Local writer affected by distribution war

Author Ronlyn Domingue’s new book, The Mapmaker’s War, was released March 5 by Simon & Schuster. But thanks to a dispute over financial terms between Barnes & Noble and the publishing house, this Baton Rouge writer’s work is not readily available at the more than 1,300 B&Ns nationwide. B&N greatly reduced the number of titles it orders from S&S at the end of January, when the disagreement came to a head. “The first six weeks of a book’s launch are critical,” Domingue says. “If the book doesn’t take off in this time, it is essentially dead.” Domingue’s book—published by Atria, an imprint of S&S—has received little to no fanfare its first three weeks out, and Domingue is not the only one suffering. Authors throughout the country who have published through S&S in the last two months have seen book sales suffer. According to The New York Times, the conflict underscores the pressure on the publishing industry and B&N as they attempt to compete with online retailers. The Mapmaker’s War was scheduled to be on coveted front tables at B&N starting March 12. Instead, the book is now flagged at B&N for home delivery only. Domingue’s first book, The Mercy of Thin Air, received prominent placement locally and nationally. “I’ve spent five grueling years on The Mapmaker’s War,” she says. “I’m just trying to get this book seen and heard.” Local B&N management declined to comment on the dispute for this story. —Ashley Gordon