Darjeelink - Alexis Perrier

Blooming Bookstore Blogs

Yesterday, I went to buy a crime novel. My bedside table is full of serious books and I felt like reading a page turner, something easy to read and captivating enough so you feel like going back to it every evening as a last enjoyable moment of the day.

Not knowing who the good new authors are these days, I started by looking on the net for book reviews. After a bit of googling I had a list of classic crime novels which to my great pleasure I had not read yet.

It was a sunny afternnon and I needed a break from my computer so I decided to walk to my favorite English bookstore in Paris, Brentano’s. But unfortunately they had none of the 7 classic books I had selected. Not wanting to go back home empty handed I picked up a novel at random hoping for the best.

What a poor experience this bookstore gives. And unfortunately, it’s the case with most bookstores. I’m not talking about book supermarkets like Fnac but real bookstores where vendors know what they are selling but shelf space is limited. There is a good chance the customer will not find what he wants. Last time, I ordered the book through the bookstore, it took 5 weeks to arrive.

Don’t get me wrong. I love Brentano’s. They offer a great service, have a great selection of books and truly know their business.

Of course the alternative is to use an online bookstore such as Amazon. On Amazon, one is sure to find a book and have it delivered in a matter of days at very competitive prices.
On Amazon, though you don’t get the pleasure of reading the covers, exploring the shelves in search for a surprise, or joining the quiet atmosphere.

When you think about it, this bookstore must have incredibly high running costs. I counted 5 persons working there yesterday. Having to pay 5 salaries is a very heavy burden for a small company in France. add to that a rent on the very chic Avenue de l’Opéra. I just can’t imagine how many books they have to sell to break even.

Out of curiosity, I checked their web site, www.brentanos.fr but no good surprise there, the web site is pure 20th century. no content. non interaction. A few book covers.

So this morning, I had an idea.

What if this bookstore simply opened a blog dedicated not to the store’s life but to book reviews
What if the people working in that bookstore all spent something like 30 mn per day or even one hour every other day writing a review of a book they had read.
After all, people working in a bookstore do indeed read books. They often have a literature education and should be able to write essays. Why not put all these people to contribute to online content ?
With a good branding of the bookstore blog, customers would get what they are looking for in a real bookstore : advices and ideas for new purchases.
The bookstore would extend its visibility on the Net.
The bookstore web site would have a strong advantage over Amazon: it would offer high quality content. User generated content is great and all that but in the end amateurs cannot compete with professionals for real quality.
Add to that an online payment solution and the bookstore might well be rescued.

But that’s just an idea.

Tags: blogs, books, Bookstores, business