Booksellers' mark-up
Sir: It is mostmisleading of Bookbuyer (March 3) to cite Richard Kennedy's A Boy at the Hogarth Press as an example of booksellers marking up the price of new books, since in this instance the publishers were entirely to blame. Published last spring in a limited edition, this was the first book from the Whittington Press, who announced the published price (which did not appear on the jacket) as £6.30 and then told booksellers they were not allowing any trade discount. Confusion mounted since most reviews quoted the price as £6.30, while booksellers wishing to handle the book had no option but to buy copies at £6.30 and then add their usual profit margin — hence it naturally went on sale at £9.50-£10. Altogether, an astonishingly inept piece of publishing.
Antony Wilson 65 Hillway, London N6
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