Advertising in the Used Book World

Advertising in the Used Book World Shane Gottwals Gottwals Books www.gottwalsbooks.com A recent article I wrote really got me to thinking about advertising and the small, independent bookstore.  Is it just my experience, but do you never see bookstores advertise in any sort of medium that people actually see? I know that, obviously, direct sales … Read more

New lives for old books

As much as book lovers are loath to admit it, there comes a time when a book has outlived its usefulness.  The cover has fallen off. Pages have gone missing.  It’s so hopelessly out of date that it’s not even interesting as a historical item. There’s 200,000 of them out there and they’re all in better condition than this copy.  It’s time to say goodbye… but goodbye doesn’t necessarily mean a trip to the trash heap.  Artists and craftsman have done some pretty amazing things with old books.

Click any of the photos to see larger photos and photos from different angles.  Most of the artists showcased here also have other works featuring altered books, so check out their websites for even more book crafts.

ABC Origami books by Rhymes With Magic

bookorigami
ABC Origami Book by Rhymes With Magic

A three book set where the pages have been carefully folded to form a 3-D alphabet.

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Closing Time at the Book Store

a guest post by Jo Canham of Blarney Books

For information on becoming a contributor click here..

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sorry closedIt’s been a quiet afternoon with the last two hours completely to myself, the sky is turning an ominous grey-black colour, the small hand is moving closer to the five, and I start busying myself with pack-up.  Switch off the music, the heating, pack my mobile in my pocket, and the front door swings open.  In come a woman, a man, two small children, and a request, “Can we bring our dog in?  He’ll bark if we leave him outside.”  Wondering what they do at the supermarket, I agree that it’s okay if he stays on his lead, and I sit back down, glance discretely at my watch, and surreptitiously flick the heating back on.  The kids run to the children’s section and start going through the toy-box, the dad sits down and opens his paper, and the mum disappears with the dog down the fiction aisle.
I’m just getting back into my book when the door opens a second time.  This time I glance at my watch with less discretion.  It’s after five.  A middle-aged woman hurries up to me and asks, “You haven’t got a copy of People of the Book, have you?”  Everything about this woman, this request, smacks of book club, so I have to ask, “Is it a book club read?”  Of course it is.  I deliver the bad news – she’s been trumped by another, more fleet-footed member.  “I’m sorry, I sold a copy yesterday.”  “Well, perhaps you have other copies out the back?”  ‘Out the back’ I have a home, not boxes stacked with book club recommendations, Oprah or otherwise.  “No, I’m sorry.  At the moment I don’t have another.  The new book shop will have several copies available.”  “Oh, god, I don’t want to pay full price – I might not even like it!”  No, perish the thought of forking out money for a new experience.  I hunt around for a pencil, and take her details down in the unlikely event that another will turn up in the next few days.  Somewhat calmed, she makes her exit as another couple enter.

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Visiting an Italian Bookshop

A Guest Post by Kim Allen-Niesen, co-founder of Bookstore People For information on becoming a contributor click here.. Having spent the last two weeks in Italy, I couldn’t help noticing lots of the small bookstores scattered throughout the country in both large and small cities.  Finally, towards the end of the trip, I dropped into … Read more