Plight of Independent Bookstores

Posted by trav in Bookstores, News, On the Web      No comments

Feb
26

Here is a great article outlining the landscape of bookstores around Northwestern University. No punches were pulled and nothing is overly romanticized. Evanston, being a college town, seems to be a microcosm of all the trends we’re seeing nationally.

At any given time you are probably only one mouse-click away from someone online bemoaning the downward spiral that independant bookstores are caught in. It seems that most of them simply want to vent the romanticism of small local book shops. Which I get. Perusing local bookshops makes me about as happy as I can be. But there are realities and the change that goes with those realities.

And the reality is, that there was an ad for an Amazon coupon flashing on the website as I was reading this article featuring quotes and interviews with local booksellers. So even when they are in the spotlight, Amazon is blinking in the sidebar.

So I hope more people will take time to simply say “here is the current situation” and then start developing ways to help local shops maintain their rightful place as local anchors. And I do wish I can visit Carlson’s Bookman’s Alley someday.

Thanks Birmingham Terminal!

Posted by trav in Birmingham, On the Web      No comments

Feb
19

I wasn’t able to make it to the TechMixer Expo tonight, but thanks to the crew at the Terminal I was there lurking high in a corner. Thanks, Andre, for streaming the event. Very cool! Looked like tons of folks running around.

FeatherProof tests new older Publishing Model

Posted by trav in Book Talk, Publishers      No comments

Feb
17

I love this idea of “subscription publishing”. Beyond the fantastic economic plusses (ie impact to cash, scaled print runs, etc.) it seems a great way to build buzz and get people looking forward to a body of work, not just once, but again and again. Small indie publisher Featherproof Books (publisher of local Birmingham author Susannah Felts) is trying such a model, with the launch of a new imprint Paper Egg Books.According to Publishers Weekly:

All print runs will be determined by the number of subscribers who sign up for the program; they will pay $20 per year to receive two books — either a novella, flash-fiction or short story collection — one in the fall, the other in the spring.    

You don’t have to look far to find someone crying “print is dead”. But it’s not. It’s just going through a very long overdue (and stressful) evolution. Or maybe de-evolution? It seems that most of Charles Dickens work was serialized “back in the day” and it worked out well for him. Last year, Penguin released The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters in serial form first and built quite a following in Britain. Though it didn’t work out so well here in the States.So best of luck to the crew at Featherproof, we’re all watching! 

Harry Penguins

Posted by trav in Book Covers, On the Web      No comments

Feb
17

Yet another edition of Cover Revisionist History, a designer has redesigned the Harry Potter books as Penguin Classics editions. I have a confession to make: I have not read the Harry Potter books (but I have seen almost all the movies, if that counts). But from what I remember, the images chosen for the covers are iconic enough to work. What’s really fun is that the designer says”Due to multiple requests I am making these images available as prints”. So that’s cool. I wish more of what I find when trolling the interwebs could be mounted on my wall.   

Movies as retro book covers

Posted by trav in Book Covers      No comments

Feb
5

Here’s a collection of popular movies reworked as retro book covers. The illustrations on these fanboy covers are fantastic and all look like something I would not be surprised to run across in a used book store.

Nina Simone is still the best

Posted by trav in On the Web, Type      1 comment

Feb
4

So I was catching up with Moleskinerie last night and found this fontastic video of Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good” the posted. It’s a great song to listen too as you peruse all the notebook porn they have to offer. I will forever use the pocket plain notebook, but this three cashiers mod is pretty snazzy… but then again, maybe I overthink the whole notebook thing… nah…