I'm coming in late, but . . .
Just a couple comments as an ex employee of a large-chain book store
(Media Play for those who know what it is, and before that B Dalton).
Book stores, especially the large chain ones, have to be trained like
dogs. And they can be.
The worst thing about large bookstores? As already stated -
incompetant employees.The greatest thing about large bookstores?
Competant employees. (Nothing worse than asking the guy behind the
computer "There's a new collection of T. S. Eliot's juvenalia out. Do
you have it in yet?" and hearing "How do you spell Eliot?" Nothing
better than asking "This is real thin, but there's a book out
with a black cover by a guy who wrote for a TV show," and hearing
"Stephen J. Cannell?")
How to train a store:
When you find a good employee, make sure management knows about it!!!
The quicker it is recognized that an employee is quality and is
bringing in sales (and counter to _all_ managerial reports, the
secret to high sales is not inventory, or placement, or whatever, it
is quality empoyees), the quicker that employee gains power in the
store. When you are a frequent customer of an employee with power,
you have a say in what books gets ordered, what authors get special
treatment, etc. etc. As an employee, the easiest books to sell are
the books people are looking for.
Media Play is the nightmare corporate version of the stores Mike
Resnick describes - no effort at all to keep contact with the
consumers. No clue how to maintain an inventory. Fifty percent of the
time I was telling customers to go a half mile down the street to the
mall and look on the the third shelf back at B Dalton's, where they
would find the book they want (since Media Play never sees interest
in actually maintaining stock in what might sell). This might seem
like it's giving away business, but it works the opposite --
customers come back to the person who knows where what they want is,
whether it's in the store or down the block.
And when customers come back, the quality employee listens to what
they're reading, what they're buying, and promote it. Because what
people want to buy is what will sell.
So train your bookstores. Order order order. I don't know how
many times I've ordered books and then seen them show up on the
shelves. (Covert technique: Have friends order under aliases and
never pick up the book so when you buy it off the shelf it looks like
a normal sale). Find those good employees and praise them heavily. A
little grease goes a long way when you come to her and say "You know,
Dinglenut Winkberry is one of my favorite authors and is little
known, but really good. Never gave hm to a friend without a thanks
in return. He has a new book out, and I think with a little promo,
he could really start selling." An employee in a pocket is the best
way to see Winkleberry's books in a small display on top of the
racks. Winkleberry will be much appreciative!
Andrew
ex master bookseller :-)
PS --
Here's another idea which I am considering . . .
What's the worst part about on-line bookstores? (Which are the wave
of the future folks. Better start manipulating them to you like now,
while they're still somewhat malleable). YOU CAN"T PICK UP THE BOOK!
How about web sites that have brief -- non-spoiler -- reviews; the
back covers re-printed; table of contents listed (for non-fiction);
etc?
A thought.
Andrew E. Baumann
[log in to unmask] (#=)=
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To the left is the place of fauns,
sylva nympharum;
The low wood, moor scrub,
the doe, the young spotted deer,
leap up through the broom-plants,
as dry leaf amid yellow.
Ezra Pound
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