to print their books using Print-on-Demand but it is also prudent to make their books non-returnable so that chain bookstores won't order their books on a whim or at the coercion of some overzealous bookseller at BookMasters(a POD distributor) who wants to earn a commission and doesn't seem to care that the publisher is going to eat all those books when they're returned because said book didn't sell during the time they were in the box in the bookstore's back room. And by eat I mean the publisher NEVER EVER sees the returned book again because no POD ever accepts returned books back. It cost them too much. Lightning Source does offer to print publishers a NEW book for $2.00 which helps recoup SOME of the printing fee but small press still EATS returned books ALWAYS.
Now back to BAM. Google it if you want but BAM uses two distributors. Both distributors ONLY sell returned-from-the-bookstore books and/or books acquired through liquidation. When a small press/POD publisher calls to see about setting up a signing they are told they are not in BAM's system. It doesn't matter whether your book shows up for sale on-line, you have to be in BAM's "system." They'll tell you that you have to send a form or contact their "home" office. Well, I've tried this quite a few times and even once accidentally overheard two individuals talking/laughing, whilst they were transferring me. "It's that crazy lady again. Do you want to talk to her?"
My guess is that there is no form and there is no way for any author to do a signing at BAM. But then, who would want to when all they sell are books that neither the author or the publisher ever made/make money off of. Yes, the large publisher's made their money. They sold a gazillion books to the chain bookstores initially, as is standard mode of operation, (this is how they achieve best-selling status without ever selling a book to anyone,) those books that don't sell are then sent back to the distributor who then sells the leftovers to folks like the distributors BAM gets their books from.
BAM now has quite a few of my hard copies of Never Ceese for sell because my first publisher liquidated over 4000 when they went under. They also have copies of Forever Richard because BookMasters, for lack of a better term, STOLE, returned copies and sold them to earn more money that my publisher nor I never saw. The real rub was when I went into my local BAM and was told I WAS in their system with Forever Richard and was allowed to do a signing. A month later when I wanted to help get rid of the other fourteen books that were on the shelf, I was told I was no longer in the system.
Fact is, I was never in the system. Local store folks thought I was because Forever Richard was in stock. They got in trouble which is fine because I was sure hotter than hell knowing that I sat there and made an attempt to sell stolen books that I of course would never see one dime from and neither would my second publisher who worked so hard to help me get out there.
But yes, that's how BAM operates. They simply order books from two distributors who dabble in returned-from-the-bookstore books or liquidated books. I'd like to say I made that up but you can google it yourself. I apologize if you don't have a BAM in your area and don't know what I'm talking about. I'll cover Barnes & Nobles next. ;D
large published authors can bring them because for the longest time large publishers was all that existed.
To help out I do post every now and then the chain stores I've gone to
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Book-A-Million true to form!
***update***
I did go check and they do have the Black Bed Sheet Edition of Never Ceese listed for sale at a decent price HOWEVER I'll wait until tomorrow to let you know if they'll actually allow that copy into the store should I want to do a signing. In the past their answer has always been no because it isn't in their system even though it shows up on-line. I'm pretty sure that's what the response will be this time as well. We'll see. I'm not holding my breath.
Not that I'd ever volunteer to do a signing at a store that only carries books of mine that I make no money off of . . . like I did once already. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice . . . no problem it ain't happening.
****
Yep, Books-A-Million deals in used books only. They won't order from my publisher or from anyone's publisher for that matter. But they'll sell books liquidated by my old publisher that their distributors bought for dirt cheap that I never made any money off of and never will. I guess on a positive note I might actually see my book in a CHAIN bookstore one day if you can call Books-A-Million a Chain bookstore. If they sell if for anything more than a dollar though I'd sure go buy the hard back anywhere else because that's what you can get it for.
Thanks Books-A-Million. You so rock. Oh and any copies they have of Forever Richard are also used and I've never made any money off of them. They were returns that my second publisher was supposed to get back but Bookmasters somehow worked it so they got resold to distributors. I have the rights to Forever Richard back now. Look for it to be republished by Black Bed Sheet Books very soon. ;D
Oh and BAM is selling the hardback for close to eleven dollars. Please make them eat it and buy it anywhere else. You shouldn't pay more than five for that hardback. They were liquidated for close to a dollar each. Take that BAM!
I did go check and they do have the Black Bed Sheet Edition of Never Ceese listed for sale at a decent price HOWEVER I'll wait until tomorrow to let you know if they'll actually allow that copy into the store should I want to do a signing. In the past their answer has always been no because it isn't in their system even though it shows up on-line. I'm pretty sure that's what the response will be this time as well. We'll see. I'm not holding my breath.
Not that I'd ever volunteer to do a signing at a store that only carries books of mine that I make no money off of . . . like I did once already. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice . . . no problem it ain't happening.
****
Yep, Books-A-Million deals in used books only. They won't order from my publisher or from anyone's publisher for that matter. But they'll sell books liquidated by my old publisher that their distributors bought for dirt cheap that I never made any money off of and never will. I guess on a positive note I might actually see my book in a CHAIN bookstore one day if you can call Books-A-Million a Chain bookstore. If they sell if for anything more than a dollar though I'd sure go buy the hard back anywhere else because that's what you can get it for.
Thanks Books-A-Million. You so rock. Oh and any copies they have of Forever Richard are also used and I've never made any money off of them. They were returns that my second publisher was supposed to get back but Bookmasters somehow worked it so they got resold to distributors. I have the rights to Forever Richard back now. Look for it to be republished by Black Bed Sheet Books very soon. ;D
Oh and BAM is selling the hardback for close to eleven dollars. Please make them eat it and buy it anywhere else. You shouldn't pay more than five for that hardback. They were liquidated for close to a dollar each. Take that BAM!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
BAM! Books-A-Million does it again!!!
Oh don't I love BAM! They only sell returned-from-the-bookstore books or in this case liquidated books. As par for the course, they won't place ONE book of mine that I can actually make money off of. Noooooo. They buy dirt cheap copies from a liquidator and sell those. I never see a dime. How grand!!! Thanks BAM! Merry Christmas to you. So for all you readers who actually want to keep authors writing, don't shop at BAM. Buy from publishers.
Buy the way, those would be the hardbacks of Never Ceese and don't you dare pay retail or close to it for that book when you can get it on the internet all day long usually for under $5.00.
Actually, to give BAM some credit, those are resellers selling on BAM's on-line stores. But BAM brick and mortar won't carry my books unless it comes in as returned-from-the-bookstore because that's all their distributors supply them with. AND my books have all been made non-returnable so my publishers don't go under!!! ;)
Buy the way, those would be the hardbacks of Never Ceese and don't you dare pay retail or close to it for that book when you can get it on the internet all day long usually for under $5.00.
Actually, to give BAM some credit, those are resellers selling on BAM's on-line stores. But BAM brick and mortar won't carry my books unless it comes in as returned-from-the-bookstore because that's all their distributors supply them with. AND my books have all been made non-returnable so my publishers don't go under!!! ;)
Monday, July 12, 2010
Here we go again.
As you should know, there are a horde of hardbacks out there of Never Ceese due to my first small publisher liquidating all of their stock, that I receive no money off of. I straight away republished my paperback version to attempt to keep some money coming in to me, the author. There is some very GRAND news coming down the pike on getting Never Ceese out there even more so keep watching this site for more details!!!
But by "here we go again" I mean that there will be copies of Forever Richard out there now that I get no money for. My second publisher, for the sake of trying to survive, severed their relationship with BookMasters for reasons that point back to the return policy shared between major wholesalers and bookstores. Tons of "hurt" copies of Forever Richard, over nine hundred dollars worth, are out there supposedly waiting to be destroyed which, by the way, my second publisher will have to pay for despite not knowing for certain the books she's paying to have destroyed actually exist or whether they'll actually be destroyed.
There is a way to verify that BookMasters isn't treating "hurt" books the way they say they do or I wouldn't have received "hurt" books as new when I ordered some author copies. The other proof is that over thirty, that I know of, "hurt" books were bought by my local Books-A-Million. According to my findings, BAM's wholesaler only sells "hurt" books.
So now that my publisher has severed ties with BookMasters and has given me the rights to Forever Richard back, any books you see on-line or otherwise of Forever Richard are technically "stolen" books and, that's right, neither I nor my publisher see any of the money from the sale of them. Not only that, my publisher actually lost a large amount of money paying fees associated with these books, over-sold by BookMaster employees for a commission.
However, there is also a deal being conspired of at this moment to get Forever Richard back out there. Cyn No more too.
So yeah, that's the deal.
Oh, the drama!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
I figured the mystery out concerning Books-A-Million.
Several months ago I was surprised to learn that my local BAM had over 15 of my book Forever Richard in their local store when I'd just been told they could no longer order the title. They'd previously ordered 10 at my request and sold them all!
Confused because my publisher, at the time, had distribution through BookMasters a division of Atlas Books, I began to do a little investigating. I love search engines (so far google is my favorite.) This is what I learned and yes it is quite disturbing. No surprise that it points back to that return policy put together between publishers of the day to keep Bookstores alive during the depression.
First off you have to remember that distributors, when a publisher signs on, has "supposed" concessions on how to handle "hurt" or rather returned-from-the-bookstore books. For BookMasters (I called before possibly signing on with them) it is to take the "hurt" book and place those books in a special place in inventory for publishers to decide what to do with them. Remember, a publisher is charged a fee by distributors when "hurt" books come back on top of having to return the wholesale price of the book to the bookstores. For the record and from experience I can tell you that BookMasters does not operate the way they suggest they do. If they did I wouldn't have received a boxload of "hurt" books when I ordered new ones, "hurt" books that were signed and dated by me and with Barnes & Noble's stickers blatantly on the front. They sent out "hurt" books as new, books my publishers already paid fees on. My publisher had no knowledge of this, suggesting that BookMasters indeed places "hurt" books somewhere but not in a place where publishers have a choice about what happens to them. But back to the point.
American Wholesale Book Company is one of the places where Books-A-Million shops for books. If you go to American Wholsale's web site you will find that they ONLY sell "hurt" books! I read this several times to make sure that is what it said.
What does that mean?
That everyone makes money off an author's book but the author or the publisher.
In every instance that I've seen a distributor will either tell you that your "hurt" book is destroyed (LSI for example) or that your "hurt" book is placed in a special place for the publisher to do with it what they will. The reality seems to be that, since it cost to have "hurt" books returned from the wholesaler (or rather Ingram, Baker & Taylor, Amazon etc . . . ) the distributors opt not to allow this to happen. A publisher, even if they ask, is NEVER allowed to see the "hurt" book again.
The "hurt" book, in some cases supposedly destroyed, ends up on bookstore shelves or for sale on-line (and yes, I have proof as I was sold "hurt" books as new by BookMasters.) The "hurt" books seem to be shopped out to places such as American Wholesale Book Company by "someone," (most likely the wholesaler ie . . . Ingram, Baker & Taylor) who has no need for the "hurt" books that most distributors opt not to take back.
Knowing this now helps me understand why BAM can't get Never Ceese for their brick and mortar bookstores. I made the book non-returnable thus making it so I can have no "hurt" books for distributors to "steal."
Those copies of Forever Richard in Books-A-Million can only be "hurt" books. My publisher nor I ever saw any money off those books. We only lost money.
The fact that there wholesalers and distributors operate like this all day long with no one calling them on it, makes me sick to my stomach!
Tum's anyone?
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Books-A-Million
Okay local peeps there are still nine copies of Forever Richard at the Jackson Mississippi store available for you to go pick up and buy. I've no idea why they were ordered but there they are. If you don't go buy them they will send them back to the publisher and my publisher will have to pay the return shipping plus administrative fees plus have books that they now can't sell as new which means my publisher will go even deeper into the hole which will eventually sink Forever Richard if you don't go buy the books. And you don't even have to read it. Just go buy it. Heck you could resale it on ebay and maybe make a few cents. I'm just trying to protect my publisher and subsequently myself.
Do know for future reference, Books-A-Million no longer shows Forever Richard in their system. The only book written by Sue Dent they can order is the hardbacks that my first publisher kept after liquidating over 4000. I make no money off these books and never will. Books-A-Million can't even get Never Ceese the paperback into the store because it's through a POD.
Just please go buy the nine books so I don't have to eat them.
At least you can order both of my books through Barnes & Nobles and every other bookstore on the planet and Books-A-Million on-line shows it as available. But not showing up as ordeable in the store when it once did . . . that's just plain weird. I will say that Books-A-Million says they never send books back, thus ensuring that small presses don't lose money, but the fact is that they can if they want to and I've no doubt that they will when given the hard chose of eating the books themselves. Either that or they'll put them on clearance and then send them back.
Who knows. I just know I can't afford to risk it.
Do know for future reference, Books-A-Million no longer shows Forever Richard in their system. The only book written by Sue Dent they can order is the hardbacks that my first publisher kept after liquidating over 4000. I make no money off these books and never will. Books-A-Million can't even get Never Ceese the paperback into the store because it's through a POD.
Just please go buy the nine books so I don't have to eat them.
At least you can order both of my books through Barnes & Nobles and every other bookstore on the planet and Books-A-Million on-line shows it as available. But not showing up as ordeable in the store when it once did . . . that's just plain weird. I will say that Books-A-Million says they never send books back, thus ensuring that small presses don't lose money, but the fact is that they can if they want to and I've no doubt that they will when given the hard chose of eating the books themselves. Either that or they'll put them on clearance and then send them back.
Who knows. I just know I can't afford to risk it.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Jackson MS Books-A-Million signing.
Never mind. LOL
I don't have the funds to promote a booksigning and sure don't see the point when the bookstore no longer has me in their system so they can order more if they do sell out. Just do me a favor and go buy the nine that are at the Jackson Books-A-Million before they can be sent back to my publisher who will then lose money hand over fist because they have to pay for books that are returned.
Do know that as far as Books-A-Million goes, for whatever reason, Forever Richard no longer shows up in their system at all on-line or otherwise. Sad. Very sad.
Also if you do buy one of the nine copies and don't have Never Ceese or haven't read it, please contact me at sdent1@bellsouth.net and I'll be glad to get you a copy. The Bookshelf in Ridgeland has copies and can call me to bring them up there if they run out.
Good folks there! ;)
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Local Books-A-Million - RAWKS!!!
Updated 11-12-10
The copies of Forever Richard my local BAM has are actually just returned-from-the-bookstore books that were sent back to the distributor (most likely Ingram) after BookMasters, my publishers distributor, oversold my publishers books for a commission. BAM's only sell returned-from-the-bookstore books. These book were supposed to come back to my publisher. They didn't yet my publisher had to pay for returns they never saw and are currently be sold at BAM. Buy them if you like but until Black Bed Sheet Books puts out the next copy of Forever Richard I prefer you simply buy the book from me here on this blog. If you see any of my books in any BAM just understand I don't ever see any of the money and surprisingly neither does my publisher or rather ex-publisher though I only call them that because they returned the rights of Forever Richard to me. Love them. But no, I'm not about to beg for a booksigning at a store when I make nothing off the books sold and never will.
**************************************
Local Books-A-Million - RAWKS!!!
OMG! Back in September I think it was, I walked in to my local Books-A-Million on I-55 North in Jackson, Mississippi and spoke with Jonathon, curious about what it would take to get them to shelve my books in the regional section. Before I could finish asking, Jonathan informed me he'd ordered 20 of Forever Richard. I threw my hands up. "No!" I said. Five or six but not twenty. If they don't sell you'll send them back to the distributor and my publisher will actually EAT the books." He smiled graciously and told me they never send books back but he did cut the order to ten.
I went back to that Books-A-Million two days ago and looked for my book. I couldn't find it. Had Jonathan lied. But I checked with Ingram when he said he ordered and sure enough there was an order of ten. I spoke with Jonathan yesterday. All ten copies had sold. PLUS he'd ordered ten copies of Never Ceese at the same time and they sold. My local Books-A-Million sold twenty of my books in less than two months time!
Needless to say, I think a book-signing is in order.
I'm setting one up now and will let you know more when all the details are worked out.
What a Merry Christmas!
The copies of Forever Richard my local BAM has are actually just returned-from-the-bookstore books that were sent back to the distributor (most likely Ingram) after BookMasters, my publishers distributor, oversold my publishers books for a commission. BAM's only sell returned-from-the-bookstore books. These book were supposed to come back to my publisher. They didn't yet my publisher had to pay for returns they never saw and are currently be sold at BAM. Buy them if you like but until Black Bed Sheet Books puts out the next copy of Forever Richard I prefer you simply buy the book from me here on this blog. If you see any of my books in any BAM just understand I don't ever see any of the money and surprisingly neither does my publisher or rather ex-publisher though I only call them that because they returned the rights of Forever Richard to me. Love them. But no, I'm not about to beg for a booksigning at a store when I make nothing off the books sold and never will.
**************************************
Local Books-A-Million - RAWKS!!!
OMG! Back in September I think it was, I walked in to my local Books-A-Million on I-55 North in Jackson, Mississippi and spoke with Jonathon, curious about what it would take to get them to shelve my books in the regional section. Before I could finish asking, Jonathan informed me he'd ordered 20 of Forever Richard. I threw my hands up. "No!" I said. Five or six but not twenty. If they don't sell you'll send them back to the distributor and my publisher will actually EAT the books." He smiled graciously and told me they never send books back but he did cut the order to ten.
I went back to that Books-A-Million two days ago and looked for my book. I couldn't find it. Had Jonathan lied. But I checked with Ingram when he said he ordered and sure enough there was an order of ten. I spoke with Jonathan yesterday. All ten copies had sold. PLUS he'd ordered ten copies of Never Ceese at the same time and they sold. My local Books-A-Million sold twenty of my books in less than two months time!
Needless to say, I think a book-signing is in order.
I'm setting one up now and will let you know more when all the details are worked out.
What a Merry Christmas!
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