Being Remaindered….

Well, it’s happened again. Potomac Books, in its infinite wisdom, has decided to remainder me again. This time, it’s one of my very favorite books, and one that has a very large investment of me in it, The Union Cavalry Comes of Age: Hartwood Church to Brandy Station, 1863. That means that I will see something that I hate: one of my titles on the shelf at Half Price Books, marked down to next to nothing. It also means that I don’t get paid royalties on the remaindering sales.

I understand that publishing is a business and that publishers have to turn inventory. I get that. I also understand that warehouse space is expensive and that they need to move their inventory. I get that, too. In short, I realize that it’s just business and not personal. However, no matter how hard I try, I end up taking it personally, like there’s something inadequate about my work that makes it unworthy of being kept in print.

At the same time, it seems to me that some books that are steady sellers should be kept in print. This book has sold steadily but not spectacularly, but it’s a solid performer.

The last time that they remaindered one of my books, the University of Nebraska Press picked it up for inclusion in their Bison Books trade paperback series.

My contract with Potomac Books gives me the right to request that they bring my book back into print, or else my publishing rights revert to me if they don’t do so within six months of the request. I intend to make that request in the next ten days, and if they don’t bring the book back into print as requested, I will get my rights back and offer this one to Bison Books as well.

Stay tuned. I will keep everyone posted.