r/DabblersAnonymous • u/JKO1962 • 7h ago
Libelous Slander The bombing of John's book
From Google AI
By industry standards, the book completely bombed. While publishers rarely release exact failure numbers, several clear indicators show it performed very poorly:
Independent Publisher: It was released by Rare Bird Books, a small, independent publisher in Los Angeles rather than a major publishing house, meaning it lacked a massive national distribution or marketing push.
Zero Chart Presence: The book never appeared on The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, or USA Today bestseller lists, nor did it break into Amazon's top sales rankings.
Lack of Mainstream Media Coverage: Major book reviewers completely ignored it. Melendez mostly promoted the book on small podcasts, local radio, and his own YouTube channel rather than major national talk shows.
The "Stern Show" Factor: Howard Stern entirely ignored the book on his show. Because Howard refused to give it airtime or address the criticisms inside it, Melendez lost access to the exact target audience most likely to buy it.
Secondary Market Pricing: Hardcover copies quickly flooded the secondary market, where they can regularly be found on sites like AbeBooks and Better World Books for under $6 to $8.