The manager of Ataie Publication made speech in the meeting of “oral history of book”:

There are lots of publishers, but a few vitrines (Part II)

Maryam Rajabi
Translated by Fazel Shirzad

2017-10-24

Behrouz Ataie Fard, the manager of Ataie Publication, told:"Ashianeh Company was located in Gandi St. in which there were a Real Estate Agency named "Ashianeh House Preparation". In 1361(1982) or 1362(1983), I bought one stock of the agency at a cost of 100 Toman[1]. I had two sharers as well. After one year, I bought the stock of the shares for my brothers; the name of Ashianeh House Preparation was changed to "Ashianeh -e- Ketab[2]". It was our second publication. We published lots of books named "Gilan[3] Cookery "; it was one of the books we published. After some years, our children were grown and became bigger; we made a decision to have separate stores. I closed Ataie Publication and my brothers, Majid, chose Ashianeh Ketab. In 1386, Ashianeh-e-Ketab Publication was moved from Gandi St. to Enghelab St. As my brother had an illness, he left the bookstore last year; he is selling available books of stock room now. The place of Ashianeh-e-Ketab was put a price; my brother sold his share to one of friends, and the friend and I built a shop there, and then we sold it. Today, it is a clinical building."

Behrouz Ataie Fard told criteria for publishing a book:" there are two factors for publishing books; first, a publisher should consider what the demand of market is, and what readers interest in, and what books are not in market enough to be published. Second, what is the need of society?  It is possible that society is not aware of needs; so, publisher can publish them. These two factors were our guidelines, and the criteria are not changed nowadays, but we work more carefully because the level of study is descended, and prices are increased as well."

Ataie Fard added:" English Grammar Test book was one of our bestsellers which was reprinted more than fifty times. We are still publishing this book, but the number of copies are reduced because English teaching methods have been changed exceedingly. I can mention courageously that we are one of few publishers who published book in the field of traditional medicine. We published book in this field: first one named "Tebbe Kabir[4]". Other books were named " Tabbe ol-Sadegh[5]" and "Nuskeh Shafa[6]". All the books of Dr. Saheb Zamani were published in Ataie Publication. The book "Sky Songs, Earthy Chants", written by Seyed Javad Zabihi, was one of bestseller books that we were allowed to publish it before Iran's revolution."

These phenomena…

He spoke about the criterion of books’ prices:" in the past, it was very easy to price: we priced them in the 15 or 20 percent of benefit. Nowadays, it is very difficult to price book because it is possible not to hold out much hope to sell the books. On the other hand, the publishers are not able to distribute the book; some professional ones should be chosen to do it. Those, who distribute the books, receive 35 to 40 percent benefits. Today, some of time cheque which are given to publisher, cash after more than one year. One average, the cost of first publication of book is accounted 70 t0 80 Toman per page. Of course, there is different for costs, for example, between a novel with 100 pages and philosophical book with 100 pages because the contents of books are different and, on the other hand, the efforts are different to write the books."

The manager of Ataie Publication spoke about being joined to World Copyright Convention:" in the past, I was deputy of Booksellers’ and Publishers' Union; and we made every endeavor to join the convention. Some believe that we are one of third world countries and we should have imports in the fields of science, medicine, etc.; this convention will cause us many problems. I don’t agree with such opinions because my co-‌workers and I communicated with the writers of the convention for publishing some of translated books, and they accepted; they didn’t receive any cost or we paid less than 100 euros and bought the copyright of book. In this way, we respect that person to be informed of publishing his book in Iran. If such works were done in Iran, nobody would make book, steal book, and the right of publishers and authors would never be lost."

He added about the role of publishers and booksellers to defense of the right of book which are being stolen by lots of ways. "As I knew, a workgroup is established to solve such problems in the Union, and this group is looking after it. However, it isn’t only related to the Union, but also it is related to Police Force and judicial centers; they should work together as well."

Ataie Fard told about governmental sector publishers:" I can understand the meaning of publisher and governmental publication. A governmental publisher never shows empathy as much as a private sector publisher. A private sector publisher considers all angles, issues and problems. If a book remain in the store of the private publisher, s/he will be broken at heart; so, s/he try to publish books which can be surly sold. The private publisher tries a lot to grow one of his/her book among dozens of books, but the governmental publisher doesn’t have such worries.

He told about Student Helping Books:" in the past, we published student helping books, but it should be note that those books differs from one used to do exercises. The student helping books are conceptual ones; it means that the contents of book are explained for student who can't understand the contents, to be learnt. We are not against student helping book used for improving and transcending students.

 The manager of Ataie Publication told  about new phenomenon i.e. Book Garden and Book City:" there are two discussion about those phenomena: first, the delegation of these phenomena should be chosen through Publishers Union not to be abused on the right of publishers and booksellers, and nobody should be chosen by the authorities from bookstores  to exhibitions. Everyone, selects his/her favorite book, then the authorities of exhibition buy the book from bookstore, and send it to his/her addressees; therefore, the bookstore  won't be closed. The International Exhibition of Book can be kind of a bookstore. If a distribution system can be chosen in a way the problems of long-term cheque and documents to be solved, and publishers have some cash income to clear up their problems, they won't be wait and delight for 10 days of exhibition. All of institutions, such as Publishers and Booksellers Union, the Ministry of culture and Islamic Guidance, Municipal Department and state Department, should work together and increase the books for bookstore and vitrines. If provincial bookstore become exhibition, it will be better for provincial booksellers; they can be encouraged to sell books."

He said about the numeral reduction of book:" unfortunately, at a time, publishers had benefits through huge and inessential subsidy; therefore, lots of people who had another jobs and were inexperience and without enough knowledge in publication, became publisher. That was why, publishers mushroomed into country. It should be researched whether or not the publishers printed one book over a year?! There are lots of publisher, but a few vitrines. The number of bookstores became less than publishers, Cyberspace is spread, addresses have less trust and the level of study is reduced. Nowadays, the numbers of printing books are between 300 and 400 volumes."

At last, Behrouz Ataie Fard said about his favorite book for studying:" I am very interested in books in the field of literature. First book I have read named "Revolt" by parviz Ghazi. Nowadays, I’m reading political books, and I’m interested in excited novels still. In the past, whenever I wanted to give someone a present, I gave him/her a book, but today, not anymore because I supposed that these book are free for me; so, I gave them as present. But, today, whenever I wanted to give somebody a book as a present, I will give it some who is interested in book. Book should be used well, not be used as a decor.    

The new rounds of meetings of " oral history of book" were held in the House of Writers of Book House institute as follows:" the first meeting was held in the attendance of Hajj Beitallah Radkhah (Moshama-chi) the manager of Partoo Publication Tehran-Tabriz on Wednesday of 23^st Farvardin in 1396(2017-April-12). The second meeting was held in the attendance of Jamshid Ismailian, the manager of Partoo Publication on the Wednesday of 30^th Farvardin (April 19). The third meeting was held in the attendance of Abol-Ghasem Ashraf Ol-Kotabi, the manager of  Ashrafi publication on the Wednesday of 6^th Ordibehesht (April 26). The fourth meeting was held in the attendance of Hojjateslam Buyuk Chit Chian, manager of Mortezavi Publication on the Wednesday of 27^th Ordibehesht(17 May). The fifth meeting was held in the attendance of Seyed Jalal Ketabchi, the of manager Eslamiyeh Publication,and Seyed Farid Ketabchi and Seyed Mohammad Bagher Ketabchi, the manager of Elmiyeh Eslamiyeh on the Thursday of 2^nd Khordad(June 23). The sixth meeting was held in the attendance of Seyed Jalal Ketabchi, the manager of Eslamiyeh Publication, Seyed Majtaba Ketabchi, Seyed Farid ketabchi, and Seyed Mohamad Bagher Ketabchi, the manager of Elmiyeh Eslamiyeh Publication on Thursday of 9^th Khordad(May 30). The seventh meeting was held in the attendance of Morteza Akhoundi, the manager of Dar al-Kotab Eslamiyeh on Thursday of 16^th Khordad(June 7). The eighth meeting was held in the attendance of Morteza Akoundi, the manager of Dar al-Kotab Eslamiyeh on Thursday of 23th Khordad(June 14). ninth meeting was held in the attendance of Mahdieh Mostaghni Yazdi, the owner of right of Karname Publication, Makan and Rozbeh Zahrai who are children of late Mohammad Zahrai, the great manager of Karname Publication on 30 Khordad(June 21). The tenth meeting was held in the further attendance of Mahdieh Mostaghni Yazdi, the owner of right of Karname Publication Rozbeh Zahrai who is son of late Mohammad Zahrai, the great manager of Karname Publication on the Wednesday of 7^th Tir(June 28).the eleventh meeting was held in the attendance of Mohammad Reza Najian Asl, the manager of Resa Publication on Thursday of 20^th Tir(July 11). The twelfth meeting was held in the attendance of Mohammadreza Jafari, the manager of Nav publication on the Sunday of 25^th Tir (July 16); the thirteen meeting was held in the further attendance of Mohammadreza Najian Asl, the manager of Resa publication on Thursday of 27^th Tir(july). The fourteenth meeting was held in the further attendance of Mohammadreza Jafari on Thursday of Mordad 3^rd (July 25). The fifteenth meeting was held in the attendance of Mohammad Nikdost, the manager of Payam Publication on Saturday of 7^th Morad(july 29). The sixteenth was held in the attendance Seyed Iqbal Ketabchi, the manager of Iqhal Publication on Thursday of 17^th Morad (August 8). The seventeenth meeting was held in the attendance was held in the further attendance of Seyed Iqhal Ketabchi on the Saturday of 21^st Mordad. The eighteenth meeting was held in the attendance of Dawood Mouasi, the manager of Contemporary Dictionary on the Saturday of 24^th Mordad (August 15). The nineteenth meeting was held in the attendance of Mehrdad Kazemzadeh, the manager of Maziar on Thursday of 31th Mordad(August 15). The twentieth meeting was held in the attendance of Ali Zavar, the manager of Zavar Publication on Monday of 6^th shahrivar (August 28).the twenty first meeting was held in the further attendance of Dawood Mouasi, the manager of  Contemporary Dictionary Publication on the Tuesday of 21^th shahrivar (September 12). The twenty second meeting of was held in the attendance of Gholamreza Emami the manager of Mowj Publications on the Sunday of 26^th shahrivar (September 17). The twenty third meeting was held in the further attendance of Gholamreza Emami the manager of Mowj Publications on the Monday of 27^th shahrivar (September 18).the twenty forth meeting was held in the further attendance of Dawood Mouasi, the manager of Contemporary Dictionary Publication on the Thursday of 28^th shahrivar (September 19).         

Also, the first round of meetings for " oral history of book" was held in an effort of Nasrollah Haddadi in House of writers of Book House's institution from second half of Year 1394(2015) to summer 1393(2014). As a result, the text of meetings are published as a book named" oral history of book", in 560 pages, by institution of Book House.