Booksellers, can you please help us
We talk about a decline in, or the crisis of a poor reading culture in Nigeria from time to time and if this is indeed true everything should be done to fix it. And while there are many things that we will continue to wish that the very many still-deaf governments in the land would do, this blogger has recently chanced on one thing that Nigerian booksellers can do: think more intently about reaping more over the long-haul when fixing those book prices.
Let me illustrate. There is a certain book published in Nigeria and sold in the country and several other territories that I know the publisher has fixed the shelf sales price in the Nigerian market for 1000 naira. Now not being a novice in the book sector in Nigeria Lagos
Can we then help ourselves please by fixing prices that will not be yet another very clear dis-incentive to readers? And while we are about this, how about throwing in some well-thought out and of course, cost-effective marketing. Books have to be SOLD you know!! And you can inbox me for some tips here if you need them.
Selling books i real do believe should take the same format the telecommunication guys have used. There should be a bracket for every sector of society.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, there are some of us who just want to chop now and forget what tomorrow holds for the market.
And i also believe that there should be some of price regulatory body that would help solve this problem. I know and agree that prices should be based on the 'take away' from each books, which will not be the same for each reader. But you ask yourself at what price do we get these 'take aways'.
Govt. also have left alot to b desired... God help us.
i was in a reading session the other day and lady was complimenting a certain publishing firm that has so reduce children's book such that you can pick a few each week for you child. I'll think this is the way to go, we can not solve the reading problem if our people do not have access to books.
please follow my lead, read
i agree with you that there may be a place for government ultimately to help us develop some kind of fixed price system as you have in France. But then these things work better when the industry itself buys-in and adopts it in its own best interest and this i believe is the way to go. We go read. Cheers.
ReplyDeleteIf you have access to the publisher of the said book being sold for about 500% the stipulated price, they should be informed,and a red flag raised against that bookshop. I wont be surprised if every other book is sold at outrageous prices in that same bookshop.
ReplyDeleteMr. Egorp, you harsh o! But I get the point. Unacceptable conduct could be really galling. And you are right on the other books: i checked out a few more and it was the same experience. Pity!
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