A new month means I can't resist checking out the number of visitors to this blog. Here we go:

January 9036

February 8492

March 18724

April 19257

May 22868

I suspect numbers will fall during the (Northern Hemisphere) Summer months as people rush off to their Tuscan villas...but you never know. The public is unpredictable.

The visit by our German bookseller and publisher colleagues finished yesterday. I'm not quite sure what they made of the British book trade scene as they were treated to excellent but not altogether consistent discussions with leaders of bookshop chains, Internet gurus and retail market experts. I think the overwhelming theme is one of confusion and complexity. Finding a way through will require good will as well as foresight - and with profit margins for most participants in the general book supply chain very low good will tends to take second place to achieving budget.