Geoffrey Settle Posted December 22, 2009 Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 With Borders closing, I'm wondering what the growing impact of Amazon on book shops. Where do you buy your books? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DS Posted December 22, 2009 Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 Certainly not from Amazon. But with Borders closing, we have a choice of Smiths or Waterstones - neither of them "local" bookshops. I think a lot of the problem at both is their book buying policy - if you are not a "big name" they don't want to know. When I was marketing my own book I found my best outlets were shops that don't sell books normally. I more or less sold out and made a profit, so my advice to authors would be to try selling through unusual outlets and to book buyers, try and find an independent bookseller. Nearest is Hale, Altrincham, I believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Settle Posted December 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 DS I bought your book from Edward Allens. Isn't there an independent book shop in Stockton Heath just opposite the Old Fire Station? He was very helpful when I was last there but that was a few years back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disgusted Posted December 22, 2009 Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 3 for ?5 at Asda, or wherever seels some at similar price. Unless it's a particular book of some sort, then almost certainly Amazon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primedius Posted December 22, 2009 Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 Amazon every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted December 22, 2009 Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 league of friends in the hospital, second hand bookstall in the market,supermarket (if it is one that i really want and it is on special offer), library book sales when they have them. mind you i very rarely buy new books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Kennedy Posted December 22, 2009 Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 DS I bought your book from Edward Allens. Isn't there an independent book shop in Stockton Heath just opposite the Old Fire Station? He was very helpful when I was last there but that was a few years back. . It closed a number of years ago Geoff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted December 22, 2009 Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 I buy my books from Borders and will miss it Was in there at weekend and all credit to the staff as despite finding out the hard way that they are loosing their jobs they were as helpfull and friendly as ever. Sadly I could not buy the book I had in my hand when I got to the till as it was checked against a long list and apparently some publishers had put injunctions on Borders that day to stop them selling their books. Good luck to all the staff at Borders and I hope you all find new jobs soon x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingnut Posted December 22, 2009 Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 Coch Y Bondu Books, Internet. At one time, "Shued Hill" in Manchester for second hand books. Out of print books on the internet if I want them badly enough. Had a couple of bargains of out of print books at Book Fairs at Parr Hall. Agree with others on here, even modern books can be hard to get hold of in the modern bookshops in Warrington. So it's either thumb through Yellow Pages or tinternet. I know which is the easier (sadly). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LymmParent Posted December 22, 2009 Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 Isn't the Book Loft still going in Warrington? There's an indpendent bookshop in Alty, right by M&S as it faces the market, and I think the second hand one, Abacus, is still going strong. Lymm's not had a bookshop since God was a boy.... I like bookpeople.co.uk and bibliophile.co.uk but I do also like amazon. I think tesco & co selling new books at half the RRP has had as much impact on bookshops as the internet though. Certainly the local CD shops like Music Zone got squeezed out by their prices. Nobody can compete with sellers like the supermarkets, simply because they can take a tiny profit on these additional goods, on the basis that they are making their money on your groceries to cover running costs and staff. You're in there anyway buying bog roll, they sell cheaper than anyone else, what you gonna do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted December 22, 2009 Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 I'm sorry but supermarkets only ever seem to sell fiction and cookery books. Can't really compare them to the likes of Borders who sell an enormous range of books where you can even sit down and browse through the content of the books before you buy. Not into fictional story books myself but I do like the more informative topics and learning aids depending on what tickles my fancy at the time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted December 22, 2009 Report Share Posted December 22, 2009 Isn't the Book Loft still going in Warrington? There's an indpendent bookshop in Alty, right by M&S as it faces the market, and I think the second hand one, Abacus, is still going strong. Lymm's not had a bookshop since God was a boy.... I like bookpeople.co.uk and bibliophile.co.uk but I do also like amazon. I think tesco & co selling new books at half the RRP has had as much impact on bookshops as the internet though. Certainly the local CD shops like Music Zone got squeezed out by their prices. Nobody can compete with sellers like the supermarkets, simply because they can take a tiny profit on these additional goods, on the basis that they are making their money on your groceries to cover running costs and staff. You're in there anyway buying bog roll, they sell cheaper than anyone else, what you gonna do? I would have thought you would be a D.H.Lawrence fan, LP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 Borders was a great facility, including the Starbucks facility and it just shows the depths of this depression the country is in that places like this are closing down. I don't use the word depression lightly either. The economy is going to continue to tumble for some time to come and only the strong will survive. It is a shame organisations like Borders who run national chains don't engage a little more with the local community - then they would have a chance. Oh and I can't vote because the only place I ever have the time to buy a book is an airport! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoffrey Settle Posted December 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 I tend to use Amazon because I need specialist books for my course and they are usually over ?25 new. On Amazon I can buy them second hand for a fraction of the price and usually they are in very good condition. Amazon also has a members club (Vine club) and they send you a list of new books. You simply select two for free and review them. You just have to be one of their established reviewers. Borders was good because you could always find somewhere to sit and look at books as well as having a chocolate and a sticky bun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LymmParent Posted December 23, 2009 Report Share Posted December 23, 2009 I would have thought you would be a D.H.Lawrence fan, LP. Cannot abide the drivelling little pervert's watery nonsense. Never could. Maudlin tripe that only ever got an outing because of the smutty bits, and frankly, they were more irritating than interesting. Can't think why you'd link that sort of twaddle to me. Unless you've not read it..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carmina Fothergill Posted December 28, 2009 Report Share Posted December 28, 2009 Borders was useless. I went in there once, and I wasn't able to concentrate on any of the books I was looking at because of the over-loud, intrusive pop music playing continually in there. Music of any kind is inappropriate for a bookshop, but what Borders chose to inflict on their customers was particularly insensitive. I left and never went back. One of my friends had the same experience and emailed Borders about the problem, explaining that people go to a book shop to look at the books and decide about buying based on what they read on the back cover and flipping through the pages, checking the index and so on. If you can't concentrate to do that you may as well order off the Internet. He never had a reply to his email. And now the idiots have closed down. Who cares? There are no sellers of intelligent books in Warrington. It has to be Amazon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted December 28, 2009 Report Share Posted December 28, 2009 There are no sellers of intelligent books in Warrington. It has to be Amazon. Are they the ones that read themselves? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egbert Posted December 28, 2009 Report Share Posted December 28, 2009 Lymmparent is clearly not only someone who isjudging DHL on just one of his novels, but also someone with no appreciation of the use of language. I quite agree that his use of four letter words was unnecessary and I did not think much of Lady C, but to suggest that one of the finest ever writers in the English language only got his book published for that reason shows complete ignorance. In fact, he got it published DESPITE the language, not BECAUSE of it. Unlike many novelists and screenwriters today! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted December 28, 2009 Report Share Posted December 28, 2009 Bit harsh Carmina F and I'd hardly call the staff idiots in there ...... and I can't say I ever noticed the very loud music either. Maybe your hearing aid was turned up too loud Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted December 28, 2009 Report Share Posted December 28, 2009 Bit harsh Carmina F and I'd hardly call the staff idiots in there ...... and I can't say I ever noticed the very loud music either. Maybe your hearing aid was turned up too loud ouch. Very sad. WHY do some people not adapt to the way some things are? Borders was a good shop that was multi-functional. If you have concentration powers, perhaps sitting at home and trying Amazon is the best thing. Just which part of the shop was noisy??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted December 28, 2009 Report Share Posted December 28, 2009 I'd have thought concentration 'problems' is a more apt comment as anyone with the 'power' of concentration, like me , can cope wonderfully in most environments. Now I sit and wait for Carmilla's reply telling me that I obviously NEED to turn my hearing aid UP... when she gets back from the library of course Anyway, I've said it before and I'll say it again.... I will miss Borders and it's helpfull and friendly staff. I was trully impressed with the professional manner in which they all continued to do their jobs right to the very end despite just finding out the hard way that they were losing their jobs before Christmas and watching the store being emptied of all stock AND fixtures and fittings before their own eyes. I wish them all well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingnut Posted December 28, 2009 Report Share Posted December 28, 2009 I'll be having a look at Cheshire Oaks tomorrow, weather permitting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disgusted Posted December 28, 2009 Report Share Posted December 28, 2009 There are no sellers of intelligent books in Warrington. It has to be Amazon. What's an intelligent book? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted December 28, 2009 Report Share Posted December 28, 2009 One that stops when red! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted December 28, 2009 Report Share Posted December 28, 2009 As I mentioned earlier it is one that reads itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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