In the last week, all of the major discounters in the United States have decided that fourth quarter revenue is going to be weak. As a result, they've elected to use books as the sacrificial loss leader to generate sales of everything else. Even if it means a loss to...

Independent booksellers account for about 10% of the total volume of sales of books in the United States. Though merely a rough estimate, it is one that publishers and media alike often cite to define the role that businesses like mine play in the retail book trade. I do not...