Indies back W H Smith's clubs call

Independent booksellers have supported W H Smith's demands for transparency from publishers about book club and direct sales offers.

W H Smith's executive director of books, Trevor Goul-Wheeker, and its books unit director Gary Kibble, have written to publishers to affirm their right to return stock bought for promotions if the same titles are licensed to book clubs without prior warning. Titles would be returned at the publisher's cost.

WHS also said its buyers may exclude titles from promotions if the gap between trade and club editions was less than three months. Ottakar's has communicated a similar message to its largest suppliers.

The Booksellers Association said that publishers would now have to consider their supply arrangements "very seriously". Tim Godfray, BA c.e.o., added: "The BA supports WHS' efforts to improve communications. While it is up to the individual booksellers to work with publishers, I am hoping for a sea change that will see publishers informing booksellers about all their book club deals."

The stance was backed by independents and small chains. Foyles director Bill Samuel said that Foyles could follow WHS' lead. "We don't have the market share to return stock, but we support this standpoint by those who do."

Tony Maher, m.d. of small chain Maher the Bookseller, agreed: "The little people like us are relying on the big players to create a more level playing field. If you are a publisher supplying thousands of books to WHS, you would take this seriously."

Publishers have mostly welcomed the moves towards transparency in the buying process. Orion's sales director Dallas Manderson agreed that "publishers should inform the bookseller if a deal is to be made with a book club". David Shelley of Allison & Busby said: "We have received a letter from WHS and we will be upfront with them about orders."

Bertrams already demands the right to return lead titles at a publisher's expense if it fails to disclose book club deals.

Bertrams c.e.o. Terry Reilly said: "Most publishers are working supportively with us on this and no real problems have arisen. A few have failed to inform us of book club deals when our order was subscribed and we have had to invoke our returns clause. Again, we have found those few publishers involved have been very co-operative in rectifying the situation."

Book club operators and publishers are keen to stress that the information should be offered voluntarily, but booksellers want a stronger set of guidelines. "Publishers are being naive," Mr Samuel said. "If they want us to stock their range of backlist, they cannot selectively undercut us on frontlist."

The BA is reviewing the possibility of composing a standard conditions of purchase document. Booksellers want a three to six-month window in which to sell new books before club editions.

But publishers are still concerned about introducing standard sales terms for book clubs. Mr Shelley said: "Sometimes we get a bigger order from [book club group] BCA than the rest of the trade put together, and in this case they should get it first."

BCA editorial director Lisa Milton said: "We will fight to get the most favourable terms on each title we buy."