Notes from the front office...

Many of you have contacted me to find out why you haven't been able to find the latest copy of CameraArts at your local bookseller. Well, the answer is simple: more times than not it's up to the manager of the store whether CameraArts is carried, and where the display it. I have discovered that at my local Barnes & Noble, it isn't even carried any more. The manager didn't have any idea as to why "corporate" (the buck keeps on moving) decided not to carry it. I think, however, that I can come close to the answer: there just isn't enough room on the shelves, any more.

Readers will probably remember that when I decided to change the size of the magazine one of the main reasons was so it would be brought down in front on the racks. That idea has worked out for the most part. In my local B&N, however, shelf space for photo mags has gotten even more cramped, with most of the "shoving" coming from lifestyle and art titles. This has made it increasingly more difficult for niche magazines like CameraArts to find shelf space. Photography titles are more cramped than ever!

As a result of this new twist in distribution services, we will be instituting a new direction in our distribution process, moving into galleries, neighborhood bookstores and coffee shops, as well as museum bookstores. If you have a favorite place that you would like to see CameraArts, let me know. You will also need to start asking for the magazine at your local B&N and other bookstores, if that is where you usually pick your magazines. Next: another side to distribution...