Macmillan Publishers will issue promotional terms intended to help independent bookstores recover from what it calls "the significant and calamitous impacts of Covid-19 on the channel."
The terms include discounting on all orders placed from June 1 through December 31, extended dating on orders placed through the end of the year, and a longer timeline for repayment of outstanding balances as of June 1. Macmillan distribution partners Bloomsbury, College Board, Guinness World Records, Kingfisher, Macmillan Collectors Library, Media Lab, Page Street, Papercutz, Seven Seas, Sounds True, and Wattpad will also participate in the promotional terms.
"Indies have always been reliable partners for highly personal book discovery and community engagement, which is why they were hit especially hard by COVID-19,” Jenn Gonzalez, executive v-p of trade sales at Macmillan, said in a statement. "As stores reopen, stores will need to balance immediate concerns around restoring business stability and safety protocols with existing priorities. These terms hopefully offer stores some leeway to help survive the pandemic and beyond."
Macmillan's new bookseller terms follow the announcement made by Hachette Book Group in which HBG is offering indies similar terms.
