“That-that don’t kill me, can only make me stronger ….”
-- Kayne West
Independent reps are the wave of the past, present and future. It’s possible to lose sight of this natural fact in times of economic chaos and the age-old Chinese curse about living in interesting times. There is a slippery slope which self-governing sales agencies can slide down, and more often-than-not they have to work harder just to get back to ground zero. The adversity creates tension and a degree of hopelessness, and I’m here to tell you that acute hardships always create hidden opportunities and build character, and while we may lose money in the short term and be required to cut-back, business can still be viewed as thriving in spite of harsh conditions. Reps are in a unique position to make things happen for themselves, and they need to realize how lucky they are because they control their own destiny and choices. Experience counts for the essential qualities here, and members of our organization know how to weather a storm, and even take special advantage of happenstance and apparent disorder.
Take a look at the history of our profession. We reps go way back to before the American Revolution, and our roots hark back to Europe in the 18th century where a complicated network of book peddlers was established, and the sale of books, maps, clocks, calico, and printed cloths were controlled by entire towns (see the excellent book on the subject: History of Pedlars in Europe by Laurence Fontaine, Durham: Duke University Press, 1996). Understand that we as independent reps have made ourselves indispensable in the world of publishing, and our contacts and ability to make deals is what makes commerce churn in the volatile world of publishing today. We have created NAIPR, an association that speaks with one voice, and yet is unique in and of itself because it is made up maverick characters and specialist human beings who know their own markets intimately and bring various strengths and talents to the big table. Furthermore, our members level the playing field for publishers large and small, for profit and nonprofit book producing organizations, who use our services as their sales and marketing arm. We have something tangible to contribute not only to commerce and the act of selling books to retailers and distributors of every stripe, but also to the broader culture as well. Our role as independent sales agents is time-tested and rock solid, and we are not going to let our publishers, booksellers, families and fellow travelers down as we carry on our core activities.
As President of NAIPR it is my job to try and bring members together and get them to see beyond fierce competition and bitter rivalries, and that we can all benefit from coming together as an organization to prosper. Our web site is a clearinghouse of information about the practicalities of selling on commission; our organization exhibits at Book Expo America and sponsors events and supports regional bookseller associations; we are revising the program of Frontlist-on-Floppy (FROF) to become available on CD ROM and be web-based to offer the most up-to-date information about new and forthcoming titles, that is edited by reps on the ground and is not available from any other source. We are open-minded and open-ended, and we request the honor of hearing from you about what your major concerns are. I have always been preoccupied by history and think we need to honor the key reps who came before us with an Independent Publishers Rep Hall of Fame at the New York Public Library. That is a dream of mine that probably won’t come true during my tenure as association President, but I want to make it clear that NAIPR fills an important place in the book business today, and it is crucial to realize that NAIPR can and will perform a critical functions in the book business of the future.
Eric Miller
President, NAIPR
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