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How Well Do The Books Sell?


22 replies to this topic

#1 Blue Eyes

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Posted 19 June 2002 - 02:26 AM

RossMan

Does anyone have any idea how well the Gardner and Benson books have done/do on the market?

As I understand it, they don't really make a much as they'd like them to.

#2 Blue Eyes

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Posted 19 June 2002 - 02:26 AM

Hardyboy

I don't know how the Gardner books did, but I don't believe the Benson books do that well. . .I hardly ever see them reviewed, and there's always only one or two of the new hardbacks on the stands when they come out. I suppose only hard-core fans seek them out.

#3 Blue Eyes

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Posted 19 June 2002 - 02:27 AM

Freemo

I think the first few Gardners did very well, but since then the books have been just moderatly succesful.

I could be way off in my thinking, but I think they could be more succesfull if promoted, marketed better. You really don't hear alot about them.

#4 Blue Eyes

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Posted 19 June 2002 - 02:28 AM

Blofeld's Cat

This is a really interesting question.

We can easily find out how the movies have done, but I'm not aware of any sites that detail the sales of books.

#5 Blue Eyes

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Posted 19 June 2002 - 02:28 AM

RossMan


quote:
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Originally posted by Freemo
I think the first few Gardners did very well, but since then the books have been just moderatly succesful.

I could be way off in my thinking, but I think they could be more succesfull if promoted, marketed better. You really don't hear alot about them.
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I remember reading that Gardner's first two or so did pretty well, but that can probably be contributed to the fact it was the first time in over a decade there was a new Bond novel.

I'm disapointed with promotion, or rather lack of, as well. It seems that unless someone goes out of their way to find info. about it, they'll have no idea there's even a new Bond novel out.

#6 Blue Eyes

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Posted 19 June 2002 - 02:29 AM

rafterman

The fact is, at least in the US is that Bond books get NO promotion and No attention...only fans buy them and only fans know when they're not...they get no respect in the States....
neither does Fleming really....I dare anyone to go into a Barnes and Noble and try to pick up something by Ian.....no luck...they haven't been in print for like a decade...so it's no surprise that Benson gets no attention either...
I had no idea there was a new Bond author until I read an obscure little magazine article..then I picked up Zero Minus Ten by chance overseas...I was lucky that when I started to get into the books I was in London where they're right in their own section...

#7 Blue Eyes

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Posted 19 June 2002 - 02:29 AM

Blofeld's Cat


quote:
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Originally posted by rafterman
The fact is, at least in the US is that Bond books get NO promotion and No attention...only fans buy them and only fans know when they're not...they get no respect in the States....
neither does Fleming really....I dare anyone to go into a Barnes and Noble and try to pick up something by Ian.....no luck...they haven't been in print for like a decade...so it's no surprise that Benson gets no attention either...
I had no idea there was a new Bond author until I read an obscure little magazine article..then I picked up Zero Minus Ten by chance overseas...I was lucky that when I started to get into the books I was in London where they're right in their own section...
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This is outrageous!

Why would Raymond Benson knock himself out spending so much time to research and write a novel only to have the publishing house not want to promote it? He's experienced enough to do other novels now, so why not just walk away?

OK, he maybe a Bond fan and like doing Bond, but the current situation would hardly cater to his want of literary recognition in a wider market.

#8 Blue Eyes

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Posted 19 June 2002 - 02:31 AM

Hardyboy


quote:
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Originally posted by rafterman
I dare anyone to go into a Barnes and Noble and try to pick up something by Ian.....no luck...they haven't been in print for like a decade...
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Well, I did walk into my local Borders and found about three Flemings--however, they were the most recent British paperbacks (before the new Penguins were released). But, stout heart fellow American Bond fans--the Penguins are coming to the U.S. soon!

#9 Blue Eyes

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Posted 19 June 2002 - 02:32 AM

General Koskov

I remember back in '98 when I was in New York City, inside a Barnes and Noble, I saw a The World Is Not Enough novelisation in a little display by the front desk. But I suppose the novelisations have the fame of the film to advertise for them.

Wait...1998? Was The World Is Not Enough's novelisation released in '98? Or am I getting mixed up--perhaps I went to NYC in '99?

#10 Blue Eyes

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Posted 19 June 2002 - 02:33 AM

I'd have to say that you went in '99! Only the script of TWINE was out in 98, not the novelisation :)

#11 Blue Eyes

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Posted 19 June 2002 - 02:33 AM

rafterman

Maybe I did overstate myself before, I exaggerated a bit....
I'm sure there's publicity and support from the publisher, it just seems very limited...didn't mean to insinuate that Benson gets overlooked to the extreme....
The novelizations do get plenty of exposure and his books are available....they're just not high profile......
Hardyboy...you found copies? wow......cool..I've never seen the British paperbacks in America and it's nice to know new copies are on their way....

#12 Blue Eyes

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Posted 19 June 2002 - 02:34 AM

Hardyboy


quote:
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Originally posted by rafterman
Hardyboy...you found copies? wow......cool..I've never seen the British paperbacks in America and it's nice to know new copies are on their way....
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I was surprised to see those myself. . .I wonder if someone special ordered them and didn't pick them up, or if they somehow made it into a box of John Grisham novels or something like that. Oh, and I've noticed that even the rattiest copies of Fleming's novels sell quite well at the used book stores in my town--I think the American appetite is whetted for the original books.

#13 Blue Eyes

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Posted 19 June 2002 - 02:35 AM

Tanger

I've never seen any Bond books on sale in any shops where I live, not even Fleming's!
In fact the only one I saw for sale was a 1990 copy of 'From Russia With Love' and that was in 1999!

I've never seen any of the Benson books. I think you have to use a 'special request' for them. It's pretty poor.

#14 Blue Eyes

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Posted 19 June 2002 - 02:36 AM

zencat

The early Gardner books sold pretty well because they were the only post-Fleming books that received any decent promotion. I worked in a bookstore in '83 and I remember a full standee display for ICEBREAKER with a competition to win a Saab, etc. Also, they always got a nice advert in newspaper book review sections. The first 4 Gardner books made it to the bestseller lists, but as promotion begin to trickle away (the last advert I have is for Scorpius) so did sales. It's simple, promote the books and they will sell.

I believe ZMT is still RB's bestseller because it was the only book that got any kind of promotion.

I'm happy to report that my own local bookstores do display the Benson books on their "new releases" table, for a short time at least. The NDOD paperback had a whole rack to itself. I'm going to drop by a bookstore today and see how they're treating TMWTRT. Thus far, I haven't seen any copies in a store.

It's clear Glidrose will spend no money on Bond. RB writes these books as a labor of love. People who think Glidrose will hire Tom Clancy or some mega-author to pen the Bond books are dreaming. I have a feeling if Raymond didn't do them, we would have no James Bond books, period. No matter what one thinks of his handling of the series, RB should at least be given credit for keeping it alive.

#15 Blue Eyes

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Posted 19 June 2002 - 02:37 AM

zencat


quote:
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Originally posted by zencat
It's clear Glidrose will spend no money on Bond.
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Actually, to be fair to poor old slow-moving Glidders, I think the publishers are the ones responsible for spending money on promotion so maybe they (the publisher) are to blame for this literary Bond blackout. Still, Glidrose could (and should?) shop Bond to a smaller, hungrier publisher who wants to make something of the franchise. I feel like Glidrose is clinging to the status of a Hodder or Putnam, when these publishers are really not doing a very good job.

#16 Blue Eyes

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Posted 19 June 2002 - 02:38 AM

General Koskov

What about Jonathan Cape that published Fleming's books? But no matter who publishes them, they should be advertised as much as Tom Clancy's cures-for-insomnia. But no PC games about them!

#17 Blue Eyes

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Posted 19 June 2002 - 02:38 AM

zencat


quote:
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Originally posted by General Koskov
What about Jonathan Cape that published Fleming's books?
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I'm pretty Jonathan Cape became, or was bought by, Hodder & Stoughton in 1988ish.

quote:
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Originally posted by General Koskov
But no matter who publishes them, they should be advertised as much as Tom Clancy's cures-for-insomnia. But no PC games about them! [/B]
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On this, General, we agree!

#18 Blue Eyes

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Posted 19 June 2002 - 02:39 AM

zencat


quote:
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Originally posted by zencat
I'm going to drop by a bookstore today and see how they're treating TMWTRT. Thus far, I haven't seen any copies in a store.
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I popped in a Barnes & Noble today and there was a large stack of TMWTRT on the "New Fiction" table right there at the front entrance. Kudos to Barnes & Noble!

One thing I'll say for the U.S. jacket art, the name "James Bond" jumps right out at you amid the other books. Very effective.

#19 Blue Eyes

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Posted 19 June 2002 - 02:40 AM

Hardyboy

I was in Borders today and they had only two copies of TMWTRT on the New Releases table. What's more, I've never seen a newly released Benson title given a 10-30% discount like other new releases that are supposed to sell well. Also, when the last three Benson novels were first published in paperback, I scanned places like Wal-mart and Target looking for them--they sell books around 25% off--and I was never able to locate them anywhere other than at bookstores at full price. Maybe this is a local problem, but to me these incidents say a lot about how publishers and retailers expect the Benson novels to sell--only Bond fans will buy them, and of course they'll pay full price.

#20 Blue Eyes

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Posted 19 June 2002 - 02:46 AM

Originally posted by Blofeld's Cat
Why would Raymond Benson knock himself out spending so much time to research and write a novel only to have the publishing house not want to promote it? He's experienced enough to do other novels now, so why not just walk away?


It is outrageous BC!

Don't quote me on this, but I remember being told that Raymond gets paid a sum valued on the amount of First Editions sold. Now, I believe there are about 200 first editions made. So as you can see, that's a low number and low cash!

Someone feel free to correct me :)

#21 MrDraco

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Posted 01 July 2002 - 04:11 PM

I live in America and as for finding flemings three doors down from barnes and noble at the old used book shop is where you can find them IF you can find them, now the new Printings coming out (All i've seen is the damn'ed audio taps) are at Wal-mart sometimes Benson can NEVER been found at any Wal-mart near me but At Barnes and Books-A-Million keep him pretty stocked up (Due to me always calling and ordering them etc..etc..) Gardner too is three doors down also but you can find some of his stuff, Mainly Nobody Lives Forever and Role Of Honor (I don't know why but thats what i get when i go)

Now on to the Bloody story!
I went up to Barnes & Nobles one day visting my brother and asked "Do you have the latest James Bond novel The Man With The Red Tattoo by Raymond Benson" Expecting to hear that this Major American city had a Barnses and Noble that carried it. "Sorry, the publishing date was pushed back on it and we haven't reccived ours yet" that ticked me off, so i went to my local Books-A-millions that day when i got back and went down the fiction section (i know where the bonds are kept by heart) and found The Man With The Red Tattoo! "Publishing date my butt!" but i didn't get it due to MI6 not wanting to fork over the cash, man that red cover was so sexy...ummmmmmmmmmm new bond cover......

#22 zencat

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Posted 01 July 2002 - 09:11 PM

As much as I love browsing in bookstores, I find they are completely useless when it comes to providing information. BN.com had TMWTRT a week before the official publication date and at 20% off to boot. I love bookstores...but I always buy online.

#23 RossMan

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Posted 01 July 2002 - 09:44 PM

Originally posted by zencat
As much as I love browsing in bookstores, I find they are completely useless when it comes to providing information.


I agree. I remember when I first went to my local book store, looking for Bond books for the first time, and I asked the person at the coutner if they had any. She looks on her computer and tells me no, they don't. Five minues later, after wandering around, I find The World Is Not Enough, The Facts of Death, both paperbacks, and High Time To Kill in hardcover.

I was at Wal-Mart the other day and was surprised to find Never Dream of Dying there in paperback.