tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1755502616289652010.post4597016172682384614..comments2024-03-07T04:13:36.330-06:00Comments on The Storyteller's Inkpot: Thoughts on a theme of picture books by numberUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1755502616289652010.post-15100121262241629432010-11-22T08:53:48.224-06:002010-11-22T08:53:48.224-06:00I'm of the opinion that the big B bookstores a...I'm of the opinion that the big B bookstores are wrecking the PB industry by way of their overly-commercial marketing tactics. If, indeed, parents are bypassing the PBs for older books, maybe it's because they're not finding anything worth buying on the shelves of their local non-independent bookstores. <br /><br />In a most depressing visit, I recently counted something like 27 copies of The Little Train That Could, 52 copies of Where The Wild Things Are, 38 copies of Goodnight Moon in a big B store. Not that I don't love the classics, but you get the idea. They are purposely over-stocking the classics while passing on shelving the new releases from the publishing houses. Why would publishers continue to go to the extra mile to publish full-color, illustrated picture books when they have severe problems distributing them? Seriously, I could count on one hand the number of non-Disney-style new releases on the shelves of this big B store. And one double-B store (not to be named) is now publishing their own double-B brand of dumbed-down literary classics called Classic Starts (Black Beauty, The Secret Garden, Great Expectations, and about 47 more titles all printed in 1/2" bindings). To their credit, they are also printing full versions of the same, but I can't help but feel miserable about the overall turn of events in our marketplace.<br /><br />If Ursula Nordstrom were still alive she'd be storming the corporate offices of these big B booksellers. At a recent conference, an editor with Sterling House said that her house has no advantage of getting their picture books placed in a certain big B store, even though they are owned by the same.<br /><br />A revolution is in order! Melinda, I'm with you. We need to all act subversively and face worthy books out!Danettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00267400410101887031noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1755502616289652010.post-55632947962051344222010-11-19T08:33:39.244-06:002010-11-19T08:33:39.244-06:00As a bookstore peruser, I like to take the awesome...As a bookstore peruser, I like to take the awesome, neglected books and face them out, right on top of whatever dreck is already facing out. I once redid part of a wall display before I sneaked out. I know, more work for the nice bookstore people, but I do it in hopes that at least one of those books might find an owner before it gets put away.<br /><br />(Also did that for Kate DiCamillo when I saw those awful movie novelizations displayed on the wall ... grr.)Melinda R. Cordellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02924404257237523106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1755502616289652010.post-20556043672466616192010-11-18T11:26:25.006-06:002010-11-18T11:26:25.006-06:00I used to work at one of those bookstores that sta...I used to work at one of those bookstores that started with a B. Marketing works thusly: Disney pays B stores to face out their books. Orders come down from corporate to place certain books on endcaps, with extra suggestions in case not all of them were in stock. <br /><br />I always tried to reserve a section in my store for new picture books, especially ones I liked, but corporate marketing was always invading my space. Forcing me to do a whole table of celebrity author's books while some truly grand picture books sat untouched on the shelf. It always made me sad. I wish we had independent book stores here...sadly my choices are the B stores or Amazon. As much as I dislike the corporate mandates, I would rather shop where the books are tactile than order something over the web.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02066282166494052315noreply@blogger.com