Booksellers unfazed by arrival of e-books

22 September

Media Release

Traditional booksellers unfazed by arrival of e-books in New Zealand Market.

The direct sale to consumers, in e-book format, of the latest Dan Brown blockbuster, The Lost Symbol and other Dan Brown titles by publisher Random House will be “taken in its stride” by the traditional book industry, according to Booksellers NZ Chairman, Hamish Wright.

“This is an expected event with the whole business of digitisation of book publishing and selling providing as many new opportunities as threats for booksellers,” said Mr Wright owner/operator of the independent Wrights Bookshop in Cambridge.

He was commenting on the latest move by Random House Australia to make available three of the Dan Brown’s books, including the latest, online in the form of an e-book in the New Zealand and Australian markets.

“Disintermediation of the supply chain has been around for a while in other industries, such as banking and the movie industry, but it has not meant the much vaunted death of banks or cinemas, as it won’t for bookshops.

“There is a great deal more in the selling and buying of books than simply making them available; it’s a cultural and intellectual experience where relationships and understanding between booksellers and readers are developed over time and are highly valued within local communities,” said Mr Wright.

“Digitisation in its wider form than just e-books or e-readers, offers much for booksellers and their customers, especially by overcoming supply problems for readers wanting to buy backlist copies or out-of-print books.

“As on-demand publishing facilities develop further in the Australian and New Zealand region, booksellers will be able to provide quicker turnaround for books, where sometimes they have to wait for weeks while publishers decide whether or not to reprint. We would also hope that publishers will be willing in future to make e-books available for sale through booksellers. ” said Mr Wright.

Ends.

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