Thread by @ravenbookstore

Hi! It appears that a certain huge online retailer shipped out copies of @MargaretAtwood's THE TESTAMENTS a week before its release date (September 10th). Some people (it's unclear how many) have already received copies in the mail. This is bad. Here's why: 🧵

In order for us to order copies of THE TESTAMENTS we had to sign an affidavit swearing that we wouldn't put copies out before 9/10. As outlined in the affidavit, if we broke the terms we'd be liable for damages and we wouldn't be allowed to sell the book anymore.

It should come as no surprise that a certain huge online retailer is selling this book very close to our cost; if we sold it at their price we'd make $1.73 per copy. We've discussed before how this is unfair, and how we deal with it.

But now, not only is the huge online retailer selling it for a price we can't compete with, but they shipped out copies a week early. This increases the likelihood that someone who got it early uploads a bootleg copy online, cutting into sales for everyone.

It also gave de facto permission to places like the New York Times and NPR to publish spoiler-heavy reviews, which deflates the mysterious buzz about what's in the book. It's likely that less mystery means less vital first-week sales for everyone. I hope we're wrong.

Here's the thing: 44.8% of our sales last year were between September and December, almost half. This is in part because publishers release their most commercial books in September and October. We're thinking THE TESTAMENTS might be the year's biggest book.

THE TESTAMENTS is one of a select few titles that enable us to imagine the light at the end of the cash flow tunnel. We operate most of the year at a loss, and make up for it with big Fall and pre-holiday releases like this one.

We know we'll lose sales on THE TESTAMENTS to a certain online retailer's habit of pricing books too low. We're a bit scared to think the same retailer will cut into even more of our business by breaking the embargo that *every book retailer in the world* had to sign.

So, if you want to help your indie bookstore break even this year (and therefore stick around next year) think about buying big-time new release books from them instead of you know where.

We love Fall because we're flannel-wearing pumpkin patch people by disposition. But another reason we love Fall is because it means big books that people are excited to buy from us and read. We can't really afford for doubly unfair competition to take that from us.

Rachel Cass, who works at our friend store @HarvardBooks, puts it well in @PublishersWkly. Link: publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/in…