A respected, self-published Second Amendment author reports that Amazon no longer allows new copies of his books to be sold, only used ones, directly denying him to be compensated for his work.
“Note that Amazon has shut down new copy sales of The Origin of the Second Amendment and The Founders’ View of the Right to Bear Arms by limiting access to my publishing storefront, Golden Oak Books,” David E. Young informed his readers on his On Second Opinionblog in December. Any links to Amazon on this page or on my web page, secondamendmentinfo.com, or elsewhere will no longer show sales of new copies from the publisher (these are self-published books). Only used copies are available from Amazon or elsewhere.”
Young includes links to both, and they both only allow customers to “Buy Used.”
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That should be of concern to all gun owners who believe in the value of authentic Second Amendment scholarship. As noted in an interview this correspondent conducted with Mr. Young in 2008, “Origin contains relevant material literally transcribed from newspaper articles, editorials, broadsides, pamphlets, speeches, proceedings, and amendment proposals that directly or indirectly relate to the Second Amendment and its adoption as part of the U.S. Bill of Rights,” and “The Founders’ View traces … the most relevant American characters, comments, actions, and resolutions that resulted in development and adoption of the Second Amendment as part of the Bill of Rights.”
The Second Amendment community is not the only one that values Young’s work. The legal community, from the very top, also views it as authoritative:
The Origin of the Second Amendment was cited six times in Justice Antonin Scalia’s majority opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court in the Washington D.C. vs Heller case [and] has been cited in two Circuit Court of Appeals cases to document the individual rights nature of the protection afforded by the Second Amendment.
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We’re not talking some slouch hack writer – we’re talking about a recognized authority now being denied the ability to be remunerated for his extensive, original scholarship by the largest online commerce platform on the planet. And it’s not like Young has violated any rules. The only restrictions Amazon had placed on self-publishers is a three-per-day limit on Kindle titles over concerns that unscrupulous “authors” are submitting AI manuscripts.
Wanting to know why Young is being denied, I sent a query to Amazon Publisher Services on Wednesday, along with Young’s blog post about not being able to sell new copies:
I will be writing this up on AmmoLand.com, a popular website frequented by a “vast audience of firearms enthusiasts.” Will you please provide a for-the-record response on why this is and what Amazon will do to allow him to continue to sell his work?
That resulted in a non-relevant auto-response:
Thank you for your interest in Amazon Publisher Services. If your site is eligible for our services, a member of our team will contact you.
No human response has been received at this writing, and if one is forthcoming, this post will be updated.
In the meantime, gun owners who wish to be informed with some of the most authoritative research on what text, history, and tradition meant to the Founders can order these books directly from Young the old-fashioned way:
The Origin of the Second Amendment may be ordered directly from the publisher, Golden Oak Books, by regular mail and payment by check or money order only. Paperback copies are $35.00 each and hardcover copies are $95.00 each postpaid. Michigan residents must include 6% state sales tax (total prices for MI residents would be $37.10 or $100.70 per copy, respectively).
Copies of The Founders’ View of the Right to Bear Arms – A Definitive History of the Second Amendment are available by direct mail order from the publisher, Golden Oak Books (check or money order payment only). The mail order price is $35.00 postpaid, and Michigan residents must add 6% state sales tax (total $37.10).
Mail orders must be paid by check or money order only and sent by mail directly to the publisher at:
Golden Oak Books
605 Michigan Street
Ontonagon, MI 49953
Some will no doubt focus on the price. These books represent years of painstaking research and labor. The information presented is invaluable and the cost of producing limited run copies is great. They are essential additions for the collections of serious Second Amendment defenders interested in advocacy based on history and the Constitution.
About David Codrea:
David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating/defending the RKBA and a long-time gun owner rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament. He blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” is a regularly featured contributor to Firearms News, and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.
