Comments on: Question of the Month: Amazon, B&N or Indie?

By: SusanHenderson

SusanHenderson — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 08:00:30 +0000

These are all great points for indie bookstores to here. I don’t see how they’ll be able to compete longterm without an Amazon-like ability to get you the books they might not carry in stock. And while I love a day in a bookstore, I’m not really a big shopper. If I go shopping once every two or three months (if that) but I buy an average of 10 books a month (as I finish whatever I’m reading and as I hear of them). The wonderful news about this economic crisis is its sending us back to the libraries, huh?

By: waterbucks

waterbucks — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 02:32:01 +0000

This is a tough question. Things have changed so much for me in the last 3 years. I’m usually a big supporter of the small independent stores but they often don’t have what I want and I really like discovering books right on the shelf. So a large selection often has me heading to the big stores when I’ve skimmed the little guy’s stock.

But as finances tightened I started doing more shopping online. I’m pretty much only buying books from online friends from the least expensive source possible. The rest is library for the time being.

Unfortunately money makes a big difference in where I buy my books. If I can save $4 on just one book by shopping big stores or online – well, that adds up down the road. And these days, pennies count.

By: SusanHenderson

SusanHenderson — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 08:45:43 +0000

By: 5speener0

5speener0 — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 14:08:23 +0000

Well, if Malaprop’s moved to my town, I’d be living there tooooooo! unless, of course, I was visiting Morocco, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Greece or Asheville.

By: SusanHenderson

SusanHenderson — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 20:38:37 +0000

Hi Despina, Where have you been? I’m glad you’re here.

I’ve heard so many wonderful things about Asheville, I think I’ll have to add it to my wish list of places I need to visit. (But first: Morocco, Turkey, Spain and Italy!)

I’m really glad for the honest responses to this question. What seems clear is that the indie bookstores that want to compete are going to have to find ways to appeal to those who’ve gotten used to the ease and convenience of Amazon. And when they don’t carry the books we want, can they still order those books?

Still, if an indie bookstore moved to my town, I’d practically live there.

By: 5speener0

5speener0 — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 17:13:43 +0000

Oh, my, I’ve been away for so long…I feel as if I need to ask permission to play.

So, to the question, even if I’m late.

I’m at Amazon.com for the ease of it. I live in a small town with two “real” bookstores and one mall store. One of the bookstores doesn’t have the variety I’d like, but the 2nd one is great with a wonderful staff. Neither of the two stores has the social ambience that I like, and I’m usually so busy that I hardly ever visit. The mall store…I cannot remember the last time I visited.

When I’m in Greenville, SC, (one hr. away) I love going to B&N. I’ll take my time visiting and I usually spend way too much money. Going to Greenville is usually a multi-stop day, so it’s a planned event and I never feel rushed or too busy to stop at B&N; it’s also close to the wine store that we buy from, so it’s convenient.

My favourite bookstore, however, is in Asheville, NC. It’s called Malaprop’s and they’re also online. http://www.malaprops.com I LOVE Asheville downtown and Malaprop’s is right there in the middle of all the other stuff that I love (good eats, weird-looking people, art galleries, coffee shops, primitive teak furniture mall, lots of live music venues, an Indian restaurant and a beer garden!!!), so there’s a big pull. Asheville’s about 2 hours away, so it’s another of those planned visits. If I lived in Asheville, you’d be able to track me down at Malaprop’s. They have lectures and discussions and author appearances going on all the time!

Usually, with Amazon.com, I’m buying used books (so I can afford more) or I’m looking for friends’ books that I might not find at the local stores. There’s also that convenience thing (again!), which means that I can look for or order a book at 3 in the morning, if that’s when I’m in the mood or have the time.

That’s the good, the bad and the ugly of it. Convenience wins most of the time.

By: litpark » Monthly Wrap: Kids in Bookstores

litpark » Monthly Wrap: Kids in Bookstores — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:37:26 +0000

[...] noticed this fact until our discussion at LitPark this month. Your answers to the question – Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Indie? – changed me. And so did my guest, who not only made me realize the invaluable role played by the [...]

By: SusanHenderson

SusanHenderson — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 06:35:40 +0000

I love hearing your shopping habits, Heather! And hi. I’m with you about used books. It’s like wearing someone else’s shoes, and their instep isn’t as high and they wore the sole down in the wrong place. I do buy used books when I’m researching, though. Sometimes I’ll need to do a quick read of something I never want to own (example: Marie Osmond’s story of why she walked out on her newborn, and other topics I abandoned), and those are examples of books I’ll probably buy in e-form in the future. I just finished my monthly wrap, so the rest of what I want to say here is probably said over there…

By: Heather_Fowler

Heather_Fowler — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 23:49:10 +0000

I am late, but pop in for this question anyway. I’m rather indiscriminate. I buy books wherever I can get them. At readings, which are often in bookstores, I’ll buy. I’ll buy them at garage sales, at swap meets, at Borders and Barnes and Noble. Yes, I do use Amazon.com–for quick finds I don’t want to forget about when friends tell me book titles they think I should read. I also buy straight from the authors since I like signed books. I’ll buy from independent presses too. Right now, a lot of independent presses are getting my business because of social networking–a Facebook or MySpace friend has a book come out and I like to buy his or her book when possible.

But I am a Borders binge shopper for childrens’ lit and classical lit and compilations of work by favorite writers. About online buying, it also depends on whether I’m trying to avoid that binge shopping. I do kind of like Amazon because it is quick and merciful to buy a single book–or three–and CHECK OUT–a feat I can rarely pull off in the coffee scented aisle on aisle book meccas… Not to mention what day of the week it is–on Monday or Tuesday I’m likely to do Amazon.com because the weekend (when I’d have time to shop) is too far away–must acquire faith in book coming now– and I have scores of books lined up to read already, so it’s not like I’m in a rush, but I like that once the book is ordered, I can rest assured whatever I hoped for will be a lovely mail surprise.

Oddly, I don’t like used books much. (I prefer to break my own spines, throw them around, and otherwise molest them, thank you. LOL!) So I don’t do much used book store shopping–but sometimes I buy books from booksales at libraries, where I don’t mind buying them used because old library books have good karma. Also, 50 cents to a buck at the library sale, 6 to 9 bucks at the used book store? At neither place does the author get more profit, so it seems like a no brainer, especially if I am “taking a chance” on a book by an unknown (to me) author…

I know, this makes no sense… *grins* But you asked. Hi, Susan! xo, H

By: SusanHenderson

SusanHenderson — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 21:58:20 +0000

Some day we’ll be celebrating the fact that we have a few of our brunette hairs left!

(I agree Jessica’s wonderful. I heard she thought the same about meeting you.)