CIP
I'm going to bring across a couple of my messages from the old board that didn't get copied, just to keep 'em. Originally posted
2/11/05 4:08 pm.
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Let's deal with InfoCenter's misinformed twaddle again:
CIP numbers have never been necessary for libraries to stock books. We have seen this even suggested before, but it is a very unusual rumour, and PublishAmerica easily proves the opposite.
Very unusual rumor? PublishAmerica easily disproves it? What? CIP numbers aren't necessary for libraries to stock books -- but CIP or other numbers are necessary for them to catalog and circulate books. Having a CIP number makes it very much easier to get libraries to both stock and circulate books. Some libraries won't even accept books without CIP as a gift.
CIP numbers are not necessary for libraries to order a books. What is necessary is for publishers to have accounts with the book wholesaler that libraries use.
That wholesaler is Baker & Taylor.
PublishAmerica deals directly with the most common wholesaler that libraries use. PublishAmerica has had an account with this wholesaler since our very first day.
Yes, and PA's discount to libraries through B&T is just 5%. When other publishers give 40% through B&T. That's one heck of an incentive for libraries to buy books that aren't reviewed in Library Journal, and are often poorly edited.
Although libraries typically stock only a small percentage of new books published, PublishAmerica books are ordered by libraries each week, both through wholesalers and directly from PublishAmerica.
Ah, the "of all books published" dodge again. We've seen the real numbers, InfoCenter. 791 different titles in libraries out of 7,980 titles listed at Amazon. One of those is in 132 libraries worldwide. The rest are in dribs and drabs, in ones and twos (and those were ordered when a local author begged the library on his knees, or donated the book as a gift, right?). Recall that there are 117,859 libraries in the United States alone. That's dismal. That's worse than dismal. That's horrible.
Although libraries typically stock very few new books, PublishAmerica is proud to have many hundreds of titles stocked in libraries across the nation, and we have many librarians as our authors.
"Very few" is an undefined term.
Many hundreds of titles. 791, to be precise.
Many librarians as authors? That's like many lawyers as authors. Librarians and lawyers can be as naive as any other author. As trusting, as misinformed, and as misled.
How are those many librarians doing as far as getting their books shelved in libraries other than their own?
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