Every so often I land on Amazon.com and notice the homepage has changed. Instead of seeing my usual browsing history, the latest Kindle, or some other carefully tailored offers, I find a letter from Jeff Bezos. A couple of months ago, Jeff wrote to me on a scroll and announced, “Dear Muggles,” in which he explained that the Harry Potter series would now be available to me for free in the Kindle Owner’s Lending Library. On today’s visit, Jeff’s telling me that Amazon Prime is celebrating its 7th anniversary and what a success the program has been. And he’s right. It’s possibly the best $79 per year I’ve ever spent. Free two-day Shipping on nearly everything I buy, instant streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows, and the ability to borrow books on my Kindle. But why is Jeff always talking to me? What’s with all these personal appeals from the creator of the world’s largest online retailer? Here’s why: In my work with online community owners, I often talk about the three Cs of customer retention: content, community, and character. It's the third that often confuses people. What does character have to do with customer retention or building brand loyalty? Character is really about positioning. In their classic book, Positioning, Al Reis and Jack Trout demonstrated that most people will only remember a few things about you or your company. The takeaway is that you can either decide what those few key things will be, or let the market decide. In other words, you... Continue reading at 'Fast Company'
[ Fast Company | 2012-08-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Samuel Fromartz ('In Search of the Perfect Loaf') explains what makes a great baguette, why he’s hot on German bread, and why working in a boulangerie is a total workout. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-09-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Former bookseller Julie Kagawa always had a “thing,” as she puts it, for dragons. Now, with her new series, Talon, due out October 28, the bestselling author of The Iron Fey books got the chance to explore her childhood obsessions. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-08-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It doesn’t hurt to be endorsed by Oprah: After she smiled on him, inspirational philosopher and poet Mark Nepo’s 2000 book hit #1 on the 'Times' list. Nepo talked with PW about his newest, 'The Endless Practice: Becoming Who You Were Born to Be,' before joining Oprah’s The Life You Want tour... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-08-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Don't toss out those carrot tops and corncobs! Eugenia Bone, author of 'The Kitchen Ecosystem,' explains why a seemingly parsimonious approach to cooking is actually the key to richer, fuller flavors. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-08-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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To listen to the Audio Book Club discussion of Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?, click the arrow on the player below. Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2014-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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David and Lesley Jacobs Solmonson, co-authors of 'The 12 Bottle Bar,' explain why home bartenders don't need to stock $60 bottles of obscure, unpronounceable liqueurs to make drinks worthy of the golden age of cocktails. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-08-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hannah Hart talks to PW about adapting her hit YouTube series, "My Drunk Kitchen," into a cookbook (of sorts), as well as the oddness of internet fame and what she cooks like in real life. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The president of Simon & Schuster’s parent company, CBS Corp, has said the company is... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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At a conference in Colorado, CBS CEO Les Moonves said the company's Simon & Schuster subsidiary is "negotiating with Amazon as we speak." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Food writer Diana Henry spoke with PW about the pleasures of "accidentally healthy" eating and why her latest cookbook, 'A Change of Appetite,' isn't a "diet" book. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In his new book, 'Lincoln's Bishop,' former New York Times religion correspondent Gustav Niebuhr tells the compelling tale of Henry Benjamin Whipple, who spoke out loudly against injustice toward Native Americans during the 19th century. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Acclaimed manga artist Moyoco Anno is best known as one of the most influential creators in the josei manga genre—Japanese comics aimed at older women. She talked with PW about her life life creating manga, women in Japan and life married to a Japanese pop culture star, when you’re a pop culture... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Don Piper’s car was hit by a truck in 1989, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Piper wrote about what happened next in the bestselling "90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death & Life," which paved the way for other recent bestsellers recounting glimpses of the afterlife. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In "The New Greenmarket Cookbook," Gabrielle Langholtz combines the history of New York City's Greenmarket with profiles of its farmers and recipes from chefs and food writers inspired by its offerings. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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John Mason, the esteemed director of library and educational marketing at Scholastic, will officially hang up his tote bag on July 3. We caught up with Mason as he was preparing for the transition. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In his new biography of Menachem M. Schneerson, Joseph Telushkin offers admiring but clear-eyed insight into the life and legacy of the 7th Rebbe of the Lubavitch Chabad movement and explains why the Rebbe is still such a presence in the Chasidic world, 20 years after his death. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jeff Kinney says he plans to open a bookstore in his town of Plainville, Mass., aimed at breaking even within five years. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In two panels devoted to bookselling on BEA’s first day (Wednesday 28th May) - a keynote on... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2014-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Liane Moriarty is the Australian author of five internationally bestselling novels, including The Husband’s Secret. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jeff Hobbs went to Yale. So did Robert Peace. Jeff Hobbs went on to write a novel, The Tourists, that became a national bestseller. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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