USA Today Bestsellers: E-book sales outdo print; E-mail and search engines primary drivers of retail web traffic; BISG finds strong preference for print textbooks; W.G. Ellerkamp recognized for commitment to sustainability
It’s less than two weeks since Google eBooks™ went live, but many booksellers are fully engaged in the first stage of their e-book marketing campaigns. The Book Bin is offering loaner Sony Readers; Tattered Cover has highlighted four agency titles, while Kepler’s promoted non-agency books; and Gallery Bookshop & Bookwinkle’s Children’s Books hosted a digital petting zoo.
On December 6, ABA announced that member stores with IndieCommerce websites could sell Google eBooks™ online. Booksellers from New York to California talked to BTW this week about what Google eBooks mean for their businesses and the perception of independent bookstores.
Since the launch of Google eBooks™ earlier this week, the most common questions asked by participating IndieCommerce stores are about pricing, especially as it relates to titles from publishers that have not adopted an agency model. To help answer booksellers’ questions, the FAQ “Tough Questions and Answers About Google eBooks Pricing” has been added to the resources available on IndieCommerce.com.
On November 4, three Texas-based independent booksellers met with the antitrust division of the state Attorney General’s office, in Austin, Texas, to discuss the digital content agency model and the dangers posed by below-cost pricing.
Staff members at Eagle Harbor Book Company recently hosted a forum to introduce customers to the range of e-book formats available through the store website and to assure readers that there is a place for e-books in the independent bookselling community.
ReadingGroupGuides.com’s top-10 lists for book clubs; SBA implements higher maximum loan sizes; Jacobson named Man Booker Prize winner; Ingram Content Group signs distribution services deal with Springer; Year-to-date e-book sales surge
At Tools of Change Frankfurt, Google Editions announced its plans to launch in the U.S. by year's end, with international launches following in 2011, as reported by The Bookseller. ABA announced recently that member stores with IndieCommerce websites will be able to sell Google Editions when the product launches.
