Nov

27

Borders U.K. Files for Bankruptcy Protection

Filed Under Books, E-books, Publishing | 1 Comment

Borders U.K. has filed for “administration,” something comparable to the U.S. bankruptcy.

In a good article the U.K.’s Guardian did a fine job of listing the many things that worked against the 45-store British chain, including:

• Competition from retailers such as supermarkets which carry only the bestsellers but discount those. This effect has been greater because of the mega-bestsellers such as the Harry Potter and Twilight series. If everyone is reading a bestseller they picked up with their bangers and mash, they aren’t reading a backlist or midlist title they may have found at a Borders store.

• The reluctance of the British population to drive to a “retail park” to visit a Borders big box store and its cafe. The article quotes a retail analyst as saying: “Although we now have a coffee culture, the idea of driving four or five miles to browse, then sit in a Starbucks and read a book never sat well with the U.K. consumer.”

• The fact that the generation exemplified by the TV show “Friends” has become the first generation to buy online regularly. It’s thought that online book sales now count for 20% of the total market.

• The impact of e-book readers like Amazon’s Kindle and B & N’s Nook, an impact that has been small to date but is likely to become a sizeable in the next few years.

• The general malaise of the economy.  This appears to be as overblown in the U.K as it is here. The Guardian reports that book sales last year lost their upward growth for the first time, declining 1% last year and up to 2% this year. U.S. sales are experiencing approximately the same decline. I agree, with profit margins being what they are, losing 3% over two years is tough, but it shouldn’t a killer except for the weakest companies. But the real damage comes when booksellers—including publishers—over-attribute their struggles to the down economy taking the focus off more important challenges that can actually be dealt with. The book industry won’t single-handedly turn the world economy around—Obama is doing that— but they can be proactive when dealing with changing buying habits and product delivery methods.

Just a Write Thought.

Nov

25

Is It Self-Publishing or Vapor-Publishing?

Filed Under Books, E-books, Publishing, Writing | Leave a Comment

With the onslaught of printers that will print one book at a time, there are hordes of opportunities for authors frustrated with the conventional publishing model to write checks in the misguided belief that they are actually being published in the same sense that, say, Stephen King, John Grisham, or David McCullough are.

Harlequin, the leading publisher of romance novels,  joined with Author Solutions, the leading online “self-publishing” press—we used to call them “vanity presses”—to harvest a cash crop from would-be romance writers with thin promises that maybe a book printed under a new “self-publishing” imprint program called Harlequin Horizons would enjoy enough sales to move over to Harlequin proper.

Here’s what Publishers Weekly had to say about the new deal:

The imprint will recruit writers in two ways: authors whose manuscripts have been rejected by Harlequin will be made aware of the Harlequin Horizons option and authors who sign with Author Solutions will be given the opportunity to be published under the Harlequin Horizons imprint. According to an Author Solutions spokesperson, the imprint will offer special services aimed at the romance market, including unique marketing and distribution services. All services are on a pay-for-service basis.

The outrage in the writer’s community was immediate and heartening. Romance Writers of America, understanding all the ramifications of this, quickly withdrew Harlequin’s right to enter any of its books in RWA’s influential contests. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers called for Harlequin to sever all ties with this self-publishing program.

Harlequin, blinked but didn’t buckle. They renamed the ill-directed venture DellArte Press. Harlequin along with Author Solutions will still pursue the same plunder, continuing, I imagine, to inform authors Harlequin rejects of this other “opportunity.”

I guess we can chalk up half a point for writers, but there will still be plenty of chances for misguided authors to write checks for what I call “vapor publishing,” a term I coined from the tech industry term “vaporware,” meaning software in development that its promoters promise will have remarkable features but the software never  actually materializes.

 Just a Write Thought.

Nov

10

Smart, Aggressive Authors Leverage Costco

Filed Under Books, Promotion | Leave a Comment

Book signings at Costco?

Most people aren’t aware that Costco encourages book signings at their warehouses—or that Costco is particularly happy to host local authors.

Now a group of Alaskan authors have taken this largesse a step further. Through a wholesaler, American West Books, they have arranged to sign books all day everyday until Christmas. They rotate the duty, each of them working a table of their and the other authors’ titles for a day.

Is it working? They often sell 75-100 books a day.

 Just a Write Thought.

Nov

6

IBPA Board Book Recommendations

Filed Under Books, Fiction, Publishing, Writing | 4 Comments

Just returned from a stimulating and productive Independent Book Publishers Association board meeting in foggy Redondo Beach.

 During dinner at the Fritto Misto in Hermosa Beach Tuesday, I passed around my iPhone and asked that each of the board members and staff add a note listing a book they thought I should read. This may have translated to their favorite book, the one that, in the words of an old friend “did them most” or it may be they listed the book they thought I would most enjoy or benefit from. Here’s the list:

It is interesting to note that all but one are fiction.

 * I’ve read it but probably should again.

** I’d never heard of it, but probably should have.

I just ordered the ones I don’t have.

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