Let's reinvent the bookstore...

[tubemonkey]

Bookstores should become Starbucks and sell books on the side

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Bookstores should become Starbucks and sell books on the side

Hell no!!!! I do not want bookstores to stink of coffee.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Hell no!!!! I do not want bookstores to stink of coffee.

There's always Amazon

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

There's always Amazon

Lets put the Stabucks in Amazon. That would be fine for me. Just not in B&M bookstores.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Lets put the Stabucks in Amazon. That would be fine for me. Just not in B&M bookstores.

No, because I hate coffee and I don't want to smell it every time I visit the Kindle store

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

No, because I hate coffee and I don't want to smell it every time I visit the Kindle store

Don't put it past Bezos to add smell-o-vision to Kindle.

He's a wascally sort...

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

No, because I hate coffee and I don't want to smell it every time I visit the Kindle store

I too dislike coffee. So let's put it in the Kindle store where I can then install the coffee smell filter for Firefox.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

About $85,000.00

Especially when publishers aren't making a lot of titles available on it. If the publishers had their entire catalog available (or as much as they do as eBooks now) it might be more feasible to base a store around stocking some bestsellers and doing POD for most of the rest.


Are Book Machines the Right Fit for Indies?

The last I heard was that it takes 10 minutes to print one book. You either need multiple machines or have customers wait possibly several hours.

[danskmacabre]

Originally Posted by Fbone

The last I heard was that it takes 10 minutes to print one book. You either need multiple machines or have customers wait possibly several hours.

I personally wouldn't have a problem with this.
I'd be OK with say ordering a book to print and coming back the next day to pick it up (although sooner would be nicer).
I wouldn't want to wait anymore than 24 hours though, as any longer and I may as well order it online and get it delivered.

[AnemicOak]

I'd think if the machines were to take off (which they won't without publisher support) that the tech would evolve pretty quickly to get things like print time down.

[QuantumIguana]

What if books could be like pizza? You order a book, it's printed up and someone delivers it to your door? Have a book in your hands in under 1 hour from the time you order.

I think independent bookstores can survive, but they can't be all things to all people. They have to be very much attuned to the local market.

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by theducks

Take a page from days of olde:
Radio (later TV) stores had a repair desk (the shop was in the rear).

Folk need their ebook devices repaired (even reset. for the Tech challenged) these days.

Sell SERVICE as well as books

For most items, if I can't fix it and the warranty is over I buy a new one. Repairs often cost more than the price of a new one and then there is the time involved.

Helen

[speakingtohe]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

About $85,000.00



Especially when publishers aren't making a lot of titles available on it. If the publishers had their entire catalog available (or as much as they do as eBooks now) it might be more feasible to base a store around stocking some bestsellers and doing POD for most of the rest.


Are Book Machines the Right Fit for Indies?

Best sellers are available at a lot of places.

I haven't seen a POD book recently, but if I was to buy a physical book I would want it to look as good as one commercially printed. Perfectly bound with a shiny cover. Are they that good these days?

Helen

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by danskmacabre

I personally wouldn't have a problem with this.
I'd be OK with say ordering a book to print and coming back the next day to pick it up (although sooner would be nicer).
I wouldn't want to wait anymore than 24 hours though, as any longer and I may as well order it online and get it delivered.

I certainly wouldn't want that. I'd have to drive into town twice, pay two lots of car park charges, etc. Far too much time and money involved. If I go to a bookshop it's because I want a book there and then.

[rhadin]

Originally Posted by danskmacabre

I personally wouldn't have a problem with this. I'd be OK with say ordering a book to print and coming back the next day to pick it up (although sooner would be nicer). I wouldn't want to wait anymore than 24 hours though, as any longer and I may as well order it online and get it delivered.

Have we reached the point in social intercourse that we cannot wait 10 minutes for a book to be printed? If you won't wait 10 minutes for a book that will give you a lifetime of pleasure, how do you manage to wait so much longer for your food to arrive at non-fast food restaurants, the pleasure of which (assuming the food is any good) lasts but moments?