It should be obvious to anyone who reads this blog that I love the Leningrad Dutch. The GM who has spent most of his career playing the defense, Vladimir Malaniuk, has written a book on it, and it has been published in Europe, and is not yet for sale in the US. For that reason I decided to email the publisher, Chess Stars, to learn why it is not yet sold here in the states.
Subject: Re: Leningrad Dutch
From: Semko Semkov
Date: Tue, August 5, 2014 01:51
To: Michael
I sent the book long ago to our distributor. I will ask him to answer you.
Hi,
Our US distributor is Books From Europe
I asked him to answer you, but I still have no reply from them.
Semko Semkov
Books From Europe
To Mesemkov@chess-stars.com
Aug 5
Dear Michael,
Leningrad Dutch by GM Malaniuk is available on our web-site (as most chess titles from the wide range of publishers).
Please follow the link:
http://chessbooksfromeurope.com//bookstore/product_info.php?products_id=1817
We also have internet stores on the E-bay:
http://stores.ebay.com/Books-from-Europe?_rdc=1
and Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aag/main/ref=olp_merch_name_5?ie=UTF8&asin=1857449886&isAmazonFulfilled=0&seller=A1NNTWFA7GO9OY
Best Regards,
Emanuel & Irena Rasin ( Books from Europe )
Visit our website:
http://www.chessbooksfromeurope.com
Fax / Toll Free 1-866-328-1523
Aug 7
Semko Semkov
Michael,
Thanks a lot for letting me know that. We only send books to our distributor and we do not devise his trading policy. Before Books from Europe, we dealt with Hannon Russel from Chess Cafe. He sold less so we are relatively happy with the guy from Books from Europe.
Perhaps the main problem in our case is the expensive delivery from Europe (air cargo) and the high cost of books before production. Making a hardcover is actually cheap (1$), we do not offer them to reduce weight and postal expenses. Our authors are top Grandmasters and we publish only high quality (having in mind chess content) books. It takes a year to prepare one. Respectively their fees are higher than an author of “a really nice hardback McFarland book”. At the same time, our target audience is farly limited to strong club players and professionals. If the reader does not grasp the difference between mass production and our books, he is probably right not to buy them. They are clearly not meant for him.
_______________
We are constantly trying to make our product more affordable. That’s why we devised the electronic format Forwardchess (iOS – https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/forwardchess/id543005909?mt=8), Android (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.forwardchess) . It is much more functional than any paper book since all the moves are displayed on a big board while retaining their print layout. One can also analyze with Stockfish.
The prices are the same or less (the top one is $20) than any competitor’s book. I strongly recommend Forward chess to any chess fan. In my opinion, this is the future of chess books.
To semkov@chess-stars.com
Aug 8
You are welcome, Semko. I completely understand everything you have written, having worked at the Oxford bookstore in the late 70’s-early 80’s I do understand some things about the business of books. In my case it is that I am old(er) and have less money, much of which does go to books! Although New in Chess magazine is considered expensive, I enjoy it immensely and somehow manage to read every issue, whether or not I have a subscription.
I would like to use your comments in a post about the Malaniuk book and the state of the book business. I would, therefore, like to ask you if that is OK? Also, what is the retail price of the book? The folks at Chess Cafe show this:
7/12 The Leningrad Dutch (25% preorder discount!)
When one clicks on, this is shown:
Price $37.95
Sale Price $28.46
Availability Back Ordered
Is this the true retail price? Or is it $31.95?
Semko Semkov
Aug 8
Michael,
Thanks a lot for letting me know that. We only send books to our distributor and we do not devise his trading policy. Before Books from Europe, we dealt with Hannon Russel from Chess Cafe. He sold less so we are relatively happy with the guy from Books from Europe.
Perhaps the main problem in our case is the expensive delivery from Europe (air cargo) and the high cost of books before production. Making a hardcover is actually cheap (1$), we do not offer them to reduce weight and postal expenses. Our authors are top Grandmasters and we publish only high quality (having in mind chess content) books. It takes a year to prepare one. Respectively their fees are higher than an author of “a really nice hardback McFarland book”. At the same time, our target audience is farly limited to strong club players and professionals. If the reader does not grasp the difference between mass production and our books, he is probably right not to buy them. They are clearly not meant for him.
_______________
We are constantly trying to make our product more affordable. That’s why we devised the electronic format Forwardchess (iOS – https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/forwardchess/id543005909?mt=8), Android (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.forwardchess) . It is much more functional than any paper book since all the moves are displayed on a big board while retaining their print layout. One can also analyze with Stockfish.
The prices are the same or less (the top one is $20) than any competitor’s book. I strongly recommend Forwardchess to any chess fan. In my opinion, this is the future of chess books.
On Friday, August 8, 2014 2:31 PM, Semko Semkov wrote:
I do not know the retail price – we never put one on the cover.
Our wholesale price is $15 (including air cargo to the US). American retailers are used to at least double it. As far as I know, that’s common practice.
So there it is, the retail cost of the book is $15. Chess Cafe shows the price of the book as $37.95, on “sale” for $32.27. Although they showed it as ‘Back Ordered’ a few days ago, it is not listed as ‘in stock.’ Amazon has it listed for $31.95, plus $3.99 shipping. This is from the folks at Books From Europe. I cannot wait to get my hands on this book. Unfortunately, circumstances dictate that I must wait on a price drop.
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