Occasional Madness: Things I Overheard in the Bookstore Today: Collected Edition

occasionalmadness:

Overheard at the bookstore coffee bar: “These frozen drinks would be sooo much better if they weren’t so cold. I mean, what’s up with that?”

* * * * *

Octogenarian Lady #1: ”The Sexiest Vampire?”

Octogenerian Lady 2: ”No, I have that one. Do they have Vampiric Seduction or whatever it’s…

Permalink
15

Those Crazy Customers

Customer: [As she walks by the Nook Stand, Stops and Looks at Me]: Oh, you work for them.
Me: Who's them? Barnes & Noble?
Customer: No, them. [She points to the Nooks]. That gizmo company?
Me: [Really trying to contain my composure] Ma'am, Nook is Barnes & Noble. I work for Barnes & Noble.
Customer: Well, regardless, you can't help me! [She tromps away]
Me: [Wanting to lean over toward her as she walks away] You're probably right!

Permalink
9

Every time I enter a bookstore to shop my mind races, my eyes dart from shelf to shelf, my head gets constipated with information, and I basically turn into a raging squirrel on steroids. This is why I always take my book list with me, it keeps me focused and calms the raging squirrel.

Permalink
33

Those Crazy Customers

[I'm working the Nook stand wearing my name tag and . . .]
Customer: Do you work for Barnes & Noble?
Me: [Looking down at my name tag]
Customer: I mean, do you work here [referring to the Nook area] or for Barnes & Noble?
Me: This [referring to the Nook area] is Barnes & Noble.
Customer: [Forces a strange laugh] Can you help me find a book?
Me Wanting To Say: NO! You seriously need more help than just finding books.

Permalink
5

Amazon vs. Publishers

Bloomberg Businessweek Editor Brad Stone looks at Amazon’s transformation from selling books to making books.

I’m not sure what to think about this. If Amazon wins the day on publishing I think it will make it much more difficult for new talent to be discovered. Amazon has always been focused on making money and nothing else. They could care less about indy bookstores, Barnes & Noble, etc. All they care about is ruling the market - like Wal-Mart (who has put hundreds of other businesses out of business).

The reason I think new talent could get lost in all this is the very fact that Amazon is in it to make money. Therefore, they will be focused only on those writers who are already established, leaving new talent to find its own way to “make it.”

Moreover, look what happened to the music industry after Napster and Apple got through with it. New talent is much more difficult to find than it used to be, and the search has been reduced to reality television shows such as X-Factor or American Idol.

I could be wrong, and I hope I am. But this quest by Amazon makes me nervous for the book and publishing industry. Things like book signings and bookstores may, in the near future, be a thing of the past.