Balancing the books

    We've talked before about the degree to which we use libraries, and our reasons for doing so. These can be altruistic: helping to keep the library open for others for whom buying books is not an option; practical: books we wish to read or consult may not be readily available in the shops, or we may lack space to shelve them at home; a matter of preference: we may want to try a book first and see whether it is one we'd like to own as well as to read.  All this is variously admirable, sensible and understandable, and I wouldn't presume to challenge it.
   However, I've seen two writers commenting recently on the 'borrowing rather than buying' trend for the simple reason that it affects not just their income  - though I'm told that there is little difference between their royalty on a heavily discounted paperback and what they'd get through the PLR scheme - but more importantly, their future career. Publishers, I learn, pay no heed to the number of times a book is borrowed from a library, all they are concerned with are the weekly sales that book achieves. If those are not high enough, they are less likely to take the author's next book, even though thousands may have read the previous one by borrowing it and it has had great appeal, to the point where readers are contacting the writer in droves and clamouring for their next.
   Closer to home, as I mentioned the other day, Bloomsbury are reportedly considering publishing the second of Joyce Dennys' Henrietta books, but that will depend on good sales of Henrietta's War - that's sales, not loans. Put bluntly, if we want the second book* we shall have to buy** the first.
    I have no axe to grind here, I'm not an author nor am I a bookseller, I use libraries and I buy books from all sources, but I am very interested in how the publishing industry works, in the market forces which drive it and in how that affects what we the consumers are offered to read. Given the current economic climate it is obvious that we might prefer or be obliged to borrow rather than buy a book, but it's worth considering how that can and does suppress sales, the consequences of which may never have occurred to us. By what means we acquire our reading matter becomes then, in terms of conscience, a question of balance.

*And to illustrate the point, this out of print book is not available in any of the City of Edinburgh libraries, and comes at a hefty price secondhand.

**I'm talking here about sales of new books, of course, as purchases from the charity shop, etc. don't count.

Comments

[Linda Gillard]

Three cheers for this post, Cornflower. I'm an author so I do have an axe to grind, but I'll try to grind it quietly.

PLR makes up a significant part of my income and I'm all for library-borrowing, reading groups, BookCrossing.com, but is it just in Glasgow that libraries have started behaving like Borders, with piles of the same book stacked face-up on tables?

The chain bookshop mentality is insidious and it means less choice for readers. Mid-list authors (those trying to publish 3rd, 4th and subsequent books) are being dropped by publishers because they can't launch the next book as a razamamtazz début novel, nor can they expect huge sales.

I realise I shouldn't stand on a soapbox in these straitened times and say "Buy more books" but I'm going to. If we don't, authors will dispappear, choice will disappear, bookshops will disappear. (A lovely independent book shop closed down in Glasgow last week.) Tesco and the supermarkets will reign supreme. They already dictate cover design; eventually they will dictate what's published.

The Society of Authors recently announced that the yearly income of the average author has fallen from £8000 to £4000. Buying books really does make a difference! I regard my book-buying (which continues apace) as patronage of the arts - essential in times of economic depression.

I agree, it's a question of balance. We must support our libraries, but libraries can only stock what's published and what's published is massively affected by what sells.

We used to say "Use it or lose it." I'm going to coin a new slogan: "Buy books or it's bye-bye books."

And mid-list authors.

[LizF]

I am a voracious reader who uses both my local library and bookshops (high street and online) on a regular basis and the thought of life with only books chosen by the supermarkets terrifies me. Does that mean we will be condemned to celeb biogs, chick-lit and Dan Brown-alikes?(Well it does if the book shelves in my local Asda are anything to go by).
I can't tell you how many books I buy because I haven't dared to count up but suffice to say it is WELL in excess of the '21 or more' category of yearly purchases you are given in most online surveys of annual book buying(probably in three figures which would explain why I never have any money) so I hope that I am doing my bit for the publishing world.

Still use the library a lot as it is very useful for books that I'm not sure enough about to risk buying and would hate to think that I would lose it as a resource. Whoever does the buying for our libraries in North Yorkshire is doing a pretty good job and so far we have managed to avoid the piled-up bestsellers.

[LizF]

Being a bit thick I have only just realised that you are the author of 'Stargazing' which was one of my favourite books of last year.
I read it from the library but have since bought paperback copies for family and friends because I really loved it and wanted to share it.
Please keep up the good work!

[Mary McCartney]

The library system here in Northern Ireland seems to have had a recent injection of cash and new books are becoming avaiable much more quickly. I rarely scan the shelves now, having a long list of reservation requests which are usually supplied within a few weeks. I do buy books as well, mainly through Abe and while I would love to buy new all the time it just isn't financially possible - I need to buy plants and needlework supplies, never mind feed us and the animals. I have, however, purchased Henrietta and the Brontes from Bloomsbury - and two new bookcases.

[Nan]

Thanks for this post, Karen. Henrietta's War will be the first book I'll buy next year.

[Juliann]

Here in the states, libraries are closing or cutting hours in many towns. I have also noticed that the number of copies of new books is lower - instead of 50 copies they now offer about 25 (I live in an area with a very large library system so this number might sound large to those of you in smaller counties). I think the publishing companies are already holding us captive by raising the price of books but perhaps not compensating the writers at the same rate. This is a tough issue.

[Linda Gillard]

Liz, you are the author's Dream Reader. Having borrowed a book from the library, you then go out and buy multiple copies for friends and family. Music to my ears. Do you post 5 star reviews on Amazon too? ;-)

Keep up the good work!

[Samantha]

This is a very thought provoking post. I buy books (far too many, really) but also frequent libraries. I say to my husband all the time though that I have one of the "cheapest" hobbies going 'round! And it's true - where can you get such enjoyment for relatively little money.

I bought my copy of Henrietta's War (based on your thoughts of it in your blog) from the bookdepository.co.uk for a ridiculously low price. Also, Like Linda Gillard, I like to look on my book buying as supporting the "Arts". So too my attendance at the local Sydney Writer's Festival. I can't even begin to imagine a life with only "big blockbuster bestsellers" - too awful to contemplate!

And congratulations on your quote on the back of Henrietta's War!