How Bookselling Differs from What MBAs Are Taught

[Tom Barclay]

A fascinating story via Melbourne in which we learn that some beancounters in the bookselling business don't learn from their mistakes (so they ask honest publishers to make up their shortfall).

http://blogs.smh.com.au/entertainment/archives/undercover/014948.ht...

The arrogance of one Charlie Rimmer can scarcely be measured even with digital technology.

If Ozzie for 'beer' is 'Fosters,' what's Ozzie for 'extortion'?

[Anne Frasier]

wow.

[Tom Barclay]

Yeah. "Wow" is right.

Beancounter solutions don't fit bookselling. You wind up with bright ideas like, "Let's cut the fluff and only stock best-sellers!"

For a more rigorous and rancorous discussion of this most egregious swindle, pay a visit to this thread at 'Making Light' -

http://nielsenhayden.com/makinglight/archives/009263.html#009263

[I. J. Parker]

I don't know if this exchange actually took place, but it occurs to me that publishers have long since applied this profitability rule to their suppliers.

[Tom Barclay]

Yes, it really happened. The surprising element is the demand for a kind of vigorish from the publishers, to be paid monthly to the bookseller no later than the 7th of the month, for sales in the prior month, and failure to post and pay to be fined at the rate of 5% per day.

I don't believe this Rimmer's astounding arrogance to be typical of chain bookstore executives, either.

[Karen from AustCrime]

I read this story when it was first released and just thought well done A&R - we already have to go to chains like Borders or buy online via wonderful distributors like the Book Depository in the UK if we want to get anything other than the latest reprint of The Da Vinci Code or your average diet book. We already spend in the vicinity of $35AU for a trade paperback sized book and you're going to make it more difficult for small / medium publishers. What the.......

[Daniel Hatadi]

Holy shit. It's interesting that over time I've noticed that I buy more from Borders/Kinokuniya/Abbeys/Dymocks. I rarely venture into Angus & Robertson, but now I have no reason to.

[Tom Barclay]

Over here in the States, I avoid Borders. Bad politics, surly staff. Most of the Austral sf writers over on 'Making Light' have given up A&R and Borders, too. I hear Dymocks is kind of good.

If you have a local bookseller, that's gotta be the place to put the treasure.

Meanwhile, everyone I know who's ever seen an episode of RED DWARF loves Charlie's last name being Rimmer.

[Daniel Hatadi]

I think I cackled at 'Rimmer' when I read it. I do try to buy mostly from the independents. We have one in my suburb called Better Read Than Dead. You can't really top that as far as names go. :)

[Karen from AustCrime]

Dymocks is definitely the better of the larger local "chains" but the sad truth of the matter here is that genre fiction = Borders or some small specialist bookstores. The selection at Dymocks is limited unless you want known "names" or sometimes a small selection of local authors.

In Melbourne http://www.readersfeast.com.au/ are reasonable, but there online selection is limited, Booktopia online aren't bad and Kill City is to die for - but they are all located inner Melbourne / city and that's a cut lunch and a water bag away unless you buy on line. I think I probably go to the "big smoke" once or twice a year and that's it.

[Daniel Hatadi]

Dymocks in Sydney does have a pretty decent crime section, but Abbey's is king (or queen) when it comes to the widest range.

Kill City? I have to go there, just for the name alone!

[Karen from AustCrime]

Opposite the Town Hall in Swanston Street in the city here Daniel - worth a visit truly really :)