Every year at this time..

It’s the same around this time every year – we get calls from clients complaining that they have been told we take ‘at least twelve weeks to deliver any book’.

When we ask them where they have heard that, invariably they have been into the major High Street Bookstore and Newsagent chain or their sister organisation to order one of our books, only to be told that is ‘the delivery time their system says’. It has happened three times today already

Perhaps you do or do not know how the book ordering system works here in the UK. You go into a store, and ask for a specific title, perhaps you also know the author as well – you might even know who published it. The assistant will look it up on their computer using – more likely as not – something called ‘PubWeb’ that is a book-store only website that carries details all the books currently in print, filed under the International Standard Book Number – ISBN. It also contains the retail price and contact details of the publishers. If they place an order on this system, it takes about a day for your order to reach us.

If you are going into that High Street chain the system will also tell the assistant if the publisher has an account with them. If they have, it usually means the publisher is prepared to be dictated to. The last I heard from them was that this chain wanted 90 day sale or return, then a 120 day invoice at least a 60% discount and free shipping! When I declined this ‘offer’ I was told somewhat abruptly that ‘you cannot afford not to do business with us – we’re nationwide’. My reply, after I got over the shock, was ‘Just watch me!’. That was ten years ago, and we’re still in business!

So what's the reason behind it? - we dont really know, but we suspect that the store does not want to be seen to be declining an order, - and they certainly dont want to take an order which means accepting OUR terms of a 33% discount on a 30-day invoice - so they trot out this excuse, know that you as a customer are not prepared to 'wait that long', especially if it is a Christmas present!

For the record, for at least 95% of all our orders we despatch within 24 working hours on receiving it – the remainder go out within 48 hours. So the solution is this – either order from us direct – or support your local independent bookseller!