> This leads to a selection more tailored to the local market, and more conservatively chosen – not in the political sense, but in the sense of what will sell v

> This leads to a selection more tailored to the local market, and more conservatively chosen – not in the political sense, but in the sense of what will sell vs. what publishers hope to make sell by placement. I know what you’re trying to say here - that local booksellers will play it more safe than publishers who might support a new author for example - but I think this is a mistaken perspective. First of all we are likely to see lots of small scale experiments where local booksellers will try different books based on their own instincts. That’s controlled risk taking and is likely to be less conservative than a global publisher. Then they will be closer to their actual readers and so will have a better understanding of what new books / authors will work for their actual customers. Finally this favours quality over other factors. If a local bookseller recommends a book they are putting their own credibility - and financial performance - on the line. They want readers to come back to their store rather than just sell that book.