On Monday, right-wing firebrand milo yiannopoulos called out Barnes & Noble over the bookseller's mysterious decision to offer his new book, "dangerous", to online customers only. Although Yiannnopoulos' book has managed to crack the top five on the New York Times Bestseller list for hardcover nonfiction, the book is nowhere to be found on the shelves of America's largest physical bookseller.
Several conservative media outlets, from Breitbart to The Gateway Pundit, have attempted to obtain an explanation from Barnes & Noble, but company spokespersons have struggled to provide an explanation that makes any sense.
Angry customers threaten to buy book from Amazon instead
The Gateway Pundit reported on Monday that one Barnes & Noble spokesperson even denied that "Dangerous" was on the NYT Bestseller list. Since then, the retailer's Facebook page has been inundated with hundreds of angry comments from Milo's fans, with many asking why they can't buy "Dangerous" in stores.
The bookseller replied that Yiannopoulos' book can be obtained either by purchasing it online or by placing an in-store order that can be picked up at the nearest Barnes & Noble location.
“So Barnes and Noble... we sell it.. you just have to come into our store twice to get a copy. Once to order and once to pick it up. That seems like a terrible business model,” one unhappy fan fired back.
Others stated that they would avoid the hassle by ordering their copy of "Dangerous" from Amazon, while others accused the bookseller of not having the courage to display a book penned by a controversial author.
Milo blasts bookseller on social media
Yiannopoulos finally weighed in on Barnes & Noble's unusual business decision by posting a blistering attack on his own Facebook page.
The author began his rant by asking the company to stop telling customers that it was the publisher's decision not to stock the book on store shelves. "It isn’t," Yiannopoulos declared, "I am the publisher."
The controversial political pundit and former Breitbart editor created his own publishing house after the original publisher, Simon & Schuster, broke its contract with Yiannopoulos after a scheduled speaking appearance at UC Berkeley devolved into a full-scale riot.
Shortly after the Berkeley riots, Yiannopoulos resigned from Breitbart.
"Distributors say this is a political decision," the author continued. "Yet you sell Hitler’s MEIN KAMPF. Do you think DANGEROUS is worse?”
Some Facebook users who commented on the matter offered their own unofficial explanations. One user theorized that since "Dangerous" was essentially self-published, it was unlikely to be found on any store shelf because most self-published books are printed on demand.
Others refuted the claim that the bookseller's decision was politically motivated, pointing out that books by the likes of Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, Ann Coulter and other conservative writers can easily be found on the shelves of Barnes & Noble.
Until Barnes & Noble offers a clear and logical explanation, however, the matter will remain a mystery.
