The Bookseller.com

20th November 2008

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Booker boost for booksellers

27.09.07 Tom Tivnan

Man Booker Prize shortlisted publishers have upped their game and ensured a steady supply of titles to booksellers, following last year's "disastrous" performance.

In 2006, booksellers experienced sporadic availability of shortlisted titles, and struggled to obtain stock. This time round, all longlisted publishers were told to be prepared to reprint immediately if shortlisted.

More than 102,000 copies of the six titles combined have been reprinted since the list was announced on 6th September, all through Suffolk-based printer Clays. Simon & Schuster has led the charge, reprinting 35,000 copies of Indra Sinha's Animal's People, while Cape reprinted 30,000 of Ian McEwan's On Chesil Beach.

John Murray has reprinted 16,000 copies of bookies' favourite Lloyd Jones' Mister Pip. James Spackman, John Murray sales director, said: "Clays did an amazing job for us. They turned it round very quickly." Ion Trewin, Man Booker administrator, added: "I was enormously impressed with the publishers' response this year, compared to last year's disaster."

Booksellers have largely reported no problems with availability, although Blackwell said it had "some problems" with supply in the first week of the shortlist announcement, which have now been resolved. "There was stock in the shops at the shortlist announcement, but it went pretty quickly," agreed John Murray m.d. Roland Philipps. "There might have been a day when some shops had patchy delivery, but otherwise it was pretty seamless."

The Booker committee has also marketed the prize more aggressively, including its first advertising campaign not run in conjunction with a publisher or bookseller. "In the past, maybe we didn't have to do that," Trewin said. "But nowadays we need to tell people we are here—that helps getting us space in the shops."

Although actual sales figures for the six titles are down from last year—from a total of 5,909 through Nielsen BookScan for the first week of the announcement in 2006 to 5,006 this year—percentages are up. This year's crop has seen a 70% jump in sales in the first week, compared to a 40% increase last year.

At Waterstone's the shortlist is being promoted front-of-store with Booker-dedicated point of sale. Tesco will support the Booker through its Recommended Reads bays in 150 of its stores, but not until 17th October. Because of its internal ordering processes, the supermarket needed to know the shortlist by 3rd September and will not order again until 16th October. David Cooke, senior buying manager, said: "We do want to support the Booker and we will do. With most of them being hardback, there is not much we can do. But we will probably be able to do more [with Booker titles] post-Christmas."

tom tivnan The Booker Prize