Link. I don't usually post my own stuff here, but I think this is one of my best for Teleread. In a nutshell:
- E and P can co-exist quite happily, thanks to integrated in-store network/website combos for the mostly text stuff and retail space for the arty and print on demand.
- Use the in-store networks to push special content designed to get the customer to buy more, for example if I buy a book from a series while in the store, an immediate coupon worth a discount on the others if I buy right now
- Freebies from free sources, such as short stories from author websites, or classics on related issues, proofed and formatted for my device. For example, buy the Jane Austen-themed modern book and get a Jane Austen classic for free.
- Cross-branding. For example, the in-store coffee shop can make cookie recipes from the cookbooks the bookstore sells. Buy the cookie and get a free sampler from the cookbook containing the recipe. Then if you buy the actual cookbook, a discount coupon if you do it right then and there.
I really think this is one of my best articles and it shows that the end is not nigh for the smart thinkers who know how to capitalize on opportunity. What do you think of my future bookstore? Is this how it's going to be, or do you see things turning out differently?