Lots of authors have to use print on demand services to get their titles and work out there and it seems the only channel available to them to sell their work is Amazon.

A friend of mine has published a title Waterfall Down that has been mentioned in a write up about her in the national press, the Daily Mail and is selling on Amazon. It’s available through distributors Ingram and Gardners books and yet when I went into Waterstones to order a copy, to my complete shock they told me I had to order the title on Amazon.

Their channels to order the book I wanted to buy were closed.

I try not to shop on Amazon. I don’t think it’s good that one company has the whole market share, people are paying them a membership fee to shop with them, how? Staff at Amazon have been treated so poorly they had to set up their own union and Jeff Bezos just continues to get richer and richer.

The only consolation for me is his ex wife McKenzie Scott continues to give her half of the Amazon fortune, approximately $40 billion (according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index) away in philanthropic donations. Her way of attempting to create some balance.

When smaller more ethical business are turning away their customers and actually telling them to buy from the giant that is Amazon I think the executives at Waterstones need to look at their business and open up to smaller lesser known writers.

The literary world like many creative industries is very difficult penetrate. Great writers are often silenced by the agents they cannot get and the publicists they cannot speak to. Getting a publisher onboard is nigh on impossible so writers who believe in themselves are often left with the only remaining option Amazon, to get their work out.

And the customers for their books, their raving fans are left with having to support a monster like Amazon or not buy their book at all.

I’d love to see this change and smaller lesser known authors becoming available on the shelves of our high street book stores so we get more diversity and expansion in a closed off exclusive literary club.

I did some more research, paid a premium ant €20 and bought this title from Blackwell to support my friend. I also found a couple of copies of this great book on EBay from small independent resellers for anyone who wants to buy it but like me doesn’t want to channel money to Amazon. In Waterstones I was very pleased to hear support for my plight from other customers who spoke up in agreement on overhearing the Amazon recommendation.

I am looking for a new book store to visit in the future.