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From: davidl@teklds.UUCP (David Levine)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers,net.books
Subject: Support Small Bookstores
Message-ID: <1066@teklds.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 24-Sep-85 13:12:01 EDT
Article-I.D.: teklds.1066
Posted: Tue Sep 24 13:12:01 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 27-Sep-85 03:01:46 EDT
References: <1355@hound.UUCP> <1613@brl-tgr.ARPA> <5577@fortune.UUCP>
Reply-To: davidl@teklds.UUCP (David Levine)
Followup-To: net.books
Distribution: net
Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR
Lines: 74
Xref: watmath net.sf-lovers:10259 net.books:2345
Summary: Megachains mean dull literature

In article <5577@fortune.UUCP>, under the Subject line "Re: Let's try to roll 
back the SF price increase rip-off!" horton@fortune.UUCP (Randy horton) writes:
>                       ...  I almost never purchase books at list price.  I
>usually patronize a local chain called Crown Books.  Their motto is *If you
>paid full price, you didn't buy it at Crown Books*.  I am not entirely sure
>that buying books only at discount prices has any effect on publishers, but
>I save money, and I support a business whose pricing policy I agree with.

I'm afraid that buying books at megachains such as Crown Books (and
Waldenbooks and B. Dalton's) does have an effect on publishers.

This effect is that only books that will sell millions of copies get
published at all.  This means a diminished number of titles, a limit to
experimentation in literature, and a glut of mediocre books by "name"
authors while interesting new authors can't get published.

See, Crown Books and their ilk buy books by the carload.  Go into any
of these megachain stores and you'll see shelves and shelves of books,
but these consist of hundreds of copies each of a limited number of
titles.  You'll note that these are mostly recently-published books,
too.  The chain stores don't feel they can afford to keep a book around
unless it's "moving."  If a book fails to sell, they tear the covers
off and return them to the publisher AND THROW AWAY THE TEXT.  (They're
not even allowed to GIVE away the insides.)

On the other hand, independent bookstores buy books in much smaller
lots.  Go into any well-stocked independent bookstore and you'll find
many fewer copies, but of many more titles per foot of shelf space.
Only the independents have books published more than two years ago.
Only independents have books from small publishers and obscure authors.
Only independents have personnel who really care about books and will
help you track down those out-of-print gems you've read about in
SF-LOVERS.  In my experience, the vast majority of chain-store
personnel might as well be working at K-Mart for all they know or care
about books.  (There are, of course, certain notable exceptions.)

The problem is that the large chains buy books in such overwhelming
quantities that they become the publishers' major concerns.  Today,
there is an increasing trend for large publishers to buy manuscripts
that they think will sell, not to the public, but to the bookstore
chains!  The chains, of course, only buy books they know will sell in
the millions.  This leads to a glut of "Bestsellers" and a dearth of
experimentation by the publishers.

The authors, who, of course, want to sell to the large publishers, may
feel pressured to tailor their wares for mass consumption.  This leads
to swarms of Tolkien clones and "Bestsellers."  (Have you ever noticed
that "Bestseller" is a book category like "Non-Fiction" or "Romance?"
"Bestsellers" are written not to be read, but to sell.)

Of course, by buying in such large quantities, the major chains can
afford to charge very low prices for their books.  The smaller stores
can't.  However, for the money you get personal service, attention to
detail, people who care, and an atmosphere that the chain stores lack
completely.

If your local bookstore doesn't have all these qualities, you can
probably find one that does nearby.  That is, if it hasn't gone out of
business.  Today, the smaller bookstores are in desperate straits
because of the size and buying power of the chains.  With a book-buying
populace as small as America's is today, competition for your book
dollars is fierce, and the chains are winning because of their low
prices and top locations.  Many small bookstores are being forced out
of existence.

Therefore, I buy my books at independent booksellers as a rule.  It's a
small price to pay for continued variety and experimentation in
literature.

I'll get off my soapbox now.  Thanks for your time.  Any followups belong in
net.books, not net.sf-lovers.

David D. Levine       (...decvax!tektronix!teklds!davidl)    [UUCP]
                      (teklds!davidl.tektronix@csnet-relay)  [ARPA/CSNET]


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