A 2009 American Booksellers Association study found that between 1990 and 2008, independent bookstores in the US plummeted by a page-turning 68%. But even as Amazon has continued to dominate – with 50% of trade book sales happening online in 2020 – indie bookstores have been making a comeback. There are, in fact, 500 more of them today than there were in 2009. Andy Hunter … [Read more...] about Bookshop.Org To Save Indie Bookstores
indie bookstore
The Power of a Book Tweet
Self-published authors have resorted to "buy my book" tweets for so long that social media is a minefield of useless book commercials. But one purposeful--albeit off the cuff--tweet from an independent bookstore led to an exponential increase in sales. According to Book Web, Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky, reached out to author Shea Serrano after he directed … [Read more...] about The Power of a Book Tweet
Get Ready to Celebrate Indie Bookstores this Weekend
In all of the attention given to Amazon and its fights with various companies, ebooks and their digital benefits, publishing and the revolution of indies, it's easy to forget to take notice of some of the most important and dynamic players in the industry: the local bookstores. These bookshops, mostly independently owned as a labor of love and not a retirement investment, … [Read more...] about Get Ready to Celebrate Indie Bookstores this Weekend
Goodreads Unveils Newly Redesigned Android App
Book discovery is crucial to not only the business side of selling books, but also in establishing a dedicated reader base of long-term fans. The more tools at readers' disposal for finding great books, the more likely they are to take a risk on an author they've never read before. That's why Goodreads, the online community based on reader-centric book interaction, has … [Read more...] about Goodreads Unveils Newly Redesigned Android App
Saving Bookstores the Old Fashioned Way
As libraries and brick and mortar bookstores, both retail chain and independently owned, fight to stay relevant in the eyes of the reading public, store owners and stakeholders have had to become more creative and more unified in their efforts to entice customers to check out the local book scene. One initiative which took place last week in California saw not only a surge in … [Read more...] about Saving Bookstores the Old Fashioned Way
How Does a Bookstore Thrive in this Economic Climate? Beer.
Industry watchers and experts have been wrestling with the plight of the indie bookstore. For that matter, the big-box bookstores are in danger, too. While Good e-Reader has proposed a number of solutions to help bookstores adapt to the current climate of online retail shopping and digital publishing, one bookstore in Indianapolis has launched with its own inherent customer … [Read more...] about How Does a Bookstore Thrive in this Economic Climate? Beer.
James Patterson Provides $1M to Save Indie Bookstores
Talk of the effects of digital publishing on indie bookstores has been happening in the background of the book industry since the current digital revolution first took off. When stores like the Borders chain collapsed or when B&N's sales figures plummet, concerns are raised about what ebooks and online retailing is doing to bookstores, but that discussion largely focuses on … [Read more...] about James Patterson Provides $1M to Save Indie Bookstores
IndieGoGo Campaign Launches to Save a Brick and Mortar Bookstore
While many consumers bemoan the death of independent, brick and mortar bookstores--sadly, often while scanning their showrooming apps and placing their online book orders--one resident and author decided to take to crowdfunding site IndieGoGo to launch a campaign to save a local bookstore. While Main Street Books in St. Charles, Missouri, isn't shuttering its doors due to a … [Read more...] about IndieGoGo Campaign Launches to Save a Brick and Mortar Bookstore
Resurgence of Indie Bookstores Means They Have a New Role to Fill
A number of articles have been written lately, like this prominent one from the Washington Post (love how the article in a paper owned by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos actually has the words, "Amazon is king."), about the slow-but-serious growth of independent bookstores, both in terms of launches and in sales. Data from the American Booksellers Association actually points to both … [Read more...] about Resurgence of Indie Bookstores Means They Have a New Role to Fill
The Future of eBooks – The Death of the Online eBook Store
Independent bookstores are on the ropes and simply cannot compete in today's marketplace with Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon. During the last year, Books on Board, The Book Depository, Bookland, Fictionwise, BeWrite Books, jManga, and many more have shut their doors. These stores have mainly closed due to a lack of innovation, poor business sense, and competition from the … [Read more...] about The Future of eBooks – The Death of the Online eBook Store