PAUL SLENNETT, of Southend Christian Bookshop (which celebrated its 40th anniversary last month), has issued a call for the BA Christian Booksellers Group (CBG) and the PA Christian Suppliers Group (CSG) to drop their private agendas at next week’s Christian Resources Together Retailers and Suppliers Retreat at High Leigh and instead hold a joint meeting to discuss the current state of the trade together.

Under the programmed schedule, on the Tuesday morning the CBG and the CSG will be holding meetings simultaneously but separately during the retreat, a situation that Paul sees as a wasted opportunity given the challenges facing the trade. In an email to Steve Briars, Event Organiser, dated 21 May 2011, Paul wrote:

In June, the industry is coming together at High Leigh. Booksellers will sit at the same table as publishers and eat together. That is the way it should be, for we are family. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. Therefore, on the Tuesday, wouldn’t it be good for booksellers and publishers to come together in the same room to share what is on their heart and for that time to be ended with us all praying to Almighty God. At the moment the way the day is scheduled that’s not going to happen. Booksellers will meet in one room, whilst at the same time publishers/suppliers will meet in another room. Why don’t we abandon our own agenda and come together? Next year may be too late! I know for the Christian Booksellers’ Group that may mean delaying our AGM to another day, but wouldn’t that be a price worth paying? Perhaps we could even have our AGM after the conference ends at High Leigh?

Paul’s request, however, has been dismissed by both groups and Steve Briars has replied (email dated 23 May 2011) to say that making use of the High Leigh event as a forum for discussing “deep trade issues” would be neither helpful nor edifying:

I have spoken to Ian Metcalfe of the Christian Suppliers Group and Mark Clifford of the BA-CBG today regarding your email and High Leigh. Like you we all share a deep concern for the challenges that are facing retail shops, publishers and suppliers but feel we would be wrong to change any of the High Leigh programme at this late stage. The event at High Leigh has come about as a need for encouragement for the trade which is reflected in the theme for this year, Renewing Your Passion. Our aim is to equip and empower all those who serve the mission God has called them for and it is therefore important that the High Leigh event fulfils this purpose. I don’t feel on this occasion a discussion on deep trade issues would be edifying and helpful.

But if not now, when? Surely an event such as this is precisely when and where “deep trade” discussions should be held? Last year’s theme for Christian Resources Together was “Stronger Together, Weaker Apart” and over the past year we’ve witnessed the truth of that as the CBG and CSG seem to have simply carried on talking past one another as dozens of bookshops have ceased trading whilst publishers, suppliers and booksellers alike have continued struggling to make ends meet.

Let's Work Together: Ian Metcalfe introduces June's CSG column with reference to the "Christian Publishers and Suppliers Retreat"

The danger of a deep disconnect between publishers/suppliers and booksellers is well illustrated in the current debacle over the new Roman Missal. But perhaps even more telling is Ian Metcalfe’s opening paragraph in his latest CSG column in  Christian Marketplace: entitled “Let’s Work Together”, Ian introduces the column with reference to the High Leigh event as “the Christian Resources Together Publishers and Suppliers Retreat” — can he really have forgotten that this is a trade-wide event, for publishers, suppliers and retailers? Or that Christian Marketplace is also read by booksellers?

No doubt this was a faux pas rather than a deliberate disregard of booksellers; or was it a Freudian slip, symptomatic of the way some publishers and suppliers now tend to view the outlets they once depended on to take their product to market? Only Ian can say, but if you’re a retailer attending the event, why not take this opportunity to give Ian a big friendly wave and remind him that you’re still there, despite the casualties elsewhere?

There will, of course, be plenty of time for retailers and suppliers to meet during the event; and Eddie Olliffe’s workshop on the Monday — “Albatross, Dodo or Jewel: Is there still a place for Christian bookshops to sparkle on the High Street?” — will offer an important opportunity for in-depth discussion of the viability of bricks and mortar retailers; but unless the trade is prepared to seize the day and make this year’s event count rather than allow it to be nothing more than yet another whoop-de-do mountaintop experience after which everyone descends back into their own separate valleys, then a few years down the line Ian’s slip may well be precisely what future retreats will become: CBC RIP?

• Ian Metcalfe: facebook | twitter
• Eddie Olliffe: facebook | twitter

• Call to Retailers for Urgent Action over STL Credits and Returns

Christian Booksellers and Retailers need to take urgent action over credits and returns, according to Stuart Arnold of Cardiff Christian Bookshop, if they wish to avoid losing out in the wake of IBS-STL’s collapse here in the UK.

All STL customers should have received two letters from the Quartz Partnership giving instructions for payment of their STL accounts. Any STL account holders who have not received those letters (first letter dated 23rd December 2009, second undated but following or accompanying your latest STL statement) would be wise to contact Michael Guy in STL’s accounts dept to request copies. To sum up briefly:

The Quartz Partnership have been retained by the joint administrators of IBS STL UK (In Administration) (henceforth Old STL) to assist in the collection of the debts due to the company, a separate legal entity to the organisation now trading as STL Distribution (New STL), which came into existence on December 19th 2009 when John Ritchie Ltd took over the Old STL’s business and assets. All transactions with STL before December 19th were carried out with the Old STL; transactions since have been carried out with the New STL; and STL customers are now in danger of falling between two stools where returns of see-safe supplies and credits are concerned.

The Schizophrenia of STL Distribution - printer friendly version (pdf, 45kb)

Stuart explains the dilemma and suggests a possible way forward:

The Schizophrenia of STL Distribution

It has become clear that our long standing supplier, rescued from destruction before Christmas, has more than one identity. This requires us to consider taking URGENT ACTION as below.

New STL is operating from Carlisle supplying our needs and invoicing us accordingly. I understand that New STL is a new company which owns the assets and employs the staff of our longstanding supplier BUT IS NOT THE SAME COMPANY. As such it is (as far as I can see) not under any obligations for anything which took place before it existed (the end of 18 December 2009, I think). New STL has confirmed to me that they will not accept see-safe returns which Old STL promised to accept. Nor will they give credit for shortages or damages before they existed.

Old STL apparently still exists and is being administered by Baker Tilley who have an “IBS-STLUK Team” (address not known but reachable on 0161 830 4000 [1]). They have appointed Quartz Partnership (address not known, reachable on 08456 800416 or Deborah.Olesen AT QuartzPartnership.com [2]) to collect payments due to Old STL. This includes invoices for the early part of December.

As retailers, we owe both New STL and Old STL significant sums of money for deliveries received in December. However, Old STL is under an obligation to honour all agreements which it made with us. This includes: any outstanding credit notes awaited from the past; damages and shortages now due for credit; recent returns which have not yet been credited; January returns for which credit needs to be given (and if they want the product back then they must say where to send it); etc.. Although these obligations may not be in writing, I don’t think that undermines their validity as long as it is clear what had been agreed (e.g. verbally with the STL Rep).

As Old STL is in administration we cannot be confident that they will make any payments to us in the future to compensate for these matters. It may therefore be appropriate to withhold some payments due to Old STL, sufficient to ensure that we (as retailers) do not become unsecured creditors who end up losing their money.

Proposed Steps:

• Lift all STL supplied see-safe stock (except what you want to keep forever) from the shelves and create a returns list with prices and discounts to give a net invoice value to be credited.
• Review recent statements, invoices and returns and create a list of all other items awaiting credit.
• Add up the full invoice value of all of these things to determine the amount of money to be withheld from the January payment to Old STL.
• Notify Old STL and co-operate in resolving discrepancies.

The reason this is urgent is that we are no longer supplied by Old STL. Once we have paid December invoices we will no longer be able to offset what they owe us from what we owe them. We may simply be an unsecured creditor of a company which is in administration. Not a good outcome.

Please note: This is merely my personal opinion. It is not professional advice of any kind.

Every blessing,

Stuart Arnold
Cardiff Christian Bookshop
8 January 2010

Editor’s Notes

1. This is the number of Baker Tilly’s Manchester Office: 3 Hardman Street, Manchester M3 3HF
2. Email address split for spam prevention. The Quartz Partnership cites the following address on their letter dated 23rd December 2009: PO Box 728, Stockport SK4 9BA

Representatives of both the New STL and the Old STL have been notified of this post and invited to respond…

• Download printer-friendly version of The Schizophrenia of STL (pdf, 45kb)

Christian Authors, Booksellers and Publishers facebook group

Sitting at home this morning, cut off from LST by the tube strike, I realised how many of us there are from the Christian book trade on facebook: authors, booksellers, publishers and others. Figured it might be useful to have a space where we can meet online, discuss, exchange ideas and support one another:

• Christian Authors, Booksellers and Publishers facebook group

I’ve created it as a closed group, which means that whilst anyone can find the group, only those invited or approved by the group’s admins can actually join, make use of the discussion boards or post to the wall. If you’re on facebook and involved in the Christian book trade but have not yet been invited to join, please shout; and if you’re involved in the Christian book trade but are not on facebook (that’s you, Clem Jackson!*), do come along now

Unlike a blog, where only the blog’s owners or approved contributors can create new posts, the facebook group’s discussion boards and wall are open to all members.

How useful it proves to be is entirely up to the group’s members: your call!

* Update: Clem Jackson has now joined facebook – welcome aboard, Clem!

There were a few personal interests I wanted to look up. I always like the bookstalls, but resisted this year. Partly that was because I have several books piled up from the sabbatical, partly it was because brutally in an Internet age the deals weren’t that good. I know that will sound awful to some Christian booksellers who will rightly point out that Amazon is not a ministry, but a minister whose wife is not in paid employment only has so many pennies and cost becomes a real factor for us. (And I do support the local Christian bookshops whenever possible: the Diocesan Resources Centre is a mine of information; the other bookshop is the local agent for IVP’s Leadership Book Club, so they get some orders from me, too, when the good books aren’t too Calvinist!)

I replied:

Amazon — us booksellers need to stop moaning and rise to the challenge.

Dave responded:

Thanks, Phil, I’m sure you’re right. The Chelmsford Diocesan Resources Centre rises to the challenge by the quality of advice, knowledge and service by the woman who runs it. They are in one small room, carry very little stock, but Jo the manager is priceless. She has put me onto titles I wouldn’t have found in an ‘ordinary’ Christian bookshop and wouldn’t have known to look for on Amazon. Particularly she has done this w.r.t. school assembly material. When I arrived in Chelmsford, all the local ministers I spoke to, of whatever theological hue, recommended this place.

Today’s questions: how are you rising to the challenge in your bookshop? Are there other ways that we, as bricks and mortar retailers, can do better than Amazon in serving our local communities?  Join in the conversation — here or over at Dave’s place.

As for me, next on the agenda: add Chelmsford Diocesan Resource Centre to UKCBD: constantly amazed as I discover more and more shops that have somehow slipped through the net. Any more lurking out there?

Yesterday I tweeted Steve Mitchell (@SCRMitchell) — head honcho at Wesley Owen and a member of the STL blog team — to find what’s happening with their blog, which hasn’t been updated since the Message from Keith Danby was posted a few weeks ago. Steve tells me that we can expect some updates after today’s and tomorrow’s meetings and assures me that the issues being raised in the comments will be addressed: watch that space.

I was also up until midnight beating my head against the brick wall of STL’s incompetence, attempting to reconcile my invoices with their latest statement and their postings at batch.co.uk: the phrase “dog’s breakfast” barely begins to cover it. It took me approximately 20 minutes to whizz through all my other suppliers invoices; then almost 3 hours to work through STL’s, and I was still left with over £500 of unreconciled invoices and credit notes.

The problem is exacerbated by STL’s failure to make use of the batch claims system. For those who don’t use batch, allow me to explain: batch has a very straightforward way of dealing with invoicing errors. You call up the invoice onscreen, identify the problem item, select a reason for your claim (wrong item supplied, incorrect carriage charge, wrong discount etc) and hey, presto: that item is magically removed from your invoice total, allowing you to pay the remaining balance whilst your supplier deals with the claim.

STL, on the other hand, insist on doing their own thing, raising a separate credit note whenever they screw up and then reinvoicing. Sometimes the credit notes cross reference the original invoice; sometimes they don’t. As I said: dog’s breakfast.

This is not a criticism of those wonderful folk in STL’s customer services department who are continually working their socks off, who remain unfailingly polite as they attempt to pick up the pieces in the midst of the ongoing chaos. Janette Ivison and Michael Swan in particular deserve recognition for their good humoured and efficient responses whenever I raise a query: my thanks to both of them and to those working with them. The problem is that the queries I constantly find myself raising should not be necessary in the first place.

Today, I shall attempt to reconcile the rest of my STL invoices and credit notes. It may or may not work, but it will almost certainly take most of the day. I am close to despair and seriously considering boycotting STL as a supplier.

It’s become clear that I am not alone in feeling like this: STL, be aware.

Last Updated December 1, 2010

Twitter. It seems you can’t turn on the TV or radio, pick up a paper or open a magazine without someone twittering on about twitter. Even April’s Christian Marketplace, p.39; but I’m to blame for that one.

So what’s it all about? What’s the point? Two words: twitter connects. Bookseller to bookseller: bookseller to customer: bookseller to publisher and supplier: bookseller to author; and vice-versa, as well as every other possible which way. It connects us professionally but, perhaps more importantly, as people. So let’s make it three words: twitter connects people; and people, surely, is what this trade of ours is ultimately about.

So who amongst us is twittering? Here’s a list of those I know of so far, with a few from beyond the Christian trade thrown in for good measure — because we wouldn’t want to be just talking to ourselves, would we? Since UKCBD is a UK focused project, I’m initially restricting this list to UK users or those with a clear UK crossover. Other users are very welcome to comment, of course!

• Shortcut to this post: bit.ly/cbtwitter

Index: Bookshops and Booksellers | Authors | Publishers and Suppliers | Others

Bookshops and Booksellers (A-Z by Shop Name/Surname)

• @jmcilroy: Joy McIlroy, Ashburnham Bookshop
• @crpbooks: Christian Resources Project
• @CHBookshop: Church House Bookshop
• @christianbits: Christian Bits
• @Cornerstonebks: John Duncan, Cornerstone Bookshop
• @fmbookshops: FM Bookshops: Online | Ireland | Scotland
  • @supersimbo: Ally Simpson, FM Bookshops’ web developer
• @globookshop: GLO Bookshop, Motherwell
• @illuminatemedia: Illuminate, Shrewsbury
• @LSTBookshop: LST Books & Resources
• @perivalebooks: Perivale Christian Bookshop
  • @mdeadman: Martin Deadman
• @notbovvered: Phil Groom, whoever he is
• @StDenysBookshop: Sue Usher, St Denys’ Bookshop
• @unicorntreebks: Melanie Carroll, Unicorn Tree Books
  • @Tazallie: Allison Carroll, UTB Minion
• @SCRMitchell: Steve Mitchell, Wesley Owen Bookshops

Authors (A-Z by Surname)
With links to authors’ blogs and UKCBD Reviews where available.

• @nickbaines: Nick Baines: Blog | Reviews
• @cavepaint: Spencer Burke: Blog | Review
• @Steven_Croft: Steven Croft: Review
• @maggidawn: Maggi Dawn: Blog | Review
• @krishk: Krish Kandiah: Blog
• @Kercal: Paul Kercal: Blog | Reviews
• @jantyrufus: Janet Morris-Evans: Book Info
• @PeterRollins: Peter Rollins: Blog | Books+
• @Stroopwaffle: Jenny Rowbory | Review
• @abidemisanusi: Abidemi Sanusi: Blog
• @lensweet: Leonard Sweet: Review
• @davewalker: Dave Walker: Blog | Review
• @JGFWilks: John Wilks: Review

Publishers and Suppliers (A-Z by Company/Surname)

• @authenticmedia: Authentic Media
• @BHpub: Broadman & Holman Publishing
• @TasteFair: Cafédirect
• @canterburybooks: Canterbury Press
• @eddieolliffe: Eddie Olliffe, CWR
• @divinechocolate: Divine Chocolate: should be stocked by every Christian bookshop. Get some in today!
• @heartworksltd: HeartWorks
• @HodderFaith: Hodder Faith
  • @GrishGrish: Wendy Grisham, Publishing Director at Hodder Faith
• @InspireBG: Inspire Books & Gifts
• @IVPbookcentre: IVP UK
• @ivpress: InterVarsity Press (IVP USA)
  • @ivpacademic: IVP Academic
• @ukjohno: John O’Nions, Lion Hudson
• @OCMSoxford: Regnum Books
• @RobinParry: Robin Parry, Wipf & Stock
• @scm_press: SCM Press
• @sovereignworld: Sovereign World
• @ThomasNelson: Thomas Nelson
  • @MichaelHyatt: Michael Hyatt
• @tyndalehouse: Tyndale House *
• @Jewelry4Jesus: Norma Murrain, Silverfish Jewellery
• @traidcraft: Traidcraft. Like Divine Chocolate, should be stocked by every Christian bookshop — get some in today!
• @widemargin: Wide Margin Books | Guest Post
• @Zondervan: Zondervan
  • @ZonderAcademic: Zondervan Academic

Others

• @theBookseller: the Bookseller
  • @HoraceBent: Horace Bent, the Bookseller’s satirist
• @GBSReviews: The Good Bookstall
• @cbe2009: Christian Book Expo 2009
• @simplepastor: Phil Whittall, former Editor of Christian Marketplace and former owner of Illuminate Books
• @thirdway: Third Way magazine

Index: Bookshops and Booksellers | Authors | Publishers and Suppliers | Others

If you’re on twitter, have some sort of connection to the UK Christian book trade and would like to be added to this list, please leave a comment on this post and/or follow/tweet me @notbovvered and I’ll gladly add you.

For a list of who’s twittering in the wider book trade, check out @jennifertribe‘s  Directory of Book Trade People on Twitter; and be sure to visit the christianbookshopbods twibe and blog set up by @unicorntreebks.

If you’re not on twitter and can’t quite figure it out, check out these posts from a couple of guys who’ve been at it for longer than me:

• 12 Reasons to Start Twittering, Michael Hyatt, 04/05/2008
• Beginner’s Guide to Twitter, Michael Hyatt, 19/05/2008
• Is Twitter Twaddle? Bishop Alan Wilson, 05/01/2009
• Twitter: The Compleat Twit, Bishop Alan Wilson, 17/02/2009

If you’re not convinced after reading those, then I guess twitter really is not for you. No worries: the world will keep on turning.

Where Next?

• A Facebook Roundup for the Christian Book Trade

Cynics say that the light you think you can see at the end of the tunnel is the headlamp of an oncoming train. With Christmas fast approaching I guess that’s an easy mistake to make as we wait for our deliveries from STL to come through. But my own experience of walking through a railway tunnel (a few years ago at Birmingham New Street Station, if you must know) tells me that an oncoming train doesn’t necessarily spell disaster: on that particular occasion, the train stopped and the driver gave me a lift in his cab. It’s the only time I’ve ever had the privilege of riding in a train driver’s cab and it’s an experience I’ll never forget.

It was a bit like that at today’s meeting of the Booksellers Association’s Christian Booksellers Group: a sense of not quite despondency, but something fairly close, hung over us. Christmas is coming, our deliveries aren’t and our customers are going elsewhere; then Steve Mitchell (Director of Stores, Wesley Owen) stepped in with a presentation and explanation, an insider’s view of what had happened, what went wrong and how things are panning out. This was the view from the train driver’s cab: in the tunnel with the rest of us, but in a unique position to assess the situation.

Steve’s explanation was frank and straightforward, with no denials or excuses but with honest analysis, humble apologies and the assurance that everyone at STL is doing their utmost to bring things back up to speed. He was unable to offer a date for when that is likely to be but again emphasised the company’s commitment to resuming normal service a soon as possible.

He circulated a letter from Graham Sopp, STL’s Chief Executive (Europe), which has also been distributed to the trade by email:

Open Letter to the Trade

GJS/LR/10657
19 November 2008

I am writing to apologise for the problems caused to your businesses as we have gone live with a new software system at STL Distribution.

The decision to change systems was not taken lightly but our old system, which was 20 years old, was beginning to show distinct signs of age and we feared that it would become unstable. We had already found immense problems in trying to upgrade the system to provide functions required by today’s market.

We originally planned to implement the new system in August. However as the date approached, it became apparent that further testing of the new system was necessary before we could commence training people in how to use the system. We were faced with a choice of going live in late October or waiting until January 2009. Unfortunately, we would have faced immense difficulties in standing down our external project team of consultants for three months while we prepared to go live and then to re-assemble that team in January. After extensive testing of the system we were confident we could start with, at most, minor disruption. So we took the decision to go live in October.

Most of the problems we have encountered over recent weeks are related to business process bottlenecks and are not directly related to software and, in fairness to the system team, could not have been anticipated by the extensive testing we carried out.

We have now deployed our warehouse team in a different way which we are confident will optimise the flow of orders through the warehouse.

At today’s date we are picking orders from 13 November onwards and are working hard to catch up.

I am determined to resume same day despatch for the vast majority of orders as quickly as possible, but I need to be confident we can consistently provide this high level of service. I will write to you again soon when I am convinced we can commit to same day despatch.

I know the last few weeks have been difficult for you as our normal service levels have been disrupted and I apologise once again. We are working round the clock to resolve these issues. I would also like to thank those customers who have contacted us expressing their support and understanding for our team in this difficult time.

Graham Sopp
Chief Executive (Europe)