http://www.stateofindependents.co.uk/2009/12/bookselling-after-borders/ opinions free from chains Fri, 18 Nov 2011 00:38:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 http://www.stateofindependents.co.uk/2009/12/bookselling-after-borders/comment-page-1/#comment-4 Steve Augarde Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:41:08 +0000 http://www.stateofindependents.co.uk/?p=36#comment-4 Oh, the Hub, the Hub, the Hub... I was at the RHCB Christmas party last week, bending every ear I could find on this subject. At one time, even with the big chains like Waterstones, the local retail manager had some degree of autonomy and could choose at least some of the stock. Sure, there would be the core range that all stores would carry, but reps could still get in through the door and promote from their lists. This meant that if non-established writers could get their books into just a few stores there would be a chance that they would sell on merit, and that the work would become more broadly available as word spread back up through the chain. Not a perfect system, but as fair as any new author could expect. With the advent of the Hub, and central buying, book reps have virtually disappeared, and any new author whose work doesn’t make the cut is severely hampered. Waterstones are not only as ubiquitous as Starbucks, they operate to the same system, each carrying more or less identical Hub-approved stock. ‘Monetizing’ they call it, selling to the most popular market, and what sells of course is trash. So the Hub effectively becomes an arbiter of taste – a disproportionately powerful and thus very dangerous body. What then are publishers to do? Produce more of what the Hub requires? More Strictly-Come-Cheffery? And will they begin to steer their authors towards the kind of writing that pleases the Hub? Will publishers eventually become quasi literary agents? I do believe that there’s an intelligent public out there who would embrace the idea of a better book buying experience than is currently on offer, and one thing that we might eventually hope for is a resurgence of the independents. I see a need (Vanessa!) for an off-High Street chain, a retail outfit big enough and brave enough to distance itself from this chicken-fillet mentality. Oh, the Hub, the Hub, the Hub…
I was at the RHCB Christmas party last week, bending every ear I could find on this subject. At one time, even with the big chains like Waterstones, the local retail manager had some degree of autonomy and could choose at least some of the stock. Sure, there would be the core range that all stores would carry, but reps could still get in through the door and promote from their lists. This meant that if non-established writers could get their books into just a few stores there would be a chance that they would sell on merit, and that the work would become more broadly available as word spread back up through the chain. Not a perfect system, but as fair as any new author could expect.
With the advent of the Hub, and central buying, book reps have virtually disappeared, and any new author whose work doesn’t make the cut is severely hampered. Waterstones are not only as ubiquitous as Starbucks, they operate to the same system, each carrying more or less identical Hub-approved stock. ‘Monetizing’ they call it, selling to the most popular market, and what sells of course is trash. So the Hub effectively becomes an arbiter of taste – a disproportionately powerful and thus very dangerous body. What then are publishers to do? Produce more of what the Hub requires? More Strictly-Come-Cheffery? And will they begin to steer their authors towards the kind of writing that pleases the Hub? Will publishers eventually become quasi literary agents?
I do believe that there’s an intelligent public out there who would embrace the idea of a better book buying experience than is currently on offer, and one thing that we might eventually hope for is a resurgence of the independents. I see a need (Vanessa!) for an off-High Street chain, a retail outfit big enough and brave enough to distance itself from this chicken-fillet mentality.

]]> http://www.stateofindependents.co.uk/2009/12/bookselling-after-borders/comment-page-1/#comment-3 Cat Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:36:23 +0000 http://www.stateofindependents.co.uk/?p=36#comment-3 Yes, I found you with a simple search when the link did not work over on the other blog! And I will follow this with great interest Vanessa because the state of independents in Australia has recently been under debate in our media. Thanks for starting this up and I will pass the link on to our local indie! Yes, I found you with a simple search when the link did not work over on the other blog! And I will follow this with great interest Vanessa because the state of independents in Australia has recently been under debate in our media. Thanks for starting this up and I will pass the link on to our local indie!

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