(This entire statement is available in English too, see below.)
PEN Afrikaans dring aan dat Nitesh Patel van Standard Bank sy stelling oor die aankoop van boeke sal terugtrek. Standard Bank moet sigself ook in die openbaar van hierdie punt distansieer.
Patel word voorgestel as die hoof van finansiële oplossings vir kliënte by Standard Bank. Wanneer so ’n senior persoon sulke onverantwoordelike stellings maak, moet dit teengestaan word.
PEN Afrikaans sal skrywers, uitgewers, boekverkopers en lesers aanmoedig om hulle besigheid by Standard Bank te onttrek indien hierdie stelling nie teruggetrek word nie.
Agtergrond
In ’n berig wat Saterdag, 31 Oktober 2015, op Netwerk24 verskyn het, deel Patel maniere om geld te spaar. Hier is ’n skakel na die berig: http://www.netwerk24.com/sake/geldsake/2015-10-31-jy-dink-jy-kan-nie-minder-geld-uitgee-nie-dink-weer
Met sy eerste punt moedig hy mense aan om nie meer nuwe boeke te koop nie.
PEN Afrikaans vind dit betreurenswaardig.
Van Patel se ander punte is geldig, maar sy stelling oor boeke bou hy op vals argumente. Daarmee toon hy nie net sy onkunde nie, sulke uitsprake berokken boonop die hele boekbedryf in Suid-Afrika skade.
Die mite van gratis e-boeke
Patel sê: “Daar is heelwat gratis e-boeke aanlyn.”
Sommige klassieke werke, waarvan die kopiereg reeds verval het, word gratis aanlyn versprei. Daar is inderdaad ook aanlynportale wat aan mense die geleentheid bied om eie werk te publiseer en dan gratis weg te gee. Gratis e-boeke geld egter selde vir werk wat die afgelope vyftig jaar kommersieel gepubliseer is.
- E-boeke is gewoon nie gratis nie.
- Om e-boeke te maak is net so duur as om papierboeke te maak – pro-rata is dit soms nog duurder as papierboeke.
- Daar is wel roofruimtes waar nuwe e-boeke gratis beskikbaar stel word, maar diefstal is uiteraard ’n kriminele oortreding.
Nuwe boeke word mettertyd goedkoper?
Patel gaan voort: “Onthou ook dat nuwe uitgawes se pryse mettertyd billiker word.”
Die hartseer werklikheid is dat Patel se uitsprake die kans op goedkoper boeke nog verder verskraal.
- Patel verwys waarskynlik na die boeke van gewilde en/of gerekende skrywers wat oorsee gereeld eers as hardebande verskyn, en dan, wanneer die eerste uitgawes goed verkoop, later ook in ’n kleiner, sagtebandformaat uitgegee word.
- Dit sal wonderlik wees as ons in Suid-Afrika soveel boeke kan verkoop om ook daardie tendens te volg, maar dan moet mense soos Patel nie ons bestaande boekbedryf verder knou nie. Ons publiseer reeds goedkoper eerste uitgawes en sukkel steeds om eerste oplae te verkoop.
Dink weer aan jou rekeninghouers, Standard Bank
Die skryf, die uitgee en die verkoop van boeke is ’n bron van inkomste.
- Het Patel gedink aan outeurs wat rekeninge by Standard Bank het?
- Het Patel gedink aan uitgewers wat rekeninge by Standard Bank het?
- Het Patel gedink aan boekwinkels wat rekeninge by Standard Bank het?
Werk- en inkomsteverliese
Patel besef klaarblyklik nie dat hy verbruikers aanmoedig om kos uit verskeie rolspelers se monde te haal met sulke uitlatings nie.
Om ’n boek te maak is arbeidintensief.
- Die skrywer spandeer maande, soms jare, aan die skryf van ’n boek.
- Daarna werk ’n baie groot aantal mense aan daardie boek. Hier is ’n klein aantal beroepe om aan te dink: die uitgewer, die redakteur, die setter, die persoon wat die kuns of foto(’s) vir die boekomslag verskaf en die persoon wat daardie omslag ontwerp, die proefleser, die bemarker, die stoorwerker en die koerier wat die boeke na die winkel neem.
- Boekwinkels in Suid-Afrika trek swaar. Hulle moet huur betaal en hulle moet hulle personeel betaal. Deur mense te ontmoedig om boeke te koop, plaas Patel nog meer druk op ’n bedryf wat reeds wankel.
Trek die stelling in die openbaar terug
PEN Afrikaans dring daarop aan dat Patel sy stelling oor boeke in die openbaar terugtrek en/of dat Standard Bank sigself in die openbaar daarvan distansieer. Sou dit nie gebeur nie, sal PEN Afrikaans alle boekliefhebbers, skrywers, boekhandelaars en uitgewers aanmoedig om hulle besigheid van Standard Bank te onttrek.
* * * * * * * * * *
Statement from PEN Afrikaans against Nitesh Patel of African Standard Bank's utterances regarding book purchases
(Hierdie volledige verklaring is ook in Afrikaans beskikbaar, sien hierbo)
PEN Afrikaans insists that Nitesh Patel of Standard Bank withdraws his statement regarding the purchase of new books. Standard Bank too should distance itself in public from that point in Patel’s article.
Patel is introduced as the head of financial solutions for customers at Standard Bank. When a senior person like that makes such false statements, we have to protest.
PEN Afrikaans will encourage writers, publishers, booksellers and readers to withdraw their business from Standard Bank if Patel and Standard Bank do not withdraw these potentially harmful public statements.
Background
In a newspaper article appearing on Netwerk24 on Saturday, 31 October 2015, Patel provides tips on ways to save money. Here is a link to the article: http://www.netwerk24.com/sake/geldsake/2015-10-31-jy-dink-jy-kan-nie-minder-geld-uitgee-nie-dink-weer
In his first point he encourages people not to buy new books.
PEN Afrikaans finds it regrettable.
Many of Patel's other points are valid, but the statement about books is built on falsehoods. Not only does it show his ignorance, such statements cause damage to the entire book industry in South Africa.
The myth of free e-books
Patel said: "There are many free e-books online."
Some classics, of which the copyright has expired, are made available for free online. Also, there are online portals offering people the opportunity to publish their own work, and then give those away for free. However, free e-versions of work published commercially over the last fifty years will seldom be found.
- E-books are simply not free.
- Making e-books is just as expensive as making paper books; pro rata, it is sometimes even more expensive than making paper books.
- There are pirate sites where new e-books are available for free, but theft is a criminal offence.
New books become cheaper over time?
Patel continues: "Remember too that the price of new editions eventually drops."
The sad reality is that Patel's comments limit the chance of cheaper books.
- Patel probably refers to books of popular and/or acclaimed overseas authors whose work often get published in hard cover first, and then, when the first editions sell well, later editions frequently get released in smaller paperback formats.
- It would be wonderful if we could sell as many books in South Africa to follow that trend, but then people like Patel should do no further harm to our existing book industry. We already publish cheaper first editions and still we struggle to sell those.
Think again about your account holders, Standard Bank
Writing, publishing and selling books are sources of income.
- Did Patel consider those authors who have accounts at Standard Bank?
- Did Patel consider those publishers who have accounts at Standard Bank?
- Did Patel consider those bookstores that have accounts at Standard Bank?
Employment and income losses
Patel apparently does not take into account that he might be encouraging consumers to take food from the mouths of many people through such statements.
Producing books is labour intensive.
- The author spends months, sometimes years, writing a book.
- Then a large number of people work on that book. Here are a few careers to think about: the publisher, the editor, the setter, the person who provides the artwork or photograph(s) for the cover, the person who designs the cover, the proof reader, the marketer, the warehouse worker and the courier who takes the books to the store.
- Bookstores in South Africa are struggling. They have to pay rent and they have to pay their staff. By discouraging people to buy books, Patel increases the odds against an industry that is already staggering.
Withdraw the statement in public
PEN Afrikaans insists that Patel withdraws his statement about books in public and/or that Standard Bank distances itself publicly from Patel’s expressed views. It not, PEN Afrikaans will encourage book lovers, authors, booksellers and publishers to withdraw their business from Standard Bank.
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