Royalties: Should Used Bookstores Pay Them?
I’m sure this is a subject that has been discussed over and over in the past, but it seems to have been mildly revitalized in the last few months by the blogosphere (such as at Teleread). What has probably driven it out of the wood works, if it was ever there in the first place, is the crash of the economy and the rippling effect that tore through the book industry. Used bookstores, of course, have been hit hard by the economic crisis, with many of our favorite indie used bookstores shutting down and some we thought were secure due to their popularity now shivering in their boots. But what about those used bookstores that are still around? They’re selling loads of second-hand books, tossing around cheaper prices, and undercutting the big guy, right? Sure, but should these stores have to pay royalties to the publishing houses for selling second-hand? Or should things remain as they were? Of course, this excludes stores that also sell new books, since obviously they would have to pay full price for those books anyway. Then again, we don’t generally expect to pay half price for a brand new book (well, maybe some of us do). My personal opinion is that used bookstores shouldn’t have to pay royalties for the following reasons: I’m selfish and if I can get an older book for dirt cheap, I’ll jump on it. Trying to charge royalties to these stores will shift the cost to the consumer, will shut down most, if not all, of the second-hand industry, and will drastically change the entire structure of the book industry in general, which will have adverse effects on everyone. I see this as a way of latching on to profits that have been lost due to poor marketing or the failures of the industry to sell books. But this is something illogical that is stuck in the back of my head and I am, as of this moment, incapable of quantifying it. The cost of applying a royalty-payment system (for tracking, etc.) will trickle down from both the publishing and second-hand industries to all of us, which could reduce the attractiveness of used bookstores–most will go out of business. Teleread points out that a lot of people will stop buying books altogether when the cost rises due to economic reasons. This is probably true, at least for a segment of the population. What will most likely happen is that readers will buy fewer books, which, in turn, will cause a fallout in the book industry as independent bookstores drop off the face of the Earth, more people lose their jobs at publishing houses, etc. Perhaps in more economically stable times this would have seemed a “good idea,” but I wonder if the folks proposing royalties for used bookstores in the U.S. have considered the ramifications of these ideas in today’s society. All this isn’t to say that I don’t understand the reasoning behind wanting second-hand stores to pay royalties. I completely get it. But it’s also problematic, and I think trying to problematize the book industry further will be far worse than simply adjusting with the times. Besides, second-hand bookstores are already concerned about a future where there will be fewer dead tree books and more electronic books. Sooner or later, I suspect, the second-hand industry will dwindle as newer books fail to get into their stores some ten years after publication. But that’s just a guess. What do you think about all this? Do you think used bookstores should pay royalties?
Rejection: Nobody Gives a Crap About Compsagnathus
Well, another one rejected! Yippee. It will be off elsewhere today. Anywho. I have nothing else to say.
Inside the Blogosphere: Book Marketing Favorites
John recently asked if anyone would like to host the “Inside the Blogosphere” series on their blogs and I volunteered. Of course, I’m later than I expected on this, but in any case, here is this round’s question: What is your favorite form of book marketing? And what form of book marketing do you find most convincing? The question is based on John’s Tor article. Here’s what everyone had to say: Lisa (Danger Gal): I used to work in television and now I’m a web designer, so I’m often drawn to the visual nature of book trailers. When done well, they do tempt me to at least find out more about a book. Ultimately it’s the cover, book blurb, and first few pages that convince me, though. If those don’t hold up to what I expected from the trailer then I don’t buy. When I’m perusing in a book store, certainly the cover is what grabs me. Often I’m in that store looking for a specific title, though, after having read a review. When it comes to covers, a depiction of a strong heroine will always interest me. Internet ads do draw me in, and I have in fact purchased a few books from clicking on Internet ads, but they function for me similarly to how book trailers function. I think Web sites are a critical tool in maintaining a connection to an author’s core audience. It might only rarely draw in new readers, but it will harness the pull of existing readers and may capture the attention of a reader on the fence about a particular author. It’s a great way to build a mailing list and use that mailing list to drum up anticipation of new releases. As a reader I’m not so interested in blogs where authors talk about the mundane details of their lives, though I may be in the minority on that — and it does seem to depend on how entertaining an author can make the post. I’d rather read some insight into their research methods, what inspired some of their stories, or other topics that directly relate to their books. Author interviews can be useful, but I don’t often have time to read them. Twitter is fun, and if an author is particularly witty in this format then it’s a great tool. FaceBook does seem to be able to reach audiences in ways a web site often doesn’t. I think FB can be a useful tool to push audiences to an author’s Web site. John Markley: I like a nice, extensive publisher website, especially if it goes beyond just listing the books available. I love reading background info on books and authors, author interviews, fan discussion, and things like that. If the website is interesting, I’m a lot more likely to spend some time exploring it and end up stumbling on new books that seem like they might be interesting. It’s a strange irony that with a few exceptions- principally Baen- SF publishers really seemed to lag behind on this until fairly recently, and in some cases still do. Ace, a name that’s been a Titan of science fiction publishing longer than I’ve been alive, has an official Internet presence consisting of a three-paragraph historical overview and a bare bones entry for each book on the Penguin Group Inc. website. It doesn’t seem to be a question of resources; indeed, my experience is that smaller publishers often seem to put more into this than bigger ones. Night Shade Books is a small company but has a nice site, while Ace is an arm of a huge publishing conglomerate and yet has less info online than the cereal I had for breakfast this morning. I’ve bought books that I would have most likely overlooked from learning about them on some of the more interesting publisher websites, so I’m hoping that more publishers will take advantage of this form of promotion. Elizabeth : Personally I find the cover as the biggest marketing tool. Probably fickle, I know. Even had I never heard of Peter V. Brett’s The Painted Man, before buying it, I would have bought it. Purely for the fantastic artwork on the front. I’ve picked up many a new author because of the illustration on the front cover and similarly, there are books I won’t touch with a pitchfork because of the lurid covers. I also like continuity in covers – for instance, the new covers done for Robin Hobb genuinely appeal to me. I have read all of them but am keen to own them all over again, purely because of the emblematic covers. Similarly the new covers brought out for James Barclays books – genius marketing. Another author whose work I admire greatly is Charles de Lint – recently his older novels are being re-done and the artwork is indicative of the magic within the books. Something which Orbit is doing – as I’m sure many others know – is doing behind the scenes peeks at how front covers are put together. Visit the Orbit blog to view what they’ve done for Joe Abercrombie’s newest novel – it is very much an eye opener. Press releases – very few readers see them. As a book blog reviewer, I love them! I keep all of mine tucked into the books I get sent. I do read the sheets as a lot of times it has more information about the author and the novel than just the blurb on the back and at times they make mention of the marketing they have in mind for the book – and that is something I find very interesting. Book reviews – I have a few other bloggers whose sites I visit to catch up on reviews on books I don’t have and I have been swayed to buy loads this way. I will however not read reviews on books that I have got to review myself. You have to keep an open mind and