For Indies, It’s More Than Market Share
By Jim Milliot -- Publishers Weekly,

Even though two recent studies have put their market share at below 10%, independent booksellers are as critical to publishers as they have ever been. In an ironic twist, the very fact that the number of independent booksellers has declined severely in the last decade makes the stores that have survived all that more important, publishers say. “Their numbers are obviously smaller, but they are a significant outlet for us,” says Matty Goldberg, v-p and group director for sales and marketing at Perseus Books Group. “The booksellers that are left standing are true believers in books and the book business,” Goldberg adds.

That sentiment is picked up by Anne Brooks, director of sales at Overlook Press, who notes that Overlook often sees higher sell-through on titles favored by independents. “When they latch onto an author they really like, they just don’t buy [the title], they sell it,”Brooks notes. “That makes a big difference.”

For the full story from PW link here.