Just as Engadget was hitting publish on its first posts, I was putting a freshly minted English degree to use working at an indie bookshop in Los Angeles. In seemingly unrelated news, Amazon had just reported its first profitable year after switching from selling books to selling “everything” four years before. (It still sold a lot of books.) Our bookstore did a good job keeping shelves stocked with a balance of the more worthy popular hits and smaller, better fare. But we couldn’t have every book a customer might want, so we offered to order any in-print title. If a distributor had it, it’d take about a week to get in, longer if we had to go through the publisher. That seemed fine for most customers. But sometimes “about a week” was too long. A few people came right out and said, “Nah, I’ll order it on Amazon.” In 2005, Amazon launched Prime, the membership program that, for $79 a year, gave customers unlimited two-day shipping on most orders. At launch, CEO Jeff Bezos called it “‘all-you-can-eat’ express shipping.” No one knew at the time how hungry the world was for Amazon’s brand of convenience. And now, nearly two decades later, we’ve seen the shifts that accommodate that buffet — in labor, retail and the entire customer experience. Prime wasn’t an overnight success. It’s estimated that six years after launch, just four million households paid for the service. But 10 years later, in 2021, Bezos claimed it had accrued 200 million members worldwide. Outside of that... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2024-03-08 14:15:57 UTC ]
What if you went to the bookstore and saw no one on the shelves who looked like you? One couple is addressing that deficit for young Black children, supporting literacy and identity. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2023-09-29 13:58:26 UTC ]
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The Paris bookstore Chantelivre, owned by publisher L’École des Loisirs, has opened a 'House of Stories' where kids engage with narratives. The post Children’s Books Edition: L’École des Loisirs’ New ‘House of Stories’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-09-29 12:25:13 UTC ]
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The co-owner of San Francisco's Bookshop West Portal and founder of onetime Bay Area bookselling staple A Clean Well-Lighted Place for Books, died on September 6. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-09-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
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This month, TikTok's trends newsletter spotlighted a new book-related hashtag, #independentbookstore. We spoke with bookstore owners and staffers about the value the app has for booksellers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-09-15 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Opus & Olives, a gala fundraiser sponsored by the Friends of the St. Paul Public Library, is celebrating its 20th anniversary on October 8. The annual event is one of the most successful public library fundraisers in the U.S. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-09-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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In-person bookstore author events have returned as the pandemic has eased, but publishers have still scaled back tours and are requiring longer lead times for booking, resulting in a different kind of thinking about bookstore programming. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The Iranian-French author of 'Persepolis,' which celebrates its 20th anniversary with a new edition, discusses her shift from comics to film, the banning of books in America, and her pride in Iran's young revolutionaries. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-08-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow overtook titles by David Walliams and Colleen Hoover to become the UK’s number one bestseller. The author, booksellers and fans reflect on how it became a literary phenomenonTomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow’s distinctive cover, with its image of Hokusai’s... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-08-11 10:00:35 UTC ]
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Letter to Salma, by Yousef Khanfar Literary Tributes [email protected] Wed, 08/09/2023 - 15:14 In the following tribute, Yousef Khanfar pens a letter to the eminent scholar Salma Khadra Jayyusi, laureate of the 2021 Palestine Prize for Literature,... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2023-08-09 20:14:32 UTC ]
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With lists on cute cryptids, decolonial SFF, trans comics, and more, these indie bookstore websites are as fun to browse as their shelves! Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-08-08 10:32:00 UTC ]
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Share that link right now or ruin your reading life! Do it, do it now! Or, a brief history of chain letters. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-08-07 10:36:00 UTC ]
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Hi Barbie! Are you looking for a good book to read? Maybe to take to the Beach? And/or to bring with you when you go to the movies this weekend? I promise, it’s going to be right up your alley. And also pink, for outfit coordination purposes, of course. You’re welcome. Bye Barbie! Stereotypical... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-08-02 16:49:03 UTC ]
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A part of Arkansas' Act 372 would make it a crime for booksellers and librarians to give minors certain state-disapproved books. The post A US Court Temporarily Blocks a Library and Bookstore Law appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-07-31 00:15:55 UTC ]
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In 2009, two bookshops a week were closing in the UK and the days of physical books seemed numbered. Now, indie stores are booming. What explains the turnaround – and can it be sustained?When Sarah Mullen was asked to set up a children’s book festival in a leafy suburb of Birmingham in 2012, she... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-07-27 09:00:32 UTC ]
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Finding a Good Story in Every Corner: A Conversation with José Eduardo Agualusa, by Anderson Tepper Interviews [email protected] Mon, 07/24/2023 - 15:01 © Rosa CunhaOver the past fifteen years, I’ve had the pleasure of crossing paths with the... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2023-07-24 20:01:34 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble will reopen its bookstore at The Avenue at White Marsh in a redesigned format on July 26, the bookseller announced Wednesday. It's one of several changes and new stores planned for the center. Continue reading at Baltimore Sun
[ Baltimore Sun | 2023-07-19 17:11:00 UTC ]
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Jerusalem's Educational Bookshop has focused on Palestinian literature and nonfiction since its first location opened in 1984. The post Jerusalem’s Educational Bookshop at 39 Years: ‘The Palestinian Point of View’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-07-11 18:34:49 UTC ]
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Few things bring as much bliss as a good book. It’s just you, the story, and plunging into a whole other world for hours at a time. And thanks to Amazon Prime Day, Prime members can get a whole three months of Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited service for free—even if you’re a previous Kindle... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2023-07-11 13:34:14 UTC ]
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An Asian American-owned bookstore in Manhattan’s Chinatown left gutted by a July fourth fire is getting flooded with support from the community, writers and celebrities Continue reading at ABC News
[ ABC News | 2023-07-07 18:01:56 UTC ]
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Yu and Me Books opened in December 2021 on Mulberry Street in Manhattan’s Chinatown, and was named for owner Lucy Yu’s mother. It was the first Asian-American woman-owned bookstore on the island. Following a July 4, 2023, fire in a neighboring residential unit, the store has lost most of its... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-07-07 15:59:28 UTC ]
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