Some Indie Authors Get Their Books Into B&N

Barnes and Noble just issued a press release on its Nook Press print-on-demand service: All submitted titles will be vetted for approval and have to meet the company’s outlined standards.

Authors will also be required to be “eligible Nook Press authors,” meaning their titles must be available as ebooks on BN.com and NOT included in Amazon’s KDP Select category!

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And: “The opportunity is limited to titles whose eBook sales [of a single title] have reached 1,000 units in the past year.”  In-store book signings and live events will be limited to those whose “eBook sales (of a single title) have reached 500 units in the past year.”
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Hopefully, this time B&N will actually identify the needs and wants of self-published authors and the many small presses which are still forced to rely on a POD-based model for their paper editions. As Goodereader.com said:

“If they want to take down Amazon, give the authors a reason to make the switch.”
and TheFuturePublishing commented:

"But the devil’s in the details: the program is for “eligible” NOOK Press authors, defined as “those print book authors whose eBook sales [of a single title] have reached 1,000 units in the past year.” The in-store promotion is for “those print book authors whose eBook sales [of a single title] have reached 500 units in the past year.”

To try for bookstore access eligible authors must then submit their print books “for review by Barnes & Noble’s Small Press Department and one of the company’s corporate category buyers”. To participate at in-store events authors need a “review from a Barnes & Noble store manager.” vBut how many copies might the chain order? How long will they keep those precious books in inventory? vWhere will they be displayed? vWhat about returns of unsold copies? So far there are lots of unanswered questions..."

And a warning by Bestselling Author David Gaughran:
"To clarify: Nook Press Author Services are provided by Author Solutions. The Nook Press e-book platform is run internally, it’s some of the add-on services etc. that are outsourced.    I don’t know what about that has changed with this announcement, if anything."

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