Barnes and Noble' s Alleged New Policy Is Receiving Major BacklashHome > EntertainmentSource: Getty Images Barnes and Noble' s Alleged New Policy Is Receiving Major BacklashBy Kelly CorbettAug. 19 2022, Published 6:47 p.m. ET If you’ve been on Twitter recently, you may have seen some disapproving remarks regarding Barnes and Noble. Although it hasn't been officially confirmed by the bookseller itself, various sources including authors, agents, and industry experts have been spreading the word about a new policy the company has enacted. Per their chatter, it's being said that Barnes and Noble will only be stocking hardcovers with proven sales records. In other words, getting your book on shelves just became somewhat of a popularity contest. Keep reading as we unpack this policy and see how customers are reacting to it.Article continues below advertisement Barnes and Noble' s new policy specifically affects marginalized authors and novel debuts Author Gabi Burton laid out what she had heard about Barnes and Noble's new policy on Twitter. Compiling information from other authors (including bestsellers), agents, editors, and booksellers, she wrote: "#BarnesAndNoble is refusing to stock most authors on shelves." She explained how this new policy change would specifically affect marginalized and first-time authors, as well as authors of middle-grade books (books intended for readers eight to 12 years old). What do you do when you find out that your debut children’s book will not be in stores at Barnes and Noble because of a policy change? you make a video about it. pic.twitter.com/xXpKizH4Js— Keah Brown (@Keah_Maria) August 18, 2022 Article continues below advertisement And already, Barnes and Nobles has begun sending out rejection notices to scores of authors. For example, Britney S Lewis's debut novel, The Undead Truth of Us, was turned away due to the fact that there was no way she could prove it would sell. She tweeted: "I don’t know if I’ve cried more. This directly affects me. It will/has impacted sales. Because my book isn’t 'the' book of the season, it means u won’t find it in *that* store and grab it off the shelf. My Black voice isn’t worthy enough. I’ve waited 10yrs for a slap in the face."Article continues below advertisement Furthermore, author Lindsay Currie shared the news that her upcoming middle-grade book was rejected from B and N despite the fact that she has previously had high sales success in stores. So, you may have already heard that Barnes & Noble is strategically NOT stocking hardbacks for most middle-grade books. Sadly, that includes me & THE GIRL IN WHITE, despite the fact that my other books have achieved “bestseller” flags with them many times before. I’m beyond upset— Lindsay Currie - pre-order THE GIRL IN WHITE! (@lindsayncurrie) August 19, 2022 Article continues below advertisement Not to mention, author Kelly Yang, whose award-winning Front Desk series is currently sold in Barnes and Nobles, was told that her latest installment in the series would not be carried. #BarnesAndNoble has suddenly decided NOT to carry KEY PLAYER, the 4th FRONT DESK book, coming out in 2 weeks! Here are the new details of their new “nationwide strategy”—only giving shelf space for Top 1-2 books per publisher! I am not Top enough, apparently! #FrontDeskSeries pic.twitter.com/AQOoTUyQT2— Kelly Yang (@kellyyanghk) August 18, 2022 Article continues below advertisement While it's a devastating blow for authors everywhere, Twitter user @StorySorcery explains how withholding support for debut authors can ultimately jeopardize their future. "Even if a debut doesn't hit the bestseller list, a debut author's sales impact future book deals and advance sizes. Good sales can give debut authors, especially midlist and marginalized ones, leverage at the bargaining table," she wrote. Some folks are already tweeting #BoycottBarnesandNoble In an attempt to spread the word about this unjust new policy, folks are tweeting #BoycottBarnesandNoble and encouraging people to shop locally, order directly from author's websites, and read across a wide range of authors and titles.Article continues below advertisement If you haven't heard, Barnes & Noble is not selling Young Adult books from pretty much any authors, but mostly marginalized authors. #BoycottBarnesAndNoble https://t.co/mrbLZfrkPl— NatsRetiredMusicTeachr (@NatsMusicTeachr) August 19, 2022 As of this writing, Barnes and Noble has yet to comment on these claims regarding its new strategy, but given the number of authors who have opened up about their book rejections, there seems to be a lot of truth to it.AdvertisementMore from Distractify People Are Threatening to Boycott Pizza Hut After It Recommended an LGBTQ Book for Kids Alex Aster's Book 'Lightlark' Is Generating Drama on BookTok — What We Know If You're Craving BookTok Content, Here Are Some of Our Favorite BookTok Accounts Latest Entertainment News and UpdatesAdvertisementABOUT DistractifyAbout UsPrivacy PolicyTerms of UseDMCASitemapCONNECT with DistractifyLink to Facebook Link to TwitterLink to InstagramContact us by Email Copyright 2022 Distractify. 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