You would think the world of independent bookshops was flourishing.
The New York Sun recently ran a piece titled ““Booksellers Fight Back As 5 New Stores Open” and the American Booksellers Association (ABA) started the year off with this headline “A Plethora of New Indies Open in 2006” touting the arrival of 97 new bookshops that opened for business in 2006 (and were members of the ABA).
Unfortunately, if you look a little closer you can still see some trouble spots.
2 of the 5 bookstores that have opened in New York were opened by publishers not booksellers. I am a big fan of both Taschen and powerHouse but their opening of retail outlets actually has a negative impact on your local independent bookseller. It basically falls into that category of publishers finding new ways to market their books without the help of a bookseller. Not good.
Then there was mention of the new independent used bookstore -the Park Ave. Corner Shop where “There is no Web site or listed phone number, hours are not posted, and visitors often find the store closed” Sounds like a far cry from an open shop.
So technically only 2 bookshops not 5 have opened both; however, sound like they are worth a visit.
Then we have the ABA, which has seen it’s membership cut in half in the last ten years, announcing the opening of 97 bookshops in 2006. I nice number indeed though I suspect it is a number less than the amount of bookshops that have closed in 2006.
In a quick sample of 5 of the new bookstores 4 did not have their own website and the one that had a website had an informational one only.
Please tell me how long they can last?
Again I took a small sample, I am hoping the other 92 are wired up and selling lots of books.
But if they are not something is out of whack.
There is also a story today in Bookselling This Week covering the first meeting of the ABA’s Digital Task Force (DTF). The Force consists of 10 booksellers and industry professionals and five ABA staff members and their task:
To consider the major technical changes facing the “world of consumer book consumption, from the digitization of content to the burgeoning world of online social networking” and then help the ABA with their plan of attack.
The highlight of the story is the inclusion of blogger bookseller Jessica Stockton, who’s The Written Nerd is a top-tier book destination, on the panel. She will keep all of us informed.
Clearly this is one of the major issues facing the organization. Check out the recent article over at Institute For the Future of the Book on the future of e-books titled “the sea change is coming“
and you’ll see the need for such an undertaking.
No matter what strategy this task force eventually supplies the ABA, if their members do not devise, or the organization does not provide, a basic online e-commerce strategy the industry will continue to struggle and decline.
Independent bookstores pride themselves on being community focused. How in the world can you serve your community’s book needs effectively if you do not have an internet presence? There is a good chance that most of the people in your community are wired and would like to support you. I also believe they would be willing to pay a little higher price if you provide them with the tools necessary to buy as conveniently from you than from the online booksellers. All the online book sites are populated with “booksellers” or “megalisters”who are basically offering every in-print book to an unsuspecting book buyer without owning them. That tells me the technology and distribution is in place (on some level at least) so that every bookseller can show his community what is available to them.
For many life has gotten too busy for them to walk into your shop but they would still like to “visit”. They just don’t have the opportunity because now when they have their half-hour before bed to get their book fix you are not available. Shop closed, no website. Goodnight.