Grub Street Printing Newsletter #83, March 2016

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 ________________________________________

Archived Grub Street newsletters can be found at http://grubstreetnews.blogspot.com/