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 ]
Remember Ray’s Occult Books, the rundown Manhattan bookstore opened by an unmoored Ray Stantz between Ghostbusters I and II following the city of New York serving him and his fellow ghostbusters with a judicial restraining order for the property damage incurred during their city-saving battle... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-01-09 16:53:03 UTC ]
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With its bookstore on the ground floor and its library upstairs, India's Trilogy serves a loyal following: 'Getting books is our only headache.' The post Mumbai’s Bookstore and Library Trilogy: An Eighth Anniversary appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-01-09 13:28:28 UTC ]
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The complexity of the International Publishers Association's service leads Karine Pansa to call for more and better market data. The post Interview with Brazil’s Karine Pansa: IPA’s New President appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-01-06 16:21:11 UTC ]
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Here’s a piece of good literary news to start the year: a new independent bookstore named after the legendary Octavia E. Butler is opening in Pasadena, California, where the late Sci-Fi icon was born and raised. I took the leap and quit my job to open my very own bookstore. Octavia’s Bookshelf... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-01-03 17:31:27 UTC ]
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Let's talk about great book titles. But in order to find out what makes a good book title, let's first explore the worst book titles. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-01-03 11:36:00 UTC ]
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Imagine walking into a bookstore looking for books with a bonkers plot when you see it: the Bananapants Plot section. A dream! Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-12-27 11:35:00 UTC ]
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It’s always been about access for Jeffrey and Pamela Blair. The couple founded EyeSeeMe African American Children’s Bookstore in St. Louis in 2015 because, when homeschooling their four children, they couldn’t find high-quality books that contained fully realized Black characters and presented... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-16 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Independent book store Book Keeper will continue to hold Drag Queen Story Time after protests. Continue reading at CBC
[ CBC | 2022-12-13 09:00:00 UTC ]
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On Sundays, author Roxane Gay explores her favorite L.A. book shops, art galleries and movie theater with comfy seats. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-12-11 13:00:46 UTC ]
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The year’s autobiography big-hitters haven’t sold as well as expected, with buyers disenchanted by pricing and lack of feelgood topicsFrom actors and musicians to athletes and presenters, there are no shortage of celebrity memoirs on bookshop shelves. This year has seen new books published by a... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-12-09 10:52:17 UTC ]
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Pluck any classic novel from a bookstore shelf and it will most likely feature an introduction by a contemporary writer. Especially inspired pairing of authors can imbue an old text with new relevance, highlight its enduring influence, or even become a new selling point for a backlist title. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-09 05:00:00 UTC ]
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“Booksellers are constantly giving their patrons extraordinary bargains. In London recently a copy of an early edition of Keats’ Poems, originally bought from a dealer for 2s was sold for £140, and a first edition of Burns’ Poems bought in Edinburgh for 1s 6d brought £350.” –R.M. Williamson,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-12-07 09:53:48 UTC ]
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A prized center of Arabic language, culture, and literature in London is closing amid mounting economic and post-Brexit challenges. The post London’s Al Saqi Bookstore Is Closing, Ending a 44-Year Run appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-12-06 02:05:02 UTC ]
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92ND STREET Y Give your special event the extraordinary and versatile venue it deserves at 92nd Street Y. Year after year, people in the know come to 92nd Street Y to host corporate conferences, meetings, film screenings, award shows, private parties, graduations, photo shoots and more. After... Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2022-12-05 10:00:00 UTC ]
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As Christmas came to be celebrated in the home, choosing the right volume was a way to show intimate understanding of the person opening the package. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2022-12-02 15:52:40 UTC ]
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Readers dream about owning their own bookstore. So let's indulge in the fantasy: design a bookstore and get a matching book recommendation! Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-12-01 11:32:00 UTC ]
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In December 1986, we covered the surprise announcement that Barnes & Noble had agreed to buy B. Dalton, cementing its position as the country’s largest bookstore chain. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-11-23 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Silicon Valley entrepreneurs Paul Bradley Carr and Sarah Lacy plan to open The Best Bookstore in Palm Springs in time for Black Friday. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-11-21 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The two Los Angeles–based independent publishers opened North Figueroa Bookshop earlier this month. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-11-14 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The Bologna bookstore, Giannino Stoppani, was damaged by fire in May. Sharjah World Book Capital has contributed €50,000 to assist. The post Sharjah World Book Capital Supports a Fire-Damaged Italian Bookstore appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-11-08 12:43:42 UTC ]
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