Case Study
Why TIFF's Documentary Kingmaker Sells His Book Without Amazon
$24.99 · Printed book · Not on Amazon · purenonfiction.stck.me
$24.99 · Printed book · Not on Amazon · purenonfiction.stck.me
There is no greater champion of nonfiction film in North America than Thom Powers. This book is his bible.
Michael Moore — Filmmaker
Thom Powers has spent his career building platforms instead of waiting for permission. He started at Fantagraphics Books, moved into directing documentaries for HBO and PBS, then built the institutions that shaped documentary culture — co-founding DOC NYC, the Montclair Film Festival, and the Cinema Eye Honors.
For twenty years, he's been TIFF's lead documentary programmer, selecting roughly 25 films from 800+ submissions each year. The New York Times called him a "Kingmaker of Documentaries." When it came time to publish his own book, he skipped Amazon entirely and went direct through Stck.
A collection of 350+ film descriptions written across twenty years of TIFF programming — part critical guide, part love letter to nonfiction cinema. Werner Herzog, Laura Poitras, Oscar winners, music icons. Endorsed by Michael Moore, Judd Apatow, and filmmakers worldwide.
Available exclusively — not on Amazon See on Stck →As a festival curator, Thom knows that where you show work matters as much as the work itself. The same is true for books.
Podcast listeners, TIFF attendees, WNYC radio audience, 14K+ Instagram followers — when you already have an audience, you don't need Amazon's algorithm.
With Stck, you know exactly who bought your book. On Amazon, the buyer is Amazon's customer, not yours.
75% of print earnings, 90% of e-book earnings. Monthly payouts. No opaque accounting, no quarterly delays.
The "Buy Now" button on purenonfiction.net goes straight to Stck. No marketplace noise, no competing recommendations.
Stck prints in the US, UK, Europe, India, and Australia. Local currency, order tracking, global from day one.
Stck never demands exclusivity. Thom chose to sell only through Stck — that's loyalty earned, not contractually required.
A clean book page with cover, description, and buy button. Takes minutes.
See his storefront →His existing website links directly to the Stck purchase page. Stck fits his ecosystem — it doesn't replace it.
See his website →Stck handles printing, shipping, payments, and tracking. Earnings arrive at the start of every month.
There is no greater champion of nonfiction film in North America than Thom Powers. This book is his bible.
A love letter to the art of nonfiction filmmaking. Required reading for fans of nonfiction cinema.
The ultimate guide to the last two decades of documentary filmmaking.
If you're dissatisfied with the culture around you, create your own. That publishing chapter of my life taught me a foundational lesson.
Thom Powers — Montclair Local interview, 2025
Writers and publishers keep 75–90%. No exclusivity. No algorithm. No middleman.