Today I was in my local Waterstones picking up the new Jon Courtenay Grimwood novel (The Outcast Blade). While I was there I had a quick chat with the manager, Sara, about how sales were going. I’d seen reports in today’s papers suggesting a massive decline in paper book sales which, thankfully for authors, has been mostly offset by a rise in ebook sales. How were things doing locally?
Well, sales of fiction here in Trowbridge are down 20%. Yes, really, that’s serious. On the other hand, sales of science fiction and fantasy are up 2.5%. Hopefully that sort of thing is repeated nationally. A lot of it is, of course, down to George R.R. Martin, but I think we can pat ourselves on the back too. It looks like we are buying more books. Well done, people.
Every now and then I buy a book at a high street book shop regardless of the extra cost which it might involve. Especially if they are independents. I’d be so very sad to see them go.
Cheryl, have you seen this? http://www.bilerico.com/2012/05/death_and_the_maiden.php#.T6Gf1YSdSL8.facebook
Yes, I RT’d a link to it a while back. I’m thinking about what to say.