[Todd Russell]

Before trying to have your book listed all over the place, you might want to take a look at a recent blog post of mine about "focusing your distribution." You might find some interest thoughts in there.

My comment is awaiting approval at your site but I'll summarize by saying that "focusing your distribution" seems to be ignoring/discarding the wishes of readers who like shopping at sites like Diesel. They have a neat rewards program and if I wanted to buy your book there I can't? Sorry, but as a reader, and potential fan of your work, that wouldn't sit well with me.

Look at history in other areas. This has parallels to DRM. People got very angry at the Eagles and other bands for making their CDs only available at Wal-mart. It's one thing to make exclusive/special/bonus versions for certain stores but to only sell your books at certain stores? Recipe for reader backlash.

Readers don't backlash? Look what they are doing to authors with high priced ebooks.

Respectfully, best of luck if it works for you, Guido, but I doubt that's very good for readers if authors en masse start doing this. What happens if one of your big three turns on you? You stop selling there? Haven't you limited all your marketing eggs in three baskets?

 

[Todd Russell]

If I can only promote one store? Amazon.

I own a Kindle and share notes on Kindle and thus I like it when a reader buys my ebook on the Kindle, adds me (hopefully) and shares notes with me via the Kindle. This is a bridge to the author unavailable on any other platform (since I don't own any other e-reader).

With that said, I also want to support the little guys because I too am a little guy. I just blogged this in more depth for those interested in further expansion.

Also, I don't even know if Kobo will let me direct publish to them so I have no other choice except Smashwords to distribute to Kobo? I saw somebody else at Guido's blog mention the same thing.

In fact, it's been well over a month, going fast on two, and every other premium distribution outlet except for Kobo has my ebook in its store. I don't know what the story with Kobo is but I keep checking and it's not there. Smashwords says it's shipping but it's not there. Anybody else run into this issue with Kobo?

But it assumes that if a person is interested in your work and it's not available at the place they want to buy it, they will move to a different store. I don't think that's the case. Most people have a set list in their brain already about where they will buy an ebook.

I agree.