There is a chap in Surrey who has written a children’s book and published it himself. He has decided that it will only be available from independent booksellers and not from chains like WH Smith or Waterstones, not from volume-discounting Internet operations like Amazon.
The BBC have covered this in the Southern counties part of their website and just in case anyone is interested in the book they have provided links to… er… WH Smith, Waterstones and Amazon.
No links to any independent booksellers anywhere.
This sounds rather like the guy in Sunderland who wanted to give people more choice by only weighing his bananas in pounds. Putting two lots of prices on instead of one would, of course, have been oppressive. I don’t think I’m being prejudiced when I say that limiting people’s choice is not very helpful. How about potential customers in towns without an independent bookstore?
Even where there is an independent bookshop it does take an effort of will to go in and pay £20or a book when you know it is only a tenner in Tescos or Amazon.
Of course, you are in a position to say ‘told you so’ – I can remember your opposition to ending the net book agreement in 1995/6.