Author Book Signings: Will Bookstores Begin Charging To Attend?

nytimes.com:

Independent bookstores, squeezed by competition from Internet retailers like Amazon, have long done something their online brethren cannot emulate: author events. And now many bookstores say they have no choice but to capitalize on this grand tradition.

Read the whole story: nytimes.com

Comments

[thebigbike]

08:37 PM on 06/22/2011

I say Right On! I have zero objection to that, especially the part about buying the damn book. I have never been to an author appearance when I did not buy the current book, for signing, I have called the store ahead, sometimes to ask if if I could bring other books I already owned for signing, and then asked the author if he/she minded. Just a side question, could you get an author to sign an ebook ibook or whatever you call them? I thought not.

[NancyPeske]

07:55 PM on 06/22/2011

I think charging for an event is tacky and will backfire. It's better to have the author remind people to buy a book AT THE STORE and to buy other books as well in order to defray the costs. Most people who can afford to see the author will respond to a "nudge" while those that can't--elderly people and students, for instance, won't be embarrassed, and will leave with a good feeling about that bookstore. Ask. Don't demand.

http://www.nancypeske.wordpress.com

[raven119]

06:35 PM on 06/22/2011

This trend is a bad idea. Don't bookstores want to bring people into their stores and make them feel at home there? With consumers having a rough time scrapping together money to buy a book at $26.95,

I find it difficult to believe that bookstores want to alienate customers further by charging an entrance fee.Certainly, a store like R.Julia can command extra cash from its well-heeled clientele and shops in major cities can expect that there are a few shoppers who will buy their way into an event as a prestige factor, but I always thought that the author was the enticement to attend and buy a book.

Charging a fee seems to undercut the author and the publisher. Why doesn't the author just cut out the bookstore, hire a hall and sell his/her own book without the bookstore as middleman?

[Dragoon]

04:30 PM on 06/22/2011

I always saw it as common courtesy to purchase the book at the store holding the event, especially when the author is promoting their newest release. Some leeway should be given with regards to the author's previous books though.

McNally Jackson is awesome and you can't sign a Kindle!!

[Woods-shade]

11:44 AM on 06/22/2011

As for myself, I don't mind going into a bookstore to. buy. a. book. (usually half a dozen) I can understand their plight; it's a sad necessity these days. I don't like seeing any bookshop go out of business.