Amazon
Likes Brick and Mortar...
After testing the
water with a real store in Seattle, Amazon would ultimately like
to open 300-400 physical bookstores nationally. I'm guessing B&N
would be most threatened by this.
...And
Why Not?
After an eight year
lull, physical bookstore revenue
rose 2.5% last year, finishing with $11.17 billion in sales.
But
the Sky Is Still Falling
Just in case Amazon
and everyone else is headed the wrong direction, here's how to
immediately
prepare for the demise of bookstores.
92%
of Students Prefer Real Books to eBooks
Every time a
study like this comes out, ebook proponents invent hundreds of
excuses how the study was flawed. Still 92% is a lot unless the
margin of error is 50%.
You
Heard it Here First
Last month
Scholastic was working to engage school children in the Democratic
election process. Now the Smithsonian is issuing
a series of graphic novels called Secret Smithsonian Adventures
for school children to promote an appreciation for technical studies
(and literacy, I hope).
B&N
Gets Personal
Tapping
into the popularity of personalized books, Barnes & Noble has
partnered with Put Me In the Story to
produce personalized books both online and in their stores. The
commercial print industry has noted
personalized books' surge in popularity.
When
Is a Book Not a Book?
It's
creative, artistic and bulging with original content. But is
everything delivering content visually and portably a book?
Too
Cool!
Whether playing
Angry Birds or flipping through the pages of an ebook, this
flexible smartphone offers unique input options that are really
cool.
Audible
Adds Podcasts
Audible has decided
to
add podcasts to its catalog, hiring former NPR executive Eric
Nuzum, and a number of other NPR producers to oversee content of
original podcasts as well as acquiring some produced independently.
Inexpensive
Valentine Promotion
Aside from the loss
of some sales, did Avon Impulse and Carina Press incur significant
costs or encounter logistical hurdles by
giving away 14,000 ebooks?
Religions
Feel Threatened
It appears that
fundamentalist religious leaders, in this instance in Bangladesh,
share the common view that any
ideas not supportive of their faith need to be eliminated. Their
Gods must not be very strong to so rabidly fear paper and ink.
Books
and Beer Team Up
A Barnes and Noble
store in New Hartford, New York has applied
for a beer and wine license. While not unheard of (see Denver's
BookBar) it's thought B&N hopes to test customer response.
Going
Paperless and the Future of Trees
An example of
unintended consequences has been demonstrated by studies showing that
as paper
demand abates, so do the funds and incentive to maintain millions
of acres of forest.
Trump
Book For Kids
Film maker Guy
Larsen has released a children's book titled, “Donald
Trump and the Wig of Evil”.
Final
Thought
I
am a bookworm, old and crusty,
Thro' midnight hours my pen I ply.
Be there an ancient parchment dusty,
The man to wipe that dust, is I.
~Gilbert à Beckett ________________________________________
Thro' midnight hours my pen I ply.
Be there an ancient parchment dusty,
The man to wipe that dust, is I.
~Gilbert à Beckett ________________________________________
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