Comments on: If you shrivel at the sight of competition, maybe bookselling isn’t for you. http://bookshopblog.com/2008/02/05/if-you-shrivel-at-the-site-of-competition-maybe-bookselling-isnt-for-you/ ...to help you be a better bookseller Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:02:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Bob Lewis http://bookshopblog.com/2008/02/05/if-you-shrivel-at-the-site-of-competition-maybe-bookselling-isnt-for-you/comment-page-1/#comment-2683 Bob Lewis Sat, 17 Jan 2009 01:57:08 +0000 http://bookshopblog.com/2008/02/05/if-you-shrivel-at-the-site-of-competition-maybe-bookselling-isnt-for-you/#comment-2683 Two good responses - but what both Nora and George missed was that Scott appears to be an 'online-only' bookseller. I have heard it said that B&M booksellers don't have competitors - only colleages. Online-only sellers don't have colleagues, only competitors. Bob Two good responses – but what both Nora and George missed was that Scott appears to be an ‘online-only’ bookseller. I have heard it said that B&M booksellers don’t have competitors – only colleages. Online-only sellers don’t have colleagues, only competitors.

Bob

]]> By: George http://bookshopblog.com/2008/02/05/if-you-shrivel-at-the-site-of-competition-maybe-bookselling-isnt-for-you/comment-page-1/#comment-2290 George Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:02:17 +0000 http://bookshopblog.com/2008/02/05/if-you-shrivel-at-the-site-of-competition-maybe-bookselling-isnt-for-you/#comment-2290 My own reading, my own experience and from studying the book business for the last 20 years from every angle I have been able to stumble upon - I have learned the best booksellers are not competition - they only complement and expand the book business in the long run and provide a real service to their communities. The ratholes which used to call themselves bookstores are mostly gone now and we all owe a debt of gratitude to the rising costs of rents for their demise - but the stench they left in their wake still haunts some of us. Our real competition is anything which distracts our customers and our potential customers from attending to themselves and what is actually happening in their own personal affairs - sports, sensationalistic journalism, news dealing with so-called celebrities, nonsense spouted by politicians and the inane repetition of the "news". In other words - anything that "distracts and stupifies" people is our competition. Everyone who is working hard at building up the book business in and for your community is your ally - but those seeking "quick bucks" by shipping your community's books hither and yon are doing the community a disservice, whether they realize it or not. Anytime worthwhile knowledge leaves an area, with little likelihood of it ever returning, a community is diminished. Start building or supporting the best brick and mortar stores in your community now and encourage them to work even harder at being a keystone to the community and providing all the service they are capable of - you and they owe it to your community. My own reading, my own experience and from studying the book business for the last 20 years from every angle I have been able to stumble upon – I have learned the best booksellers are not competition – they only complement and expand the book business in the long run and provide a real service to their communities.

The ratholes which used to call themselves bookstores are mostly gone now and we all owe a debt of gratitude to the rising costs of rents for their demise – but the stench they left in their wake still haunts some of us.

Our real competition is anything which distracts our customers and our potential customers from attending to themselves and what is actually happening in their own personal affairs – sports, sensationalistic journalism, news dealing with so-called celebrities, nonsense spouted by politicians and the inane repetition of the “news”.

In other words – anything that “distracts and stupifies” people is our competition.

Everyone who is working hard at building up the book business in and for your community is your ally – but those seeking “quick bucks” by shipping your community’s books hither and yon are doing the community a disservice, whether they realize it or not.

Anytime worthwhile knowledge leaves an area, with little likelihood of it ever returning, a community is diminished.

Start building or supporting the best brick and mortar stores in your community now and encourage them to work even harder at being a keystone to the community and providing all the service they are capable of – you and they owe it to your community.

]]> By: Nora http://bookshopblog.com/2008/02/05/if-you-shrivel-at-the-site-of-competition-maybe-bookselling-isnt-for-you/comment-page-1/#comment-839 Nora Tue, 12 Feb 2008 21:42:43 +0000 http://bookshopblog.com/2008/02/05/if-you-shrivel-at-the-site-of-competition-maybe-bookselling-isnt-for-you/#comment-839 I like having competitors. There's four used book stores, including my own, in a two block area here. By and large our inventories don't overlap. There's no chains. If you want new books you either drive out to the strip area or get the best sellers at the local drugstore. Each time one opened, there were dire predictions that one of them would fold as each new one was added. (mine is the oldest) Nope. Sales have steadily increased. The only one that left was a place that sold nothing but mysteries and they actually just moved to an address in a different, more affluent town. (they left when there were two others in town) We could probably still take a few more bookstores in the area, no problem. Right up the road is a town with 220 antique stores! I kid you not. It's a mecca for antique buffs. Stuff a few more bookstores here in town and we could do same for books. Already have a few people that come up from New York city for the day to do the tour. (that they're all in so small an area helps enormously) I like having competitors. There’s four used book stores, including my own, in a two block area here. By and large our inventories don’t overlap. There’s no chains. If you want new books you either drive out to the strip area or get the best sellers at the local drugstore.

Each time one opened, there were dire predictions that one of them would fold as each new one was added. (mine is the oldest) Nope. Sales have steadily increased. The only one that left was a place that sold nothing but mysteries and they actually just moved to an address in a different, more affluent town. (they left when there were two others in town)

We could probably still take a few more bookstores in the area, no problem. Right up the road is a town with 220 antique stores! I kid you not. It’s a mecca for antique buffs. Stuff a few more bookstores here in town and we could do same for books. Already have a few people that come up from New York city for the day to do the tour. (that they’re all in so small an area helps enormously)

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