LensWork is Back on Newsstands

[Wally]

I just got an email from LensWork Publishing announcing that LensWork #108 would be available at "select independent bookstores".

I guess the big booksellers squeeze too hard. I can't wait to see which local book store in San Diego carries it.

[Jac@stafford.net]

I just got an email from LensWork Publishing announcing that LensWork #108 would be available at "select independent bookstores".

In my experience the greatest difficulty is with magazine distributors. It is a racket. I am happy for LensWork.

[MIke Sherck]

Years ago when he pulled Lenswork from all retail distribution he said it was to eliminate the waste from unbought copies. I guess they figured out how to fix that. I wonder whether they'll start carrying advertising again, too?

Mike

[Jac@stafford.net]

Years ago when he pulled Lenswork from all retail distribution he said it was to eliminate the waste from unbought copies. I guess they figured out how to fix that. I wonder whether they'll start carrying advertising again, too?

You are right. I completely forgot. Shame on me. For the rest, here is LensWork's article (http://www.lenswork.com/newsstand.html) on the subject.

[gevalia]

he, he, he. Capitalism wins again. But I'll plant a few trees this weekend to help the cause.

[AtlantaTerry]

I was not aware of the publication. I just ordered their $10 Sampler Pack to check it out. Thanks.

[Bob Salomon]

In my experience the greatest difficulty is with magazine distributors. It is a racket. I am happy for LensWork.

Since at one time I was a magazine distributor, we owned the Augusta News Agency in Augusta, Maine I am not sure what you are referring to.

The news agencies were given exclusive territories in which they distributed the magazines, paper back books and out of town news papers to all of the outlets that sold these publications within their territory. To do that the distributor ordered the publications from the publishers, or were told by the publishers how many they would receive of an issue. The distributor had to naturally have a warehouse, an office where the number of copies per account were alloted, a fleet of trucks to deliver them that ran daily - and, of course - drivers to do the delivery. The drivers acted as jobbers and had to maintain the book, magazine and news racks as well as collect the monies due for the latest delivery.

The agreement between publishers, jobbers, distributors and dealers were that unsold copies would be credited back to the distributor and to the news dealer. To do that the top of the title page was sliced off and returned to the distributor who then reported the number of copies sold and unsold to the publisher and, if it was an audited publication, to the ABC bureau. In the case of paperbacks the cover was torn off. That is why the missing cover notice is still in paperbacks as that is a sign of an unsold book that was credited to the dealer.

In many cases those unsold books were actually used in construction as insulation. This was especially true in Niagra Falls, NY.

As to the size of the exclusive territories, we covered from outside Portland, ME up to the Allagash and East to outside the coast.

Some of these distributors have become very large businesses. The Elson News Agency from Atlanta eventually owned the newsstand at the Atlanta Airport. They eventually owned the newsstands in almost every US Airport. They then sold out to an English company who changed the name and they eventually sold the stands to Hudson News who are now all over the place. But before they owned all the news stands that they have now they were the distributor in the Hudson Vally for outside NY City. The Hudson News Agency.

I am not sure if your beef is with what used to be the private news distributors or with companies like Curtis who excercised control over the distributors.

Since I grew up in the publishing industry (my father was the VP of Circulation and a Director of Pocket Books) I probably have a different insight then you do. But while my father was at Pocket Books he instituted a new policy that they would sell directly to the major chain stores in the late 50s and early 60s. This policy basically was the start of the end for the exclusive distributor like the Augusta News Agency.

[Dave Wooten]

Interesting insight Bob, thanks.