Chark Blog - Independent Bookselling Chapter 94

Monday, September 18, 2006

I know that many British independent booksellers feel that bigger publishers are ignoring them in the fight for shelf space in supermarkets and chain bookstores. There has been much debate in the comments part of this blog over the last few months and Macmillan has taken its share of criticism. I was pleased therefore to discover that we sponsored a Small Business Forum dinner in Bristol last week. Organised by The Booksellers Association, the SBFis a forum for independent booksellers to debate the issues affecting their businesses as well as sharing ideas to help then thrive. The evening event was attended by eighty independents together with Alison Penton Harper, Beth Webb, Kate Long and Clive James who made an extremely funny after-dinner speech. This is exactly the sort of event which supports independent bookselling and which helps authors and publishers understand the issues of bookselling today.

This week is full of budgeting for next year. It sometimes feels that we might as well simply slaughter a goat and hope for the best! Any other suggestions?

9/18/2006 12:57:59 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Slaughter a lammy

Tim Coates

9/18/2006 2:26:20 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

Richard

My greatest concern is the supply terms which some publishers are prepared to offer (under duress??) to Amazon.

This month a major title (not published or distributed by MDL) was available on Amazon from the day after publication with 24 hr delivery at 34% discount (post-paid), copies were only supplied to Bertram approx a week later. The title has apparently gone to reprint, (all Amazon copies have not unnaturally been sold) : however, many booksellers like myself who had ordered the title months ago (I ordered in May) still have received no copies.

This book is a premium title where the first edition slug is an important factor.

I accept that Amazon are the favoured sales outlet for some publishers since it is very easy to service but if the publishers are prepared to supply one outlet to the detriment of others, then they must expect to receive negative feedback.

Clive Keeble

9/19/2006 10:23:55 AM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

hi clive,

I'm just curious what is the major book that amazon stocked?

idlereader

idlereader

9/19/2006 4:40:34 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

idlereader wrote
>>I'm just curious what is the major book that amazon stocked?<<

I quite deliberately did not mention the title, since it is not an MDL title : it is however in the top 500 AZ (their figures)which should give enough clues to industry watchers.

Not long after I made yesterday's comments I saw that the title was once again available on Amazon at 24 hr delivery ; this morning Bertram had copies available to fill my May order, although insufficient copies to be able to offer this book for general immediate delivery - hopefully my copies will be delivered tomorrow morning.

I would stress that my concern, in raising this, is the manner in which *all* terrestial bookshops are too often being treated at a disadvantage on both delivery and supply terms by comparison with those offered (under duress?? )from some publishers to Amazon.

Clive Keeble

9/20/2006 4:46:43 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

As a non-Brit, I often wonder if the spires gleam or dream. We seem to be about 50/50 in the colonies on it.
I'd always thought it was "That sweet city with dreaming spires" from Matthew Arnold in something rammed down my throat at school.
This diversion is prompted by a message that was not zapped by our spam filter...........
>>>>paste
Day 10 Our final day on this Brit Experience Tour will take us to the gleaming spires of Oxford, and onwards to Windsor, again to see one of the best castles in England and still used today by Her Majesty and then back to London
>>>>>>end paste
But then I s'pose its 30/30/30/10 Macmillan/MacMillan/McMillan/MacMillion

Cory Voigt

9/20/2006 4:49:48 PM (GMT Standard Time, UTC+00:00)

>>>>As a non-Brit, I often wonder>>
This should be somewhere else, please ignore

Cory Voigt

Welcome

This is it. I am officially entering the blogosphere. This is not a Macmillan blog, but Macmillan will certainly feature heavily. The idea is that when we need to share anything from company strategy through news, to talk about new ideas or to help us learn from our successes and our mistakes, we can all blog about it here. This means no more email newsletters from me. Instead, you can read (and blog) all about it here. And don't forget to bookmark this page and to let colleagues know all about it.

The broader the audience the more effective this blog becomes.

And it becomes a lot more interesting if you join the conversation... so don't be shy.

Google Ads

Charchive

November 2008

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat