Celebrating Independent Authors
Great speculation is abundant in the continuing saga of the Amazon Brick and Mortar Store. A year ago, our Lynne Cantwell wrote about a physical Amazon Store coming to New York City. It was reported back then that they would be the first physical store in Amazon’s arsenal. It turns out that this is not the case. Continue reading “Will the Real Amazon Bookstore Please Stand Up”
The news broke late last week: the Wall Street Journal reported that Amazon is renting retail space in Manhattan. The retailing juggernaut’s first brick-and-mortar store will be located on West 34th Street, across from the Empire State Building, and just a block from Macy’s flagship store on Herald Square.
But Barnes & Noble can rest easy. The word is that the Amazon store won’t stock books. Instead, it’s likely to be mostly warehouse space for returns, in-store pickup, and same-day order fulfillment for impatient New Yorkers. Inventory will probably be limited, according to the Journal, but eventually the store might carry electronic gizmos such as Kindles, Fire smartphones, and Fire TV devices. In any case, the facility ought to be up and running in plenty of time for the Christmas shopping season. Continue reading “Your Neighborhood Amazon Brick & Mortar Store”
You’ve written that first book. You’re so proud of it. Now you want to make sure your public hears about it. What can you do to get some exposure in the ‘real world’ as opposed to on-line via social media?
Let’s talk about two that worked for me; book signings and interviews on radio and TV.
Book Signings:
I live in a relatively rural area, not a big city, but I think that this can work even in cities. When my first book came out I took some with me and travelled about to all the bookstores I could find within an hour’s drive. At each one I would gather all my courage and ask to speak to whoever was in charge about doing a book-signing. I soon learned that the person with the authority to make that decision is not always present. Lesson number one; call or e-mail ahead for an appointment with the owner or manager. It will save a lot of time and frustration. Also make sure you know the owner’s name and can address him/her by name when you meet. In a way, this is a job interview. Treat it like one. Continue reading “Getting Book Signings and Interviews”
A recent story on The Bookseller, which appears to be a UK oriented website for those who sell books (who’d have guessed?), had a brief article quoting Victoria Barnsley, the CEO of HarperCollins UK and International, who suggested that brick and mortar bookstores might start charging customers to browse. The justification is that for many people the physical bookstore is acting as a storefront for online retailers. She went on to claim that some shoe stores in the US are charging customers to try on shoes for this same reason. Continue reading “Bookstore Admission, Really?”