Some News from the Publishing World
Just two news items that might be of interest. These are from earlier this month, but I’m sometimes slow when it comes to current affairs.
From Daily Finance: “Connecticut Attorney General Targets Amazon, Apple in E-Book Antitrust Probe.”
From The New York Times: “Biggest U.S. Book Chain Up for Sale”
So, both are signs of the evils of e-books? Or, this is just normal stuff that happens when the market (and the world) adjusts to new technology and market models? Questions, comments, concerns?
Tags: Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, ebooks, publishing news
I chalk it up to normal stuff that happens when the market (and the world) adjusts to new technology and market models.
Brick and mortar stores have been a dying breed since the age of online commerce, in music as well as publishing. The best of stores still exist because they’ve adapted by either selling through Amazon Marketplace and similar online marketplaces, capitalizing on their “book store” atmosphere, or ideally both.
E-books still comprise such a small percentage of the marketshare that they’re not nearly culpable as simple online marketplaces.
Pretty much how I feel CE. One thing I’m watching for is how another dying breed, newspapers, are adjusting to e-readers. I read NY Times on my Blackberry right now because they have a great mobile interface. Smaller headings, fast links, etc. I wouldn’t mind paying for a subscription to a good newspaper that delivered to my e-reader.
I’m honestly baffled it’s taking this long for newspapers to adapt and offer e-reader subs. They’re the perfect market for it. No more need to find the damn E-section to read that article clipped on the front page. No more need to haul around a rather unweildy, unbound bundle of paper with a knack of falling apart or blowing around in a wind.
Books on e-readers are obviously different, because people cherish books as objects. They don’t so much with newspapers, unless it’s something with an obviously historical importance (e.g. the Sept. 12, 2001 issue of the NYTimes).
One of the other issues is that there’s been increasing diversity of product at BN and other big-box bookstores. They sell games, toys, coffee, gifts, etc. Which is fine, but not when books become less of a focus. That and hiring people for the smallest wage possible instead of hiring people with sincere knowledge and interest in books. The corporatization doesn’t help, either. BN’s offices dictate almost all of what goes on the shelves in their stores, rather than allowing some leeway for local focuses. Auntie’s, on the other hand, can make its decisions based on direct feedback from its customers. It’s got the ability to respond, which gets increasingly lost as a chain gets bigger. Heck, even Powell’s is not what it used to be. (Heresy, I know.) Brick and mortar bookstores are good places until they become less interested in what bookbuyers want.
You dare speak evil of Powell’s?! :-)
I was just there about a month ago and it’s still my favorite bookstore, but I noticed how much extra non-book stuff there is. The thing about independent bookstores though are just what you pointed out, they hire people who care and know about books.
Yeah. This is another great point, and just reinforces why people are giving up on brick and mortar, at least on big box brick and mortar. I still enjoy smaller, independent bookstores because they do a good job of catering to their clientele. They stock shelves with books readers want to buy, and hire knowledgable employees with a passion for what they sell. What a novel idea for a business, right?
But, these big box stores don’t, and so readers go away disappointed that they couldn’t find the book they wanted, nor could they even get a good recommendation from someone who works there, and being able to say, “We can get that in for you though?” doesn’t work anymore, because anyone can do the same for themselves online.