In rapid response to my previous post (originally posted on Pub-Forum.net) I've received an email from Tordis Isselhardt, a mover/shaker with Independent Publishers of New England. Tordis updated me on IPNE's growth and ambitions, and I would say that BiblioExpeditions should certainly be able to take advantage of the existing indie publisher networks to generate a slew of public relations mechanisms.
For instance: consider Learning Annex. Why couldn't a similar, FEE-BASED Continuing Education function that relied heavily on independent publishers for programming be enacted in indie bookstores throughout the Northeast? The program fees would go toward book purchases. That is: a big disincentive for indie bookstores when it comes to booking unknown authors is the belief that not enough books will sell, because not enough customers will attend. But if these events were configured as Classes, with up-front fees -- the problem is solved. All that's needed is to sell tickets up front, and all the risk is alleviated, for both publisher and bookseller. Now, since customers are not USED to paying to attend book-events, the solution is to have a Third Party producer.
BiblioExpeditions could produce a seasonal catalog of "course offerings" to be held at bookstores thoughout the Northeast (and, on buses traveling between those stores). The catalog could be disseminated by the partnering bookstores (and other places, too). The "course fees" would include 1) Admittance, 2) One Book, 3) Refreshments (?), and, 4) optionally, Transportation intracity or intercity to the Course. Also, 5) Overnight Lodging. Heck, 6) Literary Walking Tour add-on...
Gotta go and open my store...
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment