Fiction vanishing from bookstores

Fiction vanishing from bookstores
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: Booksellers in the city seem to be losing interest in ‘sparing space’ in their racks for fiction. They find it unviable on two counts -- vendors outside their stalls are able to supply pirated fiction for a one-third of the original price.

The other reason is non-fiction is gradually taking over the fiction.

“People want more of non-fiction books, particularly career oriented ones”, say the booksellers. They point out that the piracy menace is constantly increasing because readers started treating fiction as a ‘use- and-throw’ material.

Confirming their contention, college student Rumeenden says, “I rather buy a pirated book as I get it for less than half the price. I can buy more books with the same money.”

The Zahir of Paulo Cohelo’s original price is Rs 295 but, a pirated book costs less than Rs 90. The price does attract the customer who just picks it up for a one-time reading.

However, there are people like Elaine, a college student, who says, “I do not buy pirated books of specific authors whom I like.”

Book lover G S Shanoy, who never reads fiction, asserts, “I have a library of about 3,000 to 4,000 non-fiction books and none of them is pirated.”

On the booksellers front, Venkatesh M S of Books Paradise says, “We stock more of academic books as they fetch us more income than bestseller and self-improvement books that are pirated.”

Sri Book World’s proprietor Murli adds, “We stopped expecting business out of fiction.”

Some angry booksellers tried to solve the problem by complaining to police. When N Gangaram did so, the cops drove in and took away all the pirated books from the roadside vendors on Brigade road and Jayanagar some time ago.

“But, the books were back on the stands after two days and the reason is the one who complained is just a bookseller but not a publisher,” he mentioned.

The sordid reality is any person can walk in a printing press with a book and get any number of copies printed without any query.

Experienced publishers suggest that printers should be made members of the Master Printers Association of India to make them follow printing ethics.

At least, as MPAI members, they will insist on a proof of copyright.