Are bookshops failing us?

[Bick]

Bick,

If you fly "across the ditch" to Sydney, I recommend a visit to Galaxy Bookshop, above Abbey bookshop near Town Hall station. I checked their catalogue and they have all three authors you mention (25 titles, 20 titles and 48 titles respectively).

Many thanks for that. I'm actually over the pond now, in Melbourne and the shops are a bit better here. If I'm in Sydney I'll definitely look that in that store, sounds great.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

@tinkerdan - you won't get into a bookshop with anything less than full sale or return terms. They won't take firm sale.

@chopper - yes, I think shops get deluged and disillusioned one shop near me told me they were all set up for a small author signing, promo done, some signage, stock brought in and the author never showed up. No wonder they get frustrated.

On a happier note, today I'm dropping four boxes of books up to Belfast city centre for retail display and sale. So there is hope. Now we'll see how they go...

 

[hitmouse]

The best SF bookshops have always been used bookshops with a good specialist selection. There are (or were a few years ago) excellent second hand bookshops in Vancouver, Toronto, Melbourne. The old second hand bookshops have largely disappeared from British towns unfortunately. Hay-on-Wye is the notable exception.

 

[Dave]

The best SF bookshops have always been used bookshops with a good specialist selection.

This will probably always be true, but it doesn't help the "living" author who isn't in the top ten lists.

Yes, it is all our fault for buying online instead of buying on the High Street, but that has happened now; the clock can't be turned back; what is the future?

My wife got a book token for Christmas but was unable to get the book she wanted (not SFF, popular, popular author, newspaper reviewed, but not in the top ten lists - sorry, I've actually forgotten what it was but I can ask her if you really want) in any bookshop. (Yes, you can order it, but then you have to go back again, and phone first to see if it has arrived, and really it would be much easier to order online and post it.) So, she got it on her Kindle in a matter of seconds, but still has a book token. We really want to support local shops but they are shooting themselves in the foot if they don't keep stock of (at least) popular books.

It isn't just bookshops, I remember that before the London Olympics we went to the shiny new Westfield in Stratford. My daughter wanted a charm for a bracelet - "Sorry, we have just run out, why don't you order at our online store?" My sister was looking for some boots - "Sorry, we don't have your size, why don't you order at our online store?" If we wanted to shop online, then we wouldn't have left the house.

BTW: That was M&S and H Samuel told us that.

 

[Gary Compton]

Not only does a publisher have to supply the bookshops on a sale or return basis. They can sit on them for 15 months before returning.

It's probably the worst business model I have ever worked with!

Of course it's a different ball game if they sell out and ask for more but it does make it hard for a small publisher as we will still wait 90 days to get paid.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

The model is crazy. It's modelled on a time when bookshops took a huge range and had to have some sort of safeguard against it not selling, or limiting the range that the publishers then relied on. Now that Amazon takes so much of that slack, I do wonder if at some point publishers will challenge the market. It used to be that some titles were firm sale and the buyer had to match expectation with ordering quantity.

Having said that - the visiblity that comes from a bookstore is tremendous and presence there drives online sales apparently.

The onus to not take a huge hit lies with the publisher, ultimately, and restricting numbers out there. As most bookstores now follow a model of keeping shop floor stock low, unless there is a central supply glut, the returns hit should be limited.

 

[chopper]

I find that the independent book stores are best, Lindum Books in Lincoln, Southcart Books in Wallsall, Carnforth Books in Carnforth, they go that extra mile because they understand their readers, they've found their niche, they get that readers will travel and they understand that bookish events bring sales too. It brings loyalty. So while amazon may be all the things, personal service wins out at the indie.

thanks for that nod to Lindum Books - i've just been in and mrs chopper had to knock me out to stop me leaving with a wheelbarrow's worth of really decent ARCs from the upper floor! i'm going back tomorrow... i may be a while...

 

[Connavar]

For me its the opposite my fav bookshop is the best store in my town. Its an english language specialist bookstore that have alot different genres,non-genre. They have a huge room only for SF,Fantasy,horror, they know they live on regular,avid customers like me. The only time i order books they dont have are when i order rare arabic poetry or new realeses i preorder.

http://bookshop.se/

Usually i dont even have to order new or classic books of SFF favs they have in already, they are one of the best independent stores in the country. I have bought 80% of my 400-500 books from them. I have never bothered with amazon or any online bookstore. I buy only some swedish language coursebooks online. They have all i need in my literature interest. I want SF,fantasy,horror they have, they have African lit shelf, noir,crime shelf, non-genre/general fiction shelfs, historical fiction and my fav classics lit shelf.

I found my way to them when i was new as a reader because big a chainstore couldnt find in their database a Dexter book which was a bestseller series back then. I was disgusted by that lack of knowledge by their employees.

I know everyone who work in my fav bookstore by name and i feel guilty thinking about how much i like their and the amount of money i spent on one single bookstore is sick. I feel silly when i buy swedish language books from a bookstore not half as big or as good

 

[Bick]

Sounds like a fantastic store, Conn. I imagine many on here would be jealous. Where in Sweden are you, btw?

 

[Connavar]

Sounds like a fantastic store, Conn. I imagine many on here would be jealous. Where in Sweden are you, btw?

The books are all in english since the bookstore is called English Bookshop and since best SFF,crime,horror is english or always translated to english im perfectly fine with that language. My uni studies have improved alot since and when we read difficult theory books,articles in english. For me old, new english writing is common food for me while my classmates want easier swedish versions

Im in Uppsala, the 4th biggest town in Sweden, historically huge town. People from Bewoulf, other famous historical vikting age people are buried here.

I buy original swedish books, swedish translations of Russian lit, German lit, French lit in swedish bookstores.
I like reading english books because thats the biggest translation language. I cant read my fav Arabic,African,Japanese,other asian authors in Swedish. Too small bookmarket language.

 

[GOLLUM]

I count myself lucky as I live in Melbourne, Australia which is generally regarded as the country's 's cultural capital (Adelaide may have something to say about this as well as our 'rival' Sydney) not to mention the world's 'most liveable City' (fourth year in a row and something like 7 out of the last 10 years) as problematic as these types of awards can be...so we are probably doing something right.

It was named UNESCO's second City of Literature after Edinburgh , Scotland several years ago. Personally I can think of several other places around the world that could/should have been nominated ahead of us but anyway point being...I have a private library of over 2,00 books which I regard as containing some pretty high quality stuff across the board. I estimate probably somewhere in the range of 98% of this has been purchased by visiting Melbourne bookshops versus online purchases.

I can already 'hear' Conn saying 'huh?..awards..pfft!'...

Needless to say I'm pretty happy where I live and even happier with the selection of books we have here.

 

[The Bluestocking]

In East and Southeast Asia, we do have chain bookshops carrying a selection of English language books - some regional like Popular and Kinokuniya, some specific to the country, plus a smattering of secondhand bookshops here and there.

However, most of them just carry the most popular current authors and series and have a woefully small or inadequate selection of SFF, Horror, and YA books. Even if they do carry series, you'd find books 2 and 4 and search in vain for books 1 and 3. Plus, they almost always end up converting the prices of the books from pound sterling (most editions you get here are UK editions) and this makes the books horrendously expensive - too expensive for most people.

So many people end up buying from huge book fairs held once a year (or every few months depending on the country) where remaindered stock are available for a reasonable price in local currencies. And folks nearly always go for paperbacks because hardbacks are just too expensive.

Or we order from Book Depository if there are good discounts available.

Or like me, they probably load up on books when they go to the UK or Australia or anywhere that isn't a book desert.

Libraries? Unless you live in Singapore or maybe Hong Kong and Taiwan, don't bet on having a good library anywhere near you and if you do have a library in your town/area, you get no current selections as there is no budget. Many schools also have woefully small libraries.

To be a book lover over here (especially those who read English books which have the widest range of YA and SFF), you pretty much have to be middle class with educated parents who encourage you to read as a hobby.

As for e-books - the high prices here are DISGRACEFUL. We can only buy from Google Books or maybe Smashwords. Amazon blocks us here and people who love reading and who think that they could get affordable e-books usually get a shock the first time they look into it. Many people end up buying Kindles when they go abroad and doing a hack so they can get around the system and order e-books from Amazon; or they get tablets and then download illegal copies via torrents even if they do NOT wish to do so and wish for the means (read: legal way to easily and affordably obtain an official copy without jumping through hoops online) to support their favourite authors and discover new authors.

 

[Hex]

I live in Edinburgh, and it has several small, independent genre bookshops. The independent bookshop closest to me (The Edinburgh Bookshop) isn't genre, but it's a great shop and sells a huge range of children's books (it mainly focuses on kids, and has lots of YA, though there are adult sections). It stocks local independent authors as well. We have Waterstones etc as well, down in the city centre. And we also have really good libraries.

Having said that, to my shame I still use Amazon (or the Book Depository or someone else online) unless I'm out to browse and find new things.

 

[GOLLUM]

Having said that, to my shame I still use Amazon (or the Book Depository or someone else online) unless I'm out to browse and find new things.

Gasp!.... Shock, horror..ooh 'the pain of it all' (quoting Dr. Smith from 'Lost in Space'). Begone ye first City of Literature and allow thine second in command (Melbourne) to take charge!

I tend to deliberately purchase books locally to help support our book industry and because like Edinburgh we have a very good selection of bookshops (many independents including second hand dealers) I can get about 98% off the shelf. Of course if I lived in a small town I would try to use local or country suppliers/sellers but otherwise go for amazon or the book depository (who are excellent as you would be aware).

The more I read comments on this thread the more I realise how lucky I am living where I do. Eeek!...gets down on bended knees in grateful supplication.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

We used to have an amazing academic bookshop linked to Queens in Belfast (Mr Not-springs used to work there). It was renowned during the Troubles for linking both sides of the community and was an oasis of calm everyone loved. Didn't do much genre but supported local authors, and did so much
Irish fiction it was incredible. They closed it about three years ago when the university decided not to support it anymore.

 

[Hex]

I know I know. I am bad. Actually, now I realise how unusual Edinburgh is, I'll make more of an effort to go and buy books in person rather than just taking advantage of the easy internet.

 

[The Bluestocking]

You all are so lucky!

I do miss living in Oxford with all its libraries and bookshops...

 

[Elvraie]

Hello Bluestocking
Do you mean Oxford, England? I have been living south of it and working there for 18 years and there are quite a fair bit of bookshops. 21 years ago, when I came from France to live in this country, they were more secondhand bookshops than nowadays, and for a few years a Border's bookshop though.
But, near where I'm working, which is fairly central, there is a 3 pounds bookshop, opened late last year and doubled up as a second hand bookshop which can spring up some nice suprises.
Also, not far from there, we have an Oxfam Charity bookshop with a few SFF shelves, other languages (French rather well represented) and a good travel writing section.
There is still a big blackwell's bookshop, Waterstone and another Oxfam bookshop and another '3 pounds' bookshop.
However, I always miss the bookshops from where I come from, Bordeaux. In the 1990's, there was a plethora of them, which, unfortunately for many, don't exist anymore and with always a fairly good selection of SFF. And there was a specialised SFF bookshop until the millenium but helas closed down!

 

[BAYLOR]

Amazon is cutting into alot of Bookstore business. Some people figure ,why go to a bookstore at all when you just shop online?

 

[Brian G Turner]

Amazon is cutting into alot of Bookstore business. Some people figure ,why go to a bookstore at all when you just shop online?

Indeed, and this is precisely the issue. It's not simply that Amazon sought to become the biggest online bookseller - no one else made a real effort.

I've only been to a few cons, but at each one, someone in publishing openly denigrated Amazon and their share of the book market. But, as I've argued before, Amazon's slice of the best seller market may be significant, but in it's share of the longtail market for books it is utterly dominant.