The book industry is in crisis? How to attract more buyers into the bookstores? DW spoke with Alexander Skipis, the must know as a managing Director of the börsenverein of the German book trade, the recipes.
German readers are spoiled: books you get in bookstores now or on the night provided. However, you may receive this quality service is in danger. The largest book distributors, Koch, Neff & Volckmar (KNV), has filed for bankruptcy. Especially small and medium-sized publishers are affected, because they must fear for their outdoor stands. This is just one of the important subjects with which the Association is managing Director of the German book trade has to deal with. Copyright legislation or the price of books, the German book prize and the endangered freedom of expression, all these are tasks and problems for the 64-year-old Alexander Skipis.
Deutsche Welle: Mr. Skipis, the German book industry is a ten billion euros in turnover, immensely strong, bigger than the music industry, the film industry, Computer and video games together. The book trade is still in crisis?
Alexander Skipis: If I have to answer generally, no. The book industry in Germany has not kept up in the last 13, 14 years in sales only, but rather slightly increased. In a time of Smartphones and many other media competitors of the book came on the market – this is a tremendous performance of the publishers, authors and booksellers.
On the other hand, one must, of course, that this strong competition leaves traces behind. We have published in the last year, a study has shown clearly that we have lost a significant number of buyers. That is, people who have bought earlier books, have turned away from the book.
Less readers buy more books, but sales remained about the same. This is a soothing perspective?
No, this is not a reassuring perspective, although sales increased last year, even slightly. But that’s also due to the fact that those who buy books, spend more on average. It has also adjusted a bit the fact that we have lost in the last years buyer.
We have therefore carried out precisely among those who now buy significantly fewer books than in the past, a survey to find the reason for this. It is very clear that all these people value is actually in unison the book and the reading experience very much. But stressed on the other hand, by means of Social Media for part-time and nothing more.
We want to convey as an industry stronger, that the people should take this time out to deal with a book and go in order, so to speak, on a journey. I think there’s a great opportunity, book buyer to recover.
An electronic book for the E-Book Reader or a conventional book, both of which can be on the local book trade
The books cosmos has many facets and many ways of distribution – the Internet knows the book trade, directly from publishers, Book clubs, mail order book trade, etc., I would like to speak with you, above all, about the stationary book trade. KNV, the largest book logistics company in Germany, has recently filed for bankruptcy. How come currently in the books, but also DVDs, CDs and games from more than 5000 publishers in the bookstores?
In short, just like earlier. To file for bankruptcy does not mean that the business of the activity, on the contrary. The appointed preliminary insolvency administrator is very interested in the company and the activities of the company to continue. Because he is an insolvency practitioner with extensive skills, he can practically guarantee that all those currently supplying books, all publishers get the most out of your money.
For many publishers is not, however, secure that the deliveries of the end-of-year business in 2018 will be paid.
You are quite right. Now this is the big Problem, before all things, the small and medium-sized publishers are: the billing of the Christmas business in 2018, should be on schedule now, can’t be done because of the bankruptcy Declaration at present. This is not to say that the publishers get their money for these back in time in the first. If not, solutions are found, can grow to be a significant Problem.
This is also a retroactive effect on the book of acts would have been?
If many of the publishers would have to adopt from the market, would have a significant impact on the book of acts. Then the offer can present to you there would not be so wide. The German book market stands for quality and an enormous variety, for which we are envied all over the world.
The number of bookstores in Germany. What can you do as a book dealer, in order to survive?
Many bookstores even have in Hand. But there are also things that can be difficult to regulated by the individual trader. I mean especially the problem of the inner cities, which are becoming less and less attractive. The frequency of people in shopping streets. In addition, the entire retail complains. It added that Rents in Prime locations are very expensive. Bookstores have a hard time to pay high Rent because the revenue returns in the book trade business is relatively low.
The stock exchange Association, represented by A. Skipis, occurs for the freedom of the word – for example, in February 2017, together with the Turkish exile-journalist Can Dündar, representatives of the PEN and reporters without borders for freedom of expression in Turkey
Perhaps we need more Buchcafés in the country?
In fact. This is a good cue for what the Booksellers and book dealers have in Hand. Today, it is no longer enough to fill a bookstore with books, open the door and wait for people to come. There are attractive offers need to be created to experience worlds and spaces are created in which people like to stay here.
Whether it be through readings, Poetry Slams, or exchanges, by inviting storytellers or regional Poet intends?
Exactly like that, but maybe it needs to go a bit beyond that. Bookstores can also be a place of discussion and debate. In this direction, you have to think in order to make the people attractive deals.
The threat grows by direct suppliers such as Amazon, the off the book retail?
This is a very serious competitor. If the threat grows, it is difficult to say. Bookstores have the enormous advantage that it usually gets the book immediately, or it can be ordered overnight. And almost every bookstore has now also an Online Shop.
Sales of E-Books has risen 2018 enormously, almost 13 percent more have been implemented. The digitisation is a threat to the stationary book trade?
E-Books are not necessarily a threat to the book trade. Of course you can download the E-Book is relatively easy across platforms, however, now also offer many bookstores. But in the bookstore, nor the advice here is the shopping there is always More Service compared to the pure online platforms. In this respect, it is also important that we combine the advantages of digital with the benefits of physical sales. This is an important task for the book trade.
“Now a book” the campaign of the German book industry, the börsenverein of the German book trade coordinated
The big title missing in the book trade? Harry Potter or Elena Ferrante – increase the kind of books the total sales noticeably? Or the people who buy anyway books not to buy, then it is the best selling, but other titles?
Extremely dominant Bestseller in the last years. Great top sellers to increase sales in any case. But there’s an interesting development to see: in the past, a title came on the bestseller lists, if it is 500,000 or 600,000 books have been sold. Today it can be done already with a much lower mintage.
The Interview was conducted by Sabine Peschel