Oh My, A Turf War

Let’s get something straight, when it comes to the whole self-publishing thing I’m a babe, not in the woods but lost in an ocean alone without a bottle, diaper change, or a little sun bonnet.  Another words, I’m one little cooked goose trying to figure out how to stay alive.  There are so many ins and outs regarding the different, I’m learning to call them distributors and not publishers, that an indie author can get swallowed up so quick it will make you turn into a cartoon character with your head spinning in 360 degree circles in rapid rotation while smoke billows from your ears, eyes bulging out of your head, and a very loud warning siren blasting out the notification that imminent destruction is approaching.
I get that all companies are competing with one another and it’s all about making the most money in regards to their commodities, yes we are the commodities of these companies, that they do have turf wars.  I found this out yesterday.  Why it never occurred to me before I do not know and the only excuse I can offer is that my head was up my ass.
We have a new bookstore that has opened up in our fair city here and they seemed to be interested in putting my books inside.  OK, I’m not about to complain about that but was surprised at why they couldn’t.  It turns out they go through a different distributor than the one who handles my books and because of this they can only order my books with a no return policy.  Their distributor can order my books but once they do they are stuck with them.  Now if this bookstore were to order them from the distributor that I publish through this wouldn’t be a problem.
Now there is a way around this this issue if I want to take it.  I can switch my publisher/distributor if I want and I must admit it did cross my mind.  I am one of these people who doesn’t ‘go gently into that good night.’  I am one of those who do rage.  Alright I didn’t rip someone’s head off their shoulders causing blood to spurt from the opening left there but you get what I mean.  I went searching for information.  I choose to stay with the distributor/publisher I’m already with and after a little, live, conversation with someone at mine they are now going to see if they can get the business of this new store.  Hehe.  Probably won’t happen but it’s kind of cool to think that I may put a little monkey wrench into the works even if it only adds to the turf war.  One of the reason I like the company I’m already with, besides the fact that it’s second on the list of top ten for indie authors, is that I can get a phone call from them and it’s when I want it and not when it’s convenient for them.  Try contacting most of the others and you’re doing good to get an email 24 hours later if that quick.  Remember I hate to wait.
So after several hours of contacting a lot of different people including the distributor for the store I ended up with a headache, upset stomach, and I think my blood pressure went up a 100 points.  Oh I did get a live body at the other distributor and I have to say he was very sweet but outside of that he really wasn’t much more than a live body.  You know the type, Duh.  He seemed to be about as knowledgeable regarding what he was doing as a young man straight off the street and this was his first day on the job.  God bless him he did try.  Of course you could tell I made him a nervous which wasn’t surprising when it appeared that I was far more knowledgeable than he was.