On the heels of their successful author blogs and podcasts Powell’s Books is getting into the movie business. Welcome to “Out of the Book.”
The plan:
To produce short films of up to 23 minutes by accomplished directors “about a frontlist title and giving a broad sense of the author”
The films will be distributed free to other booksellers around the country
The inaugural film will be the centerpiece of events at nearly 40 bookstores.
They will produce “as few as one a quarter to as many as one or two a month.”
The premier event will take place at the Bagdad Theater in Portland, were the film will be shown, an actor will read a section from the work, several experts will discuss the work and answer questions and a there will be a musical performance.
The problems:
According to Dave Weich, the director of marketing and development at Powells.com, They are “still working on the business model.”
As of now for the premier event the “price of admission will be a copy of the book or a gift card of the same value”. So if it’s a hardback you are looking at at least $20 to get in.
Weich calls these films “promotional vehicles, entertaining documentaries, not commercials”.
It’s a real fine line between a promotional vehicle and a commercial. Caution is urged.
“Frankly many readings are dull: a person stands behind a podium, reads, answers a few questions and the customer gets 30 seconds of face time during the signing.” says Weich.
They might be “dull” for some but for the most part they are free! They are after all readings not multimedia events.
The success of Powell’s.com, which is run as a separate entity from Powell’s Books, is a good thing. The failure of Book Sense as an online sales vehicle for independent bookstores makes it vital that Powell’s.com succeeds. We must have an independent book e-tailer to compete with the big boys. We will soon see if this type of initiative is the best way for them to grow and stay competitive.
I can see it now: And the nominees for Best Short Film about A Book are…..
Thanks to Shelf Awareness for the lead