Last year we published Bill Rodgers's autobiography, Fourth Among Equals , in the knowledge that it was unlikely to trouble the bestseller charts but was a superbly written book. The general election campaign has certainly enlivened people's interest in political books - even the party manifestos have been selling. So far Politico's has sold more than 11,000 copies, many through our website to people who say their local newsagent or bookshop won't stock them. Shame on them. It is clear that, as in so many areas of modern retailing, independent booksellers must now specialise to survive and compete not only with the likes of Waterstone's, but also with the growing competition from internet booksellers.
Niche marketing is nowadays the name of the game both for booksellers and smaller publishers.