Subj : Graphic Novel
To   : Charles Pierson
From : August Abolins
Date : Thu Nov 19 2020 00:10:00

Hello Charles!

** On Wednesday 18.11.20 - 21:45, Charles Pierson wrote to August Abolins:

 CP> I know the price is from the publisher. I understand how all of that
 CP> works. I have been on enough writers mail lists to pick up on that.

 CP> My point is still valid. They set the price because there are people that
 CP> will pay that price.

The retail price for the new vanity book by Barack Obama is  
set at $55CDN.  I have people resisting to pay the full price  
because they boast that Amazon is selling for $20.  Are you  
suggesting that it is therefore poor business choice to stock  
the book if I am not willing to sell at the same loss as  
Amazon?


 AA>> shops have simply given up - and far too early IMHO - when the
 AA>> the ereader was introduced around year 2006.

 CP> Here, I think B&N chased everyone off.

I think if some of the independents had rallied together (for  
support and promotional ideas) they might still be around.


 AA>> ..The total startup cost   is substantial - for me.
 AA>> There are yearly fees to keep the system going.

 CP> I've looked into online stores. It's painful.

The covid lockdown has not helped the matter. It has driven me  
into 5-figures of debt - instantly.  It is not an easy peasy  
solution to just pay for and configure an online presence  
overnight.


 AA>> Explain to me how could I sell at below cost (to compete with
 AA>> the 4-letter companies) and maintain the fees for an online
 AA>> ordering system.

 CP> You can't you can't do their volume.

Ah.. there is another misconception.  I *can* do the volume of  
the big guys if I wanted. First, I would need extended  
storage.  Then, I can send back the copies that do not sell  
(within a deadline set by the publisher.)  In truth, Amazon is  
making money from other products, not the books. They are  
simply undercutting the traditional independent book store,  
upselling memberships for their music/movie streaming, the  
yearly fee membership for even more apparent discounts and  
free shipping, and simply returning unsold copies to the  
publishers.

I told my agents that I can do the same thing - if they want  
to process a whole pile of returns every month for every book.

I asked them.. compared to me and other independents, from  
whom do they process the majority of overstock?  The answer  
was not surprising.

Amazon orders overstock. That makes them look like a good  
customer to the publisher for an order. But the quantities of  
returns gets little scrutiny.
--
  ../|ug

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