I'm told that Barnes and Noble has renewed their lease at the Forum Shopping Center. Yes, that was my big surprise. I know it was a rumor for a long time they would be leaving in October.
At least the people who actually were affected by it seemed to believe it was a possibility; the store is apparently no longer the high performer it was when it started.
I must say, I always thought it was kind of unlikely. Thing is, the people at Barnes and Noble apparently thought it was possible.
Meanwhile, the Bookmark, my wife's store, will beat last year for September. That will be 7 months out of the last 9.
After 8 straight years of improvements, we did have a down period last year, and I really think a lot of it was the all the publicity about e-books.
Which seems to have died off somewhat. I mean, people still talk about it, but it isn't the central subject it was there for awhile.
So, anyway, I wanted to address the digital divide.
My feeling has always been that some people would buy an e-book reader and some people wouldn't.
But I also thought that among those who bought a Nook or a Kindle, some people would use it exclusively, and some people would buy both physical books and e-books, and some would actually come back to books.
That is, I've never thought e-books were going to win the entire market. I still don't. I think there is going to be room for bookstores for the foreseeable future. Indeed, I think we may even gain a little marketshare as Barnes and Nobles busily makes itself obsolete.
I've been amazed by the digital inablers -- from publishers to bookstores. They didn't even fight it.
I'm sure it was because they were fighting the "last war"; they looked at what happened to the music industry and drew the wrong conclusions.
That gives those of us who are still true believers in book/books a chance to pick up those who still want them. Keep the faith, my friend.
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8 comments:
You are onto something re: comparisons to the music biz and drawing the wrong conclusions.
The tactile experience of listening to music is the same, regardless of the delivery system. It goes in your ears and tickles your brain. (Granted, some folks miss the experience of the art on an LP cover, but that's no driving factor). And our generation has already experienced major changes in format and delivery.
There is a tactile difference between books and e-books — and certainly a difference in the experience of browsing online or on your reader vs. exploring the shelves at a physical book store. That's going to remain a factor for a while, though it may fade as a "digital" generation grows up with less and less of that tactile experience.
Also, one of the major issues in music is the availability of "free" content — songs on youtube, etc. That's not so prevalent in the book world.There's a major difference between 3 min. and 300 pages, if you take my meaning.
There are certainly analogies between the two businesses, especially in the opportunities afforded to independent artists by the reduction of the power of gatekeepers, but the one is not exactly the same as the other and as you say, it's easy to fight the last war and draw mistaken conclusions.
Jim
B&N needs to downsize its stores, except maybe in the very largest cities. What with rent, utilities, staff, etc. the Bend store must be a huge nut to cover. I don't see how it can make it. Probably the coffee shop is the only profitable part of the operation.
I can not see any appeal to a e-book. It is too sterile and cold to me. Friends have kindles and nooks and I just laugh at them. I mean, you're going to pay $100-200 to buy a gizmo so you can save on buying a book for a few bucks online? Whatever.
Besides, a book feels better in the hands. You don't have to worry about tech support or dropping the book off the nightstand and cracking the screen. E-books don't have that nice scent of paper and ink that draws you in. I can't settle into a chair with a cup of coffee and get relaxed with a touchscreen that must be continually swiped to move the words along. Give me the casual page flip anyday.
Also, books on a shelf or upon a table look stately and dignified. A kindle on a table looks like cluter. And what is more sociable and promotes thinking between friends than recommending a book and being able to pull it off the shelf and hand it to your friend? Does anyone say, "Hey! I just downloaded a great book with interesting things to say. Want to borrow my Nook?"
Ugh.
OK, I'll be the "one" to defend e-books and their respective readers.
Let's start by saying, I don't care about the smell of a book's paper and ink and doubt the majority of people do. And although I would agree that a bookshelf full of books can look stately - that's assuming the books aren't paperback. A bunch of used books, especially in paperback or periodical format looks much more like clutter to me than a simple e-reader on a table somewhere. And the comment regarding books feeling better in one's hand is certainly subjective at the very least.
But what I find the weakest argument to be is the "laughing at friends" who have Kindles and/or Nooks (and by extension perhaps any reader including full blown tablets). People don't buy an e-reader just to save a few bucks on the books themselves; that might be one reason sure but by FAR the reason these things are purchased is convenience. By that I mean that your collection of reading material, be it comic/book/periodical/manual or whatever is in one easily indexed location. This pays off huge when searching for a given document and/or a phrase you've "bookmarked", entries by subject material, or author or whatever search the digital format allows. Additionally, many readers run apps that allow functionality beyond just reading your book.
I think most e-reader buyers will admit to it being well worth the price. Oh, and BTW, I have *never* had to call tech support for my reader. Do you call the glue police when your paperback spine folds, papers fall out or the cover gets bent? Jeeze.
I'm not saying readers will ever completely eradicate the need for a traditionally printed book. I'm saying there is a market for both and like it or not, in the next 10 years (if not sooner), traditional books will likely be considered niche. Maybe your one-sided appeals to the glory of the printed format will find more receptive ears at that point.
Like I said, there will be those who like it and some who sort of like and some who don't like it.
It reminds me of people who say they only watch movies on T.V. because its cheaper or more convenient or something.
I think they're nuts. I think it's their loss. But they like it that way, and movies will always be a little bit on shaky ground.
I figure the same will happen with books.
"A bunch of used books, especially in paperback or periodical format looks much more like clutter to me"
True. I must have read about 200 e-books since I got my Nook. I'd hate to have that many more paperbacks cluttering up my house.
As for the aesthetics, I have a tooled leather cover for my e-book that gives it much the same heft and feel as an expensive leather-bound "real" book, as well as protecting it.
One good point Kevin makes, though, is that you can't really share an e-book with your friends or spouse.
I just saw on Twitter that Robert Killen is giving away his new book on Amazon. But you need a Kindle to get it, or so I thought. But then I realized I could put the Kindle app on my iPhone, and I now have his book on my phone. It took all of 5 minutes from the time I wondered if there was a Kindle app to the time I started reading Robert's e-book. And I don't mind reading it on my tiny phone screen, which surprised me.
I suspect that e-books are going to do to books what CD's did to vinyl recordings. Vinyl is still around, but it is very, very niche.
BTW, Robert is a Bend resident and his book is excellent. Available for free for a limited time.
http://www.amazon.com/Building-Credit-Friendly-Habits-ebook/dp/B009GBJWCG/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1348938134&sr=1-1&keywords=killen
I like my NOOK just fine. I, too, have a cover that makes it feel like a "book." I like that I can order obscure historical documents for nothing or on the cheap.
It's convenient to have multiple books available to choose from depending on mood.
And, all things being equal, I'd still prefer to browse a book store and read a "real" book.
Jim
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