In reply to Peter Riley's email, there seem two responses to make:
Password have always had a policy of only distributing/repping presses with
a certain quality of production, professionalism toward marketing [eg
actually supplying them with addvance information! - Im having to supply
july thru Jan 99 to them this week, along with advance covers], and a
minimum number of titles per year. I think it is this last one that has
meant a lot of *small presses* havent been able to be repped. I also think
- and I realised this the hard way - that some titles simply don't sell in
bookshops; and that placing books in bookshops acheves nothing if there is
no demand from readers/'the public'.
I've certainly had run-ins with Password in the past, but would certainly
defend Siganture, as they are now called, for getting off their arses and
shifting units. Also that they have given notice to various waste-of-space
presses who have flagrantly violated their contracts. No-one has to go with
distributors/reps, no; but some of us - Stride, anyway - has currently
chosen to attempt to enter bookshops/the book trade rather than the
mail-order route. That seems a decision it's mine to take. So I lose two
sets of commission, yes [design etc is co-ordinated from here, not farmed
out to a 'design firm'] - but Peter knows this is how the book trade works.
What's the problem? We're back to the old subvert from-the-inside or
heckle-from-outside debate.
I personally am very dissapointed that Signature have given Sun & Moon
notice, but Central will do the business.
Surely, imagining that by reducing prices of books - to below the normal
market value - is naive? Carcanet, Bloodaxe, Reality Street, Stride,
whoever, don't charge over-the-odds. Certainly I don't feel we'd sell more
books by trying to make them cheaper than normal - people are just
suspicious. Let's face it, many poets don't buy poetry anyway - Peter knows
this, all us publishers know it. Most research has shown poetry is bought
sporadically and occasionally; those of us with large poetry libraries -
especially catholic ones - are rare. There is no niche market to sustain
us. Every title hjas to be sold differently and to different people.
enough ranting. if you want poetry published buy the stuff. Certainly
Stride only survives because of our music and critical list.
rupert
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