Independent British booksellers have called for a “collective” action — including boycotts — of books from the Sceptre publsihing house (a Hachette imprint) after it signed a deal to sell the hard cover of its new novel from Glen David Gold, Sunnyside, exclusively with the giant Waterstone’s chain. In a story for The Bookseller, Catherine Neilan reports that numerous booksellers have called for a boycott of the paperback version of the book.

Sceptre’s James Spackman responded to the storm of protests by saying “the idea of an independent-exclusive publication in future is far from out of the question, and I’d welcome ideas on that” and said Sceptre was planning “independent-exclusive signed editions of the paperback,” but it seems bookseller saw the comments as a day late and a dollar short. She says indies she spoke to found Sceptre’s actions “appalling” and “sickening.” One of the milder indie bookseller quotes she cites from among several: “I’m not stocking it. I don’t see any reason why we should support the paperback if that is what they are doing …. This is the last thing we need in the current situation. We will also bear this in mind when we are ordering in future. It will certainly make us think twice.”