We urge you to reconsider. Borders is not Albertson's. Such pop-tart marketing likely will slash the range of book titles and ideas available to the public. It will jeopardize smaller presses; and worst of all, it will further strengthen the hand of publishing conglomerates that have too much power already.
According to the May 20, 2002 Wall Street Journal, you have devised 250 categories for books, each to be captained by a publishing firm. These firms will pay you a large annual fee - in excess of $110,000 according to the Journal - which will be hard for most small and medium-sized publishers to muster. In return, the "captains" will be able to decide which books you carry, how many are bought, and where they are placed.
Although you say you will keep final authority over book-buying, Borders will be an agent of the publishers rather than of its customers.
Under your plans, smaller publishers will be at a big disadvantage, since each publisher-captain will be able to deploy your shelf space to its own advantage. In categories rich in small press titles, the publisher-captain will be able to cut the number of titles in the category, and fill the category with its own titles.
According to the May 20, 2002 Wall Street Journal, you have devised 250 categories for books, each to be captained by a publishing firm. These firms will pay you a large annual fee - in excess of $110,000 according to the Journal - which will be hard for most small and medium-sized publishers to muster. In return, the "captains" will be able to decide which books you carry, how many are bought, and where they are placed.
Although you say you will keep final authority over book-buying, Borders will be an agent of the publishers rather than of its customers.
Under your plans, smaller publishers will be at a big disadvantage, since each publisher-captain will be able to deploy your shelf space to its own advantage. In categories rich in small press titles, the publisher-captain will be able to cut the number of titles in the category, and fill the category with its own titles.