You'll end up spending the $5 in phone calls and petrol.
Do you not have any department stores with book departments? Apart from the B&N/S&S feud, any bookshop should be able to order any book by ISBN.
Barnes & Noble Reducing Orders of New Trek Books?
- Thread starter Sxottlan
- Start date
You'll end up spending the $5 in phone calls and petrol.
Do you not have any department stores with book departments? Apart from the B&N/S&S feud, any bookshop should be able to order any book by ISBN.
How I'd love Trek to have such prominence all the time!
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!)
I haven't seen a sight like that since early last decade. Ever since the cancellation of ENT, book shelf space has gone down and less. Now, even WOW books are on top and get multiple copies while the newest Trek book is on the bottom with a lone copy.
If the store doesn't have what you want, you go to customer service and request it. That way they know there's a demand for it.
You know, B&N has online ordering too. Amazon doesn't have a total monopoly -- not yet, anyway.
Coinciding with the theatre run of ST IV through to its release on VHS, then around about Seasons Five-Seven of TNG and the 25th Anniversary of TOS, and then ST (2009), would be the three times I recall bookshops around me having this kind of representation.
Some people still don't see it, though. Not long after ST 2009 came out, people from Melbourne and Brisbane posted here that their cities were seemingly "not supporting the new movie" by stocking the tie-ins - and yet, when visiting those cities myself, I was able to post pics of the movie posters throughout their CBDs, and dedicated book and toy displays in both specialist and general bookshops.
In Australia, we had displays like that in numerous bookstores in 2009. The one above was a specialist SF store, but even the regular chains dropped back "Star Wars" (often four shelves to two) and increased "Star Trek" (in some places one shelf to four) - for several months.
I'm surprised more you guys don't just switch over to e-books. That way you're always pretty much absolutely guaranteed a copy will be available as soon as you hit the release date. You can even pre-order them and they will automatically download onto whatever you're reading it on, whether it's a tablet, computer, or e-reader as soon as the device connects to the internet on the release date.
If you like shopping Barnes and Noble it makes no sense to not be a member. It's only $25.00 a year and that gives you "free shipping" for online orders and 10% off anything in the store, with occasional 20% off coupons at various times of the year. I have always saved more than the $25.00. And besides I got my copy of Devil's Bargain over a week before the actual release date by pre-ordering online.
Kevin
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.
In the weeks before "Star Trek" (2009) premiered, I posted several pics here of the situation in several Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane bookshops (both specialist SF and general).
"Star Wars" shelfstock was reduced and "Star Trek" shelfstock increased. In several places, amounts were reversed. Simon & Schuster Australia even started air-freighting ST titles - and absorbed the extra costs - rather than previous dependence on sea-freighted supplies.
A few months later, "Doctor Who", "Twilight" and "Star Wars" clawed back some space.
Marketing is cyclic. I expect ST to build again soon. "Star Wars" may dwindle yet again, but it'll be back, with the announced of an eventual new movie installment.
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!)
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...
I've noticed the reduction as well at my local Chapters Indigo as well. 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. Personally, I always loved TOS and TNG growing up, and will watch those previous episodes nostalgically, but for new Trek content, I prefer the modern action- adventure feel of the 2009 film, with its faster pace of narrative. If I were to buy Trek books, I as a consumer, would personally prefer to read about the new versions of Kirk and Spock ... just my personal taste, though.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Too bad that we don't have a bookstore like that in the Netherlands. 
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.
In the weeks before "Star Trek" (2009) premiered, I posted several pics here of the situation in several Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane bookshops (both specialist SF and general).
"Star Wars" shelfstock was reduced and "Star Trek" shelfstock increased. In several places, amounts were reversed. Simon & Schuster Australia even started air-freighting ST titles - and absorbed the extra costs - rather than previous dependence on sea-freighted supplies.
A few months later, "Doctor Who", "Twilight" and "Star Wars" clawed back some space.
Marketing is cyclic. I expect ST to build again soon. "Star Wars" may dwindle yet again, but it'll be back, with the announced of an eventual new movie installment.
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!)
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.
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
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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 (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...
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...
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
- Byron
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.
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