And finally I’m going to thank all the booksellers of the world. Remember, Brokeback Mountain was a book before it was a movie. From the humblest paperback exchange to the masters of the great bookshops of the world, all are contributors to the survival of the culture of the book. A wonderful culture, which we mustn’t lose. Thank you.” —Larry McMurtry from his Oscar acceptance speech March 5, 2006
The number of independent new bookstores in the U.S has gone from around 4,700 in 1993 to about 2,500 today. In 13 years close to 50% of shops that sell new books are gone and I am sure the same % applies to used, non-new bookshops as well.
If that isn’t enough carnage get ready for the next bookstore killer–Espresso: The Book Vending Machine. This soon to be released technology could easily put most of the remaining bookshops to rest in the next 10 years.
The facts:
the Espresso can produce 2 books every 7 minutes
Books are glued in full laminated covers.
Books printed in any language
Books can be upward of 500 pages
So now you can print a book on demand that actually will look like a book.
So now you need less than 100 square feet to provide your customer access to millions of titles.
So now there will be a lot more places to buy books but a lot fewer places were you can touch them first.
The initial asking price is $50,000 for one of these monsters but you can bet they will cost $5000 or less in less 10 years
This contraption wouldn’t be called the Espresso if it wasn’t eventually going to be in every Starbucks on the planet.
Order your book-order your latte-pick up your latte-pick up your book and kiss the new bookstore as we know it goodbye.
To all you new bookstores out there if there is one New Year’s Resolution to have for your business in 2007 it is get creative and expand the boundaries of your concept of bookselling.
There is still time to outpace the machine!