I really didn't know where to put this, but since it impacts on published and to-be-published writers I thought perhaps it could go here. Waterstone's shutting 20 branches. My comment about Birmingham at the bottom. The second most populous city in the UK and it has no independent booksellers, and hardly any bookshops. I think it's shameful. It is not just a matter of where it is cheapest and most practical to buy books (probably online). It's also a matter of what we give importance to in our cities. If you see a thousand shops selling clothes for every one selling books, what does that tell you about the culture?

http://www.thebookseller.com/news/141627-waterstones-confirms-20-store-closures.html.rss

I know. Waaaah.

And my completely amazing local independent bookshop has just closed its doors to almost universal wailing and gnashing of teeth.

This leaves my corner of North London without a bookshop - oh except there is a discount book remainder store...

Edinburgh's lovely Princes St branch is closed - any bets they'll put in 'New Look' or something similar? Thank Goodness, my local branch has escaped for the moment. Very sad.

They closed Princes Street? Wow. That was a legendary branch, wasn't it? I know someone who used to work there.

The frustrating thing is that it isn't Waterstones which is in deep trouble, it's the parent company HMV.

Emma

But in better news, the VAT rise doesn't make any difference to the price of books...

Emma

Yes, books are now 2.5% cheaper relative to DVDs. Hmph.

Though e-books are now of course theoretically 2.5% more expensive. (Or rather they are not 2.5% more but rather 2.12% or whatever it is - I can't quite be bothered to work it out properly)

Urg - so depressing!

R x

I did read something a while back that said independents are doing better than chains now, the theory being that they offer something you can't get online (eclectic stock selection, personal touch, knowledgeable staff, decent cup of coffee etc) whereas if you just want a bestseller or a text book or a discount, you'll go to Amazon.
Also, in my experience an indie is more likely to stock your book just because you went in and asked nicely...

Well, maybe it is depressing, but I think it could be as much to do with the influence of amazon than anything else. I am guilty of buying almost everything I read from amazon, because book shops just can't compete in terms of price and convenience, sadly. Especially if you live in the country.

I agree with that, Emma H. I know the face of book sales is changing, that's understandable and necessary, and in many ways I don't think that Waterstone's deserves to survive (I used to work for them so speak from the inside). But the thought of a high street where books are a mere token inside a shop that primarily sells sweets and magazines (WHSmiths) is pretty depressing...

We have two branches of Waterstone's and one of HMV, all within 3 mins walk of each other. One is bound to go - just hope they leave us with one bookshop

Speaking as someone who has started a small press I cannot say that I am surprised that Waterstones is closing stores.
They are in some respects, reaping what they sow. Currently for a publisher to get a book into Waterstones for sale you have to go through a distributor who will take a cut, and then offer Waterstones at least a 58% discount on the retail price. Add this to the cost of printing books and, if you want to make any profit at all, you have to set the retail price high. Therefore, it is not surprising that publishers and authors are using the internet and alternative models of publishing to get their books to market. As these alternative methods become more popular then companies like Waterstones will struggle (look what happened to Border Books)
It's not all bad news though. I think the independent bookstores and publishers will be okay because they are small enough to be flexible and adapt. For example, if I can speak to the owner of a shop and negotiate an individual discount for a book that is better for me, the shop, the author and the book buyer as the price can be made competitive.
I think, in the long term ebooks will dominate and many high street stores will go to the wall. Although I personally will miss a good bookstore this is what consumers seem to want.
It's a aimilar argument to superstores versus the High Street. While we bemoan the loss of the small butchers or grocers, it is us as consumers that have ultimately made the choices that have condemned them.

You know, I haven't bought anything from a Waterstones in quite a long time. There are no independent bookstores in Preston, a couple of lovely second hand places that would probably order in for you, and a small Waterstones that treats local authors like princessess (!)

I go to the library, or I order online. I buy more fiction than I borrow, and borrow more non fiction than I buy. I'm a member of four libraries. I always buy debut authors books, because I guess they need the royalties more than the PLR. I buy e-books in preference to hard copy - because I don't have a big house or elastic bookshelves.

And I don't see what is so bad about that.

I order most of my clothes and food and household stuff online too, and I don't think what a high street looks like demonstrates anything about the moral or cultural fibre of a place.

It might be better to campaign for more people to have access to decent computers and broadband than it is to campaign for ailing bookshops to stay open?

J

Oh, I'm not campaigning for Waterstone's to stay open AT ALL. I worked there for 5 years and am well aware of all its many failings, as I said earlier, I can see it doesn't really deserve to stay open. But I do think you can learn a lot about a society from looking at the shops on its high streets.