Comments on: Guest Post: A Bookseller’s Take on “What Would Google Do?”

By: Launa McNeilly

Launa McNeilly — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:28:01 +0000

I’m not a bookseller but I am a new author and a book buyer. I grew up having only the local bookstore for the place to find a book to read. The experience of browsing the bookshelves with the reward of holding an interesting book, buying it, and then able to read it immediately still has the edge as far as I am concerned as a buyer. Don’t get me wrong, online booksellers get my business too. As a new author, the only bookstore to take a chance on my book was Barnes and Noble in one of their stores. New authors are having to go the POD route because big publishers only want big name authors. Some of these new authors are excellent writers but because they are POD (myself included) small bookstores won’t stock them. It seems to me that if there is an author living, or writing about, where your store is, then ordering in a few copies and displaying them prominently would draw interest for the store. I understand that the wholesale price for them are usually higher than what others are, but isn’t getting people interested in coming into the store worth it? The advantage to the author is immense. To have their book on the shelf at their local bookshop, where they buy their own books, is where they are going to tell everyone to go to get it. That to me is a win win situation for both seller and author. Just a thought by someone who has been thrust into book marketing because they wrote a book, titled, Lies, in a Season of Tribulation. Sorry, I had to do that. Best Regards, Launa McNeilly

By: Drew Goodman

Drew Goodman — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 10:18:10 +0000

LitPark, King’s and Dan- thank you all for your comments. Booksquare- thanks for the link.

I would highly suggest all indie booksellers take a look at this book, if not the whole book, at least the chapter on “GoogleCollins.” Having said that, I’ve pulled ideas from the entire book and am working on some of my strategies now.

Indie booksellers have had a hard time competing with all chains (Wal-Mart, Costco, grocery stores, not just the chain booksellers). They’ve had a hard time competing on the Internet (chain websites and Amazon). But, it doesn’t have to be this way. Do we, as booksellers, have a plan of attack for social media? Do we need one? Yes. Is it exactly the same for every store? No.

Who are our customers? Is it the person down the street who physically comes into our store? Or is it the person across the country who virtually visits our store? Why do either of them patronize our store? These are the kinds of questions we MUST ask ourselves and address, not only in the store but online as well. Do we engage them with one type of social media? Five types? Ten types? Which of these are most effective?

I don’t mean to preach here, but, Ok I guess I do mean to preach. I am going to bang on this drum repeatedly and share it with every indie bookseller I can. Our “voice” in social media, our interaction with people, our personalities online are what will help save us. Will it solve everything? No. But, if we are not engaging our customers, who will? We are being given the perfect platform, a level playing field to do it on- Web 2.0, the social internet. Let’s be at the forefront of this movement. Let’s get ahead of the curve. Let’s be the trendsetters. Attack this new form of media. Look for new ways to use it. Share it. Link it. It will make us a more integral part of our customers decision making process.

OK, stepping off the soapbox for now, but keep listening for the drum.

By: Dan Cullen

Dan Cullen — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 03:15:27 +0000

Hi, It’s great to read your expanded post. It was interesting to read about the cascading nature of online buzz (good and bad) since I’m in the middle of SATISFIED CUSTOMERS TELL THREE FRIENDS, ANGRY CUSTOMERS TELL 3,000 (by Pete Blackshaw). There’s a lot in it focused on corporations, etc., but the discussion about the power of credibility is very interesting re. indie booksellers.

By: The King's English Bookshop

The King's English Bookshop — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 18:33:21 +0000

This is a fantastic post — lots of food for thought. As well as actions to take! For example, I never thought to monitor Twitter for comments on our store; I was mostly focused on getting out word about our events and keeping tabs on people in the business/friends of the store. Reading about Powell’s smart use, I thought, “How would they have found that tweet, if it wasn’t someone they follow?” Which took me over to search.twitter.com, from which I now have a feed for every instance of “king’s english.” Oh interweb, how you amaze me…

By: The Daily Square - New Year’s Day Edition | Booksquare

The Daily Square - New Year’s Day Edition | Booksquare — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 19:46:48 +0000

[...] A Bookseller?s Take on ?What Would Google Do??As we roll into 2009, people are thinking about how new media can build business instead of tear it down. [...]

By: LitPark

LitPark — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 19:00:35 +0000

Fascinating discussion. Thanks for bringing it here, Drew.

I’m also a writer and wondering what all of this means for my career. But I’m a buyer, as well. And the availability of books and music on the internet has changed my habits drastically, but all in favor of MORE. I read a blog and I get HUNGRY for a book, and, zing, I’ve bought it. I hear a clip of music on a website and seconds later, I’ve bought a copy and downloaded it onto my iTunes. If I wrote the name of either the book or the music on a piece of paper with the idea of going to a store for it, I’d likely grow cold and change my mind before I purchased them.

I’m buying virtually no CD’s now, but I’m buying way more music. I’m buying more books, but I’m also downloading audiobooks. The booksellers and agents and publishers who are playing online are the ones who have my ear. Don’t know how habits will change or how publishers and sellers will adapt, but I think the opportunity to reach more people and feed the hungry is huge.