eBookstores

[toddos]

Originally Posted by MV64

I'm sure this has been said already: But why would I go to a brick and mortar e-bookstore?

This. Why would I want to go to a store when I can buy ebooks at home in my pajamas?

I also don't get why I would want small bookstores offering google's ebooks. It's not like they have a different selection than what I can get directly from Google, nor is there a limitation preventing me from going to the source like Overdrive and library books (I can always buy direct from Google, but I can't go straight to Overdrive without going through my local library). This is just adding yet another middleman that will need to get paid.

If this is just about making it possible for little bookstores not to go out of business with the format shift from paper to electronic bits, boohoo. Maybe they should go talk to buggy whip manufacturers. They don't have a "right" to a business model, and if ebooks kills the physical bookstore business model then so be it.

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by MV64

EDIT: I never thought about the collapse of big book industries leading to a thriving of small bookstores.

That's because it wouldn't lead to a thriving of small bookstores. It would lead to smaller bookstores, or no bookstores at all.

Big bookstores are fairly recent innovations in much of the US, and for most of the US they were unreservedly wonderful. 98% of the time, they didn't supplant smaller independent bookstores because there weren't any. What they did was provide a fantastic alternative to Waldenbooks and other small mall bookstores. If they leave, I suppose Waldenbooks may have a resurgence, but since the market for bookstores will be even tougher for independents than it used to be, I don't see them thriving: I'm not sure if existing ones will be able to continue to survive, even.

[tubemonkey]

I have no problem with brick and mortar bookstores going completely out of business. Can't remember when I last set foot in one; probably more than 10 years ago.

[FatDog]

But I love going to a bookstore surrounded by fellow booklovers. No better way to strike up a conversation than to ask "How did you like that author?".

I have noticed that B&N seems to hire Librarian types - women who love books and have extensive knowledge or will share enthusiasm for an author or genre.

The internet is great and I do see a lot of love from the people here - but the face-to-face time with fellow readers is something I look forward to going to a store.

This goes away a bit with eStore if you cannot browse the shelves and hand someone a copy of a favorite book/author.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

One thing that would save real world book shops, and also the second hand market, would be selling ebooks on physical media -- memory stick, SD card, CDROM, etc. I can't really see the publishers wanting to do that, mainly because of the second hand market. But if they did, it would mean extra sales from people who like to put things on shelves, or buy gifts for other people.

The cost of the hardware would detract from this model's usefulness... people think ebooks are too expensive now, and you would add the cost of storage hardware. Not to mention adding a lot of hardware that will eventually end up landfilled (since you can copy the book onto a hard drive and ditch the dongle).

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by MV64

I'm sure this has been said already: But why would I go to a brick and mortar e-bookstore?

Originally Posted by toddos

This. Why would I want to go to a store when I can buy ebooks at home in my pajamas?

MV64, as someone who works in a bookstore, I'd think you would know the answer to this question.

When I used to be a regular at a bookstore, the owner and half the staff knew me well. We would talk about books, they would tell me about new books and comics that came in that they knew I'd like, and (here's the hook) I bought more books than at any other time in my life.

Friendly and knowledgeable salespeople can sell more product than anonymous computer programs, because they know people in general, and hopefully, they know you. This is the greatest strength of a physical bookstore, and as long as they can still sell product at the store, they are worth going to.

I envision a place that looks like a large lounge, with comfy chairs arranged singly and in groups around small tables, each with monitors to search for or browse ebooks. The seats have built-in noise-canceling earphones, so you can browse a book in peace, or listen to a video promotion for a book. Salespeople would greet you, directing you to a seat, and asking a bit about what you're looking for. Once you sit at a seat with a monitor, they can help you browse or make suggestions, or leave you to your own devices. Refreshments are available.

There would be a section of shelves holding printed books that are mainly there for physically browsing a book. There would be enough room about for people to stand around and talk about books.

And when you're ready to buy, you'd buy right there at the store, through a wired or wireless portal for the store that would ensure they get a cut of the sale. You could also leave the store, and but the book through the store's online portal. Regular purchases would earn you discounts on other in-store merch, such as coffee or snacks, giving you more reason to come back.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by FatDog

The internet is great and I do see a lot of love from the people here - but the face-to-face time with fellow readers is something I look forward to going to a store.

It sure is; and because of it, I quit going to public libraries. If libraries converted to online only, it wouldn't bother me in the least.

I'm a net kinda monkey.

[mr ploppy]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

The cost of the hardware would detract from this model's usefulness... people think ebooks are too expensive now, and you would add the cost of storage hardware. Not to mention adding a lot of hardware that will eventually end up landfilled (since you can copy the book onto a hard drive and ditch the dongle).

I don't think that would be a barrier. People are still developing disposable DVD disks that self destruct after watching. And as the ebook publishers keep telling us, printing and distributing paper books only adds a few pence to the cost of a book ...

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

I don't think that would be a barrier. People are still developing disposable DVD disks that self destruct after watching. And as the ebook publishers keep telling us, printing and distributing paper books only adds a few pence to the cost of a book ...

If you're talking about DVD disks as opposed to USB dongles and other hardware... yes, they are less costly. But it's still a lot of plastic to be recycled or landfilled, which still has to happen after it is "self-destructed" (the info is lost, but the disk is still there). Maybe if they were compostable...

[mr ploppy]

SD cards are pretty small. I can't really see many people just throwing them away rather than re-selling them anyway.

[Mel]

Maybe the bookstore could just keep covers. You take the hopefully pretty piece of art up to the register and once you pay you get the ebook added to your account. Make the reader cover like a viewbinder so you can slip the cover art in if you want people to know what you're reading. At home you could keep them in a photo album on the coffee table so all those people who are outraged that they can't snoop your virtual library have something to look at while you're making coffee.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by mr ploppy

SD cards are pretty small. I can't really see many people just throwing them away rather than re-selling them anyway.

You're assuming that people will want to keep piles of SD cards around to store individual books... cards that could hold all of the books in a collection. No: Once people find themselves sitting on a few-score tiny little SD cards, they will download the books to another drive, and landfill the cards.

Publishers will not want to see a reselling market started, since it will be too easy to copy the files from the card and resell it. This is why you won't see an SD card market.

Tying digital files to physical hardware is a step backward, IMO. We need to develop ways to reliably sell the file to an individual, and make sure that person doesn't make any number of copies for resell or giveaway. That can be done on the software end, we don't need resource-hungry physical media to do that.

[mscott9985]

One thing that I know for sure is that publishing has changed a lot since I first started writing (about 25 years ago.) Back then, I never would have thought of e-books or e-readers.

I'm sure it will continue to change in unpredictable ways. Which is part of the fun!

[MV64]

Originally Posted by Steven Lyle Jordan

MV64, as someone who works in a bookstore, I'd think you would know the answer to this question.

When I used to be a regular at a bookstore, the owner and half the staff knew me well. We would talk about books, they would tell me about new books and comics that came in that they knew I'd like, and (here's the hook) I bought more books than at any other time in my life.

Friendly and knowledgeable salespeople can sell more product than anonymous computer programs, because they know people in general, and hopefully, they know you. This is the greatest strength of a physical bookstore, and as long as they can still sell product at the store, they are worth going to.

I envision a place that looks like a large lounge, with comfy chairs arranged singly and in groups around small tables, each with monitors to search for or browse ebooks. The seats have built-in noise-canceling earphones, so you can browse a book in peace, or listen to a video promotion for a book. Salespeople would greet you, directing you to a seat, and asking a bit about what you're looking for. Once you sit at a seat with a monitor, they can help you browse or make suggestions, or leave you to your own devices. Refreshments are available.

There would be a section of shelves holding printed books that are mainly there for physically browsing a book. There would be enough room about for people to stand around and talk about books.

And when you're ready to buy, you'd buy right there at the store, through a wired or wireless portal for the store that would ensure they get a cut of the sale. You could also leave the store, and but the book through the store's online portal. Regular purchases would earn you discounts on other in-store merch, such as coffee or snacks, giving you more reason to come back.

I don't think you're going to get that with an e-bookstore, though. I highly doubt it would make enough money to hire people, and even if you did, without a large selection of physical books it'd be a terrible place to work, just waiting for someone to ask you a question about a book.

What you described is basically a coffee shop, which would be the biggest competitor to an e-book store and would prevent any from getting off the ground, I think.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by MV64

What you described is basically a coffee shop, which would be the biggest competitor to an e-book store and would prevent any from getting off the ground, I think.

I think you're marginalizing the idea here (much as the rep in the original article did the NC)... I described a basic concept, which can be embellished upon by smart businesspeople and marketers into something much, much better than a "coffee shop." And as far as how they would make their money, that too is not established yet, and widely open to embellishment.

But I think it's do-able, specifically because it is designed to support the human predilection to be a social animal. Create a place where people enjoy visiting, and get help to buy the things they want, and you'll be successful... people will even pay extra for that, if they like it enough.