Last week it was announced that Better World Books has raised $4.5 million including a $2.5 commitment from the Social Enterprise Expansion Fund of Good Capital.I have been following this company for a while and on the face of things they are doing many positive things and are deserving but there is something unsettling about this company. As much as I desire to support a socially responsible company involved with books something about Better World Books just doesn't sit right with me. They seem to be lacking a sense of humility and transparency that I would think would need to...
Vendor Satisfaction and Online Bookselling
Last week Which?, a Consumer Reports type organization in the United Kingdom, released the results of a survey focusing on customer satisfaction as it relates to online shopping for entertainment products.Abebooks UK lead the field with a rating of "89% for overall satisfaction and were praised for how easy it was to find products on their site." The sample size for AbeBooks was pretty slight at 89 respondents where Amazon UK had 2812 and, the other company that shared the top spot with AbeBooks, Play.com had 416 respondents. Categories included Price, Availability, Delivery and Returns.I would love to see someone...
The Annoying Bookstore Contingent
Over at Bookgasm Rod Lott has posted his list of "The 9 Most Annoying People I Always See at the Bookstore.""I think the real reason behind the booksellers' declining fortunes is due to the people who crap in their public bathrooms. And who sit on the floor in the sci-fi section. And who go there to "study." says Lott.The 9 offenders are:Coffee DrinkersDumpersOverly Eager EmployeesFirst-TimersAisle SittersCouch SittersStudy GroupsHalitosis Checkout GuyOl' WhistlenoseLott deals with each of these in depth.I would add a few others:The Cell Phoners- People who have no clue that their private life is of little interest to fellow...
Forget Face-Out Borders Is Just About Face-Down
Following close on the heels of their recent shady pronouncement that they will be carrying less inventory and altering their display strategy to display more books face-out Borders announced today that they are hiring two Wall Street heavyweights to "explore strategic alternatives, including a sale of all or part of the company". They have also accepted a cash helping from the hedge fund Pershing Capital Advisors (at 12% interest).PersonaNonData has a look at the numbers.The Millions has the face-out issued covered here and here and offers the soundest advice for finding that "strategic alternative." By acknowledging that books are a...
The Dark Side of Seattle’s Rise in the Publishing World
Is there a downside to Seattle's anointment as one of the most influential cities in the publishing world?Julie Bick's recent piece in the New York Times Book Lovers Ask, What's Seattle's Secret? paints only a partial picture of the effect the new bookselling triumvirate; Amazon-Starbucks- Costco, has had on the world of publishing and its "increasing influence of what America reads."There is no doubting the merits of Seattle as a literary town, books and book culture have played a significant role in the city's rise from an outpost to a leading 21st century city but there is doubt as to...