Loyal readers of the “print product” know Bryan Garner’s name from this profile we ran of him awhile back. As the headline states, he’s the leading lexicographer of our time. There are a couple of us in the office who, shall we say, are big fans of his work. (And, yes, I realize that might sound a bit dorky.) So when Garner sent out a personal appeal last week for help, I was concerned what was wrong. You should be concerned, too.
Here’s what he wrote:
If you’re a fan of my usage tips and Garner’s Modern American Usage…
I have a favor to ask of you as a loyal reader: In the next few hours or days, would you please go to www.amazon.com or www.bn.com and buy one or more copies of the new third edition of Garner’s Modern American Usage as holiday presents? In fact, keep this gift possibility in mind through the end of the year, won’t you?
I need your help in sending a message to the major bookstore chains: they’re not stocking the book because they’ve told Oxford University Press that they consider usage guides a “defunct category.” It’s maddeningly unbelievable. Please help me show them that they’re stupendously wrong.
Meanwhile, in the coming months you might ask about the book when you’re in a bookstore: ask the managers why they don’t stock copies, and encourage them to do so.
If you’re curious to see what effect you’re having, watch the rankings on Amazon.com or Bn.com in coming days and weeks. We’ll be alerting the major chains to those numbers, and we want to get as close to the top 50 as we can. If you’re trying to order and see that the book is labeled “out of stock,” order anyway: the effort is also to ensure that the online booksellers keep adequate stocks.
In return for this favor — it’s a grassroots effort — I’ll be happy to inscribe copies that you send to LawProse for that purpose, if you (1) include a filled-out FedEx airbill for returning them to you, and (2) suggest an appropriate inscription.
Thank you for whatever help you can provide in this endeavor to show booksellers that the concern for good English is alive and well.
I would add one more thing: if you aren’t already a subscriber to Garner’s e-mail usage tip of the day, you should be.
5 comments
I understand Bryan’s pain. However, look at it from the bookstore’s perspective. Earlier this year Barnes & Noble reported a quarterly loss of $2.1 million and Borders reported a quarterly loss of $86 million (both were for Q1 2009 I believe). I would not expect “User Guides” to be a high-volume or high-profit category. Bookstores can continue to carry “Garner’s Modern American Usage” and hope that Tim buys several copies while watching the financial loss grow. Or, more likely, they can add another display of Dan Brown’s “The Lost Symbol” in that same space and turn the same floorspace into a much needed profit center. The bookstores would rather move those specialty purchases online where the overhead is significantly less, freeing up space for bestsellers. At the end of the day, even though he’s a huge fan, I highly doubt Tim will be purchasing a few million copies of Mr. Garner’s fine book so that it can compete with Mr. Brown’s latest. Unfortunately, big name bookstores are no longer the places to go for your unique literature, that has become the realm of the almighty Amazon. Hmm, I wonder if I can get “Garner’s Modern American Usage” for my Kindle?
Danny,
I can tell you why the major bookstore chains are losing sales. One word: selection. There ain’t any. I visit Borders once a week to pick up magazines. Almost all my considerable book budget goes to Amazon because I know that whatever it is, Borders and Barnes & Noble won’t have it. Unless it’s a super best seller or a remainder.
This is no secret. Employees behind the cash register have complained to me that the stores are being run by marketeers, not book people. They, too, hate the situation and know they’ve lost their core customers.
Once upon a time Dallas had a half dozen or so independent bookstores. Borders and Barnes & Noble drove them out of business by offering a larger selection. As soon as they had the market to themselves, they started sweeping the “specialty purchases” off the shelves leaving the field to “profit centers” and to Amazon.
Amazon’s great if you know what you’re looking for. It’s just not very good for serendipitous browsing, which is how a lot of books get bought.
Does any of this make sense as a business model?
Another problem with Usage Manuals is that the people who need them typically have a computer nearby. I own Garner’s Modern American Usage. I own an AP Stylebook and the Chicago Manual of Style. I rarely consult any of them anymore (and when I do, it’s usually more to satisfy curiosity than to answer a question).
And yes, I capitalized “usage manuals” for some reason.
I have no self-consciousness issues in commenting whenever/where ever. Firstly, the post has to interest me enough for me to have a say – negative/positive – doesn’t matter.