tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post4503950676261636541..comments2024-03-28T18:54:13.800-04:00Comments on alien romances: Problem-Solving Sundays .... the future of Chain BookstoresRowena Cherryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11839386556697211986noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post-19495075136985014412008-11-26T13:11:00.000-05:002008-11-26T13:11:00.000-05:00From today's headline statistics:Meanwhile, the Co...From today's headline statistics:<BR/><BR/>Meanwhile, the Commerce Department reported that consumer spending plunged by 1 percent in October, even worse than the 0.9 percent decline that had been expected. Consumer spending accounts for two-thirds of total economic activity.<BR/><BR/>http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081126/ap_on_bi_ge/financial_meltdown_42 <BR/><BR/>Jacqueline Lichtenberg<BR/>http://www.simegen.com/jl/Jacqueline Lichtenberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01613040740264804278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post-89640928235049605902008-11-26T12:47:00.000-05:002008-11-26T12:47:00.000-05:00Mary KYes, absolutely -- building a library for yo...Mary K<BR/><BR/>Yes, absolutely -- building a library for your grandchildren at least - if not great-grandchildren!<BR/><BR/>As I said in other comments, there is a massive disconnect between the purposes of industry moguls and end-users. <BR/><BR/>We see it in our antiquated automotive industry, in publishing, and in TECH too. <BR/><BR/>"They" want speedy change, turnover, buy a new blackberry every 2 years, -- techies see data as ephemeral. <BR/><BR/>"We" want to reap the reward of our investment over 50, 100, 3,000 years! We want everything we buy to last a very long time -- the more expensive it is the longer it has to last, and NOT become obsolete, not become unreadable. <BR/><BR/>We are writers. Our words are for the ages. "File Type Unknown" is not acceptable! <BR/><BR/>We are at cross purposes with the facilitators of our medium of delivery. <BR/><BR/>Turbulent meltdown times like these provide the opportunity to fix that. <BR/><BR/>Jacqueline Lichtenberg<BR/>http://www.simegen.com/jl/Jacqueline Lichtenberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01613040740264804278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post-43946998475193479452008-11-26T12:25:00.000-05:002008-11-26T12:25:00.000-05:00Jacqueline said:"So we are fast approaching a poin...Jacqueline said:<BR/><BR/>"So we are fast approaching a point where the mechanism of paper-book delivery is too cumbersome and expensive for the shrinking market of buyers who demand paper."<BR/><BR/>I wouldn't be so demanding about paper if I had confidence in the durability of electronic books. I'm building a personal library here, darn it, and I want to still be able to use it in 20 years.MaryKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08682701056706320844noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post-16084973387360279002008-11-24T18:23:00.000-05:002008-11-24T18:23:00.000-05:00Rowena,The vision of the bookstore with a book pri...Rowena,<BR/><BR/>The vision of the bookstore with a book printer in the back room is actually an interesting problem in Worldbuilding. <BR/><BR/>It is founded on assumptions. And one big assumption is that readers will never change their media usage. <BR/><BR/>We've all seen that statement against e-books, "But I love the smell of old books." The feel of a "book" is a sensory CUE that says PLEASURE. <BR/><BR/>But it's not that way for those raised in the electronic era. For them, "books" are words on a screen WITH COLORED MOVING PICTURES AND SOUND.<BR/><BR/>"Books" you can set on your ipod and have them "read aloud" to you while you drive or work. <BR/><BR/>So the vision of POD machines in the back room was based on the idea that READERS want to hold PAPER. <BR/><BR/>Those who want paper are dying off (too fast to suit me) -- and those who want SCREENS (with colored moving pictures) are a burgeoning mass. (hence the popularity of the new teen vamp movie)<BR/><BR/>And many libraries already have download kiosks where you can "borrow" an e-book for free -- and the file expires in a couple weeks like a library book. <BR/><BR/>If you are going to do futurology using human beings, you have to figure on the nearly infinite flexibility of YOUNG people and the total inflexibility of OLD people. <BR/><BR/>As the twig is bent, so grows the tree. (yeah, I love cliches)<BR/><BR/>So we are fast approaching a point where the mechanism of paper-book delivery is too cumbersome and expensive for the shrinking market of buyers who demand paper. <BR/><BR/>It's also unethical. Paper is not "green" enough, and transporting it is really black. <BR/><BR/>Forces are lining up against printed books. This recession may not see the END of the printed book, but it will set up conditions to make paper publishing more vulnerable to the next tidal wave. <BR/><BR/>Jacqueline Lichtenberg<BR/>http://www.slantedconcept.comJacqueline Lichtenberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01613040740264804278noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post-36707985457292989392008-11-24T18:02:00.000-05:002008-11-24T18:02:00.000-05:00Mfitz,Thank you for your comment. It seems that I ...Mfitz,<BR/><BR/>Thank you for your comment. It seems that I make a habit of independently thinking of things that others have already thought of!<BR/><BR/>I don't think POD in the back room is viable, and I very much doubt that a booklover would wait that long for a book. Imagine the hot glue! LOL. That really puts a new spin on "hot off the press."<BR/><BR/>As an author, I'd be very concerned about individual bookstores having the right to POD my book. It's bad enough that Amazon can. Imagine the trust. Imagine the record keeping!<BR/><BR/>Now, if the individual store could upload a book to an e-reader, that might make sense...<BR/><BR/>RowenaRowena Cherryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11839386556697211986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post-53972513972048618702008-11-24T16:50:00.000-05:002008-11-24T16:50:00.000-05:00I worked for B & N about ten years ago. At th...I worked for B & N about ten years ago. At the time they said that the future of brick & mortar stores was a few brand name best sellers, misc merchandise, and a cafe with terminals where people would shop for books that would be printed on demand, in the bookstore's back room when a shopper ordered one. They though that would happen in about five or six years. I'm still waitingMfitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11360148925967461614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26974492.post-14646679305455360662008-11-23T18:03:00.000-05:002008-11-23T18:03:00.000-05:00Here, far below, is a link to a blog entry from a...Here, far below, is a link to a blog entry from a publishing insider describing what's going on (faster than we can get news) inside book distribution.<BR/> <BR/>This post does not discuss how publishers operate almost entirely on borrowed money, on credit, which is now not available at prices a low-margin business can pay. There's a lot more going on than just October returns. <BR/> <BR/>The comments are interesting - mostly by book-buyers who don't seem to understand how RARE a breed they are. <BR/> <BR/>Here's a comment from a publishing insider: <BR/> <BR/>------------------<BR/>Like the U.S. auto industry, I'm sorry to say the traditional publishing industry as we know it IS in danger of collapse, but only if it continues to cling to its obsolete ways.<BR/><BR/>Andrew Chapman<BR/>www.achapman.com<BR/> <BR/>--------------------------<BR/> <BR/>Note also all the blogs that linked TO this blog -- and they have a lot to say countering this information and/or adding to it. <BR/> <BR/>The world is changing FAST and the fiction delivery system is changing even faster. <BR/> <BR/>http://editorialass.blogspot.com/2008/11/crash-flow-or-what-went-wrong-in.html <BR/> <BR/>Jacqueline Lichtenberg<BR/>http://www.slantedconcept.com<BR/>http://twitter.com/JLichtenbergJacqueline Lichtenberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01613040740264804278noreply@blogger.com