Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Public Service Announcement:
I know many of our international friends are frustrated with the US/Canada only restriction that's been on many of the contests we've been posting here lately. I am, too -- and I rarely if ever enter the contests!
Last week, I sent an e-mail to the publicity department at Hachette Books, asking if they'd be willing to do a short Q&A with me about the whys of this policy. Is it the costs involved? Does it have to do with the way in which books are sold for publication in other countries? And what's with this PO Box restriction?
Thus far, I haven't received an answer. I hope I do, not just to soothe the savage beasts that our frustration can become, but also to educate us all about the various and convoluted ways in which the publishing industry works.
If you know of anyone at any other publisher who'd like to answer this question, send them to the handy-dandy e-mail over on the left sidebar. You know: the one that starts with Win a Book and ends with Westofmars.com.
Inquiring minds are trying to know!
Last week, I sent an e-mail to the publicity department at Hachette Books, asking if they'd be willing to do a short Q&A with me about the whys of this policy. Is it the costs involved? Does it have to do with the way in which books are sold for publication in other countries? And what's with this PO Box restriction?
Thus far, I haven't received an answer. I hope I do, not just to soothe the savage beasts that our frustration can become, but also to educate us all about the various and convoluted ways in which the publishing industry works.
If you know of anyone at any other publisher who'd like to answer this question, send them to the handy-dandy e-mail over on the left sidebar. You know: the one that starts with Win a Book and ends with Westofmars.com.
Inquiring minds are trying to know!
Labels: public service announcement
Comments:
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Publishers and publicists tend to mail the books out via Fed/Ex, UPS or some other delivery service. The cheapest rate is ground and those companies don't deliver to PO Boxes (which are inside US post offices). That would explain the restrictions.
All my contests are open to world because I do the shipping myself and us the USPS.
All my contests are open to world because I do the shipping myself and us the USPS.
Sure it explains things, but it'd still be nice to hear it from the horse's mouth. I think it'll soothe a lot of people ineligible for many books.
Most publishers purchase only the United States and Canada publication rights for the books they publish. If they distribute to other countries (which is what sending books to contest winners counts as) they would be in violation of their agreements with the rights holders. Even if no one else holds the foreign publication rights for a book, they aren't going to want to alienate the foreign companies who they do business with.
Sometimes you'll see publishers like Orbit have giveaways that are U.S./U.K. because they have the rights in both those countries.
Sometimes you'll see publishers like Orbit have giveaways that are U.S./U.K. because they have the rights in both those countries.
That's part of what I'm thinking, yes.
But you'll see that we now have two answers and no confirmation from the horse's mouth. Which is what I am after.
But you'll see that we now have two answers and no confirmation from the horse's mouth. Which is what I am after.
I just saw that Random House in Canada won't ship to the US. Canadian residence have complained about the same thing about the US.
I'm not complaining, mind you. I have tons of books to read. But if my well ever ran dry, I'd cry and cry and cry...lol!
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I'm not complaining, mind you. I have tons of books to read. But if my well ever ran dry, I'd cry and cry and cry...lol!
# posted by 
: November 6, 2008 at 11:59 AM
: November 6, 2008 at 11:59 AM << Home
