Dear Publishers

I know it’s hard for you. Really, I do. I understand the kind of competition that’s out there. I did before I started working in a bookstore, but I definitely do now that I sell books directly to the readers for a living. And I understand that you small publishers need to focus on the methods that keep in in business, and I sympathize.

But I fucking HATE it when in order to support my friends’ and favorite authors’ careers I am forced to buy from a retailer I hated before I started working for the competition. I hate having to jump through your hoops in addition to giving you my money in order to keep my friends in contracts. You know who you are, you, the publisher who demanded 100 copies minimum be sold through Amazon in order for a friend of mine who is trying to start a career get another chance at another contract with you. Not only is it unfair to only have the Amazon sales count to my friend it’s unfair to me, who is more than willing to pay full price for the book, but hates having to support the evil empire in order to support my friend.

Despite the recent outrage over Amazon publishing a How To Molest Kids guide I ordered the damn book anyway because I know it only “counts” if my friend gets the sales through Amazon. But I HATE being put in this position and honestly that’s why I only ordered my friend’s book instead of any of your other books, which I would have picked up if I was buying from your website instead. Instead I couldn’t even find this book on your site.

This is a very disappointing move, Dear Publisher. Consider this my way of formally logging a complaint.