Comments on: Indie Booksellers Need to Reject “Status” Quo http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2009/indie-booksellers-need-to-reject-status-quo/ The publishing community for the 21st Century Fri, 30 Jul 2010 06:56:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Cassandra Jade http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2009/indie-booksellers-need-to-reject-status-quo/comment-page-1/#comment-83 Cassandra Jade Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:10:02 +0000 http://digitalbookworld.wordpress.com/?p=237#comment-83 A great post and lots to think about, for everyone. Writing may be a labour of love but the finished book is a product and if it can be sold in more than one form than that just makes it a better product. Thanks for sharing this post. A great post and lots to think about, for everyone. Writing may be a labour of love but the finished book is a product and if it can be sold in more than one form than that just makes it a better product. Thanks for sharing this post.

]]> By: Malcolm http://www.digitalbookworld.com/2009/indie-booksellers-need-to-reject-status-quo/comment-page-1/#comment-82 Malcolm Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:47:37 +0000 http://digitalbookworld.wordpress.com/?p=237#comment-82 If I were an indie bookseller I imagine I could come up with a lot smarter ideas than purchasing an EBM to get a return on $100 000. Your argument seems to presuppose that in the infinite cloud of books that aren’t deemed ‘worthy’ of mainstream publishing lies a revenue stream that can be exploited simply through making them available. Most Independent booksellers will tell you that apart from @launch, self-published and small press titles just can’t compete and simply making them more available won’t cut it. The problem with e... and in this case you really are still only referring to pBook as the EBM still delivers the printed product... is the consumer is located in the web. A bookstore might be the location of some sales but they are not a sustainable component, but act exactly as booksellers have said, as an add-on or bundle. We know the consumer will usually buy them online. The retail solutions suggested by retail are only there to keep the bookshop in the mind of the consumer so we continue to be a destination for recreational retail. Independent retail’s future lies in diversifying into lit events, lit merchandise and all the attendant activity you attract when the local writing community decides you are their community store. Independents do understand that for every dollar’s worth of return there is about a 15% cost. Independents do understand that they are just one gatekeeper in a chain of cultural arbiters that sometimes see good works languish. What they also realise is that simply offering the ability to purchase a wider range of books doesn’t diminish the role of the bookseller in selecting the range they display and offer. Having 100 000 title in a digital warehouse does not help a physical retailer sell them, they still have to select those that match most closely their customer base and then merchandise and display them... this is still retail after all. Absolutely rejct the status quo but don't mistake which part of the business you are in. In the end I’ll borrow Lincoln from you and say simply calling something a lost opportunity doesn’t make it one If I were an indie bookseller I imagine I could come up with a lot smarter ideas than purchasing an EBM to get a return on $100 000. Your argument seems to presuppose that in the infinite cloud of books that aren’t deemed ‘worthy’ of mainstream publishing lies a revenue stream that can be exploited simply through making them available.

Most Independent booksellers will tell you that apart from @launch, self-published and small press titles just can’t compete and simply making them more available won’t cut it.

The problem with e… and in this case you really are still only referring to pBook as the EBM still delivers the printed product… is the consumer is located in the web. A bookstore might be the location of some sales but they are not a sustainable component, but act exactly as booksellers have said, as an add-on or bundle.

We know the consumer will usually buy them online. The retail solutions suggested by retail are only there to keep the bookshop in the mind of the consumer so we continue to be a destination for recreational retail. Independent retail’s future lies in diversifying into lit events, lit merchandise and all the attendant activity you attract when the local writing community decides you are their community store.

Independents do understand that for every dollar’s worth of return there is about a 15% cost. Independents do understand that they are just one gatekeeper in a chain of cultural arbiters that sometimes see good works languish.

What they also realise is that simply offering the ability to purchase a wider range of books doesn’t diminish the role of the bookseller in selecting the range they display and offer.
Having 100 000 title in a digital warehouse does not help a physical retailer sell them, they still have to select those that match most closely their customer base and then merchandise and display them… this is still retail after all.

Absolutely rejct the status quo but don’t mistake which part of the business you are in. In the end I’ll borrow Lincoln from you and say simply calling something a lost opportunity doesn’t make it one

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