Posted on August 5, 2011 by Robert David MacNeil
— PART ONE
I’m not a newbie at writing. I’ve been writing books for 20 years—two through a major publishing house and three self-published. All have sold well.
For my first book I went through the traditional publication process, partly because I thought that was what you were supposed to do, but largely because I believed the “myth.”
That myth, propagated through the media, pictures an author’s life like this… you sit at your computer, composing your latest book, occasionally taking a break to go to the mailbox and pick up your next royalty check. The myth says once you’ve published a book, life will be easy. You will be rich and famous. You can live anywhere and have lots of free time. All your problems will be solved once you get that publishing contract. WAIT! What’s that sound? Oh NO! It’s the alarm clock! …It’s time to WAKE UP!
Let’s look at the harsh realities of the “writing life.” I’m not a psychic, but I CAN PREDICT YOUR FUTURE if you go the route of traditional publishing:
AGENTING – You may spend a year or more finding an agent. I’ve talked to some who have spent several years, sending query after query, and still no agent. Rejection slips pile up. Some agents don’t even send rejection slips any more. If they’re not interested, you never hear back from them. You wait… and wait… and wait…
EDITING – Once you have an agent, your book will be edited, and the agent will ask you to make changes in your manuscript.
FINDING A PUBLISHER – Your agent will then begin the process of trying to sell your book to a publisher. That also can take time.
RE-WRITES & PUBLICATION – You find a publisher. The publisher may also ask you to do re-writes of your book. Then comes the actual printing and distribution. The typical timeframe from a query to seeing your book published can be 2 ½ to 3 years.
EUPHORIA – You have a brief period of euphoria. You are now a published author! You hold your new book in your trembling hands. Your name is on the cover. IT WAS WORTH IT ALL!
Then come more harsh realities…
NO PROMOTION – Your publisher will do little or nothing to promote your book. (You didn’t know that was part of YOUR job?) Without promotion, no one outside of your close circle of friends even knows your book exists!
LITTLE DISTRIBUTION – Your book may or may not make it to your local bookstore. If a bookstore carries your book at all, it will usually be only two copies. Two spines on the shelf, among thousands of books by better known authors. Chances are very good your book will not sell.
FAILURE – The typical shelf-life of a first-time author’s book: 3-6 months. If it hasn’t become a best seller in that time, it’s usually taken off the shelf and returned to the publisher. No time to develop a fan base. No time for word of mouth. Your book has failed.
According to statistics, the failure rate of first time authors is 90%. You’ve poured your life into your book; you’ve gone through the agony of seeking an agent and the long process of publication. And in 3-6 months, it’s all over. Your book, if not sent back to the publisher, will be put on the clearance table. Your dream has been shattered. You’ve not made much money. Few people have read your book. Many first-time writers are so discouraged by the process they never write another book. That’s the experience of the majority of first-time authors!
The truth is, the traditional publishing model has always been a bad deal for writers. The problem is, until recently, it’s been the only option. (Traditional self-publishing was even a worse deal for writers.)
But in the last 5 years a major earthquake has struck the publishing world. Things like the rise of Amazon.com, print on demand, and most of all, the E-book revolution! The whole paradigm has changed.
The key to success used to be having your book prominently displayed in brick-and-mortar bookstores. Let me tell you a secret: That’s not even an issue anymore! We’ve entered an era when a smaller and smaller percentage of books are sold in bookstores. Think of it like this: When was the last time you went down to a record store and bought a vinyl LP so you could listen to your favorite music? See the point? The same thing is now happening with books.
The whole publishing game has changed drastically! If you read the trade publications, bookstores and publishers are frightened. They’re desperately trying to find a way to survive in this new reality.
And in this new reality, the traditional route of getting an agent and a dead-tree publishing company is no longer the default option. In fact, unless you are a celebrity, or you’re already a bestselling author, that route is probably not your best option!
In part two of this post, I will give six reasons WHY I believe self-publishing is a much better deal for a first-time author. In fact, I believe, for almost any author, it’s foolish NOT to self-publish.
WHY IT’S FOOLISH NOT TO SELF PUBLISH — PART TWO
Most of us have assumed that traditional publishing is the only route to success for a writer. That may have been true at one time, but it’s no longer true. In the first part of this post, I tried to “burst the bubble” on the myths associated with publishing.
In recent years, a number of authors have achieved success by doing an end-run around the publishing industry. A good example is the Christian novel, The Shack by William P. Young. Young submitted The Shack to 26 publishing houses, both Christian and secular. It was rejected by every single one. The Shack was too “different.” It didn’t fit any of the standard categories. So together with three friends, he formed his own publishing company for the sole purpose of publishing his book. (Essentially, they self-published.) The Shack went unnoticed for over a year, but suddenly became popular in the summer of 2008. By May of 2010, The Shack had over 10 million copies in print, and was number 1 on the New York Times best seller list for 70 weeks. According to Wikipedia, The Shack achieved its success via word-of-mouth and a $300.00 website!
Yet The Shack was written before the E-Book revolution! Now the whole publishing industry has changed. Just as MP3 players and music downloads have made “record stores” obsolete, now E-readers and downloadable books are putting brick-and-mortar bookstores out of business. (I’m not saying that’s good. It’s just reality.)
When I wrote Iona Portal, I assumed the best way to publish fiction was to seek an agent and a publisher. I even queried one agent. But in the process I began to research the publishing industry. As I read the trade journals I discovered that publishers are frightened. They see the traditional model in decline, and are struggling to find a way to survive in the new paradigm.
But while the new paradigm might bring hard times for publishers, it offers unprecedented opportunities to you, the author. Here are 6 reasons why I believe self-publishing is now a better route for most authors…
1. YOU BYPASS THE QUERY PROCESS
Many aspiring authors spend years seeking an agent. They send query after query and get rejection after rejection. Why do they have such a hard time finding an agent? Maybe the book is no good. Maybe the book is great, but the author writes poor query letters. Maybe the book doesn’t fit easily into one of the agent’s categories. As The Shack proved, the success of your query doesn’t say much about the salability of your book.
Of course, the agony of the query process would be worth it IF getting an agent would guarantee success. But as we’ve seen, having an agent does not mean your book will sell. 90% of first-time authors—most of whom have agents—still fail.
2. YOU MAINTAIN CONTROL.
In traditional publishing, you yield control of your book to the publisher, who may ask you to make major changes. In my first two books, I was lucky and few changes were requested. But on my third book, the publisher asked me to make major changes, which I was unwilling to do. That’s when I switched to self-publishing. Interestingly, that self-published book (WITHOUT the publisher’s requested changes) has sold better than either of my traditionally published books!
3. YOU DRASTICALLY CUT THE TIME TO PUBLICATION
The average time from query to publication is 2 ½ years. Combined with the year or two you spent finding an agent, that means you’ll have to wait a long time to see your book in print!
With self-publishing, you can have your book published on major e-book platforms in less than a month! You can spend those extra years marketing your book and building a following instead of trying to get your book published.
4. You get better DISTRIBUTION
When my first book was published, I assumed the publisher would distribute it widely. My naive dream was to go into bookstores and see my book prominently displayed. It never happened. Three times I found my book on a bookstore shelf. I actually had people write me asking where they could get my book. They’d seen a friend’s copy and wanted to buy one, but could not find it in a bookstore. That kind of availability is not a formula for success.
But with e-publishing… in a single weekend, you can have your e-book for sale in the biggest online bookstores in the world, available to anyone who wants to purchase it, no matter where they live.
5. YOU CAN EARN MORE MONEY
The royalty rates for self-pub e-books are WAY ahead of anything traditional publishers offer. So even though your e-book costs less to buy than a dead-tree book, you will make more money on each book sold. That’s a better deal for the reader, and a better deal for you.
6. YOU GAIN TIME FOR YOUR BOOK TO SUCCEED
When my first book was published, I assumed the publisher would market it… that they would invest time and money to “get the word out” so people would buy it. Wrong again! The publisher did almost nothing to market my book. That’s pretty much the norm.
FEAR OF MARKETING – One of the biggest reasons people give for NOT self publishing is the fear that they’ll have to market their own book. The truth is, if you are not a celebrity, you WILL have to market your own book, no matter how you publish it. (But you CAN learn to do that! Other people do it, and you can too! There’s tons of material on the web to help.)
THE SELF-PUBLISHING ADVANTAGE – Self-publishing gives you one major advantage in marketing: TIME. With dead-tree publishing, you have a 3-month window to make your book a best-seller. If it’s not a success in 3 months, bookstores begin pulling it from the shelf. (Every book you’ve seen on a book clearance table represents some author’s crushed dream.)
There’s no time for word-of-mouth. There’s no time to build a following. You must “hit it” in a 3-month window. Some books are overnight sensations. But others take time. It took a year before people began to notice The Shack. But then it went viral.
Self-pub e-books give you all the time you need. Your e-book will be available to everyone, in the biggest online bookstores in the world, for as long as you want. You still have to market it. But you have time!
That’s why I decided to self-publish Iona Portal. And that’s why I believe, for the majority of first-time writers, it’s foolish not to self-publish!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Trollope to rework Austen in new HC series - I'm not sure this is such a good idea!!
13.09.11 Graeme Neill
Joanna Trollope is to write a contemporary reworking of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility as part of a new series to be published by HarperFiction.
Publishing director Louisa Joyner bought world rights from James Gill at United Agents. Trollope's Sense and Sensibility will be published in autumn 2013. It will form part of a series of six novels that rework Austen's books by well-known authors.
Joyner said: "I’m so excited that we’re able to announce the author so regularly described as a modern Jane Austen as the first literary marriage in this set of six betrothals. Joanna Trollope and Jane Austen share an extraordinary ability to combine heart-rending plots with a social acuity which has powerful resonances for contemporary audiences."
Trollope said: "This is a great honour and an even bigger challenge. It’s a hugely exciting proposal to attempt the reworking of one of the best novels written by one of our greatest novelists.
"This is a project which will require consummate respect above all else; not an emulation, but a tribute."
Joanna Trollope is to write a contemporary reworking of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility as part of a new series to be published by HarperFiction.
Publishing director Louisa Joyner bought world rights from James Gill at United Agents. Trollope's Sense and Sensibility will be published in autumn 2013. It will form part of a series of six novels that rework Austen's books by well-known authors.
Joyner said: "I’m so excited that we’re able to announce the author so regularly described as a modern Jane Austen as the first literary marriage in this set of six betrothals. Joanna Trollope and Jane Austen share an extraordinary ability to combine heart-rending plots with a social acuity which has powerful resonances for contemporary audiences."
Trollope said: "This is a great honour and an even bigger challenge. It’s a hugely exciting proposal to attempt the reworking of one of the best novels written by one of our greatest novelists.
"This is a project which will require consummate respect above all else; not an emulation, but a tribute."
Should I Hire a Book Publicist?
By Jason Boog on September 13, 2011 4:41 PM
Yesterday on the Morning Media Menu, independent publicist Lauren Cerand helped new authors answer a tough question: Should I hire a book publicist?
Cerand has worked with a variety of clients, including authors, booksellers, rock bands and publishing companies.
Here’s an excerpt from the interview: “I think there is less of a need to have a publicist on retainer who can broker high level major relationships for you … There are all these great places you can go online with a budget and you can say, ‘I want to learn one skill … Then you can decide, ‘Do I want to do a tour? Is there something I want to do that would make sense to have a publicist?”
Cerand continued: “Then you want to find a publicist in your price range by asking around. People can always contact me and I would be happy to point them in the right direction. You have to remember it is a custom project. Too often I see people with books about a subject that they are the absolute dead experts on and no one can touch their authority–because they have researched it all their lives. And they expect this junior publicist that’s in charge of their book to know better than they do about where they need to go to reach their readers. I think that’s a fallacy.”
She added: “You want a publicist who has a sense of what’s best for you strategically what’s important for you and who are going to open doors that you can’t. In the age of the Internet, we’ve largely democratized the process. For authors, I always say: It’s really about learning as many of these skills as you can. That’s what’s going to serve you best in your career, not keeping somebody on retainer indefinitely.”
Cerand concluded: “I’m really inspired by the flourishing of counterculture and independent publishing that happened in the 1920s, in New York especially. One of the things that has always interested me is that throughout time, artists have really done it for themselves. You can look at so many examples: Shipping heiress Nancy Cunard starting her own magazine to bring attention to social justice principles or people around the world who thought, ‘Perhaps I’ll go to Paris and see what else people are writing about’ in the time between the wars. Or the people who have sent a letter to someone who inspires them. We have to use our time on this planet to its greatest advantage, for human beings that always happens when we connect with someone else who shares some aspect of our own experience or who can teach us something we want to know.”
Yesterday on the Morning Media Menu, independent publicist Lauren Cerand helped new authors answer a tough question: Should I hire a book publicist?
Cerand has worked with a variety of clients, including authors, booksellers, rock bands and publishing companies.
Here’s an excerpt from the interview: “I think there is less of a need to have a publicist on retainer who can broker high level major relationships for you … There are all these great places you can go online with a budget and you can say, ‘I want to learn one skill … Then you can decide, ‘Do I want to do a tour? Is there something I want to do that would make sense to have a publicist?”
Cerand continued: “Then you want to find a publicist in your price range by asking around. People can always contact me and I would be happy to point them in the right direction. You have to remember it is a custom project. Too often I see people with books about a subject that they are the absolute dead experts on and no one can touch their authority–because they have researched it all their lives. And they expect this junior publicist that’s in charge of their book to know better than they do about where they need to go to reach their readers. I think that’s a fallacy.”
She added: “You want a publicist who has a sense of what’s best for you strategically what’s important for you and who are going to open doors that you can’t. In the age of the Internet, we’ve largely democratized the process. For authors, I always say: It’s really about learning as many of these skills as you can. That’s what’s going to serve you best in your career, not keeping somebody on retainer indefinitely.”
Cerand concluded: “I’m really inspired by the flourishing of counterculture and independent publishing that happened in the 1920s, in New York especially. One of the things that has always interested me is that throughout time, artists have really done it for themselves. You can look at so many examples: Shipping heiress Nancy Cunard starting her own magazine to bring attention to social justice principles or people around the world who thought, ‘Perhaps I’ll go to Paris and see what else people are writing about’ in the time between the wars. Or the people who have sent a letter to someone who inspires them. We have to use our time on this planet to its greatest advantage, for human beings that always happens when we connect with someone else who shares some aspect of our own experience or who can teach us something we want to know.”
To Kill a Mockingbird tops WBN poll
13.09.11 Graeme Neill
Readers have nominated Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird as the book they would most like to see given away as part of next year's World Book Night.
During the past two months, more than 6,000 book lovers have nominated the titles they would like to see included in next year's event with more than 8,000 individual titles put forward. The top 100 most voted-for books has been compiled, with Lee's 50-year-old classic topping the list.
Three classics make the top 10—Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (number two), Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre (four) and Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights (eight). Neil Gaiman has the most titles in the top 100 with American Gods (11), Neverwhere (35), The Graveyard Book (76) and Stardust (86) all receiving votes.
Julia Kingsford, c.e.o. of World Book Night, said: "It's wonderful to see the passionate choices of so many people and, above all, the diversity of those choices. We had always expected there to be a wide range of books nominated but to have so many titles chosen is a great reminder of the power and passion of individual readers.
"And though many 'old favourites' from previous top 100s are present, it's a really fresh, dynamic and fascinating snapshot of the books people love with some genuine surprises."
The selection will be used to inform the choice of WBN's editorial selection committee. Chaired by Tracy Chevalier, the committee will reveal the 25 books chosen for World Book Night 2012 on 12th October at Frankfurt Book Fair.
The top 10 voted-for books are:
1 To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee 2 Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen 3 The Book Thief Markus Zusak 4 Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte 5 The Time Traveler's Wife Audrey Niffenegger 6 The Lord of the Rings J R R Tolkien 7 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams 8 Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte 9 Rebecca Daphne Du Maurier 10 The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini
Readers have nominated Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird as the book they would most like to see given away as part of next year's World Book Night.
During the past two months, more than 6,000 book lovers have nominated the titles they would like to see included in next year's event with more than 8,000 individual titles put forward. The top 100 most voted-for books has been compiled, with Lee's 50-year-old classic topping the list.
Three classics make the top 10—Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (number two), Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre (four) and Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights (eight). Neil Gaiman has the most titles in the top 100 with American Gods (11), Neverwhere (35), The Graveyard Book (76) and Stardust (86) all receiving votes.
Julia Kingsford, c.e.o. of World Book Night, said: "It's wonderful to see the passionate choices of so many people and, above all, the diversity of those choices. We had always expected there to be a wide range of books nominated but to have so many titles chosen is a great reminder of the power and passion of individual readers.
"And though many 'old favourites' from previous top 100s are present, it's a really fresh, dynamic and fascinating snapshot of the books people love with some genuine surprises."
The selection will be used to inform the choice of WBN's editorial selection committee. Chaired by Tracy Chevalier, the committee will reveal the 25 books chosen for World Book Night 2012 on 12th October at Frankfurt Book Fair.
The top 10 voted-for books are:
1 To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee 2 Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen 3 The Book Thief Markus Zusak 4 Jane Eyre Charlotte Bronte 5 The Time Traveler's Wife Audrey Niffenegger 6 The Lord of the Rings J R R Tolkien 7 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Douglas Adams 8 Wuthering Heights Emily Bronte 9 Rebecca Daphne Du Maurier 10 The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Bestsellers - moved up 1!!
MONDAY, 29 AUGUST 2011
Bestsellers on Amazon - 29 August
1. The Snake River Bounty by Bill Shields (Hardcover - 28 Feb 2011)
From £8.71
2. The Ballad of Delta Rose by Jack Martin (Hardcover - 29 Jul 2011)
From £9.11
3. The Black Horse Westerns: Collection No. 1 by Abe Dancer, Dean Edwards, Tyler Hatch and Scott Connor (Kindle Edition - 1 Jan 2011)
Buy: £6.86
4. The Tarnished Star by Jack Martin (Hardcover - 30 Jun 2009)
From £4.00
5. Revenge for a Hanging by Richard Smith (Hardcover - 29 Jul 2011)
From £9.11
6. Drive to Redemption by Mike Deane (Hardcover - 31 May 2011)
From £8.71
7. Showdown at Snakebite Creek by Thomas McNulty (Hardcover - 29 Jul 2011)
From £9.12
8. The Shadow of Iron Eyes by Rory Black (Hardcover - 31 Oct 2011)
Buy new: £13.25
9. Scar County Showdown by Elliot Long (Hardcover - 28 Feb 2011)
From £9.07
10. Ace High in Wilderness by Rob Hill (Hardcover - 30 Jun 2011)
From £8.73
From £8.71
2. The Ballad of Delta Rose by Jack Martin (Hardcover - 29 Jul 2011)
From £9.11
3. The Black Horse Westerns: Collection No. 1 by Abe Dancer, Dean Edwards, Tyler Hatch and Scott Connor (Kindle Edition - 1 Jan 2011)
Buy: £6.86
4. The Tarnished Star by Jack Martin (Hardcover - 30 Jun 2009)
From £4.00
5. Revenge for a Hanging by Richard Smith (Hardcover - 29 Jul 2011)
From £9.11
6. Drive to Redemption by Mike Deane (Hardcover - 31 May 2011)
From £8.71
7. Showdown at Snakebite Creek by Thomas McNulty (Hardcover - 29 Jul 2011)
From £9.12
8. The Shadow of Iron Eyes by Rory Black (Hardcover - 31 Oct 2011)
Buy new: £13.25
9. Scar County Showdown by Elliot Long (Hardcover - 28 Feb 2011)
From £9.07
10. Ace High in Wilderness by Rob Hill (Hardcover - 30 Jun 2011)
From £8.73
Trade greets end of Waterstone's 3 for 2
Trade greets end of Waterstone's 3 for 2
01.09.11 Lisa Campbell, Graeme Neill and Charlotte Williams
Publishers and trade figures have broadly reacted positively towards the scrapping of Waterstone’s 3-for-2 promotion.
As The Bookseller revealed earlier today [31st August], the offer is expected to be scrapped in September and replaced by discount off individual books. It marks the end of arguably the most recognisable book offer, which has been part of Waterstone's for more than a decade.
Ursula Mackenzie, c.e.o of Little, Brown and chair of the Trade Publishers’ Council at the Publishers Association, said Daunt's move was the right one as in difficult economic times customers are not necessarily looking to buy two books. She said: “Refreshing the offer will be a good thing, I’m not sure that the 3-for-2 is what people are looking for. They want one book, at the cheapest possible price.”
Kerr MacRae, executive director of Simon & Schuster, said scrapping the offer needed to be done. He said: “I don’t think anyone will mourn 3-for-2s to the depth and level that they ended up in Waterstone’s. When it started it was quite selective, sticking to specific authors or genres and it grew into a bit of a monster. It became the default position in terms of Waterstone’s front of store proposition. In scrapping it, it’s the first step for them to look at new and innovative ways to sell things differently.”
Scott Pack, publisher at The Friday Project and former buying manager at Waterstone’s, defended the offer on Twitter and said W H Smith would be "delighted" with its abolition. He said: “When we tried to reduce the number of books on the 3 for 2 offer it didn’t work financially, it didn’t make as much money. But that was a different time. This may be more of a cultural change...It is the end of an era. It is really fascinating how many people are talking about this – authors, readers, publishers. It is part of our cultural fabric.”
One indie publisher said: "If you get a book in the 3-for-2 offer it sells and sells and sells. Even though the margin is lower, it is a dream for us."
David Roche, former Borders c.e.o. and Waterstone's product director, said: “Love it or hate it, the 3 for 2 campaign became a treadmill that always resulted in a headache whenever you attempted to extricate yourself from it. It did sell a lot of books and over the years has boosted the career, or certainly individual titles, of many an emerging author.”
However, he added: “Having said that, everything has a sell-by date and there should be no taboo in replacing the 3 for 2 with something that might be more relevant to the current state of the market/economy and for the variety of store locations that Waterstone's currently operates in. The magic is to hit on a formula and balance that works better, or to have a range of scaleable offers and incentives that help put a spotlight on a curated selection of individual books (be they frontlist or backlist) and different authors, be they household names or new writing talent that needs championing. Carrying on as Waterstone's were is clearly not the answer so James should be applauded for trying something different rather than doing more of the same."
Some Waterstone's staff were told of the move earlier this week, with one source telling The Bookseller campaign books would subsequently be uniformly priced at £5, while another suggested a more staggered offer for paperbacks, with £3, £5 and £7 pricepoints available.
Jonathan Lloyd, c.e.o. of Curtis Brown, echoed those who said three books is not necessarily what customers always want. He said: “3-for-2 often meant spending enormous amounts of time looking for a third book you didn’t really want. Like so many activities, two is more satisfying than three.”
The news has seen coverage in The Independent, The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian. Writing in The Independent, David Prosser said: "In axing Waterstone's three for two offers, Mr Daunt is steering the bookshops towards the sort of philosophy that has worked for him in the past." But he notedL "The three for two deal is an effective way to shift the work of lesser-known authors, to expand their audiences and to turn them into the bestsellers of tomorrow. Without the support of being thrown into promotions featuring today's star-names, those authors may find the going tougher."
The Guardian quotes the author Robert Muchamore, who said: "Multibuys have never worked for me with books because you need to find three eclectic non-identical products."
01.09.11 Lisa Campbell, Graeme Neill and Charlotte Williams
Publishers and trade figures have broadly reacted positively towards the scrapping of Waterstone’s 3-for-2 promotion.
As The Bookseller revealed earlier today [31st August], the offer is expected to be scrapped in September and replaced by discount off individual books. It marks the end of arguably the most recognisable book offer, which has been part of Waterstone's for more than a decade.
Ursula Mackenzie, c.e.o of Little, Brown and chair of the Trade Publishers’ Council at the Publishers Association, said Daunt's move was the right one as in difficult economic times customers are not necessarily looking to buy two books. She said: “Refreshing the offer will be a good thing, I’m not sure that the 3-for-2 is what people are looking for. They want one book, at the cheapest possible price.”
Kerr MacRae, executive director of Simon & Schuster, said scrapping the offer needed to be done. He said: “I don’t think anyone will mourn 3-for-2s to the depth and level that they ended up in Waterstone’s. When it started it was quite selective, sticking to specific authors or genres and it grew into a bit of a monster. It became the default position in terms of Waterstone’s front of store proposition. In scrapping it, it’s the first step for them to look at new and innovative ways to sell things differently.”
Scott Pack, publisher at The Friday Project and former buying manager at Waterstone’s, defended the offer on Twitter and said W H Smith would be "delighted" with its abolition. He said: “When we tried to reduce the number of books on the 3 for 2 offer it didn’t work financially, it didn’t make as much money. But that was a different time. This may be more of a cultural change...It is the end of an era. It is really fascinating how many people are talking about this – authors, readers, publishers. It is part of our cultural fabric.”
One indie publisher said: "If you get a book in the 3-for-2 offer it sells and sells and sells. Even though the margin is lower, it is a dream for us."
David Roche, former Borders c.e.o. and Waterstone's product director, said: “Love it or hate it, the 3 for 2 campaign became a treadmill that always resulted in a headache whenever you attempted to extricate yourself from it. It did sell a lot of books and over the years has boosted the career, or certainly individual titles, of many an emerging author.”
However, he added: “Having said that, everything has a sell-by date and there should be no taboo in replacing the 3 for 2 with something that might be more relevant to the current state of the market/economy and for the variety of store locations that Waterstone's currently operates in. The magic is to hit on a formula and balance that works better, or to have a range of scaleable offers and incentives that help put a spotlight on a curated selection of individual books (be they frontlist or backlist) and different authors, be they household names or new writing talent that needs championing. Carrying on as Waterstone's were is clearly not the answer so James should be applauded for trying something different rather than doing more of the same."
Some Waterstone's staff were told of the move earlier this week, with one source telling The Bookseller campaign books would subsequently be uniformly priced at £5, while another suggested a more staggered offer for paperbacks, with £3, £5 and £7 pricepoints available.
Jonathan Lloyd, c.e.o. of Curtis Brown, echoed those who said three books is not necessarily what customers always want. He said: “3-for-2 often meant spending enormous amounts of time looking for a third book you didn’t really want. Like so many activities, two is more satisfying than three.”
The news has seen coverage in The Independent, The Daily Telegraph and The Guardian. Writing in The Independent, David Prosser said: "In axing Waterstone's three for two offers, Mr Daunt is steering the bookshops towards the sort of philosophy that has worked for him in the past." But he notedL "The three for two deal is an effective way to shift the work of lesser-known authors, to expand their audiences and to turn them into the bestsellers of tomorrow. Without the support of being thrown into promotions featuring today's star-names, those authors may find the going tougher."
The Guardian quotes the author Robert Muchamore, who said: "Multibuys have never worked for me with books because you need to find three eclectic non-identical products."
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Bestselling BHWs on Amazon - Hanging in there!!
1. The Snake River Bounty by Bill Shields (Hardcover - 28 Feb 2011) From £8.79
2. Kill Or Be Killed by Corba Sunman (Hardcover - 31 Jul 2008) From £0.01
3. The Tarnished Star by Jack Martin (Hardcover - 30 Jun 2009) From £4.00
4. The Ballad of Delta Rose by Jack Martin (Hardcover - 29 Jul 2011) From £10.28
5. The Black Horse Westerns: Collection No. 1 by Abe Dancer, Dean Edwards, Tyler Hatch and Scott Connor (Kindle Edition - 1 Jan 2011) Buy: £6.86
6. Revenge for a Hanging by Richard Smith (Hardcover - 29 Jul 2011) From £10.20
7. Drive to Redemption by Mike Deane (Hardcover - 31 May 2011) From £8.62
8. Showdown at Snakebite Creek by Thomas McNulty (Hardcover - 29 Jul 2011) From £10.28 9. The Iron Roads by Caleb Rand (Hardcover - 31 May 2007) From £0.01
10. The Shadow of Iron Eyes by Rory Black (Hardcover - 31 Oct 2011) Buy new: £13.25
Posted on blackhorseexpress.blogspot.com
2. Kill Or Be Killed by Corba Sunman (Hardcover - 31 Jul 2008) From £0.01
3. The Tarnished Star by Jack Martin (Hardcover - 30 Jun 2009) From £4.00
4. The Ballad of Delta Rose by Jack Martin (Hardcover - 29 Jul 2011) From £10.28
5. The Black Horse Westerns: Collection No. 1 by Abe Dancer, Dean Edwards, Tyler Hatch and Scott Connor (Kindle Edition - 1 Jan 2011) Buy: £6.86
6. Revenge for a Hanging by Richard Smith (Hardcover - 29 Jul 2011) From £10.20
7. Drive to Redemption by Mike Deane (Hardcover - 31 May 2011) From £8.62
8. Showdown at Snakebite Creek by Thomas McNulty (Hardcover - 29 Jul 2011) From £10.28 9. The Iron Roads by Caleb Rand (Hardcover - 31 May 2007) From £0.01
10. The Shadow of Iron Eyes by Rory Black (Hardcover - 31 Oct 2011) Buy new: £13.25
Posted on blackhorseexpress.blogspot.com
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