I’ve received a number of inquiries about THE REPLACEMENT WIFE, my newest novel, due out in March, so I want to clear up any confusion. The deal is this: Yes, the main thrust for this one is digital (since I signed with a digital publisher), but it will also be available in print, though only if you order online. The reason for the online-only availability is that the print edition is made possible by a technology known as POD (print on demand). Meaning that each copy of the book is printed by individual order. Sorry for any confusion. It’s a shame, yes, that the book won’t be available in stores.
That is a whole other story. The short version is this: In an ever-shrinking retail market, display space is allotted more generously to the “usual suspects” (blockbuster authors such as Grisham, Patterson, King, Roberts, Macomber, etc.) who pretty much guarantee revenue for the retailer. Which means smaller orders & less display space for the rest of us. I’m not bitching, just saying. It is what it is. We must adapt in order to survive. I am blessed to have numerous and loyal fans (a big mwah to all of you) so I forge on in hope & confidence. My books will continue to be available to 99% of y’all. Even those of you who are strictly library patrons will have access, if you have an e-reader.
I’m not pushing e-readers, by the way. In last week’s blog on the subject, I was simply describing my own conversion. I realize that for some of you the attachment to print runs deep. Which is why I’m happy THE REPLACEMENT WIFE will be available through POD. The only place you won’t be able to buy it is in a bookstore. For now (that could change). Kind of a ironic, huh? Bookstores is where it all began. My own love affair with bookstores will never end…even if the one closest to me – Borders – is now, sadly, shuttered.
