Notes: Wily Indies; New NBN Publishers
"Although the number of independent book stores in Colorado Springs
is dwindling, a few are still going strong by adapting, evolving and
embracing technology," the Pueblo Business Journal reported. In March, for example, Poor Richard's,
which operates a restaurant, wine bar and toy store, added new books to
its used book selection and has begun hosting book signings and
meetings, largely in response to the closing of the Chinook Bookshop
two years ago.
Covered Treasures Bookstore in Monument has added greeting cards that
"can't be found at chain stores," is participating in community events
and is supporting local authors.
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Comparing independent booksellers in Los Angeles to "Darwin's finches," LA Weekly noted that the surviving indies "have found niches and creative ways to stay alive in a tough business and an even tougher town."
LA Weekly focused on "some world-class bookstores, staffed by some world-class booksellers. In this issue, we celebrate those stores--from east to west, Vroman’s, Skylight, Book Soup and Dutton’s, along with two relative newcomers, Family and Diesel--and the book buyers, owners, event planners, publicists and sales clerks who work in them."
In a stirring tribute worthy of Hollywood, the article continued: "These people are clever, wise, savvy, and by turns funny and tragic. Despondent at times about the future of their industry yet determined to see it through in some as-yet-unknown fashion, they and their workplaces are gloriously idiosyncratic in a culture veering precariously toward sameness."
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Yesterday voters in five southwestern Oregon counties defeated proposals to
increase taxes to compensate for lower federal timber subsidies, and as
a result, services will be curtailed and one county library system will
remain shut, according to today's New York Times.
Jackson County voters rejected a measure to raise property taxes so
that 15 public libraries, which closed April 6, could be reopened. The
county administrator said the county might "might seek financial
arrangements with cities or schools to run the libraries."
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Crime does pay for Joanne Sinchuk, owner of Murder on the Beach bookstore in Delray Beach, Fla. According to the Palm Beach Post, when Sinchuk moved from Sunny Isles Beach to "the plaza in the Pineapple Grove Arts District plaza in 2002, hers was one of the only shops in the plaza. Now, it's almost full and has two restaurants. And more stores are being built across the street."
Sinchuk said she "knew the niche market was where the business was. And I wanted a mystery theme." She's excited about the growth of the plaza and its "potential to bring more business into her 1,000-square-foot store, which houses about 10,000 titles. She also ships books around the world, which accounts for 30% of her business."
Her niche includes three bookcases dedicated to state authors: "I like to say I am the world leader in signed Florida mystery books. Certain authors have told me that I've sold more of their books than anyone else, even the chain stores."
---The Sudbury Town Crier profiled Jane Van Buskirk. The owner of Bearly Read Books in Sudbury, Mass., since 1989 will retire in June, but the bookshop will continue under new ownership.
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Noted: Amazon.com is now offering music for digital
download without digital rights management protection, meaning that the
music can be used on any player, including iPods, and can be copied
easily for free. For now, Amazon is offering music from only one major
label, EMI, and thousands of independent music companies, so many popular songs are not yet available for the program. Today's New York Times pointed out that only three months ago, Apple CEO Steven Jobs urged the music industry to stop using DRM.
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Effective immediately, the following companies are being distributed by National Book Network:
- Kelley Blue Book, publisher of the guidebook that includes factory list price and cash value on thousands of vehicles. Formerly distributed by PGW, Kelley Blue Book is at booth 3809 at BEA.
- Salina Bookshelf, a publisher of textbooks, children's picture books, reference books and electronic media in Navajo and English. (Booth 944.)
- Hannnover House Publisher, a publisher of fine literature and nonfiction books as well as a full service media and entertainment company. Besides books, the company markets and distributes feature films theaters, home video and television. (Booth 3808.)
- Tatra Press, Suffern, N.Y., publishes literary fiction and general trade titles and was formerly distributed by Midpoint. (Booth 3805.)
- Miles Kelly, Great Bardfield, England, a children's publisher of fiction, poetry, history and geography. (Booth 3809.)
Rutger Hauer, movie villain extraordinaire and Blade Runner star,
signs his new autobiography, All Those Moments: Stories of Heroes,
Villains, Replicants, and Blade Runners (HarperCollins, $24.95,
9780061133893/0061133892), at Diesel, A Bookstore in Malibu, Calif., last week.
Diesel's Melissa Lion reported that the event was
"spectacular--standing room only. The author was generous and kind. We
loved him!"
Patricia MacLachlan's novels are like poems: the end sends readers back to the beginning to see how the writer accomplished such a literary feat in so few words. Any fan of the author knows that she is attuned to the seasons: the smells, the tastes, the sounds. Her books about the heroine first introduced in the Newbery Medal-winning Sarah, Plain and Tall follow Sarah through the seasons on a farm and the cycle of life.