Barnes & Noble policy limiting hardcover stock disproportionately hurts writers of color, authors say

A Barnes & Noble policy to limit its stock of hardcover fiction has spurred a wave of online criticism.

A Barnes & Noble policy to limit its stock of hardcover fiction has spurred a wave of online criticism, with many people saying the move disproportionately affects debut writers and people of marginalized identities.

Three authors who spoke with NBC News confirmed with their editors that under the policy, their hardcover releases wouldn't be stocked at the country's largest book retailer unless they were one of a publisher's top two bestsellers. In effect, they say, the policy harms authors of color who may not get the same marketing and institutional support as white authors, feeding into a vicious cycle that ultimately reduces their visibility and book sales.

In an emailed statement, CEO James Daunt said the policy allows Barnes & Noble "to exercise taste in the selection of new titles ... and to send lower initial quantities into stores."

The policy has been in place since September 2019, according to Barnes & Noble. But it recently drew attention on social media when author Bethany Baptiste went viral with a lengthy Twitter thread in which she called the policy a "middle finger to debut authors esp if they're midlist & marginalized."

"Get mad, y'all," she wrote in the Twitter thread, which prompted hundreds of responses from fellow authors, booksellers and readers. Barnes & Noble trended on Twitter last Friday.

https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/barnes-noble-policy-limiting-hardcover-stock-disproportionately-hurts-rcna44000


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