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Re: Picture Books
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From: Jen Sanderfoot <jensanderfoot_at_charter.net>
Date: Sun, 07 Nov 2010 10:02:42 -0800
I hesitated to weigh in on this complex and important conversation, but the re are a few points that ultimately I believed I had to make. My perspectiv e is unique-- I am the store manager of Barnes and Noble, but I also have a MLS from Wisconsin. My husband is a published author, my grandmother was a librarian, and my mom is an art teacher. There is no questioning the impor tance nor the love of reading and art in my family. Picture books are expensive. No question. However, as someone already point ed out, there are many people to compensate in the publishing process, and I do believe that price reductions only hurt the creative end of the proces s, not the business end. Certainly, our creative class cannot afford any mo re abuse. Parents and caregivers in stressful economic times do have diffic ult choices to make. But please don't think that all booksellers or chain b ookstores are alike, or that we don't care very much about trying to raise a new generation of thoughtful readers. Our job is to match the
right book with the reader, to ensure that the purchaser feels that they have made a g ood choice and hopefully encourage them to come back for more books in the future. I have librarians, teachers, musicians, and artists on my staff, all of who m bring a wealth of information to the book buying experience. No, we are n ot perfect. But we do care. We do sell a lot of movie and celebrity book ti e-ins, but we also try to add on additional titles to these products that t he child may not have heard of that just might turn them on to some other k inds of literature. Furthermore, we do suggest the library when parents com e in scrambling at the last minute for a project and cost becomes an issue. We want customers for a lifetime, not just a harried moment. Lastly, we have families who regularly join us for story times, character v isits and other special events. We hold a national book drive that puts 100 0's of books into children's hands. We have departments full of families th at lounge all over the floor re ading book after book that they most likely have no intention of buying and we won't stop them. Books are amazing, magi cal things. We want them to reach as many readers as possible, and there is no one way to do that. Thank you for your time. Jen Sanderfoot, Madison WI
Received on Sun 07 Nov 2010 10:02:42 AM CST
Date: Sun, 07 Nov 2010 10:02:42 -0800
I hesitated to weigh in on this complex and important conversation, but the re are a few points that ultimately I believed I had to make. My perspectiv e is unique-- I am the store manager of Barnes and Noble, but I also have a MLS from Wisconsin. My husband is a published author, my grandmother was a librarian, and my mom is an art teacher. There is no questioning the impor tance nor the love of reading and art in my family. Picture books are expensive. No question. However, as someone already point ed out, there are many people to compensate in the publishing process, and I do believe that price reductions only hurt the creative end of the proces s, not the business end. Certainly, our creative class cannot afford any mo re abuse. Parents and caregivers in stressful economic times do have diffic ult choices to make. But please don't think that all booksellers or chain b ookstores are alike, or that we don't care very much about trying to raise a new generation of thoughtful readers. Our job is to match the
right book with the reader, to ensure that the purchaser feels that they have made a g ood choice and hopefully encourage them to come back for more books in the future. I have librarians, teachers, musicians, and artists on my staff, all of who m bring a wealth of information to the book buying experience. No, we are n ot perfect. But we do care. We do sell a lot of movie and celebrity book ti e-ins, but we also try to add on additional titles to these products that t he child may not have heard of that just might turn them on to some other k inds of literature. Furthermore, we do suggest the library when parents com e in scrambling at the last minute for a project and cost becomes an issue. We want customers for a lifetime, not just a harried moment. Lastly, we have families who regularly join us for story times, character v isits and other special events. We hold a national book drive that puts 100 0's of books into children's hands. We have departments full of families th at lounge all over the floor re ading book after book that they most likely have no intention of buying and we won't stop them. Books are amazing, magi cal things. We want them to reach as many readers as possible, and there is no one way to do that. Thank you for your time. Jen Sanderfoot, Madison WI
Received on Sun 07 Nov 2010 10:02:42 AM CST
