One thing I hate is that the stores that have survived are all The Worst Ones. Instead of Borders surviving, it was Barnes & Noble. They finance their operation on the financial backs of the writers whose books they carry - they order too many, then send them back as "returns for credit" to finance the next…
One thing I hate is that the stores that have survived are all The Worst Ones. Instead of Borders surviving, it was Barnes & Noble. They finance their operation on the financial backs of the writers whose books they carry - they order too many, then send them back as "returns for credit" to finance the next books they order - and that "return for credit" is charged against the author's royalties! They were supposedly doing a 'cooperative release" on one of my books. I went to the local outlet and let them know who I was and what the book was, and offered to do a signing, and they said "sure - give us the email of all your friends and we'll invite them here for your signing." Personally I wish B&N would disappear.
I had no idea...so I have to agree with you. Damn it...now my view of B&N has been seriously compromised...but thank you for that. We have a bookstore downtown here that carries mostly used books but does carry some new ones. and always carries the ones that a local county school board is "banning". I am in there often because it is closer and more "friendly". Do you have other suggestions?
Local non-chains. But as an author I personally prefer Amazon because whatever else you want to say about them, they're honest. They sell everything they order and they make their payments to the publisher on time (many independents don't because they're under-capitalized "labors of love") which means I get my twice a year royalty checks at their proper amount. Yes, writers do have to worry about keeping the roof over the writing office and the lights on and getting proper nutrition, which ain't free. :-)
Thank you - yeah, you're right.
One thing I hate is that the stores that have survived are all The Worst Ones. Instead of Borders surviving, it was Barnes & Noble. They finance their operation on the financial backs of the writers whose books they carry - they order too many, then send them back as "returns for credit" to finance the next books they order - and that "return for credit" is charged against the author's royalties! They were supposedly doing a 'cooperative release" on one of my books. I went to the local outlet and let them know who I was and what the book was, and offered to do a signing, and they said "sure - give us the email of all your friends and we'll invite them here for your signing." Personally I wish B&N would disappear.
I had no idea...so I have to agree with you. Damn it...now my view of B&N has been seriously compromised...but thank you for that. We have a bookstore downtown here that carries mostly used books but does carry some new ones. and always carries the ones that a local county school board is "banning". I am in there often because it is closer and more "friendly". Do you have other suggestions?
Local non-chains. But as an author I personally prefer Amazon because whatever else you want to say about them, they're honest. They sell everything they order and they make their payments to the publisher on time (many independents don't because they're under-capitalized "labors of love") which means I get my twice a year royalty checks at their proper amount. Yes, writers do have to worry about keeping the roof over the writing office and the lights on and getting proper nutrition, which ain't free. :-)