My books are still available (here we go again)

Once again, the Amazon listings for both of my books mysteriously changed sometime this afternoon; they now incorrectly describe the books as “Currently unavailable.” As I have pointed out many times before (alas), the books are always available because they are publish-on-demand (POD) items. In other words, when someone orders a copy of a POD book, the printer (in this case, Lulu) prints a copy specifically for the individual who placed the order. Thus, by definition, POD publications are never out of stock and, unless the author/publisher chooses to take them out of circulation — which I have not done with either of my books — they never go out of print, either.

It’s frustrating for me, as I imagine it is for those of you who would like to buy a copy of one of the books from Amazon. I don’t know why Amazon periodically takes the books offline. I could understand it if I revised one of them and posted a new edition, but I have not done so. In any case, I’ve e-mailed them (and will e-mail Lulu, too, in case the problem originated there); in the meantime, it’s still possible to buy the books directly from Lulu, using either the “Buy Now” Lulu buttons in the sidebar at right or these links:

Formatting Legal Documents With Microsoft Word 2010: http://tinyurl.com/W2010Law

Formatting Legal Documents With Microsoft Office Word 2007: http://tinyurl.com/W2007Law

And I believe Lulu is offering a couple of promotions that can save you a little money, though I’m not sure how long they will remain in effect. One is the coupon code GROUND, which you can enter during checkout for free shipping — if you choose the slower “ground” shipment option. (Just be prepared to wait a while for the book.) Another discount coupon that was in effect last month, and might still work, is SPRINGREAD. That code was good for 20% off, up to a maximum of $25.00.

So you might be able to get the books from Lulu for the same total price you’d pay if you ordered from Amazon (or possibly a little less).

Still, the “Currently unavailable” designation is wrong, and I will keep pressing Amazon and Lulu to correct the listings so that people can buy the books from Amazon again. (And, incidentally, the Word 2007 book is available only in one format — paperback — despite Amazon’s erroneous reference to “1 more format.” I have gone round and round with Amazon about that mistake, but so far they have not fixed it.)

Thanks, as always, for your support, your patronage, and your patience!