I do check out other people’s blogs from time to time and submitted a response in this way to Zeeba, a Montreal bookstore operated by a former worker in the computers field who is doing a great job.
“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 taking care of themselves and attending to 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.”
It is a bit disheartening to me that intelligent people think Amazon, ABEbooks, Alibris and almost all well known online book purveyors actually have books of their own. IN ALMOST EVERY CASE THEY HAVE NO BOOKS OF THEIR OWN - their vast inventories consist of books listed by thousands of individuals working in their homes, people who operate strictly online by scavenging for books, small bookstore operators and large bookstore operators and by some vampire-like types who (like the online book purveyors themselves) have no inventory but make a living by marking up all the books they see online 7-10 times and more, listing them as their own, and when some unsuspecting soul places an order from them - they have a legitimate dealer ship it to the customer in question. So they do little or no work and wait for the money to roll in.
The online book purveyors, while they must be aware of this by now, just seem to tolerate it and take their cut of the commissions.
There are many ways to operate a book business - this is just a note on a few of them - and the sense that other booksellers are detrimental to your business is seldom going to be true.
But - if you don’t work your a** off you are going to fall by the wayside.
2 comments so far
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Comment 1 · by John Preston · 27 October 2008 · 12:49 pm
Ratholes!! Your pretty down on some people who are just trying to get by and are now forced out of business by high rents. Maybe you should consider these people as people not rats. They have have left your community now they are most likely selling on-line because the community did not support them. That is what happens.
I used to love having lots of little bookstores around now they are hard to find. They usually had a lot of treasures and really low prices. Most did not have a stench literally or otherwise. 20 years, you should open your eyes and quit being such a snob.
You might consider it a better world when all the small businesses are crushed under government regulations and corporate competition. I don’t
I guess we owe a debt of gratitude to high rents so all the homeless can be out on the streets where we can all see them and look down are noses at them too.
I think you should reconsider your statement on internet sellers. People will always prefer to sell locally if the market is there. What about smaller communities where it is simply not possible to make a good living doing what you love without selling online. People are free to sell to anyone even tourists who might even take the books out of the community. The people of the community are also free to buy where they please.
Comment 2 · by George Henderson · 28 October 2008 · 2:44 pm
Thanks for your comment John - I do appreciate it.
No I am not down on people who are just trying to get by - that would include myself, most of the people on the face of the earth and my business.
Most of us, in our private lives and in our business endeavors, face fairly similar obstacles, personal problems and financial pressures but one of the truths is “it isn’t what you get, it’s how you take it!”
Even at that, there are good reasons people close the door on self employment and choose different paths.
Yes, used books stores are getting harder to find - self employment is not something I ever wanted to do - I knew those people worked far harder than was my wont.
Government regulations are always going to be considered onerous by anyone trying to start a business but there is little corporate competition in this particular field because it is very labor intensive.
And landlords will always be landlords - some are avaricious by nature and some are decent folks who take a fair return on their investments.
There are many good reasons people in the community do not support used books stores.
#1. People who read constitute about 10% of the population.
#2. Only about 10% of readers go into a used books store.
#3. Over the years used books stores have not worked hard enough to overcome their image as “ratholes” - places that are kept less than clean, neat and well lit. Places that easily accumulate books but seldom find the time to separate the chaff from the wheat.
#4. Used books stores are mostly operated by book lovers who think their inventory should sell itself and either can’t or won’t learn the principles of operating a retail business.
#5. Used books stores operators know what they are doing is of great service to the community but don’t seem to understand that Location! Location! Location! will never mean “Low Rent!” Low rent means you have a less than desirable location and need to do everything you can to draw people to your location - short of burning it down! Usually this costs a lot of money - so wouldn’t you be better served by paying higher rent and getting a better location?
#6. Book buying is mostly done by impulse - so if you aren’t where the customers are or known to be a usually reliable source for the item they might be thinking about - why should they go out of their way to support you?
We all have our own opinions and prejudices - and I certainly have had my own experiences with some internet sellers - some of them good - and the masters they serve.
As for people making a good living selling books - I have not met many of those people - this does not seem to be a pathway for people seeking financial rewards.
Thank goodness we don’t all have the same view of the universe.
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