[Pil-pc-oceania] New Century, New Times, New Approach Needed

[pacific-edge]

Hi Deb...

On 1/8/07 10:42 AM, "Deb Guildner" <bocor at bigbutton.com.au> wrote:

> many previously published Permaculture iconic, how-to-design manuals  are
> no longer on view in bookstores, as they used to be for a long time.. I know
> there are basic capitalist/industry reasons for this

It's not simply a capitalist conspiracy but has to do with the high value of
shelf space in bookshops, of which there is limited quantity.

The continued sale of books long on the market - the so-called 'long tail'
of the bookselling business - represent declining value to booksellers and
so the titles are eventually moved on, usually for sale as publishers'
remainders at speciality remaindered boostores or in sales, to make way for
newer titles selling in greater numbers.

Thus we have the surprising spectacle at places such as Sydney's Basement
Books (a publisher's remainer bookstore) of, this week:

- Australian organic gardener, Richard Bennett's book on organic growing -
'Organic Gardening' - selling for $9.95

- 'The Gaia Book of Organic Garening', a UK title, going for $8.95

- the UK Soil Association's 'Soil' going for $2.95.

Over the past year, other titles familiar to permaculturists have appeared
here:

- Jenny Allen's 'Paradise in Your Garden - Smart Permaculture Design' on
sale at either $24.95 or $9.95, depending on edition

- Jill Finnane's 'Lawns Into Lunch' for $9.95

- Bill Mollison and Rey Slay's 'Introduction to Permaculture' for $12.95

- 'The Seed Savers Handbook' of the Seed Savers Network going for $9.95

- Bill Mollison's 'Permaculture - A  Designers Manual' selling for $35.

These are titles that come to mind. There have been others, like a number of
UK books on organic gardening selling around the $9.95 to &12.95 mark.

> but something needs to be done.

I'm unsure what you can do about this Deb. It's the economics of bookselling
even if it does see the disappearacne of books of interest to permaculture
people. Some books, like those on permaculture gardening, are steady sellers
over a longer period of time rather than becoming instant top sellers. Thus,
they are rarely given top place on bookshelves. Seldom are they displayed
cover-out - something usually reserved for only the best selling titles.
Spine-out is usual.

But all is not lost. There are specialist booksellers like Green Harvest,
Francis Lang and Jeff Michael's horticulture mail order company in Maleny
(find them online). They sell permaculture and organic gardening books long
off the shelves in the bookstores. And just this week I saw a copy of
Permaculture-A Designers Manual on sale in Gleebooks gardening section
($114.95). Rosemary Morrow's second edition of 'The Earth Users Guide to
Permaculture' has been stocked over a long period there, too. David
Holmgren's 'Permaculture - Pathways Beyond Syustainability' is seen on
occasion in different bookshops, its continued presence indicating
continuing sales.
 
> Basically it means that it disappears from the public view and becomes
> obscured and forgotten, unaccesible to a whole new generation.

True. And it's the same with the videos featuring Bill Mollison - the
Heartlands series ('In Grave Danger of Falling Fruit') and 'Global
Gardener'. The ABC chose not to republish these on DVD, and, with VHS
videotape now a legacy format, the titles have been lost to the public
except for those home copiers who have transferred VHS editions to DVD
(illegally, of course).
 
> The idea of a new audiovisual for TV - what about payTV: lifestyle stuff is
> very popular - is not a bad one, as it has been a long time between drinks.
> There is a great opportunity there for a crew with videocam, a laptop, a
> campervan, and a techie or two.. I'd do it if I could but I'm not set up for
> it right now.

Lifestyle is where such a production would be niched. Video, however, is a
time consuming and expensive medium though this is not said as
discouragement. Jude and Michel Fanton, Seed Savers Network, have now gone
into video production on the seeds theme. You might try producing ten or so
minute videos on permaculture and placing them on You Tube, as the Internet
is wwhere video will most likely migrate to.

Time to take up the videocam Deb?

...Russ