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Well since April 10th I've added 43 subscribers; which brings me down to 0.8 new subscribers a day. At this rate, I'll now reach my goal on September 19, almost 10 months after making my appeal, talk about playing the long game... I almost forgot why I needed 1,000 subscribers I just checked on Omar's progress. He has gained 66 subscribers during the same period. At this rate he will reach his goal on August 18, 2018. That is a lifetime on the web, YouTube will likely change such that the feature will no longer be offered or the requirement will be different.

I live in NY City and there are simply not as many street vendors moving books as there once was. I understand the laws changed making it harder for street vendor to vend on the street, as you mentioned a Black owned distributor, who supplied many of the street vendors shut down. Then you know all of the controversy surrounding Carl Weber dumping books onto the street vendor market, way below retail, which effectively eliminated author royalties... Again I don't have data around how books are sold. I just know there are fewer bookstores and many of the ones remaining are struggling. (BTW please mention the two stores that you currently work with, other authors reading these can benefit from the information.) I also go into B&N's across the country and they simply do not stock a variety of Black authors and definitely no indie authors. Borders was a much better chain for Black authors, but you know what happened to them. I also know target and Costco and other retailers sell Black books, but again you will not find many different book. The library market has some potential, but getting into that market, while easier than in the past, is still tough--particularly as an indie author. The reason I mention Amazon and facebook is because this is what I see day in and day out--literally everyday. There is also a trend for authors toward suing Facebook as their only presence on the web. Most authors behave as if Black book sellers don't exist and using direct reader to buy on Amazon. Direct selling is perhaps the best way for an indie authors to sell books, but most simply don't have the skill or desire to do this. I've seen authors like Nikki Turner sell books like no other, she is a machine, but few people are like her. Many of the authors in the street lit space were successful because they are great salespeople, Wahida Clark, Relentless Aaron, J.M. Benjamin, etc,. On the commercial fiction side this skill can not be discounted NY Times bestselling author Omar Tyree back in the 90's was the hardest working author I had ever seen. Kwame Alexander, who just won a Newbery award the highest honor in children's literature was a worked hard on the promotion side too. Authors like Reshonda Tate Billingsley, Victoria Christopher Murray and many other grind, day in and day out. What do authors who are not great sales people (the majority) do? How do the great writers among this bunch get discovered? Honestly this is a gap that an AALBC.com can easily fill, but even I'm resource contrained and can only do so much. We need more booksellers recommending books online and off--the auhtor can only do so much on their own. @TheroneShellman, regarding other sites not lasting, don't remain mute. Say what is on your mind. I don't want to make the same mistake, otherwise I might be able to shed some insight.