Dear Publisher,
I realise I may have had a few digs at made some comments to you in the past about the (very) occasional odd book cover, crappy unusual website construction and over the priceds of books, and then of course there was the whole ménage thing.
Please, please believe me when I say, my Dearest Supplier of Books of all kinds of Genres for all kinds of Folk, I was swept away in the heat of the moment and succumbed to the Wwave of pressure from my peers.
My humblest apologies for any discomfort caused to you by the antagonism of the many readers who have not the wit to believe in the ultimate fantasy of m/m/f. I’m sure all will soon be forgotten when your new releases become more evenly representative of the different genres.
However, this is not the reason why I write.
No, my darling fiction-issuing Gods/desses, today I have grim tidings.
It is with deep regret I advise I was unable to purchase your latest releases because they were not available through my favoured online bookstore.
Further to this, rumours abound in romance bloglandia that some recent books have been deliberately delayed being sent to online shops and that some have ONLY been sent to one bookstore and not another.
I know, my glorious producer of ebook goodness, I can well imagine the disappointment and deep sorrow you must feel in the face of these types of accusations and assumptions. I myself was absolutely incensed on your behalf.
It should go without saying that in these troubled economic times magnanimous publishing companies such as yourselves are doing everything in your power to ensure your readers continue to buy your books by allowing them to maximise their dollar (sometimes foreign and therefore subject to those dreadful exchange rates) and grant them variety by making releases available through general bookstores.
Indeed, I am Shocked more readers would not realise your marketing experts are sure to tell you that such actions will give you a loyal customer base.
I am also Appalled my fellow readers would not consider the benefits this additional promotion will bring to you and your authors. Alas, not all can be as worldly as you and I.
Unpleasant though it is, I am confident you will take immediate steps to remedy this unfortunate situation.
As always, I wish you many sales, Dear Publisher, and look forward to purchasing the latest releases that appeal to me through the bookstore of my choice.
Yours sincerely, and with the utmost respect,
A Friend.
Kris + Books = Good. *Sometimes*. 
Heh, heh. I can guess which publisher you are writing to.Very amusing and well said, Kris. I think I’ll call on you if I ever need someone to write a complaint letter for me. I’m a bit rubbish at them myself.
KrisI have been so buried under paper that I had no idea the problem was so bad. Is this ARe that doesn’t carry your books? Which publisher (s) are you talking about? It is my understanding that when the books are sold through resellers such as ARe the royalties for the authors are much smaller. They have to hope that increased sales will make up for that deficiency. Maybe the authors have asked certain publishers to hold off for a couple of weeks/a month after a book is released (when most of the sales occur at the publisher’s site).Btw Kris my love I noticed that dig at meI was swept away in the heat of the moment and succumbed to the Wwave of pressure from my peers.You would have them believe that you were innocent and not an active participant??? For shame!
Jen, I learnt the art of letter writing and the polite ‘bullshit and fuck off’ whilst working for State Government. No one does it better than them. *g*
Wave, several of the more well known publishers are just not consistent with their approach in selling via online bookstores – and I don’t mean as a whole; I actually mean that, as individuals, their releases via bookstores can change from week to week. It’s ridiculous and unbelievably frustrating.I can understand that it’s a Catch-22 situation for publishers where they are damned if they do (by the authors re: royalties) and damned if they don’t (by the readers). But geez how friggin hard is it to make a decision/policy, stick with it and be consistent?!Let’s face it that way they would avoid the situations where readers will buy crap they don’t want because they are buying direct and want to make the purchase worthwhile. As we know, this can lead to negative reviews and hostile situations from readers.It’s all about plausible deniability, my sweet, and, hey, everyone’s blaming you anyway. I’m just going with the flow. Hehehe.
I wish I was aware of this situation when I wrote my questions for the Treva Harte (Loose Id.) interview. However, it will be posted on March 2nd so you can ask her about her company’s policies in this area at that time (politely of course) *g* I also have an interview scheduled with Samhain for the end of April and I have to submit my questions before the end of March so I’ll try to remember to ask that particular question. I’m sure you won’t let me forget. :)What’s this MissyIt’s all about plausible deniability, my sweet, and, hey, everyone’s blaming you anyway. I’m just going with the flow. Hehehe.I did not act alone. Remember that! :DDD