Groups / Writers for Young Adults / B&N refusing to stock...
B&N refusing to stock any books published by Amazon
The New York Times is reporting the above. What do you think, ladies?
- Will the prospect of no sales through B&N dissuade you from using CreateSpace to publish?
- Would you choose to publish through Amazon or stock through B&N?
I've been watching this battle for a while, wondering how B&N was going to respond to the newer industry big'un. Fold or go head to head? Who is the Romney character in the passion play, and who the Gingrich?
B&N has over 700 stores across the nation. Their absence will surely put a ding in Amazon's bottom line - something to consider, as Amazon just posted something like 50% downturn in sales. (I'm remembering off the top of my head - I could be wrong about the number.)
You can bet your patootie that INDEPENDANT bookstores aren't going to step up to fill the retailer void left by B&N.
Thoughts?
PS.: NYT article here:
part of the SparkPoint Studio Family
Wow, I wondered if this would ever become an issue. Our SCBWI chapter meets at a local (well an hour away from home!) B & N once a month. This dialogue came up last month when we were discussing the different ways of publishing. It was said that B & N and Amazon are evolving as major "publishing houses" (if you will) and plan on competing in the race. I haven't researched it myself, but the talk was about how Amazon has hired an entire group of editorial staff, and a very good staff at that. Then it was also brought up that B & N is on the same road.
I was shocked when the conversation headed in the direction. I was on information overload about the situation, and still to this day have not looked into any of it. I will say that when it comes time for searching / querying my YA novel, I will consider these options. I'm all for Indie Pubbing.
Staking territory? Oh yeah, that's exactly what they're doing. I also remember the group members saying that right now, it's a great time for anyone going the indie route.
Great discussion!
Sometime they just have to say something, even if what they say doesn't matter.
Thanks for plugging Indies, by the way.
I am torn on the Amazon/indie issue, myself. I worked as the marketing manager for an indie that really was a community touchstone: Tree of Life Judaica and Books. Now, it wasn't as if TOL lack of management issues. By and large, however, it was when Amazon showed up that books sales went down. Eventually, TOL folded. I don't like that at all about Amazon's willingness to undercut prices to the detriment of the indies.
On the other hand, CaretSpace offers an invaluable tool for writers: the ability to publish at zero cost. Uploading your e-book is free - and you have a book to promote, maybe even turn into a deal with a standard publishing house.I've been talking a lot with the self-published community.
Tops sales numbers that I've discoverd so far: 10,000 in a year for one previously unknown author. 300-500 a day for another. That's A LOT of books sold that never would have happened if self-pub did not exits.
Thanks, also, for the plugs for indies. Last night, after I posted - if course - I did more ruminating, and stumbled over the B&N-we-don't stock-Createspace-books-anyway paradox faced by Amazon.
So, why the line in the sand? Staking out territory? Sand in the face? Gotta do something?
Oh, it's such a tiresome cock-fight, isn't it?! The general scuttlebutt is that B&N doesn't generally stock any indie titles anyway. I assumed that I'd take my sci-fi indie thriller, Fireseed One, to indie bookstores. It seems as if in the future, all of these whining factions will have to change their ways.
As an independent I never counted on support from B & N. With the growing popularity of shopping online, brick and mortar shopping is no longer the only game in town. I'm not worried.