What do you think the future holds for physical books and bookstores?
Created: 04/12/14
Replies: 20
Join Date: 10/15/10
Posts: 3442
Join Date: 06/25/13
Posts: 347
Join Date: 03/03/12
Posts: 251
My daughter gave me a Kindle a year ago, and I have enjoyed it immensely. However, e-reading has some drawbacks. I find it difficult to go back and find passages that I particularly liked and I miss the weight of a good book in my hands. Also, e-books that are self-published seem to suffer from a decided lack of editing and proof-reading. I have to stop and grind my teeth quite often when words are misused or even completely missing. We have only a couple of small bookstores in this area (the Monterey Peninsula in California) that seem to be succeeding. I do hope they can hang on, because book browsing is still one of the pleasures of life.
Join Date: 04/08/14
Posts: 69
Join Date: 10/15/10
Posts: 3442
Leah - is your comment reflecting your reading experience of A.J. Fikry or of books in general? If of A.J. Fikry, I believe the copy of the book you were sent was an advanced readers copy, produced before the final editing process, so errors are to be expected. (Davina, BookBrowse editor).
Join Date: 05/19/11
Posts: 93
I would hate to see the small bookstore be a thing of the past. I hope we can continue to have the feel of a good book. The small bookstore has many things to offer, story times, book clubs, author talks, and the actual touch of the book. I use the e-reader a lot for the convenience of travel and for the older reader it provides less weight to hold and allows for fond and size changes, but to not have a book store to browse would be like losing a good friend.
Join Date: 04/10/13
Posts: 54
I worry that all book stores will eventually disappear. I personally do not like reading on an e-reader. When my husband complain of all the books I add to my to be read pile, I tell him I need to collect them before they stop printing books! Works for me !
Join Date: 03/17/14
Posts: 11
Join Date: 06/16/11
Posts: 410
I am concerned about the dwindling number of bookstores and am hoping that there is a leveling off in this market so they do not disappear. Of more concern is the likelihood that our libraries will be affected. I am an active supporter of my local library and have been in all the communities where I have lived and know how important they are to so many people and in particular the very young children and school children. That said I have to admit I just can not enjoy e-books. I always feel that I am missing something when I do not have an actual, physical book in my hands. I am not anti technology as I use it constantly but reading a book on a device is to me sort of like McDonald's fast food compared to nice sit down family dinner.
Join Date: 03/26/14
Posts: 139
Join Date: 06/15/11
Posts: 222
This is a question that bothers me a great deal. I loved waiting for the Bookmobile as a child, spending rainy afternoons lost in the Library …. and my first stop on any vacation was always the local bookstore. It's getting harder and harder to find them, but when you do now, they are so special. Each is a character just like Island Books in the lives of those who live near. So interesting to lose yourself in meeting a new friend. These were things so important to me in the shaping of my life that it's hard to think there will be a better way to impart knowledge. Times they are a changing ….
Join Date: 04/15/14
Posts: 3
There is nothing better than walking into a bookstore and seeing rows upon rows of books, all of them available for my perusal. I prefer independent, locally owned stores, but I'd settle for a big, impersonal book store if I couldn't find a local store. These are, of course, my own personal preferences, but sadly, stores like this are getting harder and harder to find.
I started up a little, part-time, used bookstore on the internet and for a couple of years, business was okay, but what I found as I tried to stock up on inventory was that it was not fun going to used book sales and stepping over other book sellers blocking the aisles with their hand-held scanners and boxes of "don't touch these, their mine" used books. I don't mind a little competition but I wasn't interested in fighting with the next guy over a box of used books. And maybe this is why physical bookstores aren't as predominant in our culture as they should be. Big box stores and internet stores force their competitors to sell items at such a low cost, it's difficult to make a living just selling books.
As for physical books, I believe they will remain but I believe that self-publishing will make the route to a best-seller more circuitous than it's ever been because there may not be agents/publishers willing to represent/publish an author unless the self-published product has sold more than "x" number of books. Self-publishing can be a great tool but I've come across many books, as deeh mentioned above, that suffer tremendously from a lack of editing.
Despite all of the above, though, I think that both bookstores and books are here to stay, just not in the same way we've been accustomed to seeing them.
Join Date: 04/22/11
Posts: 1
I love small bookstores, but there has never been one in my area. I had to drive 20-30 minutes to the nearest Borders. When Amazon opened it was a great thing for me. But now I read most of my books on my Kindle. Because of wrist issues and eyesight problems it's just easier, and I like the ease of use for my library. That said I don't think bookstores will fade away, there will always be a need for them as long as people read.
Join Date: 06/27/11
Posts: 16
I don't think either will go away. Every year, some close, others open. Per the above responses, many people need the physical books in their hands. I have spoken to many younger readers in their 20's, and they also believe that the physical books and stores need to , and will remain part of their existence. I know how hard it is to own and run a store. Mine didn't make it due to it being a rural area. Yet, when I think back on my customers and their love for the books, I am left with the feeling that yes, stores will survive....
Join Date: 05/12/11
Posts: 230
I agree somewhat with what Monica posted. There used to be a handful of small, independent bookstores where I live but they have all closed. Then Borders shut down. One of the Books-a-Million stores here closed. So now we have only one Books-a-Million, a Barnes & Noble, and several used-book stores (most owned by the same person). E-books have put all these places out of business. That is why for now I only use my Nook (which was given to me as a gift) to read galley copies of books sent to me to review. I do not want to contribute to the decline of the book stores.
However, I do think there continue to be enough people demanding hard copies that the printed book will continue. After all, what happens when you have a power failure? I can read by candle but the Nook is limited by its battery life. Long live the printed book!
Oh, also there is such a difference between browsing on-line and in a real book store. I often find books in the bookstore that I would not otherwise have bought.
Join Date: 07/28/11
Posts: 436
Join Date: 03/28/14
Posts: 17
I can't help but think about what happened when television was introduced. The fear that movies would go the way of the dinosaurs was a real concern. Luckily there was room for both. I feel there are enough readers for both formats. I would be lost without a room full of books, be it a library or bookstore.
Join Date: 02/23/14
Posts: 46
I think physical books and the shops that house them will always exist in some fashion. There may evolve a "niche market" but books that you can hold, feel and smell won't ever go away - much like vinyl records are making a come back so that the scratch of the needle and the turning disc remain as much of the experience of music as auditory perception. Many of us crave the full-on sensory experience of reading in that way and we are the ones who will keep books in print.
Join Date: 08/14/11
Posts: 25
First of all Davina I think you asked your question "to the choir!". We're all here because we love books. It is very difficult financially to remain an independent bookstore owner. Books come already priced, and discount from publisher depends on the size of the order. For an owner like AJ you have to hustle to keep the footsteps coming in the front door. Here in Sarasota we are lucky to have Bookstore1Sarasota. Books need to be given as gifts, so that young people acquire the joy of owning a book! Amelia said it all, "Of course it's worth it", even persnickety litte bookstores and the particular breed that runs them.
Join Date: 04/08/14
Posts: 69
I hope that Indies survive as do knitting stores and needlepoint shops. A plethora of different people make their way through. They are great ways to connect with people. Even when Costco and the Internet have books for less money, you are robbing yourself of the experience of people who choose to immerse themselves in whichever part of the book world they opt for and hope to shape their part of the world.
Join Date: 05/14/11
Posts: 21
I have always loved a book and only owned one as a child but my Grandparents would drop me off at the library on a Saturday. My Grandchildren love books and so far five of seven older ones love books. So, do I think books will be around and I have to say yes. Though I cannot browse anymore in the Library, walk the isles of the Barnes & Noble near by, I love the attention of the Indies sales people on the internet and order a lot of my books that way. I like my Kindle but it just does not replace a book.
I laugh as I remember the internet was going to do away with paper and now they want more copies than ever of all documents. If I learned anything in my life it is that quality lasts and that is what a real book is....QUALITY.
Reply
Please login to post a response.