Posts Tagged First Amendment

Book Bloggers Get in Bed with Baby Boomer Booksellers!

Get in Bed with a Bookseller #3

This information should not surprise anyone but, for the most part, booksellers are baby-boomers, and bloggers are not.  Blogs have only been around in a big way for the past ten years while most bookstores that are thriving today are either brand new, or they are 25+ years old.  And herein is an opportunity for you.  Surviving and thriving over the last 15 years ensures outstanding bookstores that are well-established in the industry and able to provide you with contacts and information that could take years to gather on your own.

And because booksellers are often baby-boomers (as am I), we may have a tendency to think we know everything and many may need to be convinced to enter these partnerships.  But together, we have the tools to convince them.  So, what kinds of information does a bookseller want when considering a blogger as partner?  Booksellers want someone who shares their passion for books as well as the First Amendment.  That said,

FOR WEEK THREE:

1. Create a one-page with information you are willing to share about your blog.  How many folks read it?  What kinds of books do you review?  Which is your most popular post?  Where do you get your books from?  Are you a customer/browser of their store/blog? What kinds of things can you assist with and what kinds of assistance do you need?  How long have you been blogging?  Why do you blog?

2. Visit your local independent(s). Introduce yourself.  See if the store offers an affiliate program.

That’s it.  Stop.  Go post something.  More next week.

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Booksellers & BookBloggers, Spirited & Passionate

Get in Bed With a Book Blogger #1

Get in Bed 2010 Blog ProjectBooksellers are first entrepreneurs.  They are spirited and passionate for books and their businesses in a way that many cannot imagine.  These are people who want to build a business that serves their community, protects the First Amendment, and provides a cross-section of choices for consumers.  And they want to be able to make a living, support their families, and provide for their employees.  This is no small feat any time.

And especially now, booksellers are trying to do everything they have always done, and add a whole slew of new things to their day.  Blog, Tweet, Post, Website, E-Commerce, Events, Newsletters, on, and on, and on and on.  So SIBA wants to help you break it down.  Let’s just do one thing a week.  This week, I want you to learn about blogging, what it is, what it can do, and how you might not need to do it at all.  You might only need to find someone who is already book blogging who can see that your established name in the industry, bevy of contacts, extensive expertise, and unparalleled passion is all they need from you to support you and your store’s efforts.

Take a stroll around The Book Lady’s Blog:  Literary Adventures of a Panty-Throwing, Book-Loving Wild Woman.  This is the blogger that has partnered with The Fountain Bookstore.  Everybody wins.  Fountain Bookstore promotes The Book Lady’s Blog at the store website.  Kelly shares ARCs & Galleys with Rebecca.  Rebecca has introduced some of her favorite authors at Fountain Bookstore’s events, and Kelly and Rebecca went to BEA together where Rebecca garnered favor with Kelly’s contacts, and vice versa.  Kelly has enjoyed sales via Rebecca’s blog, Rebecca has garnered advertising for her blog, and both have gained some recognition in the industry as players.

FOR WEEK ONE:
1. Watch this video, Blogs in Plain English (this will help you understand just how blogs came to be and their value)
2. Read a book blog or two (http://bookbloggerappreciationweek.com/index.php/awards/2009) , if you don’t already (learn who these fine folks are and that they love books just as much as you do)

That’s it.  Stop.  Go shelve or something.  More next week.

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