Guest Blog: The Importance of Shelf Space

[jpskewedthrone]

I've got a guest post up over at jimhines' blog today talking about the fact that B&N decided not to carry my new novel LEAVES OF FLAME on its shelves and exactly how disasterous this is for a new book, especially for an author attempting to build up his/her audience. Stop on by to see what the issue really is, and what I'm doing to counter it. It might explain why I seem to be spamming everyone with guest posts lately. *grin*

Comments

[anderyn.livejournal.com]

I HATE this, as a reader. I enjoyed the first book in that series quite well, and I had planned on buying Leaves of Flame as soon as I saw it on the shelf (mostly because I hate to give Amazon the business of new books when I've got local brick and mortar stores), but this joins several books by even well-known authors that stupid B&N has decided not to carry. It ticks me off, as I could SEE the frickin' first books in series that I had bought in hardcover there on the shelves in paperback, but no second books. I wrote to Barnes and Noble about this and got condescending replies. The thing is, you know, I buy books. I buy a LOT of books. (See my blog for the sheer amount of books I've bought and read this past month alone -- over 35.) I am a very loyal customer once you've grabbed me -- and B&N is pissing that away by their stupid stupid decisions not to carry books I want to read. If I have to order them online, why should I go with B&N? Amazon at least has customer service (in my experience).

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

I'm totally with you. And generally, when I don't find the book I want on the shelf at B&N, I end up buying it from Amazon. So B&N is shooting themselves in the foot. I'm certainly not going to go through the trouble of having B&N order it in for me, or even order and ship it to me. I want it to be there when I go into the store, especially if it's a new book, just released.

For what it's worth, I think LEAVES OF FLAME is part of the buy 4 for 3 thing on Amazon. It was the last time I checked. *grin*

[maryvictoria.livejournal.com]

Ugh, Joshua, I commiserate. I'm in pretty much the same situation, except that my books aren't available in any US outlets at all - only in Aus/NZ. Even here, finding them in a bricks and mortar shop is sometimes a chore.

So I sell online - through Fishpond, Mighty Ape, and suchlike. But you're right, it's pretty much a death knell. :)

One thing is sure: it's happening across the board, even to well-established authors. You're right not to 'curl up' over it. This seems to be a right of fire a great many of us are going through at the moment...

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know I'm not the only one and that some authors with better sales than I are also being shut out for no visible reason. That's kind of why I wanted to do the post. If it was just me, or I thought it was solely based on sales, I probably wouldn't have done the post for fear that I'd come across as just whiney. *grin*

[maryvictoria.livejournal.com]

I think you'll break on through. But they sure don't make it easy, do they... ;)

[darkspires.livejournal.com]

If it is any consulation, Leaves is for sale at Chapters/Indigo in both book and ebook form. Had it not been so, I would have done what I have done before and wandered into one of their shops, failed to find what I wanted and then asked for it. If someone says they don't have it, my response is 'Oh? How could you have missed that? Will you order it in for me?' Works like a charm and the books are on the shelves when I come to collect my order.

Chapters/Indigo are very aware of Amazon and will order things in rather than lose a sale and a potential customer to the giant, who also branched into Canada just to make the postage more agreeable when ordering. Would a personal visit and a request for a book to be ordered work with B and N? Has anyone tried this?

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

Well, it's good to know about Chapters/Indigo. You can go to the counter at B&N and say you didn't see such-and-such book on the shelf and they'll happily order it in for you . . . but that doesn't mean that they'll order in a few extra copies for the store, even if you make a big deal about it being a new book, etc. In some instances, they can't, a decree from higher up the chain. Some managers might order in some for the store, but in general, they won't.

Trust me, I've tried it. *grin*