WTF2!

That's right. I typed it and I'll type it again.

WTF2!!!!

More to come soon!!!

Want your book in a B&N Brick & Mortar store?

Then sell your soul to the devil. Here's one example of how that works. Pulled from Barnes & Noble corporates website.

Your willingness to place your book with a book wholesaler may determine whether or not we carry it. Wholesalers normally expect a 50-55% discount, pay in 60-90 days, and expect books to be returnable. Some expect free freight. Placing your book with a wholesaler will simplify your billing (one invoice to one location). It also allows Barnes & Noble to place larger orders and put the book on automatic replenishment. Wholesalers are used by many segments of the book industry: publishers, libraries, and booksellers. Other bookstores order from the same wholesalers used by Barnes & Noble. We can help put you in touch with an appropriate wholesaler.

Amazing isn't it?

They say, "Your willingness to place your book with a book wholesaler may determine whether or not we carry it."

Just forget the word "may." If you or your publisher do not work with a wholesaler/distributor such as Ingram's Lightning Source or BookMasters, you can forget about your book ever seeing the inside of a B&N. You can bank on that.

They say, "Wholesalers normally expect a 50-55% discount, pay in 60-90 days, and expect books to be returnable."

Not the case at all. Barnes & Noble expect a 50-55% discount, pay in 60-90 days and expect the books to be returnable according to "industry standard" rules. They're the ones asking for that not the wholesalers/distributors. Like the way they put that off on the "other guy."

They say, "Some[wholesalers/distributors] expect free freight."

LOLROFL Somebody has to PAY for freight. B&N NEVER does because their large publishing houses do. Oh bad distributor/publisher of small press books!!! Bad, bad, bad!!! How dare you expect B&N to operate like a "real" business.

They say, "Placing your book with a wholesaler will simplify your billing (one invoice to one location). It also allows Barnes & Noble to place larger orders and put the book on automatic replenishment."

Barnes & Nobles only place larger orders with their big publishers. They just want you to sign on to that ludicrous "industry standard" return policy so they can send your poor book back the second it comes in the door, (for free because they didn't have to pay freight and they don't have to give your publisher their money back for 60 to 90 days and you'll never get the book back.)

They say, "Wholesalers are used by many segments of the book industry: publishers, libraries, and booksellers. Other bookstores order from the same wholesalers used by Barnes & Noble. We can help put you in touch with an appropriate wholesaler."

Translation, "Others do business that way too so it must be okay." What a way to justify something so messed up. Good grief.

Want to set up an Author Event at a brick and mortar B&N?

Okay, here's what B&N corporate has to say about that:

National touring authors are typically organized and supported by publishers through our home office. Most store events, however, are arranged through our stores in coordination with publishers.

If you would like to be considered for an author event, call your publisher or contact the community relations manager or store manager at any local Barnes & Noble store. Use our Store/Event Locator to find the store nearest you.

Here's what I say. I called about getting an event set up having done a few in the past, one of which I've yet to be paid for but I too poor to sue over a few books sold. Of course they know this so what do they care. Thanks local B&N for all your wonderful support. Anyway, corporate B&N told me that CRM's are no longer being used in this capacity. Funny they haven't changed that on their site yet. And the CRM position was being done away with. Well, there goes ANY chance of anyone OTHER than a large publishing house scheduling ANY event at a Barnes & Noble.

National Touring Authors are with big publishers. Of course B&N gives them events. No one else gets in ever. Getting rid of the CRM to me is like getting rid of the dead wood as the ship goes down. But yes, that's what coporate B&N told me.

Once upon a time, on a Social Network far, far away . . .

Okay, so maybe not far, far away . . . LOL Yet round about when Never Ceese started to appeal to readers of a market I NEVER IMAGINED would like my work, I began looking for ways to get to where they shopped. I found Shoutlife.com and after being more or less banned from similar sites or being creeped out because "Jesus" friended me (seriously!) I sort felt like I was wasting my time.

Then I found Shoutlife and their response to my joining was to put me up as a featured author and make me Staff Pick. Well, well, well . . . GUESS WHAT? I sort of stopped hanging out there because I was soooooo busy writing and I can only handle so many Social Networks at a time. I just popped back in to began pimping Electric Angel and . . . wait for it . . . I am currently the Staff Pick on the Author's page AGAIN and currently number eight on their list of authors!!!

Here's the link to the page where they list their featured authors: Shoutlife.com

Yes you'll have to join to see it but it is free AND I promise you that Jesus won't attempt to add you to his page . . . well maybe he won't. LOL It's a pretty laid back and accepting site. Family friendly is their motto. So anyway, thought I'd share.

Still a Chance to win a FREE copy of Electric Angel!

Yes, I do understand that the blog you have to go to is most likely the LAST place you thought you'd see me doing an interview. But I have readers from this "closed" market and I can't get to them through the venues that matter because I DON'T write specifically for the "discriminating" publishers that supply them with fiction.

Lena Nelson Dooley is one of the FEW bloggers/authors who will even humor me so I can let those fans know I've a new book out. Y'all don't have to like that sort of fiction to post (I know I don't.) You don't even have to agree with the way these targeted Christian publishers do business (again, I know I don't.) BUT go load my interview down with comments so it will keep those readers looking. Love y'all!!!

Here's the link: LenaNelsonDooley.blogspot.com

And yes, I still write general market horror/fantasy etc . . . Yeah! Yeah!

Go over there and talk up Zombies and werewolves and vampires. That should do it. LOL

Mainstream Christian Fiction?

Why can't the "evangelical" publishing houses come up with a name? EGADS! They came out of the gate in 1950 abusing the label "Christian" fiction when the work they put out (according to their own words) was "targeted" fiction for their store visitors ONLY (the then Baptist Bookstores and now Lifeway, Mardel's etc . . .) and not fiction that would appeal to ALL readers who fit under the umbrella Christian. Even today they mark their demographic as evangelicals and SOME Catholics. Not sure what that is about. Weird huh?


The label seems to be mutating now into ALL kinds of different things to thoroughly confuse anyone who is interested. Here are some examples:

Edgy Christian Fiction
Mainstream Christian Fiction
Family Friendly Fiction

and the list goes on and on and on with new ones popping up every day.

What's wrong with just picking a name and sticking with it? Can you imagine if Harlequin had the same problem? LOL We might be seeing markets like:

Mainstream Romance Almost
Scripted Romance
The First Kiss Always Happens on Page 32 Romance
Romance You Don't Have to Predict So You Can Enjoy the Story

But Harlequin doesn't have this problem. Their branding says it all. They have a HUGE readership and will keep it because some folk LOVE that style of writing. Take note "evangelical" publishers. PLEASE! You're driving me crazy.

And for the record, if C. S. Lewis actually started his writing career today, no Christian publisher would take him but of course he would soar in the general market as that's the market he wrote for. I suspect he'd be as ardently against such publishers being wishy-washy about their branding as I am. I suspect he'd be more like William P. Young in telling them to buzz off once they actually came to him after turning him down BEFORE his "own" marketing efforts garnished him a significant number of sales.

Simon & Schuster Celebrates Banned Book Week!

Here's the LINK: Simon & Schuster Celebrates Banned Book Week! or in this case, "here's your sign."

So the publisher responsible for the ludicrous "industry standard return policy" between bookstores and distributors that ensures ALL small publishers will fail if they abide by it, is now celebrating banned book week!

Is anyone really waiting for their true color to show?

Good Grief!

I SAID Interview up!!!

LOL Aw, I know it's early but do go check out my answers to Lena Nelson Dooley's interview questions. This is a very popular blog among those who enjoy the fiction put out by publishers who serve that very targeted demographic of Christians that I don't write for but appeal to.

Here's the link: Lena Nelson Dooley's Blog

Lena is one of the few bloggers who humor authors who come through general market publishers so let her know y'all appreciate it. I do because it's one of the RARE opportunities I have to reach those readers as most of the venues won't even list work from authors who don't write targeted fiction much less talk about them AND let them speak their mind!

Lena rawks!

Now go let her know it. ;)

You're incentive . . . you could win a copy of Electric Angel from just posting.

Interview up!

I've just been informed that my interview with Lena Nelson Dooley will be up tomorrow morning on her blog at http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/ Lena is one of the few Christian bloggers who will let me post about any of my books even though all of my work is approved for distribution to the Christian market and I do appreciate her for going out on that proverbial limb. I have acquired many fans from that closed market and have very little opportunity to get to them. I appreciate every chance that comes my way.

I will also tell you that the interview was edited a bit as Lena did not feel some of the information I wrote about the publishing industry would interest her readers. I belief that there is power in knowledge though and think readers need to know how the publishing industry really works otherwise how will things ever change. At any rate, it is about selling books and letting folks know I have a new one out. So watch for that interview tomorrow and in case it isn't clear in the interview: no, I don't write for that targeted market that the blog caters to. I do write general fiction of the horror and fantasy variety. I do appreciate Lena giving me a spot on her blog though so y'all check it out.

Oh incentive . . . there's a free copy of Electric Angel up for grabs!! I think you have to comment to be in the drawing. ;)

Get them directly from the author!

About this time, if one were with a large publisher, large chain bookstores would be receiving the customary onslaught of books that would push said title to the top of the New York Times Best sellers list without ONE person buying the book (just from what bookstores buy because you can't accurately track sales through a register.) I know, right?

The display above is hardly representative of the number of books large publishers will DUMP into ALL their large bookstores just to get those numbers. Not long after that the books they sent (and in most cases never even taken out of the box)are sold to wholesalers who dabble in "returned from the bookstore" books, wholesalers that sell to stores like Books-A-Million.

This is a sad scenario that plays out every day in the publishing world. Regular Joe authors are adored and held on a pedestal due to their ability to write so fantastically that they made it to the New York Times Best Sellers List. Small publishers don't have that set-up with bookstores so there's no way they can even compete on this level of . . . well . . . I like to call it deceit. Needless to say, you won't find this authors books flooding into large bookstore chains because large bookstores don't operate like this with small publishers. In fact, they never see their returned-from-the-bookstore books to even benefit from selling them to wholesalers.

What you see above is MY STOCK of Electric Angel, all fifty that I've ordered so far. As much as I could afford. Three are gone out for review and what you see are ready to sell. You buy it from clicking the book cover on your left and it will be sent out straight away. I'm going to take a picture every few days to show you how many have gone out. I won't restock until most of these are gone because . . . well . . . I can't afford to. The price is retail $12.98 but that includes shipping. Also it is only for those in the US.

Yes you can order Electric Angel anywhere books are sold. But this way you get one signed if you like that and you get the assurance that it will arrive quickly. That's my warehouse right there at the top of the screen. LOL

Spring Arbor Bound.

Yes, my publisher confirmed that Never Ceese and Electric Angel have both been submitted to Ingram's Spring Arbor for approval (at my request.) Never Ceese was once approved by Spring Arbor already but I pulled it because I felt that my work showing up on sites selling books specifically for that "targeted" Christian market (that so many folks shun and for good reason) wasn't really all that good for me.

HOWEVER, I have many readers from that market that deserve to be exposed to something very different and so I've taken the plunge once more since they seem to like my work. Doesn't mean I won't still be bullied or rather not allowed on blogs where "targeted" Christian fiction is being pushed as general market fiction or treated like a dog in a cat show when it comes to awards I'd possibly stand a chance at winning if the rules were actually designed to consider all general market work as opposed to only work put out by publishers who provide fiction for that "targeted" Christian market but that's -- okay. ;)

Do keep in mind I consider Spring Arbor a very bad joke as they massage the theory proposed by CBA and ECPA that CBA and ECPA are "THE" Christian market when they can't possibly be since they only provide fiction for a very specific demographic of Christiandome (though they now include SOME Catholics or so it says on their site CBA.org Whatever that means.)

So when my books show up on these sites just know it's so those readers that like to support these sites (I don't but it's about making your work available, right) can order my books. Funny thing is that even though Spring Arbor approval is "supposed" to make your work available to "the" Christian market, unless you write "targeted" Christian fiction for that ONE demographic, you won't show up on sites that really get the sales ie . . .www.ChristianBook.com because they only pull from CBA and ECPA's database and not Spring Arbor. It's their way of discriminating and they just keep getting away with it. It's sad but that's life I suppose. All the large Christian Bookstores like Lifeway and Mardel's are the same way, not that many shop there for their fiction anyway because they've already learned, but no, they don't automatically carry books approved for their market by Spring Arbor. They still go to CBA and ECPA ONLY and occasionally non-affiliated publishers whose work is just as "targeted."

Please let anyone and everyone know that I only ever write general market (whatever genre I choose) and not for any "targeted" market at this time. If I do choose to write "targeted" fiction for any market, you'll know what market I'm targeting. Why wouldn't I tell you that? That's the entire purpose of writing "targeted" anything. Good Grief!

Awards and all that!

When you consider books that place in ANY awards please do your homework and figure out how they even got noticed in the first place. Since more than half the battle of new authors and publishers is being heard over the noise the large publishers can make with all their money and all their supposed "clout," for most awards what's written below is the BEST most can do to find the talent that's out there. Read on:

Hugo Awards

Submitting Your Work

How do I submit my book (or story or movie) for nomination for a Hugo Award?

The short answer is, “you can’t”. If the Hugos were judged by a small panel, as is the case with some other awards, then you could send your work to the award jury. But the Hugo Awards nomination process is open to every member of the current and previous Worldcon. That means that the “jury” often consists of more than 5,000 people. You don’t want to send your work to all of them, even assuming you could.

There is no submission process for the Hugo Award. You do not have to register your work with anyone to be eligible. There is no submission or entry fee. The Hugo voters are good at finding and nominating good works, and do talk among themselves, so word spreads. There are also third-party web sites where people can make recommendations for Hugo Awards. Some of these sites are listed on the sidebar at the right. (Listing here does not imply official endorsement. If you know of a site that accumulates recommendations, let us know so we can add it to the list.)

They say: "The Hugo voters are good at finding and nominating good works, and do talk among themselves, so word spreads." I'm not suggesting I know another way but there certainly needs to be another way. This is truly disturbing . . . to me anyway. You may be just fine with it. What if we were determining who the best doctor of the year is? There would be criteria. There would be qualified candidates . . . or we could just base it on whatever doctor we "heard" the most about. Good grief! Sorry. Authors are no different. There's a way to determine the best and this is not it. Just my opinion. Nevertheless, to the Hugo Award winners I will say congrats. If for no other reason than just for getting "noticed."

New York Times Best Selling E-books.

Oh yes, let's clear things up for those who don't bother to read how the New York Times Best Selling book list are compiled. This is for e-books.

"About the Best Sellers

These lists are an expanded version of those appearing in the August 28, 2011 print edition of the Book Review, reflecting sales for the week ending August 13, 2011.

Rankings reflect weekly sales for books sold in both print and electronic formats as reported by vendors offering a wide range of general interest titles. The sales venues for print books include independent book retailers; national, regional and local chains; online and multimedia entertainment retailers; university, gift, supermarket and discount department stores; and newsstands. E-book rankings reflect sales from leading online vendors of e-books in a variety of popular e-reader formats."

Please note that the E-book rankings reflect sales from leading online vendors of e-books. This would be places like Amazon and Barnes & Noble, places that smart publishers stay away from as both take liberties with e-books that only a publisher should have. They offer returns of e-books without asking the publisher and they automatically put an e-book into their lending library where buyers can lend out e-books to MANY friends for up to 14 days for FREE without asking the publisher. In Amazon's defense they do make an effort to tell you about the lending library but the window of opportunity to "opt out" is short lived and the link is broken and to the best of my knowledge no one has EVER been able to "opt out."

"E-book sales are tracked for fiction and general nonfiction titles. E-book sales for advice & how-to books, children’s books and graphic books will be tracked at a future date. Titles are included regardless of whether they are published in both print and electronic formats or just one format. E-books available exclusively from a single vendor will be tracked at a future date."

Oh right!!! LOLROFL Let's all hold our collective breath on that and see how many of us perish before it happens!

"The universe of print book dealers is well established, and sales of print titles are statistically weighted to represent all outlets nationwide. The universe of e-book publishers and vendors is rapidly emerging, and until the industry is settled sales of e-books will not be weighted."

Which means the only e-books making the list are e-books you publish through Amazon or B&N and not any from anywhere else--not until the industry settles anyway (that elusive date again.) So at least two "exclusive" distributors of e-books get to flaunt their stuff. Sound familiar?

"Among the categories not actively tracked at this time are: perennial sellers, required classroom reading, textbooks, reference and test preparation guides, journals, workbooks, calorie counters, shopping guides, comics, crossword puzzles and self-published books."

OMG! Did they actually type that!!!! Titles not included are self-published books! I think they did. Right up there with crossword puzzles, calorie counters--welcome to the publishing world author! ;D Your work is crap EVEN if you work with the best editor in the business and turn out an e-book that sells more than any on the New York Times Best Seller List! Big Dogs a barkin'! Step aside and listen to them howl!

"The appearance of a ranked title reflects the fact that sales data from reporting vendors has been provided to The Times and has satisfied commonly accepted industry standards of universal identification (such as ISBN13 and EISBN13 codes). Publishers and vendors of all ranked titles conformed in timely fashion to The New York Times Best Seller Lists requirement to allow for independent corroboration of sales for that week."

Need I say more. WHAT A CROCK! Yep, go grab your New York Time Best Seller e-book now. Support exclusivity and all it brings with it OR you can just go to the publisher's site and buy e-books there. Mine will be exclusively available at Black Bed Sheet Books--in ALL formats known to man DRM free because we all know if somebody wants to steal something there going to get it anyway so why make the paying customer suffer!

This just in from INGRAM!

Received this via Ingram because I've got an edition of Never Ceese published through Lightning Source. Oh do read on:

August 19, 2011

Dear Publisher:

Earlier this week Microsoft announced the discontinuation of the Microsoft Reader effective August 30, 2012. This includes download access of the Microsoft Reader application. Users can continue to use the Microsoft Reader application and their .lit eBooks after full discontinuation on August 30, 2012. Ingram and Microsoft will continue to provide technical support until July 10, 2012.

At Microsoft's request, Ingram will cease making .lit eBooks available for initial download on November 8, 2011. Users will still be able to re-download .lit eBooks from original links through August 20, 2012, but no new purchases can be made after November 7, 2011 (US).

If .lit is the only format currently submitted to Ingram, we recommended replacing those files with industry standard EPUBs (http://idpf.org/epub) or PDF's.

For questions or more information, please contact your Account Manager.

Sincerely,

Ingram Content Group

What does this mean? It means you should go straight away to Black Bed Sheet Books to buy ALL your ebooks because they WON'T stop offering .lit format. Many folks still use MicroSoft Reader and will for quite some time. Here's a bigger question: if ebooks are in such demand, why is microsoft getting out of the ebook business? Because e-books aren't in big demand. Amazon and Barnes & Noble and Apple just want you to think that so you'll buy their "exclusive" reader. All of Black Bed Sheet Books e-books are DRM free. No exclusivity here. ;)

Oh, the link: http://blackbedsheet.goshopper.net/

And to reply on this claim: "At Microsoft's request, Ingram will cease making .lit eBooks available . . . " More like, Ingram decided all by themselves to do this. Why would Microsoft care? They don't. But it's a nice spin that keeps Ingram from looking bad I guess.

Oh and notice how INGRAM came right out and said the "industry" standard was EPUB or PDF. Oh, I'm laughing my butt off at that. *sniff, sniff* I smell "big dog" publishers marking their territory. Hear that Amazon. MOBI isn't the "industry" standard according to Ingram. You better go set them straight. LOLROFL Oh, I love starting things.

Hey Ingram, did you know that the New York Times Best Selling e-book statistics are pulled from AMAZON Kindles ONLY!!! So much for your idea of what "industry standard" is and so much for anyone who chooses NOT to publish a Kindle through Amazon (because they take returns on ebooks and offer ebooks published through them out for free without the publisher's permission) ever making that list. RACKET!!!!

My mock-beta reader of Electric Angel has finished the book!!!!

And just give me a second for the head swelling to go down!. LOL

"I have completed chapters 15 through 30 and what a ride you have me on woman! Again, I don't want to spoil but the 20 year jump into the future and all that has gone on and the lives of those involved has really opened up a very real and unreal world. The balance of reality in current events and the fantasy of the characters intermingles to the point where you can actually imagine this happening! There is a lot of logic and scientific fact in this story and Sue,you have done your research! I feel like I am right there along with those guys in the car at the end of chapter 30 and I feel like we are so close to finding you know who!!!I can't wait! . . . .There is a quote that I just love between Zachary and Reg when Zach says, "You're comfortable molding situations to fit your ideology. I prefer to mold my ideology to fit the situation." That was bloody brilliant!"

I have to say I was blown away that she picked up on that quote as if you'll recall, that's the one I posted on FB when it came to me. I told y'all it was good! ;) Okay. Now for the rest.

" . . . I didn't realize that I only had about 10 more pages to read so I just finished the book! What a tremendous and very touching ending! I want to also say that if you have any interest in pitching this as a movie, I think you should do it!!!This would make a great film and at the very least a SyFy mini series or something like that!!Go for it! Keep up the great writting and I can't wait for your new books to come out! Now I can get back to Never Ceese!"

Thank-you soooo much Michelle for giving such a thorough response. I feel much better not about promoting this. So yeah. Y'all go buy the book. ;) Oh and off course the ebooks that you purchase through Black Bed Sheet Books has three photos taken of Ron Fitzgerald by Jim Sorfleet as the character "Jeri." Good stuff!

Required reading for Forever Richard!

Well since schools back in, around these parts anyway, and Forever Richard is about to be re-released upon the masses, being currently out-of-print no matter what Amazon claims, I think there should be "required" reading as a prelude to Forever Richard. This required reading will definitely be a nice prelude to Cyn No More as well. So I suggest Robert Kirk's, The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns & Fairies!

"Late in the seventeenth century, Robert Kirk, an Episcopalian minister in the Scottish Highlands, set out to collect his parishioners' many striking stories about elves, fairies, fauns, dopplegangers, wraiths and other beings of, in Kirk's words " a middle nature betwixt man and angel. " For Kirk these stories constituted strong evidence of the reality of a supernatural world, existing parallel to ours, which he passionately believed, demanded exploration as much as the New World across the seas.
Robert Kirk was the seventh son of James Kirk, minister of Aberfoyle . . . Kirk published the first Gaelic translation of the Psalms and oversaw the preparation of the first romanized version of the Gaelic Bible . . . "

. . . that Richard's father Meri has a copy of? Well, now that is interesting. But equally as interesting is the fact that the half-werewolf Brendan carries with him the knife of the Akedah or rather the knife biblical Abraham used to "almost" slay his son Issac with. Rumor claims it has the power to slay vampires.

Oh yes, Forever Richard is quite the read as well! September will be here before you know it. Make sure you get your copy from Black Bed Sheet Books! Republished and a little different than the original version published by The Writers Cafe Press.

Just trying to look out for my readers.

** Well, I was actually able to get on the product page for my hardback of Never Ceese on Amazon to day and put information regarding the true status of this edition. Not so see if Amazon allows what I wrote to stay. Did the same for my out-of-print edition for Forever Richard that Amazon claims to be selling as "new." Good grief!***

My first publisher, Journey Stone Creations, about a year and a half after starting up, liquidated most of their stock and went under. Though I offered to buy over 4000 of my hardback Never Ceese from them at a respectable price, (a good bit over the less than $2.00 price they had them printed for in China) my offer was turned down and the books sold out from under me.

Que sera, sera.

But I did manage to get a letter out of Journey Stone that said the rights of that hardback would revert back to me on a certain date. When that day came I contacted Baker & Taylor (Journey Stones distributor of choice) to let them know that if Journey Stone was still filling orders they were doing so illegally and in turn so was Baker & Taylor. Baker & Taylor asked me to fax them the letter and so I did.

All indications are that Baker & Taylor no longer distribute my hardback and so Journey Stone no longer makes money off my book without passing any of the money on to me, the author.

HOWEVER, Amazon, (yes, I know. They're so on top of things) still shows that they can "get" the hardback new AND they're selling it for $17.95. I asked Amazon about this and got the wonderful news last night that "their" distributor of Never Ceese the hardback has permission to distribute worldwide. Well of course many folk have the right to distribute Never Ceese the hardback worldwide even though I make no money off the sale. It's part of the publishing game. But Amazon is selling these books at RETAIL!!!!! OMG!!!

So here's my helpful little tip to you. Buy the hardback for a dollar or two if you can. Don't worry about me making any money or not. It's not a big deal. BUT DO NOT BUY THAT HARDBACK FROM AMAZON!!! No one is selling that book for anything over $3.00 and Amazon isn't paying more than that for any copy of the hardback of Never Ceese that they have. They aren't that stupid. Any outlet that is selling the hardback for more that $5.00 is taking you for a VERY LONG RIDE. Don't worry Barnes & Noble is doing it too and BAM as well because NOW Never Ceese the hardback has made it to the "returned from the bookstore" wholesalers that BAM buys from.

So where should you buy Never Ceese, Book One of Sue Dent's Thirsting for Blood Series. You guessed it!

From Black Bed Sheet Books where you can also buy it in any ebook format!!!

And so the Amazon shenanigans begin!

Yep. Go check this out:

Electric Angel, temporarily out of stock at Amazon!

Yes, the madness started yesterday when the listing came up as, "let us know if you want to be told when this book becomes available at Amazon." LOLROFL Really? By the end of the day it was showing up as "In Stock" which in itself is a lie because no one stocks books that aren't made returnable by "industry standard." They only order them when an order is placed. But it's a lie that Amazon puts up all the time. They aren't singling anyone out. They'll say that since Lightning Source (the distributor) shows there is an availability of 99 books (when there isn't. The books are POD and aren't printed until an order is placed. That's Lightning Sources lie) then Amazon can "claim" the book is in stock at Amazon. And really who does that hurt, I guess.

But today Amazon has gone out of their way, or not, to show Electric Angel as being "temporarily out of stock!" Well, that sort of puts my first theory to rest. I'm laughing so hard now my sides hurt. Oh, yes. You missed out! Electric Angel, which is never stocked by Amazon to begin with is now temporarily "out of stock."

Well believe that lie (or mindless misrepresentation of the facts) if you want to, Electric Angel is available ALL DAY LONG at Black Bed Sheet Books in all DRM free ebook formats including but not limited to: non-Amazon Kindle, non B&N Nook which is also readable on your IPAD etc . . .

Even B&N will order it for you in their Brick & Mortar stores and on-line and for right now at a darn good price unless shipping takes it back up to more than the $10.00 you can get it for at Black Bed Sheet Books.

And keep this in mind, no publisher has a choice about whether their books show up on Amazon. It's an automatic. It's a gift from Bowker that comes when you purchase your block of ISBN's. When you assign the number the book is automatically listed on Amazon on-line and Barnes & Noble on-line. Some gift. Sort of like that Christmas present you just smile an nod at but know that it will go straight in the garbage as soon as the giver leaves.

Electric Angel at Amazon . . . um almost?

No need to sign up to know when this becomes available as asked for here:

Electric Angel arrives at Amazon

As it is already available here:'

Electric Angel at Barnes & Noble (of course you can only order it as it's been made non-returnable according to "Industry Standard" to protect my publisher from losing money. Therefore B&N won't allow it in their stores. I know. How nice?)

And has been available here:

Black Bed Sheet Books for some time and Black Bed Sheet Books is the official and only distributors of all the e-books!

Want IPAD E-book versions of my books?

Done! And here's a snippet to help you understand a bit about that:

List of iPad Book Format

ePub - ePub is the main file format for iPad books downloaded from Apple's iBooks Store. It's the most popular ebook format along with PDF, though books purchased from the iBooks Store include DRM to prevent unauthorized copying and sharing. The books themselves are in the ePub format - with the extra layer of copy protection. You can also convert ebooks into the open ePub format and then sync them via iTunes to your iPad.

PDF - PDF is the reigning downloading document format on the website, so you're likely to find ebooks in this format. The iPad lets you convert PDF to iPad compatible format and read them on iPad via third-party apps.

iBooks - The books purchased through the iBooks Store are actually in ePub format, but include DRM to prevent unauthorized sharing or copying. In iBookstore, you can download the latest best-selling books or your favorite classics - day or night. Browse your library on a beautiful bookshelf, tap a book to open it, flip through pages with a swipe or a tap, and bookmark or add notes to your favorite passages.

Kindle - Amazon's Kindle isn't just an ereader that competes with the iPad, it's also an ebook format. Though you can't read Kindle books through the iBooks apps, you can read them on the iPad using Amazon's Kindle app.

Now you have a clear mind of iPad eBook formats. Just feel free to download and enjoy books on iPad wherever you go!

So there you have it. At Black Bed Sheet Books you can purchase ANY of my books in ANY of the formats listed above WITHOUT DRM protection. Bottom line is that DRM protection doesn't matter anyway. An idiot could take the file if they wanted to even with the DRM protection. Having it DRM protected doesn't make it less illegal. DUH!

Any ebook of mine will be exclusively sold through Black Bed Sheet Books and maybe through Lightning Source since that's who my publisher uses to distribute (my non-returnable according to "industry standard" print books.) Where you WON'T see my ebooks for sale. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, the Apple Store or Smashwords. At least not unless the folks want to work a separate deal with my publisher that excludes my work from their "lending/stealing from the author" library or their e-book return policy?

Get it while you can!

Barnes & Noble has Electric Angel listed at $7.41!! That's because Ingram's Lightning Source tells publishers with Lightning Source to offer the big bookstores the deepest discounts so they'll buy their books.

Weeeeellll, since I've made my books "Industry standard" non-returnable, B&N won't buy them anyway (only order it when a customer ask) so guess what? I'm going to ask my publisher to take their deep discount away. ;)

It will take a bit for it to take affect but it will take affect.

So you better get it while you can for $7.41 because it isn't going to last!!!

*This just in. B&N isn't getting any deep discount. LOL If you add the shipping in it's just as much as what Amazon is selling for. Sooooo for the best price at $10.00 got to Black Bed Sheet Books to order this wonderful book. Cha-ching!*

B&N on-line beats Amazon!

Well they all get the information about the same time so I think it's worth celebrating who lists what first. LOL So here's the link:

Click here to buy Electric Angel at Barnes & Nobel.

"But," you say, "Sue I thought you detest B&N. Now you tell us to go purchase the book there." I detest the way they discriminate against any publisher that doesn't sign on to that ludicrous "industry standard" return policy by not ordering a book for their shelf if a publisher decides to NOT participate (thus insuring their survival.)

You still won't EVER find ANY of my books on their shelf because I've asked my publisher to save himself and make ALL my books non-returnable. But you can order ALL day long and B&N has to get it for you. ;) So do it and enjoy Electric Angel! It's a great book.

You won't see a nook version for sale on B&N though. You'll have to go to Black Bed Sheet Books for that. Otherwise B&N will make your nook lendable (or rather gives YOUR work away for free without asking) and makes your nook returnable (also without asking. What is that about?!!!!)

Large bookstores where you WON'T find and CAN'T order my books!

Yes there is one large chain bookstore where you won't find my books and can't order them. This information will also help when you're trying to find a lot of your favorite small published authors. There's actually only one large chain that I know of that operates the way this one does and it makes sense why you can't find the work of small publishers if you consider the facts. They only sell "returned from the bookstore" books.

Yes, I'm referring to that wonderful Books-A-Million AKA BAM. They in fact ONLY carry books that have been returned from other larger bookstores. In other words, after large publishers do the initial flooding of books to large bookstores to earn their "New York Times Best-Seller" spot, most of the books, if not all of them, are then sent back to the publisher, most without even ever coming out of the box. These books are then sold to wholesalers. BAM buys from these wholesalers.

Now here's why you'll never see my books in a BAM. A.) I've made my books non-returnable because small press doesn't get to see their "returned from the bookstore books." They're supposedly destroyed so says Ingram's Lightning Source. B.) Because BAM only buys books from three separate wholesalers who specialize in "returned" books.

Sadly both Never Ceese and Forever Richard were returnable at one time and the books my publisher never saw when they were returned were sent on to these wholesalers that BAM deals with. Some of those books will show up at BAM and NO neither I nor my publisher ever made any money off those and never will. But I've fixed that by making my books non-returnable. Do let me know if you see Electric Angel or any of my books published by Black Bed Sheet Books in a brick and mortar BAM as this will mean they are in fact VERY stolen!!! *gasp*

BAM will be selling my books on-line but that's a whole 'nuther story. So there ya have it. You would be able to at least order my book from BAM but they don't dabble in new books. Don't let them make you think they do. You can google their wholesalers or rather where they buy their books. All of them only dabble in "used" books. So if you wonder why I don't support my local BAM by having a book signing or saying, "go find my books here," it's because they are a "used" bookstore and they won't carry books straight from the publisher. How sad! :(

The broken "Industy Standard Return Policy" put in place by large publishers.

It was a deal made between one publisher, Simon & Shuster, and small bookstores of the day. The depression hit everyone hard. The way publishing worked then, ALL publishers (there were only five or six larger ones) had to print a LOT of books at once to make printing profitable. They therefore had to have an outlet for these books and it looked like the depression was going to take that outlet away.

The policy that Simon & Schuster proposed: any bookstore could return bought books whenever they wanted to for a full refund. And they didn't have to pay shipping either way nor did the bookstore have to worry about what shape the book came back in. In fact, this policy mutated into something even more horrific. Bookstores soon only had to return the front cover. The rest of the book they could throw away in the dumpster. Which is why you see warnings now about buying books without covers. You don't hear it so much today but you do still hear it.

Wow! What a deal though? How do you take something like that back? Apparently you don't. No. Instead it becomes the "industry standard."

But what if the industry changes as it has?

What about that?

You think bookstores are going to change this policy? And all large publishers would have to work "together" if they were to make the change and why would they do that when it would stand to let the competition get a foot hold. It's not a horrible policy for them anyway. It is devastating for new publishers though. It's devastating because they don't have the relationship with bookstores that larger publishers have. When small publishers opt in for this "industry standard" return policy they NEVER see the returned book again. So there out the print cost of the book and in most cases the distributor makes them pay to have the books they'll never see again destroyed. They're being forced into an "industry standard return policy" that will ensure they're demise.

This is why I say to any bookstore that my books are indeed returnable. You get with my publisher and work out a deal. I'll not sign my publisher's death certificate. I know the facts. I've experienced them with two separate publishers. Not again. I respect my publisher more than that! I just wish other small press authors knew the facts. If bookstores are allowed to continue to operate this way, it won't matter anyhow. All the bookstores will be gone. But not because of ebooks. They'll be gone because of greed and stupidity. I can't think of one person who'd do business with a company that says, "yes, we'll order your product and put it on our shelf to sell. But only if we don't have to pay you for 90 days and we get to send it back before we even pay you. But of course we'll want a full refund straight away. And no, we won't be responsible for getting the product back to you. Neither will it be our responsibility to get it back to you at all."

Sadly, that's not an exaggeration. That's exactly how it happens every day if you make your books returnable as proposed by the "industry standard."

So yes, if you care to do business in a business like manner then you can contact my publisher. I'm sure he'll be happy to work something out with you--on my books only though. All their other authors still believe that opting in for an "industry standard return policy" is the way to go. Go figure!

Pope recommends reading Sue Dent!

The article: Pope recommends summer reading for Faithful

Okay, okay not exactly but I was honored that one certain reader (a reviewer from the British Fantasy Society) added a comment to this shared article on Facebook that read :

". . . I also enjoy reading Christian Novels. Author Sue Dent is one of my fav. writers. She has a diff. mordern twist on Christianity."

Yep. It's the little things in life that make that difference. And NO, I'm not a "Christian" author. I don't write for that "niche" market and never will as I don't plan to write with an agenda. My work however will always reflect my values as every authors work does. And now you can see it appeals to Catholic Christians. That's great!!! ;D

Actually my books ARE returnable!!!

Actually my books ARE returnable!!! Just not "industry" standard returnable. In other words you may talk with my publisher and they'll be glad to work out a return policy that suits both parties.

I know, right?

You buy any of my books and you can return them if they don't sell. Talk to my publisher about details. I'm sure they can work something out. Perhaps they'll pay the shipping to your store and back should you want to return them. Or maybe they'll require you to keep them for a set period of time before you return them. Of course the books will have to be in a resellable condition and you'll have to pay for them up front. And you'll definitely have to pay for unreasonable damage should there be any. Feel free to discuss that further with my publisher. ;)

Yeah, something like that.

I'll wager a bet that there will be very few if any calls to my publisher regarding this. That's okay but if someone doesn't change the "industry" standard on returns, the big dog publishers are going to take us all down. That stupid policy no longer helps them either but it at least keeps their competition from getting ahead of them--for now. Wake up and smell the coffee folks. Please.

Any Independent Bookstores out there willing to help.

To the best of my knowledge all Indy bookstores work very much the same way large bookstores do with the exception that they will take books on consignment (at least some will anyway.) Sadly this means I'll have to CALL any Independent Bookstore to chat with them about the "possibility" of them taking a few books to put on their shelves for my readers to find. And yes, my readers will have to FIND my books if they are placed as all the coveted shelf space goes to the large publishers even in Independent bookstores because bookstores have to put out soooooo much money just to get these books to begin with. Meaning they have to actually buy so many just to stock them. Of course this isn't a real problem because bookstores can then send unsold books back for a full refund, eventually. But it is a lot of money for them up front just to carry books by large publishers. Not to mention fees and all of that and I think they have to actually qualify.

So in the meantime us small publishers who've put as much money, time and energy (some who've even earned legitimate awards) have to peddle our goods in a way that keeps us from making any real sales. At least we do unless we make our books returnable.

Only there's a very real problem with making ones books returnable if you're with a small publisher. The only distributors small press can afford, like Ingram's Lightning Source, they don't allow for small publishers to ever see their returned books again. Therefore small publishers lose product if the book is returned (or destroyed which is what Lightning Source SAYS they do with ALL returned books.) Large publisher's returned books are resold to second hand booksellers like Books-A-Million so that large publishers actually make money off books that didn't sell when they first flood their large bookstores with their latest books to drive those books to the top of the "New York Times" best-sellers list. Yes. A win-win situation for them. Sorry crooks.

Lightning Source doesn't even give you the option to see your returned book again. They make claims that the books have been through so many hands that it isn't something you'll want back. So they conveniently destroy them (or so they say. They wouldn't tell me, when I asked, where I could go to see where the destruction occurs.) They offer to reprint you a "new" book for "half" the price. Oh wow! Now their customers only eat "half" the recovery cost. I've seen returned from the bookstore books. I've not seen one that wasn't in impeccable condition. They have to be because they're a commodity. Books-A-Million will scarf them right up and so will other second hand resellers.

Bottom line is, Lightning Source isn't the only distributor that operates like this. My second publisher went through Book Masters. When I ordered new author copies from them I was sent books that I'd hand delivered to a Barnes & Noble in Louisiana. Books I had signed and books that had an autographed by author sticker on the FRONT COVER!!! They had been sent back and were being resold as NEW through Book Masters who claim ALL returned books go to "returned books" inventory for the publisher to deal with. They claimed what happened to me was an accident and next time they'd be more CAREFUL!! There was a sticker on the front of six of the books I ordered. These books shouldn't have been with new books. EVER!

Due to this sort of activity I've made my books non-returnable. It makes my job tougher as far as getting my books into brick and mortar stores and onto the shelves but at least my books aren't stolen and at least my publisher doesn't lose more money than they stand to make.

How can Independent Bookstores help? Give us small published authors the time of day. Many of us are going to start making our books non-returnable just to survive. Give us the same chance you give any publishers who play a game they can't possibly win.

Check out this facebook page!

Y'all go like my Electric Angel Book page on FaceBook so it can have a name. Apparently one only has to have 25 likes. Aw, what better way to spend Saturday. ;D

Check out this facebook page!

A chapter by chapter blow of Electric Angel - sort of.

Dang it if somebody's gonna give me a chapter by chapter account I'm gonna write about it. Actually it's more like a synopsis of several chapters at a time because most can't read my stuff a chapter at a time but eventually they have to come up for air or eat! LOL And that's when I get reports like this:

So now I'm deeper in and my mind is abuzz with chapters 9 though 15!!!! I cannot believe the turn of events which has been thought out so carefully! Wow,I am yet again amazed by the depth of the dichotomy between the two boys!!! Again, I wish not to give away too much but,I am on the edge of my seat! I do believe that I know who Paul is!!!! And I just love the twins and the things they do! Makes me look at my twin boys all the more cautiously! Haha! Not to mention their age, so close to my own and the secret language they have between themselves! Again, LOVE THIS!!!!

Aw, you made me miss the story so much I had to go back and read what you were just writing about. ;) Yeah, so y'all see what you're missing. Too bad. All you have to do is order the book and read it. And now you can go to my site at www.sudent.net and get a signed copy. And of course you can get one on sale at Black Bed Sheet Books for just ten dollars unsigned. I'm so glad you're enjoying Michelle.

More good words!

An ardent fan none-the-less, here's what Raquel Soto had to say about Electric Angel thus far:

Oh Author Sue Dent! Why did you have to make such a captivating new book? I had to cancel my plans to go out and run errands because I'm enjoying it[Electric Angel] so much! It's a day of heaven on the earth when I can curl up with my, err, computer and read an amazing story with little interruption. On chapter 14 and have to check on dinner. Darn my tummy! LOL

Yep, yep! That's what those non-Amazon and non-B&N Kindles are good for. ;D

My latest letter to Amazon's Author Central

This is my latest correspondence with Amazon just because I like for all to see how they actually function:

Journey Stone Creations no longer holds the rights to Never Ceese ISBN 1-59958-017-9. They have reverted back to me. A letter was sent to Baker & Taylor the distributor and the book is no longer available. Barnes & Nobles no longer sells it thus telling me that Baker & Taylor has followed the rules and made the book unavailable. I suggest Amazon make it unavailable as well as there is no legal way for Amazon to get Never Ceese ISBN 1-59958-017-9. Please do not humor me with your double-speak that says I need to talk to the publisher and do not tell me that you have no information regarding what I just told you. I'm telling you now, Baker & Taylor has the letter that shows the rights reverted back to me (as they asked to have it faxed to them.) If you continue to say that you can sell the book then you are breaking the law and I'll be forced to take action.

Sue Dent

Everyday I go on Amazon and see Never Ceese the hardback being sold by Amazon for $17.99 knowing that the only way they can sell it is to get it via the original distributor, Baker & Taylor who has been notified that the rights to the book have reverted back to me and had me fax the letter over that states such. Doesn't really matter that only one or two sell. It's the principle. I'm just amazed at how Amazon gets away with the things they get away with. This is NOT the first time I've told them the situation. Why would they stop selling the book. They know I'm not going to prosecute. It's not worth the one or two hardbacks they do "steal/sell."

*** Amazon's reply. They have some of the hardback in their fulfillment center and that's why it's showing up as available by Amazon. My reply, that seems odd because they never stocked Never Ceese or any other book by small press. They only order when the book is ordered. Okay so maybe they felt lucky and ordered one or two and that's all they have. Well, I want to know and so I've asked them to tell me just how many are in their fulfillment center. Let's see if I get a reply. Hmmmm . . .

Signed copies of Electric Angel available!

I have officially ordered author copies of Electric Angel. I do not get a ginormous discount. There is no special I can offer you other than offering to sign your copy. Please place how you want the books signed in the comment section when you order through paypal or use the email there to send me a note to tell me how you'd like it signed.

I do not have the books in hand yet. It will probably be a week or so before I do. If you're eager you may go to Black Bed Sheet Books and order it as a non-amazon kindle or non-B&N Nook or any other ebook format. However, this is the only way to get one signed by me presently. And hot off the press. SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!!!

This is for my US fans only and shipping as been worked into the cost which is

$14.98

two dollars more than retail. Sorry, but even at that price I'll still eat some shipping. Here's your link and happy ordering. ;)

Electric Angel experience continues . . .

Latest update from Michelle T McCarthy my now designated BETA "Electric Angel" reader:

"Okay so I've now completed Chapters four through eight and this [the story] just keeps growing, like the entity itself!!! There is an urgency as you read that collaborates with the characters. I at times have felt my own heart race as I discover along with the characters. That's why your writing is truly brilliant because you have taken into consideration to make the experience what I would call 3-D! Your own imagination helps to create the images but your writing creates the emotion and the other senses to come alive! Looking forward to MORE!!!!

Did I mention that I love my readers!! ;D

Also Electric Angel, like Bram Stoker Short-listed Never Ceese, was edited by the lovely Arlene W. Robinson. I LOVE working with Arlene. She is AMAZING!!! Keeps me on my toes too. Also, since Arlene is a professional editor with credentials to prove her ability, I suggest you spare leaving any comments regarding your opinion that the edit job was poor. I mean you can but it will just make you look hmmm . . . ignorant. Arlene is awesome!!!

To all and any Independent Bookstores . . .

To all and any Independent Bookstores interested in carrying my books please note that while I have distribution through Ingram's Lightning Source, which means you can order my work, I DO NOT subscribe to any return policy crap invented by large publishers to keep bookstores of the day up and running. The policy was barely workable then and certainly doesn't work for Small Independent houses who can't afford to EAT the print cost of any "returned from the bookstore" books because Ingram's Lightning Source "destroys" them (actually I'm not convinced Lightning Source EVER sees ANY "returned from the bookstore" books as who would pay return postage for something AND THEN DESTROY IT!

Nevertheless, that's the deal. You can work through my publisher to set up a deal that's workable for both parties or at the very least one that has the publisher and author NOT losing money. ;)

Someone is reading Electric Angel. ;)

. . . and this is what they have to say:

I'm three chapters in and I really am enjoying this story!I love how descriptive your writting is.I feel like I'm right there walking into Mountain View Inn and talking to Martha and Anna! Love THIS!!!!

Go get your copy now at Black Bed Sheet Books for only $10.00!! On sale for a limited time. You'll be able to get it everywhere else in a couple of days but I wouldn't wait if I were you. They can't offer you this kind of price!!!

Don't forget you can also purchase a NON-AMAZON kindle version and a NON-Barnes & Noble Nook DRM free version at the same place. And those have three additional pictures in them taken by Jim Sorfleet of SnS-Photo.net of Ron Fitzgerald the cover model. Enjoy!! My Kindle will NEVER be available on Amazon and my Nook will NEVER be available through B&N as both GIVE kindles and nooks away via their lending library PLUS they actually allow for RETURNS!! WHAT? WHAT? WHAT? Aw, they make me laugh.

Barnes & Nobles no longer supports local authors-sort of.

Just so you know, I'd LOVE to host a book signing at my local B&N (well, at least I would if they'd pay me for the last one) but NO Barnes & Noble will allow any author in that doesn't make their book returnable. In other words they don't do signings on consignment anymore.

"But Sue, that doesn't mean they don't support local authors? That just means you have to make your book returnable. Duh!"

Most small publishers (the ones most local authors have to use) have FINALLY come to realize that they won't survive the ludicrous return policy set up by big publishers to save small bookstores during the depression (most large publishers can't even survive it anymore but it's a little late for them to do anything about it.) Therefore most small publishers no longer make their books returnable. With that being the case and B&N no longer doing booksignings on consignment, B&N does not support local authors or even small press.

That being said, they can still order ANY book that is distributed through Ingram or Ingram's Lightning Source or Baker & Taylor so you can purchase my books through them. Keep in mind they will jump write over that little rule if your books start selling in numbers they can't ignore.

But yes, that's why I don't rush right over there so my local fans can conveniently get a copy. They won't let me. Funny thing is, Never Ceese was once returnable and they did allow me to do signings. Same book made non-returnable and now it's like diseased or something. LOL You're so funny B&N. You make me laugh.

And it's my understanding, from a CRM at one B&N, they're getting rid of the CRM position all together. Right now they have them out selling to places like the LIBRARY if you can believe that. Could be just me but isn't getting rid of the dead weight a sure sign of a sinking ship? No CRM's mean no one to set up events. Hmmm . . .

Electric Angel on special sale at Black Bed Sheet Books

Electric Angel is officially available now. You may purchase a print copy or a "non-Amazon" Kindle/DRM free copy, non-Barnes & Noble copy/DRM free copy or any other kind of ebook reader format known to man at Black Bed Sheet Books.

The regular price will be $12.95 but it is currently on sale at Black Bed Sheet Books for $10.00!

Shortly you will be able to purchase at all the usual locations, wherever books are sold, but they won't be able to offer you the same price. And while all brick and mortar large bookstores can carry the "physical book" they won't because a) I'm not with one of their large publishing houses (just a good one) and b) because I've made ALL my books non-returnable so I'm protected from a return policy that sinks all small houses and even the larger ones now. That's right, technically it's POD which by the way isn't a dirty (three) words but rather the ONLY way to survive in this industry and just barely at that because there's no way to get in front of customers when the big bookstores like Barnes & Noble etc . . . could care less about carrying your books because you didn't come through one of the large publishing houses.

So you won't see a huge press release. I can't afford the kind I'd need to rise above the noise the large publishers generate. Mainly because I put everything into my book so that it appeals to as many people as possible. And oh yeah, the proof is in the pudding: Bram Stoker short-listed with my debut novel, British Fantasy Society long-listed with my second. Both previous books being up for a 2009 Pluto Award with one making the finals.

Electric angel will be just as original and fresh as my other stories. Go buy it today. And don't forget, if you like to pay cash then go to Barnes & Noble or any bookstore and order it. You won't find it on the shelf. If you do then it will be because I've succeeded in getting the large bookstores attention by selling books without "their" help. Sad thing is, if that ever happens, I'd never want them to carry my books but there's nothing I can do about it.

Cutting out the middle man is the only way to survive. So let's do it!!! Go buy Electric Angel and Never Ceese and very soon, Forever Richard. YAY!!!