Barnes & Noble Reducing Orders of New Trek Books?

[E-DUB]

I also think part of the problem is that to the bookstore people "all Trek is created equal". They might not recognize that some series or authors sell better than others.

[Sxottlan]

Therin of Andor wrote:

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Galaxy Bookshop, August 2009 by Therin of Andor, on Flickr
(There was also a giant stack of the then-new novelization at the friont entrance!)

Whoever was the manager at that store should be canonized.

Unfortunately at the stores that I saw in the states at that time, there was no noticeable increase in Trek books. No real noticeable attempt to tie in with the release. It was pretty much business as usual.

[EddyDrama]

Here in Finland we don't get much of Star Trek books in bookstores. We have 2 major bookstores here, Suomalainen Kirjakauppa and Akateeminen Kirjakauppa. Suomalainen Kirjakauppa has very small sci-fi section, often being one small shelf that has both sci-fi and fantasy and sometimes it's mostly fantasy, once I went there and counted all the different sci-fi books on shelf and there were 3 different sci-fi titles, but their internet store is great and cheap.

Akateeminen Kirjakauppa on the other hand has quite big sci-fi and fantasy section that consists of multible large shelves and they alvays have some Star Trek books there, they order most of the Star Trek books and order around 3-5 copies each. The problem with them has been that sometimes they get the books really late, I preordered Cold Equations book 1 around september-october and 2 weeks ago I got a confirmation that the order has finally came, which is too long of a waiting time. Often they might have a week or two delay in getting the book but now it was just ridiculous especially as they have higher prices than their competition, but I am willing to pay the higher price as long as they keep the books on shelf.

[tomswift2002]

Cadet49 wrote:

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I've noticed the reduction as well at my local Chapters Indigo as well.

I just picked "Devil's Bargain" yesterday at Coles, and while the website/kiosk said that they only had 5 copies, it turns out that they had 14, and they were all in the "Hot And New Paperbacks" section, nowhere near the Star Trek section, since this section is right out at the front for people walking past in the mall to see.

Perhaps, with the creation of a new version of Star Trek, via the 2009 film, there is less interest in purchasing books set in the original continuity? It would be interesting to see how sales would be for novels based on the new version of Trek.

Well, it appears as if the Starfleet Academy series, which is set in the new continuity, has been cancelled, since the Chapters-Indigo website is listing a December 30, 2030 release date for book 5 now, a common tactic that CI uses to just say cancelled.

[USS Firefly]

Too bad that we don't have a bookstore like that in the Netherlands.

[Dimesdan]

Relayer1 wrote:

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Some years ago I used to go to a bookshop called The Galactic Outpost in Worcester (U.K.) that had a bigger Trek section than that - it was fantastic ! They even had new copies of the old numbered novels. It closed.

Mind you, that may have had something to do with their rather 'unusual' business practices - I travelled for over an hour to get there one Saturday to find it closed with a note in the window saying that it was closed because all of the staff had gone to a Babylon 5 convention that weekend...

There used to be a massive bookshop in the middle of Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent when I was studying there and they had a range of Trek books that rivaled that in the photo, this was over five years ago though. When I was in London in January I went over to Forbidden Planet, I at first couldn't find the Trek section as it had been moved, expecting the worst, I found a slightly larger display of books from the last time I was there.

Talking to one of the members of staff regarding Trek book sales, she informed me that preorders for Trek books were down, actual sales of Trek books were down, but they were selling out more due to having less stock in of new titles.

We have four book shops here in Bath, two indie and two chain, the two indie ones don't stock any Trek, the two chains, Waterstones and WHSmith only have a few titles in so when I get a new novel, I get it from the Book Depository.

[Kopernikus]

USS Firefly wrote:

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Too bad that we don't have a bookstore like that in the Netherlands.

Try the American Book Center in Amsterdam, an absolutely amazing store with very friendly staff and an large SF-Section. I went both times I travelled to Amsterdam and could have stayed there for the entire day, if not for my wife getting impatient

[DrCorby]

Over the weekend, I went to the local Barnes & Noble to get "Devil's Bargain". They didn't have any copies in either the Star Trek section or the "New in SF & Fantasy" section (but which still had copies of the 2 most recent "Cold Equations" novels), even though the in-store kiosk said it was available. It's happened before that they've sold out of all copies, and I've been able to order a copy through the Customer Service desk, to be picked up at the store.

This time, I was told that the book could only be ordered for home delivery, not delivery to the store. Fortunately, since I'm a member of their Preferred Reader club, I got free delivery. But I didn't get the usual 10% discount on book purchases for members.

Since I've been going to B&N since Borders closed to get that 10% discount, and I can get new MMPBs through Amazon also at full price but with free shipping (I order enough every few months to qualify for free shipping), B&N is reducing the reasons I need (and want!) to visit their store. And that reduces the chance I'll make an impulse purchase, my daughters will find something they *must* have in the manga aisle, or my wife will want a book in the paranormal romance area; that means less money they'll get from me. And I'm obviously not the only one put off by their tactics in this dispute with Simon & Schuster. I'm pesisimstic whether B&N will still be around in 5 years...

[bfollowell]

My local B&N in Evansville, IN, USA hasn't had any new TrekLit on their shelves since the Cold Equations trilogy wrapped up a couple of months ago. TrekLit is down to a small shelf and a half on one of the bookcases too.

- Byron

[JD]

I know up thread some people were wondering about the popularity of Trek Lit. Well, it can't be doing to bad because The Persistence of Memory, and The Body Electric were both NYT bestseller.

[Dimesdan]

JD wrote:

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I know up thread some people were wondering about the popularity of Trek Lit. Well, it can't be doing to bad because The Persistence of Memory, and The Body Electric were both NYT bestseller.

Good for Mr Mack, it's well deserved.

I think you're missing the point JD, I wasn't doubting the popularity of the Trek Fiction line, as I assume others weren't either. The books are still being wrote, money is still (probably just about) being made on their sales which proves there is some popularity about them.

What I highlighted and others have commented on, is that it's seemingly less common to buy a Trek book from a bricks and mortar shop. I myself "picked up" all three Cold Equations from the Book Depository and it would be interesting to discover what the percentage of sales are at the moment regarding internet sales vs brick and mortar sales.

As a side, that NYT bestsellers list, does that just include sales from North America or does it take global sales into account?

[Ktrek]

DrCorby wrote:

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Over the weekend, I went to the local Barnes & Noble to get "Devil's Bargain". They didn't have any copies in either the Star Trek section or the "New in SF & Fantasy" section

This time, I was told that the book could only be ordered for home delivery, not delivery to the store. Fortunately, since I'm a member of their Preferred Reader club, I got free delivery. But I didn't get the usual 10% discount on book purchases for members.

Since I've been going to B&N since Borders closed to get that 10% discount, and I can get new MMPBs through Amazon also at full price but with free shipping (I order enough every few months to qualify for free shipping), B&N is reducing the reasons I need (and want!) to visit their store. And that reduces the chance I'll make an impulse purchase, my daughters will find something they *must* have in the manga aisle, or my wife will want a book in the paranormal romance area; that means less money they'll get from me. And I'm obviously not the only one put off by their tactics in this dispute with Simon & Schuster. I'm pesisimstic whether B&N will still be around in 5 years...

Let's think this through OK? You would rather spend the gas money at $3.60 a gallon there and back and save $80 cents with your member discount instead of paying the 80 cents and getting free shipping worth $2.98 direct to your door and no gas expense? You see where I'm going here? What you are saving in member discount and what you are spending on gas it is likely that you are actually spending more going to the store. Plus if you pre-order it online it arrives usually before the release date. Seems like a no brainer to me!

Kevin

[Christopher]

^Well, that depends on the distance, doesn't it? If his car gets, say, 20 MPG in the city, then the store would have to be 10 miles away in order for the round trip to expend a full gallon of gas. But he said it was his local store, suggesting something closer. If the store is less than 2.2 miles away, then the gas expense is under 80 cents, and thus the book costs slightly less than it would if purchased online, even with free shipping. And if gas prices fall, it would cost even less. (Not to mention that if it's within a mile or two, you could walk or bike there.)

Plus there are other advantages to visiting a brick-and-mortar store -- the opportunity to browse and stumble across interesting books you wouldn't have found otherwise, the enjoyment of the store's ambience, maybe the relationship with its staff if you're a regular, the support for an endangered institution, etc.

[Reanok]

I like browsing the bookshelves at Barnes&Noble I've started reading some new scifi books by Ben Bova.His Mars trilogy was well written about living and working on Mars and how exciting Space Exploration can be. The clerks have been really helpful when it comes to finding some of the new Startrek novels or ordering other books that they don't have in their store.I like my local bookstores.

[DrCorby]

Ktrek wrote:

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Let's think this through OK? You would rather spend the gas money at $3.60 a gallon there and back and save $80 cents with your member discount instead of paying the 80 cents and getting free shipping worth $2.98 direct to your door and no gas expense? You see where I'm going here? What you are saving in member discount and what you are spending on gas it is likely that you are actually spending more going to the store. Plus if you pre-order it online it arrives usually before the release date. Seems like a no brainer to me!

I understand your point. However, trips to B&N are seldom straight-there-and-back, but usually part of a series of stops/errands, so it's hard to say how much gas is used to only go to B&N.

And I'm sorry if I left the impression that it's entirely a monetary consideration. I LOVE bookstores. I love browsing through shelves of books, both in bookstores and in libraries (which we usually visit once a week). My wife is the same way, and we've infected our kids with the same affection.

Getting us in the actual store can lead to purchases, though sometimes delayed. There have been instances when we look at something in the store, go home, do some research, and then purchase online. (A Rosetta Stone language set, for homeschool purposes, comes to mind.)

Christopher wrote:

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^Well, that depends on the distance, doesn't it? If his car gets, say, 20 MPG in the city, then the store would have to be 10 miles away in order for the round trip to expend a full gallon of gas. But he said it was his local store, suggesting something closer. If the store is less than 2.2 miles away, then the gas expense is under 80 cents, and thus the book costs slightly less than it would if purchased online, even with free shipping. And if gas prices fall, it would cost even less. (Not to mention that if it's within a mile or two, you could walk or bike there.)

Plus there are other advantages to visiting a brick-and-mortar store -- the opportunity to browse and stumble across interesting books you wouldn't have found otherwise, the enjoyment of the store's ambience, maybe the relationship with its staff if you're a regular, the support for an endangered institution, etc.

The store is about 3-4 miles from home, so it's not a pilgrimage. Plus, it's now the only non-used book store in town that isn't a university/textbook store or a religious book store (as far as I can discover, to my shock). The local WalMarts and drug stores don't carry Star Trek books. So, I'm trying to support the B&N store, in hopes it won't close its doors. But by not carrying new Star Trek titles, I don't have that monthly imperative to swing by their store regularly; it becomes more of an irregular stop. Thus, my spending in their store also becomes more irregular.