tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341439049376622915.post4042451722849929445..comments2023-10-31T04:34:22.155-07:00Comments on Ben Archer's Book Country Blog: Of Horses, Books, Radios, Tablets, and Other Ancient RelicsBen Archerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15068667452244009938noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341439049376622915.post-18547521884925861952014-07-07T20:01:43.790-07:002014-07-07T20:01:43.790-07:00I know some stores are coming around, but I do hea...I know some stores are coming around, but I do hear of many booksellers who refuse to admit the business has been changing considerably and still think they can just carry on the way they've been operating all along. The most successful independent booksellers I know have specialized in some way or another -- by becoming experts in what interests them personally, and being the go-to store for everything in that particular genre or type of book. <br /><br />Just imagine what a store could do if it carried only mysteries, but sold new as well as used print, eBooks, audio, and related merchandise, and also had a comprehensive website offering eCommerce. That would be my dream bookstore.<br /><br />The other models I'm very interested in pursuing at the moment are mobile and pop-up bookstores - take the store to the readers rather than remain stationary and expect the readers to come to you. I love the idea of The Book Barge in England, for example. <br /><br />There are indeed some exciting ideas and opportunities out there! We just need to lean to think differently.<br /><br />As for how to get to more eBooks being made available in print, I can only give you my own example. I published in eBook first then canvassed my friends for pre-orders of a print edition. When I thought I had enough interest, I went to print. Authors should wait though until they know there is enough of a market for the print version. You can't imagine the number who have come to me for help with their promotion, because they need to move the "several thousand" copies taking up space in their basements. <br /><br />Susan ToyUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13018426303343031626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341439049376622915.post-84793197321098332192014-07-07T16:59:39.257-07:002014-07-07T16:59:39.257-07:00You make a lot of good points. I did not mention t...You make a lot of good points. I did not mention the amazing amount of great original works being written for e-books only, including much by self published authors. This is another big area where e-books have been a positive phenomenon. <br /><br />Where you really hit home for me is your stand as an all-inclusive reader recommending that booksellers be all inclusive booksellers. I think this is where they're headed and many are already there. I have customers who sell e-readers and the books their customers read on them. Some of these have instant printing facilities in their bookstores so that if they don't have what their paper-book-buying-customer wants, and if they have the rights, they can print it on the spot. These are the same folks who sell used, new, remainders, and reprints as well. Believe it or not, that was once considered an extremely alternative way of doing business. I still run into booksellers who refuse to do anything but new real books, but I think they'll come around.<br /><br />I would like to see more of the books now available only as e-books printed on paper. How do we get there?Ben Archerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15068667452244009938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2341439049376622915.post-76359091159123135672014-07-07T15:26:36.916-07:002014-07-07T15:26:36.916-07:00Now, if we could just convince those bookstores to...Now, if we could just convince those bookstores to carry more books by Indie Authors and even figure out a way to sell eBooks directly to Readers, I believe that fewer of them would close, because their market would increase rather than shrink. I am an all-inclusive Reader, Author and Publisher (former bookseller and sales rep, too!) and I believe there is an opportunity out there to satisfy all sales (and library lending) of all formats of books in brick and mortar stores. Had the music stores all gone online to sell singles at the time iTunes led the way, they might still be around now, too. Why not a "display" of books with kiosks throughout a store for downloading eBook versions - and then sales of those print books as well? I believe there are many more possibilities that few are choosing to explore.<br /><br />Susan ToyUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13018426303343031626noreply@blogger.com