Topic: article about POD (Read 3104 times)

dhparker · « **on:** October 26, 2006, 09:40:14 AM »

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,176-2398962,00.html

Somebody on another forum posted this. I found it interesting. I'd never before heard the "blame" for substandard books put on bookstores. It's a British article, so maybe things are different there. Maybe our bookstore people (Kris??) can comment. And Kris, for the record, I am not anti-bookstore.

Ingrid · « **Reply #1 on:** October 26, 2006, 02:41:33 PM »

The independent bookstores remain the only ones who still care about the quality of the books they carry. I do not shop in B&N, Borders, Walden's, Walmart, J.B's, Sam's, or Costco. Since we don't have an independent bookstore (they have a hard time staying alive against the giants), I order most books from amazon where I can at least find what I want.
But blame also goes to readers who persist in demanding formula fiction, violence, and easy readers. And to the publishers who spend their promotion funds on the garbage instead of on quality.
It used to be that at least the reviewers spoke up for the often forgotten books, but newspapers are eliminating their book sections these days, and even here the reviews seem to go to a few select authors.
I don't see POD making a difference because you still need advertising to sell books. Nobody buys a book by an author they have never heard of.

Ingrid