Bernadette

I read this earlier today via an e-alert. It isn't a bad piece but I kept silently screaming at it "national net book agreement!" as that is what started it all off - they do finally get around to it about half-way through. I think it is grossly unfair to pitch the article as a blaming attack (in the main) on Waterstones, who are only doing their best with the market forces they are... more... - Maxine

Just read (via the same e-alert) another similar article but without the angle of the attack on Waterstones. Mainly focused on the potential death of the bricks-and-mortar bookstore: http://www.idealog.com/blog... - Maxine

One thing rarely mentioned as a game-changer is the amazing availability of almost-new used books via the internet - which makes having a a huge inventory of new books less of a jaw-dropping "oh, wow" experience. In the US independents can't make money on books sold cheaply at non-bookstores; they survive as places that curate good books, can help people discover books they don't know about, and provide a community hub for readers. - barbara fister

It seems to me that one service the larger retailers could offer would be a net-based home for the literary minded to oversee -- not solely reviews-by-consumers or lists around a certain author, but rooms (sort of like FF) with themes and administrators, where customers could go to enjoy a good discussion, muse about ideas, etc. - Mickey Schafer

Also, the whole e-reader thing still strikes me as unsustainable. There needs to be a monthly-fee-based subscription model where readers can dip into as many books as they like, pay $$ for permanent downloads. I still will not pay $9.99 per book when I can get it on paper for 1.99 plus shipping. - Mickey Schafer

I don't know about the US but in the UK it is common for bookstores to order books from Amazon (deep discount) and sell them to their customers for slightly more. (Dan Brown was 4.99 for a whole week on Amazon for example, cheapest you could buy in store was 9.49 (half price). Do the maths. This is why Amazon limits the number of orders! But it works as a business model for... more... - Maxine