---From email rec’d:
What was the text in your blog about Philip Roth's---My reply:
bestselling novel `The Plot Against America'?
You mean why was the text in my blog about Philip Roth's novel? It was just an open letter I thought to share. Couldn’t find the book at Costco either, though. Maybe it's not censorship like some of the other titles I know they won’t carry or they demand abridged versions for their dainty customers. Maybe in the case of Philip Roth’s novel the big-box wholesale warehouses couldn’t cut the deal they wanted. I was disappointed because there are not often bestsellers that I feel like reading, and I preferred not to wait for my order to that publisher, whenever that might be. But I thought those places at least carried books on the bestseller list.
I’m still not decided whether to send all my extraneous oozings, if there might be any, in the blogmails. But I’d rather not have to get involved with a lot of prep time (editing) when time comes to send it out. Hopefully people will cut me some slack if I come across less than well-considered. Don’t feel constrained to pore over all my drivel!
First box of PGW (actually Box 3 of 3), with only two books arrived today. The rest tomorrow probably.
Yours,
Chris
---Email rec’d:
Chris, thanks for the update. I'm curious, are you
able to order/specify first editions/first printings
when you order from your distributor? Also, I am
trying to get a complete run of Golden Gryphon books,
including the3 limited first hardcovers (100 copies).
Does GG let you know about these? If they do, could
you inform me?
---My reply:
Smaller press publishers I could specify first printings, but they are usually first printings anyway. I think I have a couple of the Golden Gryphon ltds.--you want them all, or are you trying to collect them all but already have some? Those come from GG direct while the trade editions come from their distributor (Independent Press Group). The only distributors I order from are ones like IPG and PGW (Publishers Group West), where the publishers don't want to do all the busy-work and heavy-lifting. Otherwise I go through the publisher direct. Places like Random House are almost like distributors themselves, given the number of imprints and erstwhile independents they have swallowed up. With such operations I cannot specify first printing. Something can be a third printing but they will still think of it as the same edition, at least in the ordering department. What I try to do, when I think something might be in a later printing, is order the rock bottom least number of copies. It can be difficult, when I am special ordering for someone who collects first editions, because then I am stuck with a book I might not otherwise carry and a reprint to boot. I should be ordering more often from the various publishers in order to increase the likelihood of receiving first printings of popular books, as well as reduce the likelihood of receiving bookstore returns of titles (although these are often the first printings and sometimes signed as well). Sorry to be so longwinded and not even answer your question. Cases vary is all I can really say, I guess.
I can put you down for Golden Gryphon ltds. and trades as they come out. That is something I would be far better at than procuring first printings of something from Random House, say, that might have hit the bestseller list.
Yours,
Chris
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