The Bookshop of the Future.
Categories: Articles
Written By: AvidReader
Mari Miniat has described her vision of the future bookshop at the Self Published Authors Lounge.
In her vision of the future, a bookshop will not stock any books, but instead will be a place you go to get your book printed. She proceeds to describe an almost utopian version of the bookshop which is central to the social lives of those who read books.
“Things are changing. E-books are becoming popular. Not many new authors can break into the business, so many go indie publish, the book stores are nervous about carrying them because no guarantee on buying back the books that don’t sell. The Espresso Book Machine® can print books out in a matter of minutes. More people are getting their books online and not stopping in the bookstore. So how can a brick and mortar book store compete?”
An interesting concept. However I contend that printing out books individually will never be as environmentally friendly as pressing them in mass. Sure wastage will be cut down, but the paper would have to be individually cut for each individual book, unless the physical dimensons of the book are set in some kind of standard. Also using printing technology really relies on a different type of technology to the printing press.
There is still plenty about this vision I do like though:
“To keep the customers coming back the book store would have to throw more “entertainment” in. More book signings, some stores only do one a month. What about 3 times a week? What about special nights geared to genres. Book clubs hosted at the store? Writer clubs? Heck even an old fashion D an D session now and then.”
This is a nifty idea. It would be good if we could make reading “cool” again. Not something to be embarrassed by. Making a book shop into an open area of ideas, where anyone could express their opinion, where people learn again.
Now there’s something I’d love to see.
Mari Miniat is the author of the book “Fledgling – Coiree Guardians”
You should check out the Self Published Authors Lounge some time. Its a good place for people to get to see the new independent book releases.
http://selfpubauthors.wordpress.com/
August 9th, 2010 at 9:44 pm
I heard something similar to this from a talk given by Steve Wasserman, the former Editor of the LA Times Book Review. It was around 2003. He said he pictured the day when someone would walk into a bookstore, choose a book or two or three and they would be printed on the spot by one of those Espresso machines. This was before e-books met their device in the Kindle, iPad, Nook, Sony Reader, etc.
I still do not see the printed book going away. The book still does what it does very well and requires no device to enjoy it. If you have a book, it can still be read. With music, we have always needed a device of some kind to play record, cassette, CD, or MP3-type file.
Anyway, I like all this speculation. I have the feeling that the book store in 10 years will be a mix of the things people are talking about now; it will be smaller, but will offer e-book previews, special printed books (like art books, coffee table type books that simply will not translate to the screen), and print-to-order books via Espresso Machines.
August 10th, 2010 at 8:17 am
Thanks for your thoughts Rich. Do you use ebooks? What would your ideal book store look like?
August 10th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
A drive-by book store perhaps? Grab a title to enjoy with your whopper meal!
August 10th, 2010 at 2:57 pm
@AvidReader, You’re welcome. I do not use ebooks. I’ve played with a Sony Reader and a nook, and an iPad. I think they’re cool devices, but I don’t feel like I need one right now. (The iPad is too expensive for me.) And ideal bookstore? Hmm. I think like most book lovers, I enjoy the tactile act of browsing. I like being able to pick up a book and read a few pages. I especially love used bookstores…part of the fun is finding a gem of book for a good price or finding something you didn’t know you wanted.
So for me, an ideal bookstore would still have this physical browsing component. If it also allows for a machine to POD or sampling with an ereader ala Nook at a B&N, then that’s okay with me, too. (The place doesn’t have to sell coffee.
) Though, I have to admit, I’ve gotten used to browsing online with Amazon and have bought many books online. I haven’t had the time to browse a bookstore since I became a father. It’s hard to browse a bookstore with a five-year-old and a two-year-old.
August 11th, 2010 at 1:48 pm
@TheEnglishOak That doesn’t sound too useful unless you know exactly what you want to begin with.
@Rich I have to admit I like browsing books. My personal view of a bookshop is that it should be large. With plenty of space between the shelves, It should be somewhere I can happily wander arround and look at everything there is for sale and there should be a lot.
The electronic thing doesn’t really grab me either.
I know what you mean about losing time when you have a young one, or even in your case two.
August 11th, 2010 at 2:46 pm
I like going into Waterstones and browsing their staff reviews of books. I wish they’d do more of this; especially of the more obscure titles. I have often bought fiction books based on these that I may never have stumbled across. I also love book cover design; it just isn’t the same with ebooks. I’d hate to see the decline of the book store, especially as I can’t buy art books without seeing the image quality first.
I like the idea of printing books for yourself; but only for the ones out of print. Newer ones would be cheaper online.
August 11th, 2010 at 4:15 pm
@Jo Jo I don’t really know Waterstones but I think having reviews really does help book stores.
I used to be a regular library attender too but now I find my self hardly ever going into a library. I guess it all comes down to the old cliché “You can’t judge a book by its cover”
August 11th, 2010 at 5:27 pm
@avidreader; I generally do though- is that bad? You’ll see by my other posts that I have quite an aversion to pink girlie books and wouldn’t dream of reading any book which reminded me of ‘Bratz’ dolls.I tend to look for classic covers and good contemporary design.
I’d like to see the book stores start to offer things you can’t do virtually, such as evening writing classes, talks by authors, and book clubs run by writers. I’m sure they will evolve; they’ll have to, to survive. Bookstores won’t be able to compete with Amazon; it’s far too convenient and cheaper.
August 11th, 2010 at 5:53 pm
@AvidReader – Your statement that you like a large spacious book store with shelves and plenty of books is one I have trouble with. I do enjoy book stores though I have never found them to have the most inviting or the friendliest atmosphere. Even though walking into a books store for me is a heavenly moment, I find it quite daunting.
Browsing books is a lot different to browsing a clothes store, for instance, in that you need to give a book some proper attention in order to decipher its merits. How many of us these days have that much time to go from book to book?
Also consider the fact that bookshops are NOT libraries, and I’m not sure about others, but I often get an uneasy vibe from the assistant if I hover around too long without buying a book. For that reason, I have always found book stores to be quite uncomfortable places, feeling under pressure to choose a book and get out!
In that sense, there is a vast difference between a book STORE and a book LIBRARY for me. Ideally, a big cafe-style book-store-cum-library if you will, with lots of amenities, author appearances, writing clubs, seminars (an entire floor for the kids, oh yes!) Could that sort of thing save the printed book from becoming extinct?
August 11th, 2010 at 8:55 pm
SP I get that feeling in a bookstore too, and I think it’s because they do want you to BUY a book and get the hell out instead of messin up good clean books!
August 11th, 2010 at 9:16 pm
There is a fabulous bookstore in central London (I think it is a branch of Waterstones) which has comfy chairs and tables where you can sit and read at your liesure. It is a calm and tranquil environment, and invariably you buy the books you get absorbed into. It is great. Sadly the small book stores are a lot less welcoming and make you feel guilty for browsing.
There is also a cafe. This is definitely the way forward.
August 11th, 2010 at 10:15 pm
@Jo Jo in my case I get a nice choice of ahem… two bookstores here, both just about big enough to fit a buggy, hence Amazon is great for me. Last trip to UK I bought no less than 10 books, which isn’t great on baggage allowance but it’s almost too essential to resist
August 18th, 2010 at 8:23 pm
I’d like to be really girly and say my bookstore would have me getting my hair, face, nails and feet done, whilst reading a good novel with a pile of doughnuts and coffee in front of me. THATS my =book shop heaven but also probably going to get me some bad comments
August 19th, 2010 at 9:31 am
@T Martin: Bad comments ? Not at all, we are a very open-minded bunch! As long as you are not reading that K Price book, your book shop sounds ideal
August 19th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
@chaoism…fair enough, but perhaps the book is OK because she didn’t actually write it?
August 19th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
I do this too paws and I love having a new pile of books when I get home from my ols!!
August 22nd, 2010 at 6:26 pm
K..Are we focusing on the books or on the store?
I can’t believe no one mentioned CHOCOLATE!