O2+ Design Directory 2006 will not sell in my shop. The distributor, NDD, would know this from the sales data they have for my business. That they have supplied six copies of this $9.95 publication and expect me to pay for the stock now and hold it for almost six months is nonsense. It’s another example of a broken magazine supply model. The other problem with the title is the size – it’s non standard packaging means it cannot fit in the traditional magazine units and therefore will be put elsewhere, away from related titles. This will further impact sales success. Publishers and distributors ought to know this stuff. That they have newsagents providing free shelf space for six months allows them the opportunity to be lazy in their execution. I’ve early returned my copies and will not pay for them in the current invoice – I didn’t order them so why should I?
A copy of a letter that gets sent to the publisher of each magazine company that continues to dump items with ridiculous returns dates.
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Today we received XYX Magazine.
You have attached the return date of July 2007. Assuming that this title will appear on my next NDD Statement, you are requesting that I keep this title on my shelf until July and then wait until August before I receive a credit on unsold copies. What financial incentives have you arranged for me to keep this title on shelf for the exceptionally long on-sale period?
This activity is not acceptable behaviour by any Publisher and will not be supported. It is unreasonable to demand an extended shelf life without extending the financial terms of your publication, and as a result of the ever increasing cost of running a business; I can no longer afford to hold stock for long periods of time without Publishers providing financial recompense.
Other than early returning this title, which I have to pay delivery costs on, will you please provide details of how I should treat this example and future examples?
It is starting to grab the attention of publishers who are kept in the dark by the distributors. It has also resulted in a few phone calls from those same distributors who are not entirely happy with this letter being sent to the publishers
Kind Regards
It’s a good letter Vaughan. Publishers say they are in the dark but I am aware of contracts they have with distributors which set this problem up in the first place. They set their print runs as well. I’m goin to take your lead on the letter next month.
mark