So, taking a look at the figures for the first month of my blog, I see it attracted some 5200 views by some 3000 separate viewers.   Thanks to the fellow bloggers who covered my story and linked to my blog.  The most referrals came from Kathy Shaidle's Five Feet of Fury.   Thanks, Kathy.

Accordingly, while I was engaged in a four year long battle with Chapters over their virtual "banning" of my book, which, had they not banned, would have sold in the range of 5000 books maximum, I now realize that a good blogger attracts that many readers in one month!

So, the power of Chapters, which controls over 70% of the retail book market in Canada is starting to slip because fewer and fewer people will trust the folks at Chapters to stock what is important, and instead insist that the reader make the decision of what information and viewpoints should be accessed.

As Chapters morphs more into a retailer of gift items and CDs, and more people shop for books on-line, there is a question of the future relevance, and even viability, of big box book retailers which are more interested in profits than books. Already the readers are voting with their computers to read more on-line content and less mass marketed books controlled by retailers, publishers and literary agents whose sensibilities are out of sync with intelligent readers - who understand what is happening to freedom of expression in such a tightly controlled system.

If Chapters insists on putting Heather's face on everything, what if intelligent readers realize that Heather is no more committed to our cultural freedoms and liberal values than the late Dave Thomas of Wendy's was to good nutrition and the fight against heart disease, diabetes and obesity.   At least Dave Thomas came across as very knowledgable about hamburgers;  at recent in store interviews with such authors as Mark Steyn, Barbara Walters, etc., Heather Reisman came across as something of an embarassment.

In other words, while I was fighting the battle against nonsensical decisions by Chapters, i began to realize that this is the beginning of the end of Chapters' power.  Consumers who read about books on the internet do not need Chapters buyers to tell them what is politically correct.   They make their own decisions and order the books from on-line retailers.

I predict that the future will see more and more on-line books to get around the narrow left-liberal bias of publishing houses and literary agents, who fancy themselves experts but are really just chasing more of what sold last time. Perpetuating an ever narrowing political correctness leaves the mainstream book publishing and marketing industry in the same position that the big record labels and music stores were in a few years ago, before internet consumers got their revenge and destroyed a corrupted business model.

The medium is the message.   Thanks Professor McLuhan.