My Forgotten Book

'what's wrong with publishing?', you ask...

I worked on my children’s book for years… I worked really hard.
I wrote and illustrated it. “Cromwell Dixon’s Sky-Cycle”
I was excited when it finally appeared. 

But then I wondered… Where did this book appear? I actually never saw it anywhere. I thought my book was being released from cost to coast… all over America.

My book was about America’s forgotten boy aviator, who built his own flying bicycle in 1908.

But nothing happened… and I suddenly I realized how forgotten Cromwell Dixon really was.

WHY didn’t they see it… because it was hidden in basements of B&N.
So I started making phone calls, to see if my book was available anywhere at B&N. 

So I did some telephone research. Oh yes… my book was all over America, but in fact, nobody ever saw it. 

I called and called. I called 5 different big cities, in states, all across America. 
And what they ALL told me was… “Oh yes! We can have that book for you this afternoon!” 

In other words, they did NOT have my book on a shelf anywhere in the store, but they had gone to the trouble of buying it and transporting it 1,000’s of miles to far distant cities and into book warehouses. So if book buyers had any idea that there was such a book, they could ask bookstores if they might please have a look at it? Please? Just a look?

Instead of being on a B&N shelf… it was hidden away, down in a basement warehouse… waiting… hidden in a box.

I was flabbergasted… I was mad and in total disbelief. 

I thought ‘You mean to tell me, that publishers actually ship new picture books off to be invisible to book buyers, to never appear on bookshelves in B&N?
All across America, they do this?’

‘So instead of buyers finding books to buy, the books are left to just expire in a basement warehouse? So my book will never be seen by any book buyers?…. ever?’

’You’re kidding me… 

THIS is how publishers show a new book to shoppers… to make sales?

They hide it away in a basement, hoping someone with ESP will imagine there’s a book they might like there using their psychic powers?’ 

If anyone wonders, 'what's wrong with publishing?' this is it.

And then, shortly after my book came out, this other thing happened:

https://johnnez.blogspot.com/2010/07/cromwell-dixon-on-history-detectives.html

The History Detectives of PBS did a video on Cromwell Dixon, because they were so interested in the story, and this is how my website stats reacted…. they shot up to a historic level of interest.

But nobody saw my book… sadly. I tried contacting the publisher with no effect.

I had thought that 1,000’s of kids would love to read a real adventure story about a
9 year old boy who really did build his own flying bicycle, flying over Columbus, Ohio in 1908.

THIS is how they sell books?

#kidlit #kidlitart #bookselling #B&N