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Hen81
Regular Poster
Username: Hen81
Post Number: 68
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 01, 2008 - 02:42 pm: | 
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Great article about the state of the book business as gleaned from BookExpo America in Los Angeles.
http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_a/booksellers-talk-big-act-quietly-at/n20080 601130709990005
Rooftop Diva – A Novel of Triumph After Katrina
http://reviews.aalbc.com/rooftop_diva.htm
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=788f1bc99186e568d283
Fools’ Heaven – Love, Lust and Death beyond the Pulpit
http://www.therawreviewers.com/artman/publish/FoolsHeaven.shtml
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=65d8a462608968870a23
http://DTPollard.com |
Emanuel
Veteran Poster
Username: Emanuel
Post Number: 566
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 01, 2008 - 04:04 pm: |
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I hope that Prince book is a memoir. |
Hen81
Regular Poster
Username: Hen81
Post Number: 69
Registered: 09-2007
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, June 01, 2008 - 10:49 pm: |
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The alarming thing for me is that the industry seems to be at a total loss of what to do to reverse the slide in reading and book sales in general. I think what has occured is publishers and distributors have turned books into products that are found anywhere, grocery stores, coffee shops, etc.
When books were primarily bookstore specific, they carried more of a mystique about them. Bookstore owners were passionate about books and helped to guide customers to hidden gems as well as bestsellers. Authors had relationships with store owners and they promoted each other.
Now books are just random browse and stumble upon items stuck in the ailse of grocery stores, electronic stores, warehouse clubs, massive multi-story book/CD/DVD/Video game chain retail outlets. Throw it up against the wall is the marketing research method of choice.
The message I got from this article is the publishers would rather retrench and hunker down vs really finding a way to reinvigorate the business.
Rooftop Diva – A Novel of Triumph After Katrina
http://reviews.aalbc.com/rooftop_diva.htm
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=788f1bc99186e568d283
Fools’ Heaven – Love, Lust and Death beyond the Pulpit
http://www.therawreviewers.com/artman/publish/FoolsHeaven.shtml
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=65d8a462608968870a23
http://DTPollard.com |
Troy
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Troy
Post Number: 1306
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, June 04, 2008 - 09:06 pm: |
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Hen81,
Monday's (6/2/2008) LA Times
"BookExpo has been getting less important," said City Lights' Katzenberger, explaining that the rise of the Internet and other innovations over the last 15 years or so had begun to eclipse personal meetings and the physical showing of upcoming books, which is a primary purpose of BEA. "Nobody's really sure what it is now. But people keep coming," she said.
I saw Jeff from Amazon's presentation. I made a point of going to see it becuase I was anxious to learn about what is new and happening in the book business from a technology perspective.
But Jeff spent the the first 10 minutes (at least) taking about the kindle; his eBook reader. It really was a protracted Kindle commercial. I left after 10 minutes.
Even the kindle product would be better if they made it slicker looking and reduced the price.
Emanuel,
The Prince book was described, to me, as a coffee table book, with photographs from the London series (22 was it?) of concerts that Prince gave. The book also includes an exclusive CD of his music.
I know couple of folks who scored invites to the Prince party. Two people that I spoke to said it was fabulous and that Prince performed. I really wanted to go to the party; maybe run some ball and eat pancakes with "The Artist".
Hen81,
It is the major publishers that seem to be at a total loss at what to do. We are selling more books than ever. Every year the number books that I sell continues to go up.
The publishing industry is like a large super tanker is takes an enormous amount of energy to change course. They eventually adapt, but it takes time. From my perspective they can even do more on-line.
Even in the physcial world: You can't walk 5 feet, in my neighborhood, without walking into a street book vendor. The brothers and sisters seem to be able to continue to pull a profit.
One brother from Africa World Books, out of Baltimore, explained to me that folks complaining about the lack of book sales are completely ignoring street sales.
He told me they are even bootlegging books now...
Bottom line the whole concept renting space, and sitting behind a cash register and waiting for the sales to roll in is a thing of the past.
And honestly the more I hear and learn about some of our independent book stores the more I'm convinced it is just that it is simply a lack of business acumen that is closing these stores -- not a lack of our reading. |
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