Independent bookstores have historically served as community landmarks and valuable resources throughout the world. The experience of shopping at a bookstore that is genuine, individualistic, and an asset to the local community cannot be matched by shopping at chain stores or online. Moreover, a book is no ordinary item to shop for. Whether it is a picture book for preschoolers, a fantasy series for dreamers, a biography for devoted fans, or a nonlinear peregrination for intrepid readers, a book has a singular ability to illuminate one’s intellect and imagination.
bookstores
Portland Bookstores: Beyond Powell’s
By Ivy Knight
We are blessed with many choices of independent bookstores, each with its own personality. Here are seven less-tourist-clogged stores worth exploring and supporting.
Specialty Markets: Thinking Outside the Bookstore
By Sydney Kiest @SydneyKiest
A smart book marketer knows to consider any opportunity to position a book to be sold. Sometimes this requires thinking outside the bookstore box. While specialty market sales might not make up the bulk of all book sales, they still add up and can provide a wider range of visibility for your upcoming title.
Books Outside Bookstores: Selling to Specialty Stores
By Jordana Beh
Earlier this year, a friend and I were feeling particularly flush and went into a boutique well out of our price range. Among the silk gowns and hand-stitched shoes and ornate jewelry was one book—a paperback of watercolor drawings of trees commonly found in Canada. The connection between this illustrated paperback and a seven-hundred-dollar dress […]
It’s Just a Phase: The Myth of the Superior eBook
By Allegra Lopez SwanAlles
“It’s not just a phase, Mom!” says the child growing up in the digital age. Under her arm she holds her Kindle, loaded with all her favorite stories. Before, there used to be people on the bus reading well-loved books. Now people look down at their tablet or phone, reading those same stories on pixelated […]
Surprise! Amazon Opens a Brick-and-Mortar Store
By Maeko Bradshaw makosharkattack
Picture this: You sit down with your morning coffee and routinely check your social media site of choice—in this case Twitter. Lo and behold, the trending topic of that dreary November morning is none other than (surprise!) Amazon’s new brick-and-mortar bookstore in Seattle, Washington. Your heart sinks, and suddenly that morning coffee doesn’t quite taste […]