Ooh, the sodium, the vinegar. If he had to rail against the apathy of those who love free books but would spend lots on other stuff and afterwards proclaim the doom of society if people kept hankering for free books, that salt and vinegar must have seeped into his bones. Then, someone who retweeted screenshots of the Facebook post seemed to concur and wondered why locally published books aren't popular despite being cheaper and rich in variety.
News of the BookXcess giveaway tickled me. Some time back, MPH Bookstores impersonators ran online scams pretending to give away free books. BookXcess's offer is legit, but perhaps they can dispose of their stock that way.
Remainders of the day
BookXcess, the ones behind the Big Bad Wolf book sales, primarily sells remaindered stock - unsold copies written off by bookstores and publishers that would have been pulped otherwise. That's why BookXcess can sell for much cheaper but as far as I know, none of the proceeds go to authors or publishers, which may be why some don't feel comfortable with the business model.
Besides bargain hunters, BookXcess also attracts bookworms in the lower-income bracket who want to read but can't afford market prices. Authors and publishers may not be benefiting directly, but at least the books aren't being junked. With concerns over waste in the book industry, we should do what we can.
Even if Salty Bookseller's rant is directed at those who'd rather splurge on luxuries such as hipster coffees, fancy meals, and the latest gadgets instead of locally published books (not all of whom are "denizens of X/Twitter"), calling those lining up for free books "stingy" or "pleasure-seeking" addresses nothing.
Too atas, or too mahal?
Books have always been expensive and are becoming more so. Even BookXcess books are priced higher these days. Being choosy and going with recommendations is safe, which is probably why books of certain genres seem popular and, as a response, are being published. I believe some bookworms have their favourite genres and build a collection of the same, rarely venturing beyond.
Money is also why most readers and publishers don't want to gamble on new names, so such titles slip through the cracks. While it's a shame, one shouldn't associate "weird" or badly written and produced books with "edgy", "indie", or "avant garde". That's another conceit and almost as iffy.
Oversaturation is also present in the local industry. See how many titles in the same genres crop up, many with synopses that read like film trailers. Don't get me started on suspicious titles shelved under "general reading". But such is our market, and the influx of titles coming out of Wattpad of late means some publishers are banking on the online crowd paying for what they used to read for free, to support their favs.
Though some may seem too snobbish to read local, I wouldn't use the s-word to describe Malaysian bookworms. They're keen to back local, but flag-waving or cheaper prices can only go so far. The dearth of support, sadly, applies more to loftier strata of local literature – academic, literary, and intellectual works, and poetry – rather than the mass-market segment.
While kinks in locally published stuff – bad writing, factual errors, typographical snafus and such – are generally tolerated, some of us are more sensitive to that and react accordingly. Disproportionately, some might say. To the latter: Have you had to slay such demons for a living for years? Supporting local authors doesn't include turning a blind eye to what makes a work bad – how would anything improve?
A troubled ecosystem
Whatever ails our local book industry – or some segments of it – I think we're aware that it isn't well supported. We don't have a nurturing, ethical book culture. The arts are looked down upon, seen more as a bohemian pursuit rather than a real career. Many creators are paid peanuts. We don't pay advances to authors, and the royalty rates suck.
In Malaysia where so much is politicised, literature is hobbled by censorship and Triassic mindsets. Creative freedom is tenuous, made worse by self-appointed art and language police. Books can be banned years after they hit the shelves because no one seems to be vetting materials before they are brought in. Post-ban recalls can be costly and troublesome, as not all suppliers will reimburse you for returned stock.
(Along with the looming threat of unregulated generative AI, a fair bit can also be said about the involvement of the authorities, vested interests, and "concerned citizens" in the arts. The same names are boosted, often at the expense of other talents who don't fit a certain mould.)
Without intervention, our publishing sector will remain trapped within a vicious cycle. No oxygen for local publishing means no incentive to write, innovate, or improve; no new works that excite readers, same stuff gets released, readers look elsewhere, ad infinitum.
Bookstores and book festivals, meanwhile, get little respect from some patrons. Water bottles and paper cups find their way onto the shelves. Remember the instances of vandalism at Tsutaya Bukit Jalil? That theft at Books n Bobs in Taman Desa, which sells second-hand books? And I still remember that one lady who took snapshots of the pages of a remaindered cookbook at a Big Bad Wolf sale.
Without education and awareness, many will treat books and bookstores like they do, not knowing how much time, effort and money go into them.
Cheap thrill or lifeline?
These days, other worries take centre stage. Books are reportedly exempt from the new US tariffs, but one can't say the same for everything else in the supply chain. We should expect the book sector to be affected if those tariffs kick in.
Even in tough times, people find comfort in little luxuries, and that includes books – took me long enough to arrive here! Those who can indulge in or work with books are fortunate or privileged enough to, like those who open bookstores. Lost between the bindings, we may have forgotten that books remain out of reach for some.
As reality intrudes – market forces, changing reading habits, industry developments and so on – our reading and book-buying habits, along with any romantic notions we have about books and writing, need to be tempered. What does it say when bookstores give stock away rather than sell it?
Tough times also mean more people reading to escape, and platforms such as Wattpad excel here because it costs almost nothing, though some works should stay on Wattpad. The likes of BookXcess and Books n Bobs, book corners, and book exchanges help in their own ways. Bookstores do not have a monopoly on reading materials.
Whatever we feel about certain books, non-book frivolities or "cheap entertainment", we have to acknowledge that people will spend money and effort on things that bring them joy or satisfaction, however fleeting. Let these things tide them over until they can reach a better place, where they feel comfortable enough to reach for a book, or read beyond their personal preferences.
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Book Blab
