Denver saw the Democratic Nation Convention come and go last week, with several exciting events that many were fortunate to be a part of – some planned and others much more unexpected. One of those unanticipated occurrences transpired into what has become an interesting development in the self-publishing book world.
Author Robert Kuttner’s recently released book entitled, “Obama’s Challenge,” published by a small, liberal east coast publishing house were distributed across Denver throughout the week of the DNC.
In an decision that sparked almost immediate news, the book’s publisher also handed out coupons that can be redeemed through an established on-demand book seller. The company’s president explained the decision by stating, “This is about a publisher’s commitment to its author to get one of a very few pro-Obama books out into the marketplace in the shortest amount of time.”
It may come as no surprise that the decision invoked friction from several independent brick and mortar stores, along with traditional powerhouse, Barnes & Noble, who, following the event, decided to stock the book exclusively online—most likely a decision to compete with the consumer convenience of instant, on-demand fulfillment through virtual retailers.
Barnes & Noble’s reaction comes at time when book sales are moving in the direction of increasingly popular online storefronts like Amazon, where a large portion of self-published books are experiencing growing success.
An exciting, portending event for the authors everywhere, especially self-publishing authors.
Have fun. Keep writing.
Sincerely,
Karl Schroeder
