Troy

As soon as I post this message here is the very next order 🙂 1 x Countering the Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys 1 x Countering the Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys, Vol. 2 1 x Countering the Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys, Vol. 3 1 x Countering the Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys, Vol. 4

So what are you gonna do @Pioneer1 roll over and die? Look, the prognosis is indeed grim, but giving up is simply not an option worthy of consideration.

Are you seriously relating the common cold to covid-19?! If so we can't have a serious conversation. No one has said getting covid-19 is a death sentence. You are being intellectually dishonest and irrational. Of course 45 will get the best treatment available, while many, without medical insurance are much more susceptible to dying. Herman Cain died despite these benefits, I don't recall you using the same flawed reasoning in his untimely death. There are 540 electoral votes, a presidential candidate need the majority of these, 270, to win. A candidate can fail to get a single vote in 39 states and win, by only 1 vote, in the following 11 states: California, which has 55 votes, Texas with 38, Florida with 29, New York with 29 votes, Illinois with 20 votes, Pennsylvania with 20 votes, Ohio with 18 votes, Georgia with 16 votes, Michigan with 16 votes, North Carolina with 15 votes, and New Jersey which has 14 votes The candidate would lose by the popular votes by 10's of millions of votes, but win the electoral college and become POTUS. This is why the ongoing disenfranchisement of voters in Florida is so important. Again, this is why voting and completing the census form is so important. Now that the supreme court is stacked with Republicans, and Black people don't vote, the electoral college will be with us for the foreseeable future.

@Nnamdi Azikiwe my guess is that Bookshop.org has siphoned millions of dollars this year away from Black-owned bookstores. I described my reasoning here. No, Black folks do not do well when it comes to the distribution and retail of Black books. Are books fail to enjoy the sales they would otherwise. Of course the readers are less enriched as a result. Books from authors like Anthony Browder, Claud Anderson, Jawanza Kunjufu, for example would enjoy a great deal more success. If there were more Black booksellers and better distribution of their titles.

If you think certain online bookstore is a better alternative to another massive e-commerce site, think again. The following commentary is in reaction to the Black Bookstore Day conversation. We could really use a journalist to investigate this, but it highlights a common challenge: lacking platforms with the resources to conduct this type of research and explain why it matters to readers. It would be fascinating to know how much a certain online platform has earned from people who wish to support Black bookstores, on the heals of George Floyd's murder, but unintentionally ended up supporting the other business instead. For instance, mainstream media has given significant attention to a café that also sells books. This café doesn’t operate an e-commerce site but instead directs readers to another platform for book purchases (see graphic below). This isn’t a critique of the café—they’re free to run their business however they choose. But it's clear that, for anyone genuinely aiming to support a Black-owned bookstore, businesses without online book sales may not be the best primary choice. Some brick-and-mortar bookstores have also struggled to adapt to e-commerce, especially during the pandemic, which forced many stores to rely solely on online sales as their physical locations closed. Another bookstore gaining considerable media attention also directs readers to this third-party platform for online book purchases. Ultimatley this platform functions as the online bookstore for many Black-owned bookstores. Since the rise of interest in supporting Black-owned businesses, Black-owned bookstores have received more support. Unfortunately, this platform has often been the one to profit, rather than the Black-owned stores themselves -- controlling who wins and who loses. As a result, the media has increased their focus on stores without dedicated e-commerce platforms, and this third-party platform often manages online sales for these stores. There is a strong correlation between a store's media attention and this platform managing its online bookstore. Many large publishers link to this third-party site as a place to buy books, and they still act as if they’re supporting Black-owned stores. Here’s an example of how one major publisher offers book-buying options: Here is another... This was particularly notable for a book on civil rights, as it felt ironic given the book’s subject. I reached out to someone to encourage publishers to link to Black-owned stores. Although some publishers are connected with our platform, it seems they’re not fully aware of the impact of their current practices. A supporter mentioned they wouldn’t have known about a recent book by a prominent activist if it hadn’t been for our platform. How much longer would it have taken them to find out? It’s in publishers’ best interests to support Black-owned sites. As someone who avoids large e-commerce sites, I’m glad to see attention going to other platforms. But, as I once was with a different platform, I won’t be fooled by a similar setup that siphons revenue and business from the Black book ecosystem. This platform gained prominence quickly, partly due to an industry association. It has positioned itself as a more ethical alternative to larger e-commerce sites. They pay affiliates a 10% commission, which is slightly higher than what some e-commerce giants offer (currently about 4%). The platform also matches this 10% commission for independent bookstores that are members of the association. Most association-member bookstores that benefit from this revenue share are not Black-owned, and many already have their own well-established websites. For these stores, the revenue share is simply an added benefit. When customers buy books online from Black-owned stores that use this third-party platform, 10% of the sales often go to other independent bookstores, some of which may be white-owned and haven’t done anything to earn that revenue. If readers who want to support Black-owned stores knew this, would they continue to support sites using this platform? Here’s the kicker… AALBC is a member of the same industry association. However, this third-party platform has refused to include us in its revenue share program. The reasons seem clear: they aim to dominate online book sales and exploit the public’s desire to support Black-owned stores in the process. They seemingly view platforms like ours as competition to eliminate. The industry association used to support bookstore owners in running their own websites. Now, however, all of their effort supports this third-party platform. I’ve expressed dissatisfaction with the association on this issue but to no avail. I even considered running for their board to try to influence how the association supports web-based booksellers. Ultimately, I decided against it, as my time is limited, and I wasn’t confident about the impact I could have. While the association means well, there’s still much work to do, particularly regarding support for Black-owned independent bookstores. It is hard out here! LOL! NOTE 11/14/2024: This article was written to remove the names of specific businesses and industry organizations.

The "Clown" should never have been infected. Unbelievable lack of judgement. I take that back the lack of judgment is perfectly believable. Fortunately for him he has the best Doctors available. Who announced 45's infection? Was the source his tweet? Are we supposed to believe that?

Did you understand what I wrote about electors? If so then you'd know your statement is irrelevant. @daniellegfny forget Trump what the judge said about Obama is unbelievable. In fact I don't believe it.

I'm actually working on that as we speak. My test case will be this book. https://aalbc.com/books/bookinfo.php?isbn13=9781568528403 I'm work on securing all the available copies. Amazon will only be able to sell used copies. Looking at giving affiliates 25% of sale price. When white folks wanted to support Black bookstores this summer they made it happen. I can give you numerouse examples of what they did. I can also give you examples of where we failed to step up. I've shared examples of both on these forums Some responsibility is on the reader too. If that Black college graduate was not aware there were Black owned books stores, that means she never bothered to look.

Precisely.

Potentially @Nnamdi Azikiwe the issue is that there have to be filters on some level. What I'd like to see is Black folks having more control over the filters. Today white folks decide whats popular and Black folks run around trying to sell those books.

That is probably not possible Nnamdi. You want your book in every store where it is likely to sold to readers who will buy it. Every bookseller and store has their own tastes and focus. Indentify the stores where your book will most likely resonate and work with them. I'm in the process of trying to figure out how Black dustributors and booksellers can work together reclaim revenue going to Amazon and bookshop.org and to drive demand for important books. We are FAR to dependent upon the majority culture when it comes deciding which authors have a voice. This is a hard problem to solve but it is not intractable.

Sure there is. There are degrees eveything. I hear you man, but the Civil War was a total collapse and while we are definitely better in it's aftermath. I think we can improve things without so much death and distruction. Sadly Pioneer1, you and @AJJones1007 appear to be on the same page when it comes voting in the next presidential election. Choosing not to vote over voting makes no sense to me. Where is the upside in not voting? It is better to vote for 45 than not to vote at all.

@daniellegfny I think you are simply less sensitive to the plights of others. @MissKorang I hear you. I don't go seeking bad news either. This is why I still have not watched the George Floyd snuff video. It is not like I'm putting my head in the sand, the bad news is everywhere it is hard to escape it.

So who will get in? I live in state where more that half of the Black men did not vote. If every Black person here voted for Hillary. 45 Hillary would have gotten all of Florida's electors and won the election. This pretty plain @Pioneer1 spreading your conspiracy theory just discourages Black people from voting. Net-net I've been better off during the Trump years than I was during the Obama years, but I can't say that either man has been responsible one way or the other (save 45's $1,200 check). 45's telling that alt right group to "stand by" makes it impossible to vote for him @daniellegfny. I'll take a socialist over a white supremacist every day of the week. Why did you dodge Pioneer1's question Danielle?

I voted for Biden/Harris, the lesser of two evils. That last debate was horrible. I usually avoid those shows as they are rarely informative. I'm sure the broadcasters benefited 😞

AALBC boycotts amazon's books (all formats). Authors are encouraged to link to their own site or any indiebook seller. I removed the link Amazon. We don't actually review audiobooks at this time, but it is something I should consider...

Hi @Nnamdi Azikiwe I don't allow hyperlinks to Amazon. Aren't there any Black-owned bookstores you can send readers to? Seems like a reasonable thing to do given your book's content.

Book covers using the sames images are actually more common than you might think @Nnamdi Azikiwe. Of course the red/black/green color combination deals directly with Gravey's flag, so that is not surprising. I doubt the designer directly copied the cover design ... but you never know.

Hell, you might be right about that. Though I think any increase in the percentage of Black votes will be due to Black people, like @Pioneer1, choosing not to vote. I cast my ballot today.

Win a free copy of Rise Up: Confronting a Country at the Crossroads by Al Sharpton. Be the 1st to post the last word said by Rev. Sharpton in the video: https://aalbc.com/books/bookinfo.php?isbn13=9781335966629 in comments section. Everyone else save 10% with coupon code "reval"

Hi @Neal Owens what award(s) did your book win?

@daniellegfny your reply does not contain any information. What do you mean by, a "shift back to the Republican party by Blacks?" Maybe an example or two would help.

@Walkman93 the surge is sales, for me, already ended. I knew when it started it would be fleeting. The increased business came mostly from white folks. That is easy. More of us have to patronize Black booksellers -- not Amazon and not Bookshop.org

That is besides the point. But since you brought it up. How is the party different? Post Trump?