Barnes & Noble Said to Be Likely To End Search Without Buyer

Businessweek:

Barnes & Noble Inc., the largest U.S. bookstore chain, is likely to end its months-long search for a buyer without a sale of the company, said five people with knowledge of the bidding process.

Read the whole story: Businessweek

Comments

[hairydodger]

05:41 PM on 03/27/2011

From an author's point of view: The guy driving the truck that is delivering my paper printed books gets paid before I do. My percentage of the retail brick and mortor store sale is chopped to well below ten percent while my ebook will pay me seventy percent. I can actually afford to give five thousand or more ebooks away to help kick start interest my enhanced ebook in the iTunes ebook store and haven't killed one tree or used one gallon of gas. This is not a commercial posting as the enhanced ebook for your iPad is free. This is a brand new type of book that has videos to match the text. It took over thirty people to make this enhanced ebook. Once again, it is free so this isn't a commercial posting. From your iPad go to the iTunes ebook store and search for Box Head Man. You will experience a whole new type of ebook. For those of you that like the feel and smell of a printed book I know that paper books won't be killed by ebooks and I'm happy for that.

[Larkin31]

03:57 PM on 03/24/2011

The closing of various bookstores (new and used) in my area (seacoast New England) is depressing. I do not like e-readers, and I am upset to hear that these sales are what are driving the issue for investors. Oh well. I'll hold onto my full body-experience with paper books for as long as I can....

[Sarijj]

12:26 AM on 03/25/2011

E-readers only count for about 10% of book sales. Our terrible economy and over priced hardbacks may be the real cause of the closing of so many good book stores.

[Indigo1941]

09:40 PM on 03/23/2011

Oh, nuts! Just when I'm psyching myself up to get a Nook Color. I prefer B&N to the other distributors, I'm comfortable with their coffee shop browsing stores, and I hang out there so yes, it's going to be the Nook Color. The switchover from print to e- is a little painful but I'm of the generation that fussed when hardback books were displaced in the market by paperbacks. Now paperbacks can be displaced by e- and there's two advantages I can think of, one is that the e-publications are less expensive (same argument in favor of paperback 40 years ago!) and e-storage is a piece of the cloud. That's a whole lot more convenient than another trip to the Home Depot for more cement blocks and wooden planks to make another bookcase. I think it's the Nook Color for me. Gosh I hope it doesn't turn out to be another 8-track wonder.

[Gudrun]

11:19 AM on 03/24/2011

I looked at the Nook Color a couple of weeks ago, and it does seem very nice. I have a Kindle DX and iPad, and that pretty well covers the bases for me. I can also read these books on my phone, which I rather enjoy doing on the go. I know it is a difficult decision to make, but I bet you will be pleased with the Nook.

[Indigo1941]

12:10 PM on 03/24/2011

Thanks for the input. My options are limited and the Nook Color seems like the one that covers the bases for me. I downloaded the Nook for PC option and already like it so I'm going ahead with the purchase. It'll help in the long run to limit the number of books I accumulate. I'm not a hoarder but sometimes it feels that way with all the aging paperbacks that surround me. Time to clean it out! Again, thanks for the input.

[playflute2]

08:46 PM on 03/25/2011

Indigo, my problems with e-readers are multiple. One, after just so long a time my eyes grow very tired looking at and reading from a screen. Two, there is nothing to compare with holding a book in your hands and reading. Just because it is technology does not always mean that it is good.

[Indigo1941]

09:05 PM on 03/25/2011

I recognize that. My eyes also get tired from computer screens so I can bundle those two issues into one and deal with it. Read for a while, do something else for a while. That's cool. As for holding a book, I'm an old guy and have lived a bookish life so I relate but I'm also willing to introduce tech into my life. There's a balance to be found, that's for certain, but I'm already enjoying Bram Stoker's 'Dracula' in the e-format on Nook Color. It's fun too. I'm pretty sure my leatherbound Shakespeare will stay right where it is, though.

[XFilesTheTruthIsOutThere]

06:48 PM on 03/23/2011

I've joined Smashwords to make my novel "Take Me Home" available to iPad, iPhone, Sony Reader and any other device for the individual who doesn't own a Kindle or Nook. The download will cost $2.99 and certainly well worth the price! So pick up a copy and begin reading it this weekend!

http://bit.ly/gNYQU0

[Gudrun]

11:24 AM on 03/24/2011

So, what would be the proper choice for iPad?

[XFilesTheTruthIsOutThere]

11:37 AM on 03/24/2011

Hi Gudrun. I've had many fans download my novel from Amazon and expressed satisfaction. I just joined Smashwords yesterday and it appears after looking at the layout of how you can view my book, you shouldn't have an issue. But some people feel the quality of reading books from Kindle differs from that of say reading it on a Nook, iPhone, etc.

I do hope you'll enjoy my novel and post your comments/reviews on either site.

Richard A Custer