E-mail I received from my college's bookstore manager in response to my order for a certain book written by a Guyanese--a book I planned on using this semester.
The bookstore manager wrote:
I received an order acknowledgment from the vendor. They rejected my order for the copies. I called them to find out why and was told that the title was a printing of Macmillan Publishing's, but was not a part of the American publishing listing. It is only available from the Macmillan Publishers in the Caribbean Islands, and they are not a usable vendor for us.
Please advise.
It's not too late for me to substitute the book with another, but it's a pain in ass considering I'd already planned my course's theme with said book in mind. So my questions: Who de ass is responsible for this? Who do I call, write, cuss so that this doesn't happen again? Why de eff would Macmillan Publishers not make the book available to America bulk buyers? And why--given the technology available today--would an American college deem a Caribbean publisher an unusable vendor?
I am just truly freaking pissed off right now!
My advice to Guyanese writers who would like to make their work available to American readers: Please be careful about publishing decisions. Yeah I know, getting published is tough enough, but there is always the option of self-publishing. And even if you choose to self-publish, make sure your work is available online or some place where we can frikking get it.
[On a less angry note, my review of Balwant Bhagwandin's i hear guyana cry is next.]
