Elizabeth Barrette (ysabetwordsmith) wrote,
Elizabeth Barrette
ysabetwordsmith
  • Mood: worried

Buy Books ... While You Still Can

This post by difrancis and this other post explain why it's vital to buy books now, if you can afford to. Bookstores are not selling many books, which means they're returning unsold books to publishers, which makes publishers not want to buy books from authors. This is no good for anybody.
Tags: economics, networking, reading, writing
Subscribe

  • Poem: "The Nearest Star"

    This poem is spillover from the July 6, 2021 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired and sponsored by Anthony Barrette. "The Nearest Star"…

  • Internet Update

    Cyberspace has been screwy for days. It's not a local problem, it's the distant source, apparently spread quite widely. Sometimes we can't download…

  • Birdfeeding

    Today is mostly cloudy, muggy, and hot. We got more rain yesterday. It's very buggy out. :P I fed the birds. I've seen house finches and wrens.…

  • Post a new comment

    Error

    switch
    default userpic

    Your IP address will be recorded 

    When you submit the form an invisible reCAPTCHA check will be performed.
    You must follow the Privacy Policy and Google Terms of use.
    Help
  • 16 comments
laneth

laneth

November 12 2008, 05:56:35 UTC 12 years ago

Similar thing happened at the start of this decade, with many smaller bookstores closing (even those that'd been open 30-40+ years), here in Australia.

Insightful reads, thanks Ysabet. For an upcoming editor, this is valuable info :) I might have to approach that Publisher who's told me to come see him after I've finished my course a little sooner than anticipated ;)
arielstarshadow

arielstarshadow

November 12 2008, 14:12:54 UTC 12 years ago

I suspect that over the course of the next 50 years, publishing is going to go through some very interesting permutations.

PoD is now a reality - and as the years go by, it's only going to get better in quality, as well as faster and easier to accomplish.

We may be seeing the beginnings of the end of massive print runs on books, and instead, books will be printed and shipped as they are ordered - or, the bookstore of the future may also be the printer. A single copy is on the shelf as the "sample" so people can still browse the shelves. Then, you decide which books you want, place your order, and x number of minutes/hours/days later, your order is ready and you pick it up.
haikujaguar

haikujaguar

November 12 2008, 14:20:07 UTC 12 years ago

This is the third time I've read this exhortation.

My response is going to amuse ysabetwordsmith, because it's not very like me: I say, "Let it burn." Sometimes you have to destroy something completely to rebuild something sane.
arielstarshadow

arielstarshadow

November 12 2008, 14:28:06 UTC 12 years ago

I agree - the thought of the trees we destroy to print books which, when it's all over, end up back at the publisher and sit in warehouses gathering dust or destroyed, is sobering.

I love physical books - I would never want to go electronic-only. But I do think that we need to come up with better ways of printing books, so that we aren't so wasteful.
haikujaguar

haikujaguar

November 12 2008, 14:30:36 UTC 12 years ago

The whole thing is totally messed up. I think trying to save it is just perpetuating a wasteful, stupid situation.

The only thing I buy at bookstores right now is tea.
arielstarshadow

arielstarshadow

November 12 2008, 14:32:13 UTC 12 years ago

Speaking of tea - what sort of tea do you like? There's a teahouse here with 180 different teas! I can send you some tea :)
haikujaguar

haikujaguar

November 12 2008, 14:33:25 UTC 12 years ago

Unfortunately at this point I'm limited to herbal teas. Mostly I drink chamomile, or peppermint if my stomach's feeling tiffy.

arielstarshadow

arielstarshadow

November 12 2008, 14:53:40 UTC 12 years ago

I believe they have a huge selection of tisanes aka herbal teas. I can check, if you like. :)
haikujaguar

haikujaguar

November 12 2008, 15:09:28 UTC 12 years ago

Well, if you see something interesting, tell me. In my experience, though, most tisanes taste like grass. -_-
arielstarshadow

arielstarshadow

November 12 2008, 15:10:12 UTC 12 years ago

I'm thinking of the fruit-y ones - or do you not like those?
haikujaguar

haikujaguar

November 12 2008, 15:11:54 UTC 12 years ago

Not particularly.

I've been pretty... uh... left out in the cold when it comes to warm drinks, now that I'm avoiding caffeine. No green, black or white tea. No hot chocolate and no coffee. And hot cider is too sweet for me. -_-

Maybe I'll just make mulled wine. :9
arielstarshadow

arielstarshadow

November 12 2008, 15:32:03 UTC 12 years ago

See, I can't abide any of the herbals - and I've tried lots of them in an attempt to find something I like.

Have you ever tried any of the decaf teas out there (which is what I drink when I want tea)? The Brits have some good ones. No decaf coffee, either?

Mulled wine sounds good - except I'm allergic to wine. :(
haikujaguar

haikujaguar

November 13 2008, 18:08:09 UTC 12 years ago

Yikes! Red and white both?
arielstarshadow

arielstarshadow

12 years ago

  • New comment
synnabar

synnabar

November 12 2008, 21:17:44 UTC 12 years ago

I still buy books. Good? Bad? I don't know... but I do love and cherish them. There's something so soothing about them, and they really are an "escape" - when I sit down to try to read a book online, it just feels so much like work, and my eyes tire easily. Someday I might buy a Kindle, but the comfort and escape of a book in my hands is, to me, an unmatched pleasure.
ysabetwordsmith

Yes!

ysabetwordsmith

November 12 2008, 21:31:29 UTC 12 years ago

The widespread availability of cheap hardcopy books is pretty much the leading perk of this society and its current level of development, as contrasted with worlds at a prehistoric, stardrive, or magical level of development. I want to wallow in it to utter satiation, because I'm not inclined to come this way again.

  • Poem: "The Nearest Star"

    This poem is spillover from the July 6, 2021 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired and sponsored by Anthony Barrette. "The Nearest Star"…

  • Internet Update

    Cyberspace has been screwy for days. It's not a local problem, it's the distant source, apparently spread quite widely. Sometimes we can't download…

  • Birdfeeding

    Today is mostly cloudy, muggy, and hot. We got more rain yesterday. It's very buggy out. :P I fed the birds. I've seen house finches and wrens.…