Three Independent Booksellers and How They Buy
November's Words and Pictures focus is on the adults in publishing–those who choose, edit, buy, and sell our books for young readers.
We asked a sample of independent bookshops to give us a peek at how they buy children's books.
The three bookshops featured this week are: A Festival of Books, a new bookshop in Chipping Campden with a special emphasis on books for children and young people; Saint Ives Bookseller in Saint Ives, Cornwall (owned by Mabecron Books Publishing, which also runs Falmouth Bookseller and University Bookseller in Plymouth); and Chicken and Frog, a children's bookshop in Brentwood, Essex.
1) Realistically, is there anything an individual author can do to help his or her book be bought by a bookshop like yours?
How helpful are book signings/launches?
We asked a sample of independent bookshops to give us a peek at how they buy children's books.
The three bookshops featured this week are: A Festival of Books, a new bookshop in Chipping Campden with a special emphasis on books for children and young people; Saint Ives Bookseller in Saint Ives, Cornwall (owned by Mabecron Books Publishing, which also runs Falmouth Bookseller and University Bookseller in Plymouth); and Chicken and Frog, a children's bookshop in Brentwood, Essex.
The most successful launches/signings are when the author really interacts with the audience.
1) Realistically, is there anything an individual author can do to help his or her book be bought by a bookshop like yours?
How helpful are book signings/launches?
Natasha & Jim at Chicken & Frog: Book signings can work really well,
especially to put the focus on a new author. Having said that, we have to push
signings a lot from our side, in order to get people interested. If publishers
provide posters/boards that helps a lot too.
The most
successful launches/signings are when the author really interacts with the
audience – answering questions, colouring sheets, sharing their book etc.
Emily at A Festival
of Books: I do read emails and letters from authors regarding their books and try
to reply as best as I can to each one. It does help if there is an image or
images relating to the book. I will always read any copies that are sent and
give feedback too. I am very new to bookselling but I do think children like to
meet authors and hear about their books first hand. School visits work best for
me instead of signings.
Saint Ives: To be completely honest there is
not a huge amount they can do. I feel by the time we see or hear about the book
it should sell itself to us! Book signings can be helpful, though with the size
of our shop and in peak times it is really much better for authors to pop in
and sign stock rather than have an advertised signing/launch. A lot of the time
when this happens we have the book in (I’m sure authors check discreetly before
revealing themselves) but sometimes it is nice to be informed when a particular
author is in the area to give us a chance to make sure we have the stock we
want in.
2) What are some trends you are seeing in
the books you buy? What do you see too much of? What would you like to see more
of?
Chicken and Frog: That’s a tricky one. Books
are certainly becoming more diverse, to reflect our society, which is great. We
don’t stock any ‘character’ books, as often the quality of the content is not
as good as other stories.
We need more high-quality early reading books. Johnny Duddle’s
crossover from his picture books to short novels is a perfect example. The text
is not easy, but the illustrations are still there to boost a younger reader’s
confidence and interest.
We need more high-quality early reading books.
A Festival
of Books: I see a lot of books in the
fantasy genre about young girls who have to save someone or be really
brave/strong etc although so far I have enjoyed them all. I would like to
see more mystery/crime for kids.
I would like to see more mystery/crime for kids.
Saint Ives: There do seem to
be too many Fault in Our Stars-type around...
3) What would you estimate is the
average "shelf life" of a children's or YA book in your shop before
you decide it won't sell?
Chicken
and Frog: I’d say three months, although sometimes a book will then gain popularity and
begin to sell. However, if we can’t hand sell a title within three months, it tends
to be one for the returns box.
A Festival of Books: Around six months but some books are ones I really
believe in that are maybe too obscure/special and I keep them a bit longer.
Saint Ives: If
a new book doesn’t sell in six months or so I’m afraid its gone (our take is that
if it hasn’t sold in the summer it isn’t going to sell). Generally an older
book has to sell 2/3+ copies a year to become a stock title, though this can be
more in winter when we really have to tighten up on the stock.
4) Who buys the books: the adults or the
children? At what age do children start choosing their own books?
Chicken
and Frog: It varies considerably. Often pre-schoolers know what they want, and are
drawn to covers, textures etc. They choose their own. Adults tend to choose if
it’s a gift or for a child who is not keen on reading.
Parents/grandparents etc will often want to go for a ‘classic’ that they
are familiar with, rather than a book that may suit the child they are buying
for. But, we are on hand to offer advice along the way.
A Festival of Books: Generally the adults but the children have a lot of
influence, I notice that children age 9+ will come in and pick and buy their
own.
Saint Ives: Both
adults and children. 1? Believe me we’ve had some very adamant children wanting
their Peppa Pig book! But more often 6/7+.
The self-publishing news was not all good....
Our customers won't pay for a book that doesn't look professionally produced.
5) Do you buy self-published
books?
Chicken
and Frog: Not often, no. The book market is saturated and quality is high. We know
our customers – they won’t pay for a book that doesn’t look professionally
produced, which is often the case with self-published picture books.
Having said that, we do stock a fantastic range of London guides, StepOutside. They have been tried and tested on our own children and are superb.
A Festival of Books: Yes, but I need to read them first to make sure I can
really get behind them.
At the end of the day we are a small business.
Saint Ives: This
is the tricky question. Very rarely and when we do it is almost universally
sale or return. We try not to as, on the whole, they really do not look as
polished or sell as well as those published by the major houses, and space is
at a premium. It may not sound a lot but with the added administration of
keeping track of what you’ve sold, where all copies of the books are, making
sure the author has been paid and dealing with various authors checking either
in person or by phone as to whether their books have sold (over what can be
lengthy periods of time), and the issue of what to do with unsold books, it
really isn’t worth it for us. The trade discount is never as good as we get
from the larger publishers (obviously I can understand why on the whole), a lot
of self-published authors are extremely unrealistic–at the end of the day we
are a small business, and if I’m not reordering a Robert Muchamore book back in
because we’ve only sold two copies of it this particular year and we’re short on
space, I don’t particularly want to be taking an unknown author’s book for less
profit. I’m sorry but there it is.
6) There has been a lot of
discussion around the topic of boys' not reading. Do you think there is a real
problem?
Chicken
and Frog: Not really–they often read in a different way. Boys (and this is a
generalisation) like shorter chapters, fast paced narratives or well formed
non-fiction that they can dip in and out of. If a book lacks a male
protagonist, it is usually by-passed by boys, which is not the case as often
when vice versa.
Graphic novels are also a positive way into reading, not just for boys of
course. Phoenix Comics publish an eclectic mix of graphic novels, as well as
their weekly comic–all are extremely well written and illustrated.
A Festival of Books: I think there are definitely more
girls reading than boys, but I think boys need the push more than girls. Girls
tend to try anything, but when a boy finds something he likes he will stick with
it. I don't think there is a problem, but there could be in the future if we lose
readers now, as they are the ones who will keep reading alive for their children. If they are not reading when they are older, their children will not
either.
Saint Ives: No, not really–we occasionally get adults in asking for recommendations for boys
who are hard to keep reading but I notice this less and less now. I wonder
whether the advent of books like Wimpy Kid and Tom Gates have bridged the gap
and encouraged “weaker” readers onto other books. Non-fiction books too
seem to be good at the moment which boys also enjoy. Both boys and girls of various
ages often come in to choose and buy their own books though I think you
will probably always get that older teenager who is not as interested for the
time being (of both sexes!).
The range and standard of children’s books is continuing to rise, as people realise that children deserve excellent literature. This makes us very happy booksellers!
_____________________
The standard of writing I am reading is fantastic, from established authors and debut authors alike. –Emily at A Festival of Books
On an encouraging note, Natasha and Jim
of Chicken and Frog added: “The world
of books is forever changing, which is exciting, yet daunting at the same time.
YA is a tough sell for us, as the YA reader doesn’t necessarily go for a ‘real’
book, but favours other platforms.
“The range and standard of children’s books is continuing to rise, as
people realise that children deserve excellent literature. This makes us very
happy booksellers!”
A big thanks to the independent booksellers who took the time to answer our questions! Here is more information about their shops.
Chicken and Frog
7 Security House
Ongar Road
Brentwood, Essex CM15 9AT
Tel. 02177 230068
https://twitter.com/chickenandfrog
The shop's Facebook page
7 Security House
Ongar Road
Brentwood, Essex CM15 9AT
Tel. 02177 230068
https://twitter.com/chickenandfrog
The shop's Facebook page
Cambrook Court
Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire
GL55 6AT
Tel. 01386 840726
The shop's Facebook page
2 Fore Street
Saint Ives, Cornwall TR26 1AB
Tel. 01736 796676
https://twitter.com/stivesbooks
The shop's Facebook page
Tel. 01736 796676
https://twitter.com/stivesbooks
The shop's Facebook page
Read and enjoyed! A good glimpse into the world of independent bookshops - perhaps the most satisfying places of all to buy books. Was floored by the 'we don't stock any "character" books' comment from Chicken and Frog. Er, what are 'character' books?
ReplyDeleteInteresting post. It's often so easy to focus on the perspective of agents and publishers with regard to what the trends are. This was really fascinating to read the perspective of people who are selling the books to the intended audience.
ReplyDeleteMaybe character books are books with television or movie characters? That's what I assumed, but maybe I was wrong.
ReplyDeleteSuch an interesting read. So valuable to get the bookseller's view of the industry. Wonderful. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThe wonderful David from P&G Wells will be selling books again at this year's conference - I think we need to take him aside ask him the same questions.
ReplyDeleteDone, Jan! His answers will appear in a later feature.
ReplyDelete