Online reports that Barnes & Noble will from now on only stock hardcover copies of books that sell well has led writers and readers to panic.

The national bookstore chain, which is one of the last remaining after the industry was severely disrupted by online retailers like Amazon, plays a crucial part in the print book market.

Barnes & Noble is withholding initial support of debut hardcovers til they find evidence it's worth stocking in their stores. They'll be focusing on guaranteed sales from paperbacks. A middle finger to debut authors esp if they're midlist & marginalized. Get mad, y'all. 1/?

— befunie bapteest (@StorySorcery) August 17, 2022

There’s a lot of misinformation, but here are the facts:
1. #BarnesAndNoble is refusing to stock most authors on shelves
2. It disproportionately affects marginalized authors, debuts, & MG
🧵of confirmation from authors (including bestsellers), agents, editors, & booksellers

— Gabi Burton📚✏️ (@query_queen339) August 19, 2022

Many worry the decision will impact first-time debut authors especially hard because, under the new rules, only books and authors that are proven to sell well will be featured on hardcover display shelves.

There are also deep concerns over the consequences for representation and diversity in children’s literature and books in general. If Barnes & Noble gives books that they already know sell well a chance, then it makes it more difficult for new and different kinds of books to succeed, purportedly stifling creativity and limiting diversity.

Amid the news and uproar online, many users on platforms like Twitter have taken to expressing their feelings through memes and other social media posts.

BARNES & NOBLE SAYS IT WON'T STOCK MIDDLE GRADE HARDCOVERS IN STORE UNLESS THEY PROVE TO BE SUCCESSFUL FIRST BUT HOW CAN THEY BE SUCCESSFUL IF THEY AREN'T READILY AVAILABLE AND THEY SAY THEY WILL FOCUS ON PAPERBACK RELEASES BUT THEY AREN'T GUARANTEED UNLESS THE HARDBACK DOES WELL pic.twitter.com/TzLKd53veK

— Alicia (@booknonsense) August 19, 2022

#BarnesAndNoble has decided to carry only the “top 1-2” middle grade hardcovers by each publisher. This horrific new policy keeps 99.999999% of all new MGs off their shelves. To buy HAVEN JACOBS SAVES THE PLANET and other new releases this fall, #supportindiebookstores #shoplocal

— Barbara Dee (@Barbaradee2) August 19, 2022

This was absolutely the hardest part of debut week. Going to the store and not seeing it. Looking online and seeing it wasn’t in stock within 100 miles of my home at any B&N. Being told there wasn’t anything anyone could do. I hustled my ass off and it felt like it didn’t matter. https://t.co/jGmrE6QftG

— ✨Lane TIMES INFINITY✨ (@lanewriteswords) August 18, 2022

Authors and fans posted about the importance of making books accessible to children and others, especially at a time when it seems like more and more states are considering banning books and restricting access to information.

This #barnesandnoble strategy is 😢 terrible. It feels like we’re getting hit from all directions between the banning and restricting going on in schools, communities and now the actual doggone bookstore. Remember to support your independent bookstores even if it’s online.

— Cocoa With Books (@BooksCocoa) August 18, 2022

When #bookbans are restricting access to books -- particularly in rural areas w/o independent bookstores -- this is a particularly horrible decision by #barnesandnoble. Every author & reader should be furious about this betrayal of the basic principles of bookselling. https://t.co/PkzXapOl1D

— Dashka Slater (@DashkaSlater) August 18, 2022

Others encouraged book lovers to put their money where their mouths are and send a message to Barnes & Noble by supporting underrepresented and first-time authors with their purchases.

If you shop at #barnesandnoble, order books by BIPOC authors, marginalized authors, debut authors, LGBT authors, underrepresented authors. Tell them in the only language they speak ($$$) that these books matter, and that they are worthy of shelf space, too.

— Finley Chuva 🌻 // is writing (@finleychuva) August 18, 2022

Hopes and dreams don’t pay the bills and it’s very hard to be creative when you’re hungry/getting past due notices/or when the industry you want to love repeatedly goes out of its way to tell you your stories don’t matter. Our stories deserve shelf space #barnesandnoble

— Brianna Peppins🌹 (@Lexi_pep) August 18, 2022

Staunchly progressive young adult and book Twitter users posting with accounts that used drawings as profile pictures framed the decision in terms of political dynamics.

#BarnesAndNoble you have lost my business. Only carrying the top 1-2 books from each publisher is elitist and exclusionary. This is how you destroy diversity in publishing. Shame on you.

— Jennifer Brennise (@JBrennise) August 18, 2022

You will never see a Trump Supporter at a #BarnesAndNoble, a library or anything place that is full of books.

Sorry, but that is a fact.

— 🇺🇸🌊Wendy Democrat Patriot🇺🇸🌊 (@wendy_resists) August 19, 2022

To many, it’s a dire sign for book publishing — a conflicted legacy industry that is already dealing with fierce competition from the vertically integrated and monopolistic Amazon, ebooks and, of course, memes.

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Amazon and indie bookstores watching Barnes & Noble get dragged through the streets like pic.twitter.com/1b1zI8YMA2

— befunie bapteest (@StorySorcery) August 18, 2022