Time to boycott WH Smith over travel books?

Patrick20

Simon, I cant help but think that the only reason you are boycotting this is because of your financial interests in this area. What you are forgetting though is that WHSmiths is a buisness and they can choose to stock what they want. I dont shop there myself but if i went in and the books were rubbish I would leave. If a shop wants to sell a sh*t on a stick its up to them, and its up to the customer if they want to buy that product.

By the Way, I dont think your allowed to mention the titles of your books. Your not allowed to advertise on this forum.

Kirtha

I have been watching this thread since it started, and decided to come out of lurkerville to say, it is shameful the way some posters here are behaving. Would you speak to another person face to face in the manner you are using here? Do you resolve disagreements with such venom and spite in real life? When you can't make your argement based on facts, do you resort to insults, belittling, and shallow-minded mud-slinging with your co-workers? Your family? Strangers? You should be ashamed of yourselves.

This man is not here to sell you anything. He is here to protect the rights of those in his profession (and possibly yours some day) to be treated fairly, and not to be driven out of business by corporate greed. Your feeding frenzy of accusations that he is trying to promote his book look ridiculous to an outsider's eye.

To the OP, your point is well made with people capable of understanding it. Unfair practice is unfair practice, regardless of whether or not a there is a personal/professional interest. It is admirable that you were honest about your professional tie to the subject, and it is clear you are not alone in your sentiments (thank you to all who posted links to other writing about this issue).

To those who are picking apart every word, every sentence, and coming up with some sort of evil sales tactic, shame on you. Look back at your remarks and ask your self if you would speak that way if the messenger was your paster/priest/rabbi, your next door neighbor, or your mother.

The message isn't 'please buy my book, all you people who are ripping me up', it is a warning that a particular industry is squeezing out its own members by unfair trade practices. Nothing more, nothing less. Any of us who were subject to that sort of unfair practice would respond just as this poster is responding. You would make it known, and ask that others consider it thoughtfully. That certainly isn't the way some posters here have responded, and it is shameful how low they have sunk.

Bananasplit

giovanni wrote: »

Just use the internet...

Exactly.

And as someone stated earlier, many people buy their travel guides well in advance and not at the airport. I know I do. I only use WH Smiths in an airport for buying a newspaper, a drink or a novel. But maybe that's just me...

Tojo_Ralph

Kirtha wrote: »

I have been watching this thread since it started, and decided to come out of lurkerville to say, it is shameful the way some posters here are behaving.

Hi there Mrs V. :hello:

wannaberichbtch

I think that the idea of a book exchange at airports is a great idea, anything that restricts choice of the written word i.e. the Penguin monopoly is a bad thing. Unfortunately the BAA charge such high rents for airline shops that an exchange service would never happen. I have heard that some of the airline shops operate at little or no profit for the profile they gain as major retail players by having an airport "pitch".

knightstyle

Hang on a minute. WHS say they do stock this guide. Here is their reply to my query:
I have checked the system and 2 are showing, Brit guide to Orlando 2010, 9780572035396 this is published 23/10/2009, and Brit guide to Orlando 2009, 9780572034894 which was published 22/10/2008.
So what exactly is the gripe?

dmg24

SimonVeness wrote: »

Oh spare me the false dim-witted thinking. If you're happy for big corporations to rule the way you shop, don't bother reading (or trying to understand). If you care about choice, quality and a level playing field, then you'll realise I am just trying to flag up a situation which most people in the media consider highly iniquitous. Of COURSE I am worried about the long-term consequences of deals like this, as anyone in their right mind would be. Of COURSE it threatens my livelihood (and that of many other writers, researchers, publishers and book-sellers). The logical conclusion of deals like this (unless someone makes a fuss about it) is that there would ONLY be Penguin books on the shelves and the info available for people to buy (or find online) would be vastly diminished and of poorer quality because a lot of the professional working base would be lost, unable to exist on the margins that a 72% discount represents.

Or then perhaps you work for Penguin yourself and are actively involved in creating a monstrous monopoly that squeezes out some of the best people in the business?

I assume by this post that you are not trying to endear yourself to your potential dim-witted readers?

ferf1223

knightstyle wrote: »

Hang on a minute. WHS say they do stock this guide. Here is their reply to my query:
I have checked the system and 2 are showing, Brit guide to Orlando 2010, 9780572035396 this is published 23/10/2009, and Brit guide to Orlando 2009, 9780572034894 which was published 22/10/2008.
So what exactly is the gripe?

Reread the first sentence of the original post - the Penguin only thing applies to airport/motorway/train station locations...not online or high street locations.

russ_c

There was an item about this today on Radio 4 "You & Yours".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours/items/05/2009_23_fri.shtml

Someone noted that the BBC forgot to declare their interest in this

agreement as BBC Worldwide own Lonely Planet,

SimonVeness

The campaign gathers pace: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jun/12/michael-palin-wh-smith-guidebook

and

http://www.societyofauthors.org/information-and-news/news-for-authors/news_detail.html?newsarticlepk=6F87732AD44E558B0048C0B169C8DC08

The bottom line remains that this deal is bad for the consumer and bad for the publishing industry.