No place for the dilettante

Publishing Must Be The Saddest Marketing Story of Our Time." The prominent Canadian publisher, Jack McClelland, appearing on the Betty Kennedy Show this week, Wednesday, January 22, 1975 pointed out the alarming consequences of copyright violation. There's not a publisher here who is unaware of the inadequate training and professionalism of retail book clerks in this country. No place for the dilettante HUGH KANE It used to be called "an occupation for gentlemen." In those days - about the turn of the century - a young man who was too short for the Guards, too dull for politics or the law, and too naughty for the Church had really very little choice. There was, of course, the possibility of emigration to the Colonies but that required an adventurous spirit and conditions were reported to be pretty grim. So, particularly if he had read a few books before being "sent down," a certain part of his patrimony was used to buy him a junior partnership in a publishing firm where he could lead a respectable life, hope to meet Robert Browning and even, perhaps, have tea some afternoon with George Meredith. Times have changed. Book publishing today is a tough, tough business. It is still, I like to think, reasonably respectable, but there is no longer any place in publishing for the dilettante. In Canada, our little industry which according to the Ernst and Ernst Report contributes less than one-tenth of 1% to the gross national product is in very serious trouble. It is generally agreed, I think, that its importance in the Canadian community is very much greater than the Ernst and Ernst figures would suggest. As Mel Hurtig 78 These, and probably hundreds of other industry problems, are capable of solution. Let us set about solving them together not as nationalists or internationalists not as Canadian-owned companies or branch plants - but as professional publishers genuinely interested in collectively upgrading our standards and justly meriting the respect of our market. has stated "all the available evidence indicates that we now have in Canada the nucleus for a very successful national publishing industry." It is true that more and more Canadians are writing better books; it is true that improved communications and advances in education have together created more readers; and it is true that expanded library services and a healthier retail book trade make it easier to bring the book and the reader together. But the book publisher who, regardless of what Bill French may think, must fulfil the role of entrepren-eur is facin'g serious difficulties. Why? In spite of all the changes in our economy in the last 35 years, the dollar is still worth exactly one hundred cents. Even in my relatively short time in the book business, retail trade discounts have risen from 30% to 42%. So the retail bookseller takes 42~ of every dollar spent on books. The wholesaler , who plays an important part in the distribution system - probably a more important part than in other countries because of the absurdities of our geography - is barely existing on discounts of 50% or better. The author, who, God knows, deserves his fair share of that dollar, no longer content with the traditional 10% royalty, has suggested an earlier escalation of the royalty rate. He also has requested a greatly Revue d'etudes canadiennes increased share of subsidiary rights revenues . Book clubs who play a useful if nonessential role in the distribution pattern are now requesting discounts as high as 77.8%. Trade at such discounts provides little or nothing for the author and no profit whatever for the publisher. Book manufacturing costs have naturally been caught in the spiral of inflation and have risen sharply in the past three years. I can assure you that the book manufacturer is not the profiteering villain in the piece. The price of white cloth used in binding most educational books has risen by 60% since 1969; the price of coloured cloth which we use in binding most of our trade books has increased by 65 % in the same period; the price of paper has increased by 50% - and that is a conservative estimate. The cost of labour...