MEMORANDUM ON LITERATURE.

Preliminary Draft

1. The position of literature distribution in this country calls for a drastic reorganisation and proposals are advanced in this memorandum to that end. The present position is that there has been a considerable advance, as is shown by the fact that the sales of The Workers Bookshop are now £12,000 a year, excluding Left Book Club sales, and the sales of Collets are £5,000, excluding L.B.C. and orders from the Workers Bookshop. In addition a number of shops also buy direct from left publishers and the total sales excluding L.B.C. are now approaching the £20,000 mark. This approximate figure excluded Labour Party, Cooperative Party, sales. In addition there are now about 60 bookshops, of which a list is appended, though the character of these varies very considerably. The success of the L.B.C., especially in penetrating into the middle-class and professional strata, has altered the whole complexion of the work.

2. But at the same time this very success is calling for reorganisation. The danger signal of heavy losses in the Workers Bookshop, of losses in several of the Collets shops, of losses in our local shops, show this to be so. In addition there are the facts that it was necessary to remove a manager from the Workers Bookshop and the numerous complaints about lack of efficiency there; that many of our local bookshops are run on very sectarian lines and are not properly staffed or equiped; that there is a lack of knowledge as to what stock they have and what money they have owing to them; that there is a large outstanding debt of some thousands of pounds, which means that the Workers Bookshop in turn is unable to meet its liabilities, and that there is still no proper political control on the part of the Districts over the literature that is sold in their areas.

3. The position is made more serious from the fact that we are now producing more and better literature than ever before, that the Labour Party cannot find any means of selling its literature, which leaves the field open to us, and that a circulation of our pamphlets and of our basic works as well

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as of the L.B.C., is an essential condition of recruiting for the Party.

antequainted machinery is making it impossible for us to satisfy the
widespread desire for literature, which would be of very great political
importance for us.

4. The line of the reorganisation suggested is the introduction of machinery by which discipline and reportage can be applied to every agent and bookshop in the country. Where possible the objective should be the starting of new shops, but first of all the improving of existing shops. This is all the more important because of the approaching boycott of our literature by the bourgeois shops. It is necessary to set up a central control organisationally while strengthening District control politically.

5. The first step, therefore, is to straighten out the existing historical machinery which consists of:-

(a) The Workers Bookshop which does (i) wholesale work, (ii) retail work, finances (iii) agents and shops, as well as being (v) the central depot for the L.B.C.

(b) Collets Shops. London, Glasgow, Manchester and Cardiff. In the last three places they act as the District distributing centre.

(c) Shops under Districts, but which are in reality financed by The Workers Bookshop.

(d) Shops run by sympathisers with their own finance, but with extended credits, and which can be brought in to any new scheme.

(e) Agents in Party Branches, Trade Unions, Labour Parties, etc.

(f) Newsagents and wholesalers who are handling our stuff direct from the Workers Bookshop.

6. The first step we propose is the splitting of the Wholesale from the Retail.

Secondly, it is necessary, that as far as possible, the financial burden of stocking and starting retail shops should be taken off the wholesale department. (It is not suggested at the moment that shops in (b) and (d) should be taken over financially.)

Thirdly, that a new Company should be set up to co-ordinate the existing retail shops not only for sales promotion, political direction, reporting,

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etc., but also to be directly responsible financially and otherwise for
necessary shops in the Provinces, starting new ones where necessary.

7. The basis on which the new shops should be chosen would be from the point of view of zoning or decentralising distribution round the shop selected for the District. We think it is necessary to state that the Districts cannot expect in any immediate future profit from these shops, and that they should be taken over on the basis of their break-up value. At the same time it is necessary that as much of the debt that they owe to the Workers Bookshop shall be paid, as otherwise serious scandal threatens that institution.

8. It will be necessary also to regularise the control machinery for the whole of distribution. The existing literature Committee consists of Pollitt, Burns, Reckitt, Gollancz, Wishart, Epstein, Boddie and Parsons, and this should be recognised as the central authoritative body in this matter, controlling both the wholesale and the retail side. As agents for this Committee Boddie and an assistant should be appointed. Wishart is specially appointed to work with Boddie in this connection, paying special attention to retail distribution. The organisation will be on the lines of the chart which is attached.

9. The immediate steps to be taken are the formation of the new Company, which we suggest calling "The Retail Bookshops Ltd."

Secondly, the institution of a systematic enquiry into the existing
shops and the districts where these shops might be set up, in order to
find out what they are selling, what it cost them to sell it, what their
debts are, what their stock is and what they are owed. In this the
Workers Bookshop, Lawrence & Wishart and Gollancz must co-operate, but it
will also be necessary for an accredited representative to visit them in
order to make a study on the spot.

Thirdly, the immediate places to which attention must be directed
are to the two shops directly owned by the Workers Bookshop and to
Birmingham, Newcastle, Sheffield, Cambridge, Leeds, Oxford and Portsmouth.
Certain problems arise in regard to Carters Bookshop, The Liverpool shop

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and Belfast shop.

10. It is necessary that all shops should work on a basis of uniform methods of accountancy, uniform routine in each shop, resulting in uniform reporting. This is a necessary basis for planning a campaign and for providing information which the Central Committee and Districts may require.

11. The trouble about distribution wholesale and retail is under-capitalisation. Means will have to be found through the business-like approach and co-ordination provided by the new Company to raise money locally as well as (as far as possible) centrally.

12. Even more important is the bringing in of new cadres, gradually training them in the shops, transferring them from one place to another and thus providing an adequately trained Sales force. This can only be organised centrally. Efforts should be directed to organising a Literature Sellers Conference and Exhibition in May.

13. It will be noted that a sales promotion manager and a buyer will have to be appointed.

14. Questions relating to literature agent and Newsagents are not dealt with here.

Oxford

Workers Bookshop. Order. Yates, the manager, mentioned that he had no encouragement or chance of pushing L. & W. books because of L.B.C. Offer. He dare not order more than a single copy of ordinary edition. Consequently it does not get a proper show and cannot be given a decent chance. Very friendly man. Please send him more copies of "Eye"

Blackwells

Order. Hunt, the buyer, a charming man, said "oh we don't buy L. & W. books now, not since they can begot at half price, or something like that. Ipersuaded him to take half a dozen "New Writing", and he had on order or in stock several others of the new books, including Civil War, and 2 Lenins. He was not disagreeable about it, nor was his assistant, but I suggest that it isavery great pity that a shop like Blackwell's should not stock the books for a trade reason, when they evince no political prejudice against them.

Parker

Order. Powell had several books in stock. He mentioned that he was about to submit "Civil War" to All Souls' Hist. Library, and wondered whether they would take it. He was surprised to see Lenin X111, as he did not know it was being continued.

Thornton

Nothing. Buys very few new books

W.H.S.

Nothing. Said they had a customer for "New Writing", but it was sent straight from Strand House. One wouldnt expect anything from here

Slatter & Rose

Not much of a booksellers, and your books too specialised.

Oxford.Educ.

Your books too specialised.

County Library.

I was able to show your books to the Librarian, and she was very glad to have an opportunity of seeing them. She made a number of notes and will order through Blackwell; certainly "People's Front", Lenin X, New Writing. They have not a lot of money to spend.

Town Library

I had no time to see these people, but they are very conscientious buyers, and if they get your list will take what they want.

If I may make a few general remarks I would say that you would get a much better reception if you had more non-political books. "New Writing" is a very useful title, because it sounds "respectable". Apart from political prejudice it is difficult to sell a series of similar (similar, that is to the bookseller) books. A few travel books, some fairly general juveniles, and a sprinkling of practical books, plays, etc. would encourage the bookseller. You will not, I think, do more than make him buy the odd copy for the converted customer. He has in mind, with a very specialised list. I also suggest that an ordinary catalogue would be helpful for trade purposes.

5.6.38

Copies of the above offered to tail booksellers on sale or return at a discount of 25%, but it must be pointed out that a bookseller may only supply the journal at the special L.B.C. price to an L.B.C. member registered with himself.

N.B. To avoid complication in making up returns, which should be in the hands of the publishers within fifteen days of the publication of each subsequent issue, copies for sale to L.B.C. members will be stamped. Booksellers are therefore asked to specify, when ordering, how many copies they wish to be supplied with this stamp.

In the case of subscriptions taken up by the bookseller for a customer, the publishers will allow a discount of 10%.

Prospectuses and order forms are obtainable on demand from the publishers.

The Publishers,
The Modern Quarterly.

All communications to be addressed to the Secretary at the above address

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