Author Topic: Deseret Book vs. Seagull Book  (Read 18901 times)

Spriggan

  • Administrator
  • Level 78
  • *****
  • Posts: 10582
  • Fell Points: 31
  • Yes, I am this awesome
    • View Profile
    • Legacies Lost
Re: Deseret Book vs. Seagull Book
« Reply #30 on: July 13, 2006, 03:39:33 PM »
Yes it does.  I have no childhood anymore thanks to you.
Screw it, I'm buying crayons and paper. I can imagineer my own adventures! Wheeee!

Chuck Norris is the reason Waldo is hiding.


The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers

  • Administrator
  • Level 96
  • *****
  • Posts: 19211
  • Fell Points: 17
  • monkeys? yes.
    • View Profile
    • herb's world
Re: Deseret Book vs. Seagull Book
« Reply #31 on: July 13, 2006, 03:48:21 PM »
What's his super power? Armpits?

Spriggan

  • Administrator
  • Level 78
  • *****
  • Posts: 10582
  • Fell Points: 31
  • Yes, I am this awesome
    • View Profile
    • Legacies Lost
Re: Deseret Book vs. Seagull Book
« Reply #32 on: July 13, 2006, 03:50:14 PM »
Stealing armpits.
Screw it, I'm buying crayons and paper. I can imagineer my own adventures! Wheeee!

Chuck Norris is the reason Waldo is hiding.


Firemeboy

  • Level 14
  • *
  • Posts: 607
  • Fell Points: 0
  • Spoooon!
    • View Profile
    • Chickens Don't Have Armpits
Re: Deseret Book vs. Seagull Book
« Reply #33 on: July 13, 2006, 04:22:47 PM »
My armpits are very fowl in nature...

Yeah, Matthew Buckley is my pen name.  Long, boring story...
Licensed to dispense PEZ in 28 states.

Fellfrosch

  • Administrator
  • Level 68
  • *****
  • Posts: 7033
  • Fell Points: 42
  • Walkin' with a dead man over my shoulder.
    • View Profile
    • Fearful Symmetry
Re: Deseret Book vs. Seagull Book
« Reply #34 on: July 13, 2006, 04:53:16 PM »
I love your quote, though--I think both companies will be ticked off by it. Which, because I am evil, makes me happy.
"Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open sewer and die." --Mel Brooks

My author website: http://www.fearfulsymmetry.net

Firemeboy

  • Level 14
  • *
  • Posts: 607
  • Fell Points: 0
  • Spoooon!
    • View Profile
    • Chickens Don't Have Armpits
Re: Deseret Book vs. Seagull Book
« Reply #35 on: July 13, 2006, 06:37:27 PM »
Yeah, I might need somebody here to submit my next manuscript under their name...  :)
Licensed to dispense PEZ in 28 states.

EUOL

  • Moderator
  • Level 58
  • *****
  • Posts: 4708
  • Fell Points: 33
  • Mr. Prolific [tm]
    • View Profile
    • Brandon Sanderson dot com
Re: Deseret Book vs. Seagull Book
« Reply #36 on: July 19, 2006, 04:13:58 PM »
I'll add a slightly different perspective here.  I spoke with some people who are a little closer to the editing side of the industry today, and one offered this perspective.

Deseret Book feels VERY threatened.  Not by a rival bookstore, but by the Seagull book marketing philosophy.  What they do (in the DB perception) is use DB books as their 'loss leaders.'  In other words, they sell the DB books very cheaply (at cost, virtually) to draw people into the store.  Then, they make money by selling those same people the Covenant books which appear discounted, but are actually produced in such a way that they're making full profit off of the 'discounted' books.  

DB, then, is being undercut soundly on its own products.  They have been loosing money big time lately (while they were once profitable) because nobody (in their opinion) buys their books at their stores--they go to Seagull and buy them because they're discounted so far.

This would all be fixed, of course, if the LDS publishers would adopt a more standard publishing format.  You know, selling your books at a flat rate to everyone, not counting on your own retail stores to make your publishing company profitable, that sort of thing.  
http://www.BrandonSanderson.com

"Technically, I don't even have a brain."--Fellfrosch

Firemeboy

  • Level 14
  • *
  • Posts: 607
  • Fell Points: 0
  • Spoooon!
    • View Profile
    • Chickens Don't Have Armpits
Re: Deseret Book vs. Seagull Book
« Reply #37 on: July 19, 2006, 04:30:28 PM »
Seagull just put out a press release.

http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20060719005677&newsLang=en


"Seagull Book and Deseret Book have begun discussions to explore options for addressing the differences that have existed between our two companies," said Jon Kofford, executive vice president of Seagull Book. "In the meantime, Deseret Book has extended Seagull Book's ability to purchase Deseret Book products through the end of August 2006."

No additional details about the relationship between Seagull Book and Deseret Book will be forthcoming at this time. "
« Last Edit: July 19, 2006, 04:31:31 PM by Firemeboy »
Licensed to dispense PEZ in 28 states.

Firemeboy

  • Level 14
  • *
  • Posts: 607
  • Fell Points: 0
  • Spoooon!
    • View Profile
    • Chickens Don't Have Armpits
Re: Deseret Book vs. Seagull Book
« Reply #38 on: July 19, 2006, 04:33:49 PM »
Quote
Then, they make money by selling those same people the Covenant books which appear discounted, but are actually produced in such a way that they're making full profit off of the 'discounted' books.
 

Very interesting.  Do you know if this is a saving on the actual production of the books, or the money spent on marketing, or what they pay authors?  Or a combination?  And is there a reason DB doesn't adopt the same production processes to become more competitive?  
Licensed to dispense PEZ in 28 states.

stacer

  • Level 58
  • *
  • Posts: 4641
  • Fell Points: 0
    • View Profile
    • Stacy Whitman's Grimoire
Re: Deseret Book vs. Seagull Book
« Reply #39 on: July 20, 2006, 02:20:24 AM »
Quote
This would all be fixed, of course, if the LDS publishers would adopt a more standard publishing format.  You know, selling your books at a flat rate to everyone, not counting on your own retail stores to make your publishing company profitable, that sort of thing.  


I agree. I think publishing books and being in the bookselling business just cross too many conflict of interest lines.
Help start a small press dedicated to publishing multicultural fantasy and science fiction for children and young adults. http://preview.tinyurl.com/pzojaf.

Follow our blog at http://www.tupublishing.com
We're on Twitter, too! http://www.twitter.com/tupublishing

Peter Ahlstrom

  • Administrator
  • Level 59
  • *****
  • Posts: 4902
  • Fell Points: 2
  • Assistant to Mr. Sanderson
    • View Profile
Re: Deseret Book vs. Seagull Book
« Reply #40 on: August 29, 2006, 08:29:40 PM »
What was the quote? The article seems to be gone.

This reminds me of the Apple resellers' dispute with Apple over their Apple Store accounting, though only remotely.
« Last Edit: August 29, 2006, 08:31:16 PM by OoklaTheMok »
All Saiyuki fans should check out Dazzle! Emotionally wrenching action-adventure and quirky humor! (At least read chapter 6 and tell me if you're not hooked.) Volume 10 out now!