The Bookseller.com

5th July 2008

Alison Flood is The Bookseller's news editor.

Indies rock in Brighton

13.03.08

An effervescent Independent Publishers Guild conference in Brighton last weekend was uncowed by the waves and wind lashing the Grand Hotel. From Alastair Sawday Publishing to Zymurgy, independents turned out in force to network, pick up prizes at the second Independent Publishing Awards, and grill the UK's top retailers on their business practices.

Amazon UK vice-president Chris North kicked off proceedings with a rousing call to action. "Received wisdom has it that publishers, and independent publishers in particular, are in deep trouble," he told the 210 delegates. "It would be quite easy to conclude that you are in the very last stages­ of terminal decline, [but] I think this is precisely the wrong conclusion to draw."

North laid out his five tips for surviving as an independent publisher, and told gathered independents that they were justifiably optimistic about their future. "If independent publishers can master these five sets of skills, I feel very confident that the optimistic feeling in this room is justifiably positive, and you can look forward to a real, lasting renaissance for independent publishing."

"I've been in publishing since 1974," said Encyclopaedia Britannica's Ian Grant, "and it is now the most exciting, stimulating age for being a publisher. The glass might be half empty—but it's bubbling."

Waterstone's m.d. Gerry Johnson also provided further reassurances for independents, telling them that those small publishers who deal with Waterstone's on a store-by-store basis would continue to be able to do so.

"Through Peter North, our independent publisher co-ordinator, we are making sure that those publishers who deal directly with us at store level are protected," Johnson said. "Our challenge is to find a way to make that work, and we will. Your access to the business might change, but you won't be shut off."

He assured the conference that Waterstone's would not start to buy its entire range centrally. "We would lose the expertise out of Waterstone's if we moved to central buying, so we won't," he said. "We can't afford to lose colour out of our range. If I have a 5,000 sq ft store on Chiswick high street, I need to make sure my range is relevant to that local market. My ambition is that about half the range will come through core ranging, and the balance of it will be driven at a local level."

Johnson, along with the heads of Foyles, Amazon, Blackwell and John Smith (and former Borders c.e.o. David Roche), was grilled by publishers on retailer marketing charges. "How can a small publisher get a book into front of store without paying a substantial marketing fee?" asked Neal Hoskins of Winged Chariot Press.

"We do charge for some promotions but not all," said Johnson, who defended the process. "I absolutely think we should charge and don't lose any sleep over it. It costs a huge amount to run a window [and] I also think it is a mark of belief—if you're not prepared to put your money behind that title, why should we be?"

Roche urged independents to find their niche. "You should constantly be looking out for what's appropriate, where there is a gap in the market, and what the demand is." This was echoed by North: "Independent publishers are able to be more nimble, exploit niche opportunities and get closer to the author."

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