Comments on: Bookstores Recommended Books Are Paid for by Publisher

By: Li

Li — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 21:16:35 +0000

I’m not surprised either – I’m sure all large chain bookstores do it. I’m pretty sure I’ve read that Borders and WH Smith (two other large chains in the UK) charge as well for prime spots/product spotlights.

Here’s the response from Waterstones, in case you haven’t seen it:
http://www.thebookseller.com/news/40785-waterstones-defends-hidden-charges.html

By: sherry thomas

sherry thomas — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 02:54:03 +0000

I must say I, too, am suffering from sticker shock. We keep hearing about bookstore sales dropping, do they manage to make up the rest with higher promotion fees?

By: Keishon

Keishon — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 02:12:55 +0000

Can I say that I am not surprised? There are a million books published, how else are you gonna stand out from the crowd?

By: Caroline

Caroline — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 21:54:21 +0000

As I understand it, pretty much every aspect of placement is a paid service (at least with the major chains). If you find a book on the New Releases table; on the New in Romance display; on the Hot New Reads shelf, you should assume the publisher paid, in some fashion, for that book to be there.

I’ve never seen a price menu before, but this is all part of the “co-op” money publishers spend to make their top titles succeed. And yes, the more they pay as advance, generally the more they spend to promote the book. Assuming 8% royalty on a $6.99 book, over 175K books need to sell to earn back an advance of $100,000. Given that shelf life is often short, the publishers pull out the stops to make those sales up front.

By: Jane

Jane — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 20:47:21 +0000

I’m just completely shocked at the cost, but I guess if you are giving 6 figure advances, you need to sell enough books to justify it.

By: Rosie

Rosie — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 20:31:11 +0000

I got my rude awakening when I posted pictures of the AA books in the center kiosk shelves at my local B&N. An author posted that the publisher probably paid to have the books there and promote them, not that the store manager had an epiphany or reader demand got them there.

To my mind it makes the word of mouth and readers “finding” books and promoting them all the more powerful.

By: Kalen Hughes

Kalen Hughes — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 15:01:26 +0000

I hardly believe that Waterstone is the only bookstore who is doing this.

They’re not. The Borders newsletter with all those “letters to the reader” etc. is a paid for promo, as is placement at the front of the bookstore in all major chain bookstores in the States.

By: Phyl

Phyl — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 14:08:20 +0000

Because this doesn’t surprise me, I wish there were a way to compile a “best-read” list. I may buy (or borrow) 10 books, but the one I pick up to read next more than likely has more to do with an enthusiastic comment from a reader than its placement on a bestseller list. Similarly, a book can remain in the TBR pile because of lukewarm or negative comments. Basically, I’m more interested in what others are actually reading than what they’re buying. I believe there IS a difference.