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Mysteries, thrillers, home of PI Thomas Black

Sunday’s Seattle Times ran an article about showrooming, a practice wherein the shopper goes to a local bookstore, browses the merchandise, makes a selection and then walks out of the store and purchases it online, thereby both using and abusing the bookstore. This practice is hurting bookstores and is going to help in the demise of many of them. You can view the Times article here.  It’s worth reading and, if you’re guilty of showrooming, perhaps this will change your mind. I’m not. I’m more of the go-straight-to-the-online retailer kind of guy —just because it’s easier and less time-consuming and I live in a small town far from any large bookstore — which is also bad for bookstores, both the national chains and our friendly independents.

There were some interesting facts in the article which I’ve verified —- online. Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power is selling in bookstores for $35.00. The Kindle version is $17.99. Amazon sells the hardcover for $20.71. I’m not sure how much of a hit Random House is taking by allowing Amazon to sell the hardcover for $20.71, when they’re asking $35.00 for it at independent brick-and-mortar bookstores but big publishers have been discounting bestsellers forever. Let’s look at how much of a hit they’re taking on the Kindle version.

Amazon has two different royalty rates for their Kindle books and unless my information is incorrect, they’re ruthlessly strict about it, even with New York publishers. Here’s how it works. Read the rest of this entry »

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