Subj : Graphic Novel
To   : August Abolins
From : Charles Pierson
Date : Thu Nov 19 2020 20:43:56

Hello, August Abolins.
On 11/19/20 12:10 AM you wrote:

 AA> Hello Charles! ** On Wednesday 18.11.20 - 21:45, Charles Pierson 
 AA> wrote to August Abolins:
 CP>> I know the price is from the publisher. I understand how all of 
 CP>> that works. I have been on enough writers mail lists to pick up 
 CP>> on that. My point is still valid. They set the price because 
 CP>> there are people that will pay that price.
 AA> The retail price for the new vanity book by Barack Obama is   set 
 AA> at $55CDN.  I have people resisting to pay the full price   
 AA> because they boast that Amazon is selling for $20.  Are you   
 AA> suggesting that it is therefore poor business choice to stock   
 AA> the book if I am not willing to sell at the same loss as   Amazon?

I would guess that you have had your business for a while, and that you know your customers and their buying habits.

So I am pretty sure, minimum order quantities and the like aside, you don't stock more than you believe you will sell in a reasonable time frame, nor an amount that will leave you stuck with a ridiculous inventory tax when that comes due.

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

It's possible. It's also possible other factors might have affected things.
 
 AA>>> ..The total startup cost   is substantial - for me. There are 
 AA>>> yearly fees to keep the system going.
 CP>> I've looked into online stores. It's painful.
 AA> The covid lockdown has not helped the matter. It has driven me   
 AA> into 5-figures of debt - instantly.  It is not an easy peasy   
 AA> solution to just pay for and configure an online presence   
 AA> overnight.

I know it isn't.  As I've said, I have looked into it some for my own purposes, and there is no way I could manage it in the current environment.
 
 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.
 AA> Ah.. there is another misconception.  I *can* do the volume of   
 AA> the big guys if I wanted. First, I would need extended   storage.  
 AA> Then, I can send back the copies that do not sell   (within a 
 AA> deadline set by the publisher.)  In truth, Amazon is   making 
 AA> money from other products, not the books. They are   simply 
 AA> undercutting the traditional independent book store,   upselling 
 AA> memberships for their music/movie streaming, the   yearly fee 
 AA> membership for even more apparent discounts and   free shipping, 
 AA> and simply returning unsold copies to the   publishers.

Not so much a misconception, as an oversimplification.

Currently, as your business stands, you aren't equipped to do the volume of the big guys.  That's what I meant.  Not that you could never do so.

And yes Amazon and the like do a huge range of goods and services to offset selling items at a loss that for the most part independent stores can't do.



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