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From: domo@tsa.co.uk (Dominic Dunlop)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.perl,rec.music.folk
Subject: Re: Ordering copies of the book
Message-ID: <1991Feb19.084533.2214@tsa.co.uk>
Date: 19 Feb 91 08:45:33 GMT
References: <1991Feb16.150429.12630@maths.tcd.ie> <1991Feb18.060800.29648@iwarp.intel.com>
Reply-To: domo@tsa.co.uk (Dominic Dunlop)
Organization: The Standard Answer Ltd.
Lines: 35

[I'm posting because there may be others in the same position as myself
-- a posted response would be appreciated.  And would anybody posting
follow-ups please direct them only to the appropriate group.]

In article <1991Feb18.060800.29648@iwarp.intel.com> merlyn@iwarp.intel.com
(Randal L. Schwartz) writes:
> I'm very sorry that international customers are at the mercy of
> Addison Wesley.  A/W has the rights to all international distribution
> for OR&A's books, so when an order comes in to OR&A, they must forward
> it to A/W for handling.

Would this explain why the credit-card order that I placed for a copy
at the OR&A booth at the Uniforum show last month has yet to produce
goods here in England?  Still, I have got a tee short with a camel on
it: I was allowed to walk away with that.  (And, no, I couldn't make it
to the Wednesday evening signing: I was busy internationalizing.)

And, by the way, OR&A, PLEASE don't make agreements like this:
you cannot be unaware of how many international mail order sales you
make.  We don't deal with you direct for the fun of it -- although,
admitedly, it's a little more fun than with many other outfits.

A-W's action seems, in the best tradition of publishing, to be designed
to maximize its income from the deal without necessarily maximizing
sales of the books.  Which brings me on to the weird cross-post to
rec.music.folk: Fairport Convention's stupid deal with Rough Trade for
the distribution of their latest album means that they are not allowed
to sell copies at concerts or by mail order through their fan club.
They're surely losing sales as a result -- more sales than Rough Trade
is gaining.  But any that Rough Trade does gain mean money for Rough
Trade.

Moral.  You gotta watch distributors!
-- 
Dominic Dunlop