Dear Friend,
Swamped by Books
Not only was I tripping up over second -hand books most of the time I was in the UK, but my Penang family have been extremely adept at skipping over the bundles of new books from Malaysian and Sinagporean publishers that have been arriving since my return.
In the UK the major event was, of course, the book auction where I and my younger daughter - brought along for not only a bit of bonding, but for some muscle work as well - were made to feel more than welcome. I suppose that it did help that we walked off with about 90 books, most of which I hope are on the high seas to Malaysia at the moment. If you're at all interested to know what I picked up, do check here. These books and about 50 more that I picked up while away should start turning up on my shelves, either in Penang or on the web, in August. (Actually, some are there already.)
Back home, I've taken my first deliveries from Monsoon Books, the National University of Singapore Press and the Strategic Information and Research Development Centre (SIRD). I've also been travelling inland to collect books, to Ipoh. There I met the very friendly team at Media Masters and picked up books from them, from their associates, Perak Academy, and a couple of self-published books.
And, believe it or not, some of this activity is reflected in the section New Arrivals in July on my main website. Other orders have turned up as well. I will keep up my practice for the time being of notifying you of orders in advance on The Penang Bookshelf Blog , so do keep checking in between newsletters. I think if you're really keen, you can subscribe to receive emails of my blog. Could lead to information fatigue, I suppose.
Bookseller and Now Book Distributor
In the course of the month I was flattered to be asked to be the distributor in peninsular Malaysia and Singapore by the author, Tom McLaughlin, for his new book Borneo Tom  McLaughlin has an unusual story and an unusual way of telling, in both word and cartoon. I like his humble, but humourous style. If you still need convincing, have a look at Borneo Tom Reviews.
I'll devote myself in August to doing the rounds of the Penang bookshops and wander further afield later. If in the meantime you would like the book stocked in a bookshop near you, do contact me. Maybe life does go around in circles...my first job while at university was selling encyclopaedias!
A Jewel in Johor
You may have noticed that some of my ageing stock has been given a new lease of life by being rebound in either blue or green leatherette. If you have a book that's falling apart and you want to knock it back into shape again, I would strongly recommend The Johor Area Rehabilitation Organisation (JORAS). If covered in this style they cost about RM35 (including return postage within Malaysia) and if they're with leather covered corners and spine they cost about RM55. JORAS has customers, including major libraries, all over the world and they're lovely to deal with. You can email Mr Ong Hon Yew, the Operations Manager, or speak with Letchimi, who's in charge of the book binding section. Her number is +60-7-224-5632.
What's a Book Worth or What will it Sell for?
When I was a regular browser of second-hand book stalls and shops, I used often to wonder how much of a mark-up the book seller was making. Now that I'm on the other side of the counter, I find that pricing 'rare' books is the most difficult part of this business. (It may not surprise you that one of the reasons I loathed being a lawyer was that I squirmed most times when I had to deliver a bill.)
Take this example - I bought a book in Penang this month for RM15 (US$3). When I got home and checked on the price, I found that the only copy available on the net was being sold for a nearly US$330! In fact, in such cases I have a weird formula which means I usually end up charging two-thirds of the price of the competition, but I'm still not comfortable with it.
I suppose I'll learn that the value of a book is what the market will bear, but that doesn't really relieve my discomfort, if I think my profit's too much. Fortunately, that's rare. More than 95% of my stock is charged at about 30% of what I've paid for the book, particularly for books currently in print. So, if you're ever puzzled as to how I've priced a book, don't be shy. I'll be more than happy to tell you.
An Interview with the Authors of Heritage Trees of Penang, Just Published by Areca Books.
I first set foot in Penang in the early 50s, when my father was a Singapore based journalist for a British newspaper. He first came to Penang about ten years ahead of me when he had the misfortune to be part of the Indian Army drafted in to defending the peninsula against the Japanese. Of course he ended up as a prisoner of war under the Japanese.
Perhaps in homage to him I have decided to try each month to interview an author or a publisher. My first attempt was earlier this month with Simon Gardner and Lai Ee May, two of the three authors of Heritage Trees of Penang just published this month by the Penang publishers, Areca Books.
I hope they didn't find the results too gruelling. If you want to know a bit more about the book and what we chatted about, you'll find it here. What About the Fiddley Bits?
Although this newsletter hasn't been quite as painful to produce as the first, I have made life a bit more difficult for myself by playing about with PayPal buttons and putting in a few more links to my own and others' websites. I wonder does this help or just add too much clutter? I'd love to know.
By the way, I did have a question from a customer this month about PayPal. He wondered who they were and whether they were trustworthy. If you're wondering about them too, they're a subsidiary of EBay and claim to be the most popular way of paying online. You can either make payments through your own PayPal account, if you have one, or pay via PayPal using your credit card, if you don't have a PayPal account. Most of my Malaysia based customers pay by deposit into my bank account here. I have also used my UK bank account similarly, if anyone would like to use this option.
I'm also still ready for any other feedback that you'd like to give me. My initial newsletter seemed to get off to a reasonable start, more than half of you opened it and only one person decided they couldn't face receiving another one. However I'm always ready for new ideas about this newsletter, what I should stock, my prices or anything else. Just shout!
Thanks for reading this far. I look forward to being in touch again.
With my best wishes,
William Knox The Penang Bookshelf
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