We have acquired about a thousand books in 300 titles which we are selling at 20% to 75% off the publishers RRP. Many you will not find in other bookshops in Klang Valley. You know what warehouse and bargain-book sales are like: garbage dumps. One has to practically pick through trash to find some gems. But not at Silverfish Books because all titles are individually chosen. Click on the image to see the poster. You can also follow the link at the bottom of this post to view a list.When Silverfish Books opened in Desa Sri Hartamas in 1999, life was simple: we were a bookshop with a selection of titles at friendly prices for the discerning reader that were not available in any other bookshop in KL at the time. (Only Skoob in Brickfields offered a similar range.) We were an independent bookshop, period. Then, things started getting complicated.
MPH Mid-valley opened a humungous store about nine months after we started business. With their deep pockets, they were able to order every title on every publisher’s list, whether they understood what they were buying or not. Other similar megastores mushroomed in every corner of KL and PJ, and every new mall in Klang Valley wanted one of their own. We had more mega bookstores here than in Singapore.
Our sales were seriously affected, but we survived the onslaught, though barely. We had a loyal group of customers who kept us afloat. We also decided to specialise in Malaysian titles. Publishing was a happy distraction, and another source of steady income.
But, the industry is changing again, as it was bound to. One can defy gravity only for so long. It started in UK with Borders going bust. (Borders sold their Australia/Singapore operations before that.) Waterstones is not very healthy either. In the US, Borders is heading towards its final chapters, and the closure of 676 bookstores owned by the chain looks imminent, and last time we heard Barnes and Noble is up for sale, too.
Can the Malaysian book industry remain unaffected by this turmoil? There already appears to be a trend towards smaller bookstores. How many of the ‘big boys’ will survive?
Now, we can go back to what we used to do: sell good books at good prices to readers who like good books.
List price
