Kate Whouley writes:
First, let's acknowledge my two hats. For 19 years, I've worked as a consultant to independent bookstores. And I write books.
As a general rule, I wear only one hat at a time, but there are
occasions when--despite my best wardrobing efforts--I discover both
hats battling over the space on top of my head. That's exactly what happened while reading the New England Independent
Booksellers Association listserve responses to Elizabeth
Bluemle's question to members, "Do you get promo e-mails listing
Amazon?"
The co-owner of the Flying Pig Bookstore, Shelburne, Vt., recounted her
recent experience with just such an e-mail she received from an author.
She included in her posting a copy of the e-mail she sent back,
suggesting that "at the very least" the author provide "an alternative
link to BookSense.com." Her note was brief, friendly, but unsubtle in
its implication. She wrote: "I'm sure this was an oversight, but it is
one that will be noticed (and not favorably) by other book buyers (and
sellers) in the field."
Wearing my consultant hat, I was pleased to see Elizabeth defending
her turf, but I wasn't sure her tactics would have much effect. While
most authors possess at least some theoretical awareness of the
importance of supporting independent bookstores, they aren't always
clear on how to offer such support. That's why I was glad that
Elizabeth suggested that the ABA and NEIBA remind those who rent
association mailing lists to include a BookSense.com link and to use
the phrase, "available at independent bookstores" in promotions and on
Web sites.
Becky Dayton of the Vermont Book Shop, Middlebury, Vt., echoed
Elizabeth's frustration, mentioning, in her posting, a recent round of
e-mails with author Bill McKibben. She reported that he made some
changes on his homepage to include a BookSense.com link as a result of
their exchange, but, as she noted, "when you go to his 'books' page,
the purchase option is strictly through Amazon." Becky wondered how
much publishers dictate what is on their authors' Web sites, and
whether Amazon's power over publishers influences what they tell
authors to do.
I can't speak for Bill McKibben, but--switching hats now--I can say the
only suggestion Random House made to me was that I get my author Web
site up and running before the paperback launch of Cottage for Sale. My
site was created and financed without any support--or interference--on
the part of the publisher. It's true some big-league authors have
publisher-based sites, but many more authors create and manage their
own headquarters on the Web. And so far as I know, Amazon isn't
twisting any arms to get authors to link to the giant e-tailer. Why do
authors do it?
From an author's point of view, Amazon is the ultimate supplier. More
often than not--especially for newer titles--it has your book in
stock and will ship it, pronto. While we all hope that our books will
be "available at independent bookstores," the very independence we
support means that some stores will choose to stock the book and some
will not.
Michael Herrmann of Gibson's Bookstore, Concord, N.H., responded to
Becky Dayton's posting, saying that after his own e-mail exchange with
poets.org, he realized, in his words, "The economics were unmistakable
. . . Poets.org was making more in a month from Amazon than they made
in three years from a previous BookSense link." He suggested that
authors were faced with similar economic choices.
Though I can envision a day, when--as it has for recording
artists--this might change, I don't think the majority of visitors to
author Web sites are there to make a purchase. In my experience, they
learn about the Web site from the book they already own or have on loan
from the library. They visit to learn more or to connect with an author
whose book they have enjoyed.
The economic advantages to any single author may be minimal, but
Michael's right that public radio stations, non-profit groups and any
number of organizations who might otherwise affiliate with a community
bookstore, choose to link with Amazon for financial reasons. His
comments prompted a posting from Chris Haraden, co-owner of
Westwinds Bookshop, Duxbury, Mass. A bookseller with a
BookSense.com Web site, he wondered whether independents might
"consider an alliance with one of these larger, better-branded sites."
The next posting, from Kenny Brechner, of DDG Booksellers in
Farmington, Me., opened with this caveat: "Judging from literary
precedents, I'm not sure that bargains struck with agents of the
netherworld have turned out to the advantage of the weaker party."
Would the working partnership Chris Haraden suggests be the proverbial pact with the devil?
This sort of online alliance was envisioned at the outset of
BookSense.com. At one of the earliest "demos" of BookSense.com, I
remember the ABA was suggesting that Web site orders could be filled by
a national wholesaler and drop-shipped directly to the bookstore's
customer. This was early in the race to the Web, at a point when many
independents were unconvinced there was any reason for them to go
online at all; perhaps timing explains why most of the booksellers in
the conference room were appalled. "Why not ship books from our own
stores? Or deliver them? Why let a wholesaler ship books that I have in
stock?" The booksellers in attendance were also upset when it was
suggested they could sell books online at a discount. "Why would we
ever discount?" they asked.
"To compete with Amazon and other online discounters," was the
answer. Further--and this point is important: "Because you can."
If you have a deal with a national wholesaler--or, humor me for a
moment, a national e-tailer like Amazon--you can afford to discount the
books sold (and shipped) through a Web site, because you don't have to
purchase or stock or deliver those books yourself. It all happens in a
magical backroom that is not yours. You are simply the agent, the
connection for your local customer, who feels better about doing her
"one-click ordering" in a way that keeps her local independent
bookstore alive. All you do is cash the commission check. Sure, your
slice is a small percentage of the retail price, but a glance at recent
ABACUS results--wearing the consultant hat now--tells me that a little
bit of unfettered income could go a long way toward improving the
miniscule bottom line of most independent bookstores.
There's something else Amazon has going for it: the company makes it
easy to click and buy. That's why even the most loyal independent
bookstore customers occasionally purchase from the online competition.
In investigating the BookSense.com option for my own site, I found it
required a series of extra steps for the customer to find a local
bookseller who may or may not stock the book. I decided to forgo both
e-commerce options. But if BookSense.com were electronically connected
to an Amazon-like warehouse, customers would be able to buy with ease
and with the conviction they were doing the right thing.
Deal with the devil? Or pact for profits?
I don't pretend to know for sure. But I do believe Chris Haraden's
suggestion is worthy of diligent investigation. The ABA was ahead of
its time those many years ago. Scaling back the BookSense.com concept
earned them more bookseller customers with less overhead. It made sense
at the time. But making sense--and money--in today's online world, may
require looking back and looking forward, in order to arrive at a model
that creates profit for independent bookstores in the present and
ensures their electronic sustainability for the future.
Kate Whouley heads Books in Common and is the author of Cottage for Sale, Must Be Moved.