Thanks for posting the piece. I’m glad to have it on the site.

I’m sorry if I riled you, although, to be fair it is a gift of mine. As Paul wrote, ‘Some are evangelists, some pastors and teachers, others are just plain irritating.’ Or words to that effect. OK, let’s get down to some serious points, and I’ll try to keep it reasonably brief!

First, the point about it being a novelty shop was not a general jibe, but a point about a specific shop. (And it really is true.) I’m not saying that all shops are like that, or that they shouldn’t sell such stuff. Just that this one didn’t. Anyway, the main point of that section I would defend wholeheartedly, and that’s that bookshops should have a passion for selling books. And I’m sorry, but I never saw enough evidence of that in Christian bookshops. Maybe I never went into the right ones enough! But speaking as a customer, that was my experience. I didn’t see these places as places which really loved selling and were really passionate about books. This is not something that I haven’t said before. I said it to the assembled Wesley Owen managers, etc. at a speech I gave to their conference in 2006, I think.

Second – independents – yes I stand corrected. Looking at those paragraphs I think they’re rather condescending and make sweeping generalisations about those who work for the chains. I apologise. However, again, as a customer, I have to say that if I make a list of my favourite bookstores, they are all independent. Perhaps what independence gives you is the chance to give your shop more character? But it’s the case. (In fact, now I come to think of it, virtually all my favourite shops are independents. With the exception of my chosen clothes retailer – Oxfam.)

I think what I was trying to say in the piece is what I, as a customer and booklover, would like to see in a bookshop. Whether that is enough to make them financially viable I don’t know. Did the removal of the Net book agreement have a massive effect on Christian bookshops (I didn’t see a lot of other shops suddenly discounting Christian books!) I know it hit the general trade, with supermarkets and the big chains suddenly creaming off the bestsellers. It also had an effect for authors, who suddenly found themselves deep discounted, but that’s another story. What has had far more effect is obviously the rise of internet selling and the cost of business rates.

Third, your final point about IBS-STL and Biblica, well, I really don’t know the ins and outs of that one, but I suspect you do! I’m quite prepared to believe that the problems have a lot of their roots there. I do know a bit about American takeovers. I was a HarperCollins author when Zondervan took over and look what’s happened there.

I suspect that if you read the piece again, and glaze over during the independent bit, you’ll find we agree on more than might first appear. At least I hope so.

cheers,

Nick

Warning: this is a long reply to a long piece

As a bookseller and fan of your writing, when I saw that you had blogged on the STL situation back in November, I was keen to read your piece and see your point of view, as you often write with insightfulness and humour. But the more I read the blog post, the more disappointed I got with your the inaccurate and contradictory analysis of the Christian trade. A friend recently tweeted about this post and asked me if I had read it, yes, I replied but dismissed it because it failed to see past the generalisations of a beleaguered trade, but he encouraged me to reply. So I offer my response to you, with respect for your work but with frustration at your lack of awareness about Christian stores.

You make some fair and obvious points about bookshops, but you fail to understand that these stores are not just bookshops, they were up until 10—15 years ago, but the demise of the Net Book Agreement & the internet changed that world. Bookshops reacted by selling emerging products and resources that churches and Christians were looking for, such as music, Church requisites, cards, gifts and software. This was not dumbing down, but responding to what their customers were looking for, now over a third of sales will come from non-book product, and that product has a much better margin allowing them to carry on stocking books. So I agree that stores need to have staff that love what they do, and excel at what they do, but the novelty shop with books at the back jibe is incorrect, and fails to understand what the people who uses the stores want from them.

I’ve had the experience of working in an independent and chain stores, I’ve seen the good, bad and ugly of both. You are incorrect in your “states of independence” section, and I would argue unkind, to assume that a chain of shops rather an independent care less about their stock range, their selection or customers. One of the many the strengths of a group is that stores share knowledge, expertise & passion. Central control is never absolute, in the group I worked in the local store always had permission to develop it’s local market and identity. Whereas in a independent the selection revolves around one person or small group of staff, and they can become very narrow and blinkered in their selection. Publishers used to comment that the chain I worked for, supported new titles & authors in a way that the independents couldn’t and wouldn’t, and they were very grateful. So there are strengths in both models, but it seems you’re not well enough informed about how chain stores operate.

I also know the bookshop run by your market trader friend, and whilst I admire it’s eclectic nature and celebrate all it has been and done over the years, I remember when one of the trustees of that shop came to our group to ask if we would buy it because they could no longer make it viable. We had to say no because it’s stock was so old, slow selling and over-valued that we would have had to write off so much of it. I’m pleased the store is still just hanging in there, but know from local contacts that it is still having a really hard time.

I do agree that we need more great products to sell, and if you despair at what you see, you won’t believe what is rejected. Most stores will try and be objective on their selections, and wish that publishers would produce far less and work more on quality. My good friend says of Christians “we’re all somebody’s weirdo”, so you are guaranteed to have to walk past walls of books that you dislike before you finally see a book you approve of, I’ve given up trying to pass the heresy police test and wish that Christians would be a little more graceful to one another and to booksellers.

If you’ve reached this point in my reply, I’m grateful, and please know that I’ve responded because I normally like what you have to say, but this piece got me riled because, I believe, it has misrepresented the world of Christian stores, but mixed in enough wisdom to make it sound plausible. However your post missed the real story that the STL stores went down not because of their retailing but because of the global ambitions of their parent company. Now there’s a subject for such a well regarded author such as yourself to get your teeth into.

With respect

Iago.