Is it any wonder that Britain’s independent book sellers are going out of business? In most towns WH Smiths and Waterstones have a monopoly on the books sold due to cheaper prices that other bookstores just can’t compete with. So what is the cost that a should be looking to pay publisher to be included in the below lists? Some figures …
(WH Smith)
Book of the week £25,000
Deal of the week £15,000
Travel Front of Store £3,500-£4,000
Chart Wall £1,500 – £4,000
Great Price £10,000
Waterstones
Paperbacks of the year £2’600 – £6,350
Book of the month £4,000
Offer of the week £5,000
Amazon
Deal of the week £3,000
(all were correct upto beginning of Marchsee Private eye’s 1230-1231, finding more up to date figures has proved a non starter)
With so much money going to the big companies and such cheap prices on offer, why bother going to an independent book retailer? Independents stock a wider range of books, they will be more expensive, yes, but for the freedom of choice(as opposed to being told that ‘X’ is ’the deal of the week’ because the companies have paid for it for it to be so) i would take the higher price anyday.
