I just took a first stab at the probable effects on Motley Vision:
http://www.motleyvision.org/?p=306
The two companies both have at least one store in at least 14 different
cities, so as many as 14 stores (of 68 total - 42 Deseret Book and 26
Seagull Book stores) could close. I don't expect that many, but I'll bet
half that many will close eventually.
Just as what happened with the Bookcraft purchase, the total number of
titles produced each year by the two companies will also fall -- reducing
the number of options for LDS authors. I also foresee a reduction of the
number of titles in print, as DB goes through Covenant's list and weeds out
what they don't want.
The stores is the worst part of the problem. I don't see how the stores
will be replaced. Its a real blow to the LDS market.
Kent
At 8:17 PM -0700 12/28/06, D. Michael Martindale wrote:
>Christopher Bigelow wrote:
>
>> My wife just called and said that this story just played on the TV.
>> Deseret claims they will leave things as is, but it's hard to imagine
>> that things won't look QUITE different a year or two from now. Seems
>> like the LDS market is really downsizing...
>
>We already know what Deseret Book will do from past history. DB acquired
>Bookcraft, and promised to do things with it that it didn't deliver on.
>Why should we expect different with this acquisition?
>
>Hopefully this will at least mean the infamous Covenant contract is history.
>
>--
>D. Michael Martindale
>dmichael@???
>
