I got a message from Substack telling me that over 100 people are now hanging on my every word here at The Deixis Press Weekly, so I guess I’d better provide an update about what’s been going on.
Is there anything we can do to nudge the gatekeepers to do the right thing? Eg, suppose we email bookshop.org to ask them about their policy re POD titles?
Got the below response. So, is it the case that Gardners *refuse* to give your firm-sale books a POD label, and that is why uk.bookshop won't list them? If so, I can try contacting them to find out the rationale . . .
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Thank you for supporting local booksellers with Bookshop.org, it is very much appreciated!
For the time being, all Bookshop.org UK orders are fulfilled by Gardners, so we can only list books available through them.
In saying that, we do not currently sell books that Gardners categorise as follows:
• 'Special Order Line' - these are books that Gardners list but do not stock, so availability issues often arise.
• 'Firm Sale' - these are books that cannot be returned for a refund. Bookshop.org will only list a firm-sale book if Gardners label it as POD (print-on-demand, also known as manufactured-on-demand).
If you're looking to get a particular title on the Bookshop.org site, you can contact Gardners directly here.
I hope this provides some clarity, and we remain at your disposal if there's anything further we can do to assist.
The other thing is that my books are *not* firm sale even though they are POD--I've taken great pains to ensure all are returnable. So it's a double blow, really. They won't list them as POD (which they are) but will list them as Firm Sale (which they are not).
Wow, that is the first helpful clue I’ve ever seen. Nobody has ever given me any idea that bookshop.org might list Firm Sale titles if Gardners gave them a different designation, and Gardners—in the months that I’ve tried to get them to help me—has never suggested that there is a separate designation they could give my books. I am glad to learn this information, though it has actually made me much, much angrier in the short term.
Is there anything we can do to nudge the gatekeepers to do the right thing? Eg, suppose we email bookshop.org to ask them about their policy re POD titles?
By all means feel free to try! The problem isn't bookshop.org; it's uk.bookshop.org. The US branch doesn't seem to have a problem stocking my titles.
Got the below response. So, is it the case that Gardners *refuse* to give your firm-sale books a POD label, and that is why uk.bookshop won't list them? If so, I can try contacting them to find out the rationale . . .
***
Thank you for supporting local booksellers with Bookshop.org, it is very much appreciated!
For the time being, all Bookshop.org UK orders are fulfilled by Gardners, so we can only list books available through them.
In saying that, we do not currently sell books that Gardners categorise as follows:
• 'Special Order Line' - these are books that Gardners list but do not stock, so availability issues often arise.
• 'Firm Sale' - these are books that cannot be returned for a refund. Bookshop.org will only list a firm-sale book if Gardners label it as POD (print-on-demand, also known as manufactured-on-demand).
If you're looking to get a particular title on the Bookshop.org site, you can contact Gardners directly here.
I hope this provides some clarity, and we remain at your disposal if there's anything further we can do to assist.
Kind regards,
Tim
Tim | Customer Experience Specialist
Bookshop.org | Certified B Corp™
The other thing is that my books are *not* firm sale even though they are POD--I've taken great pains to ensure all are returnable. So it's a double blow, really. They won't list them as POD (which they are) but will list them as Firm Sale (which they are not).
Anyway I've emailed them. Let's see how brusque/curt/unhelpful they'll be this time.
Wow, that is the first helpful clue I’ve ever seen. Nobody has ever given me any idea that bookshop.org might list Firm Sale titles if Gardners gave them a different designation, and Gardners—in the months that I’ve tried to get them to help me—has never suggested that there is a separate designation they could give my books. I am glad to learn this information, though it has actually made me much, much angrier in the short term.