So Waterstone's wants to increase the number of part-time staff in its stores. "Being full-time or part-time does not change your passion and enthusiasm for books," MD Gerry Johnson told the Bookseller. "It simply changes the number of hours you work in store. We have some absolutely brilliant full-timers and some absolutely brilliant part-timers. What matters to us is the enthusiasm and passion for books and the service they can give to customers."
Some angry booksellers in the chain - and not just those facing redundancy as a result of the distribution hub - might like this idea to be extended to head office. Johnson works Monday to Wednesday, say, then another MD comes in. "Being full-time or part-time does not change your passion and enthusiasm for management....." etc etc.
The chain is in an awful position, perhaps even worse than some independents. It has huge overheads, which indies don't, and Amazon seems unstoppable. I met a senior publisher the other day who admitted to having two Amazon accounts, "one at the office, and one at home - it's just so easy".
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Beyond Hall 8 is a platform for discussion about book publishing from an international perspective and for an international audience. On this blog, you will find comprehensive coverage of groundbreaking news from English-speaking book markets, critical analysis of developing trends, and the witty opinions of our erudite bloggers. Focusing on stories that resonate beyond national and regional borders, Beyond Hall 8 seeks to build wider avenues of communication, community, and occasional ranting. Our regular and guest contributors from around the world are industry experts with a passion for books and the business of publishing. We welcome your feedback and opinions.
This blog is sponsored by the Frankfurt Book Fair. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this blog are the views of the authors (contributors) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Frankfurt Book Fair.
This blog is sponsored by the Frankfurt Book Fair. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this blog are the views of the authors (contributors) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Frankfurt Book Fair.
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Contributors
Rebecca Morrison is editor of New Books in German, a London-based bi-annual magazine promoting some of the best of German literature and news from the publishing scene.
Siobhan O'Leary is the former Associate Director of the publishing consulting firm Market Partners International and, more recently, worked in the foreign rights department of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House. She has relocated to Berlin, where she is working as a literary agent, translator, and freelance writer. She has contributed to Publishing Trends, Publishers Weekly, BookPage, and the Staten Island Advance, and was a participant in the 2008 Frankfurt Book Fair fellowship program.
Ed Nawotka is a widely published book critic and authority on the publishing industry. A long time editor and writer for Publishers Weekly, he is a columnist at Bloomberg News and contributes to numerous national magazines and newspapers. You can find an archive of his work at http://www.edwardn.com/.
Roger Tagholm is the former Deputy Editor of UK trade weekly Publishing News. He has been writing about the industry for 20 years and is the author of two books, Walking Literary London (New Holland) and Poems NOT on the Underground (Windrush Press). He is now a freelance writer, journalist and photographer, contributing to a wide variety of publications and websites, including the UK Bookseller magazine.
Andrew Wilkins is director of Australian independent publishing house Wilkins Farago. Until May 2008 he was publisher of Australia's book industry magazine, Bookseller+Publisher, and has been a regular visitor to the Frankfurt Book Fair, and other book fairs, over the past decade. During his 20 years in the book trade, he has been a bookseller, publisher, editor, sales and marketing manager, typesetter, rights manager, author and publicist. In February 2008, he chaired the inaugural Professional Publishing in Asia conference in New Delhi, India. He travels regularly throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
Hannah Johnson is project manager of the German Book Office New York.
Thomas Minkus is the Vice President of Marketing & Sales at the Frankfurt Book Fair
Riky Stock is the director of the German Book Office New York.
Siobhan O'Leary is the former Associate Director of the publishing consulting firm Market Partners International and, more recently, worked in the foreign rights department of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House. She has relocated to Berlin, where she is working as a literary agent, translator, and freelance writer. She has contributed to Publishing Trends, Publishers Weekly, BookPage, and the Staten Island Advance, and was a participant in the 2008 Frankfurt Book Fair fellowship program.
Ed Nawotka is a widely published book critic and authority on the publishing industry. A long time editor and writer for Publishers Weekly, he is a columnist at Bloomberg News and contributes to numerous national magazines and newspapers. You can find an archive of his work at http://www.edwardn.com/.
Roger Tagholm is the former Deputy Editor of UK trade weekly Publishing News. He has been writing about the industry for 20 years and is the author of two books, Walking Literary London (New Holland) and Poems NOT on the Underground (Windrush Press). He is now a freelance writer, journalist and photographer, contributing to a wide variety of publications and websites, including the UK Bookseller magazine.
Andrew Wilkins is director of Australian independent publishing house Wilkins Farago. Until May 2008 he was publisher of Australia's book industry magazine, Bookseller+Publisher, and has been a regular visitor to the Frankfurt Book Fair, and other book fairs, over the past decade. During his 20 years in the book trade, he has been a bookseller, publisher, editor, sales and marketing manager, typesetter, rights manager, author and publicist. In February 2008, he chaired the inaugural Professional Publishing in Asia conference in New Delhi, India. He travels regularly throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
Hannah Johnson is project manager of the German Book Office New York.
Thomas Minkus is the Vice President of Marketing & Sales at the Frankfurt Book Fair
Riky Stock is the director of the German Book Office New York.
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