tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18086590.post114234193448585898..comments2023-12-23T05:12:55.809-05:00Comments on The Written Nerd: Chronicle: Nerd StarBook Nerdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02896226559142059293noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18086590.post-1142605630536205572006-03-17T09:27:00.000-05:002006-03-17T09:27:00.000-05:00Wow! I hope the Pace students get something usefu...Wow! I hope the Pace students get something useful out of it - it's flattering yet intimidating to find yourself in class reading material! Thanks for the info!<BR/><BR/>I agree with you, Andy -- there's no reason that bookselling shouldn't be a good way to make a living, and even a great living. That's what groups like Emerging Leaders are about. I hope my generation can help to combat that old mentality by creating new business models and ways of thinking.<BR/><BR/>I've got my own ideas for how to make a bookstore profitable, and I'm gathering my research and experience. I totally think it can be done. Thanks for your insights!Book Nerdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02896226559142059293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18086590.post-1142559397553549112006-03-16T20:36:00.000-05:002006-03-16T20:36:00.000-05:00Just thought you might like to know that this arti...Just thought you might like to know that this article is being used as reading material in one of the Pace University graduate classes in the publishing program. So at least 30 people have read this article in the last week. So now you're more famous.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18086590.post-1142377336336088242006-03-14T18:02:00.000-05:002006-03-14T18:02:00.000-05:00Let's hear it for shameless self promotion! I foun...Let's hear it for shameless self promotion! I found your blog via Bookseller chick. Very fun- I suspect I've found yet another distraction from things I should be doing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18086590.post-1142346899306143652006-03-14T09:34:00.000-05:002006-03-14T09:34:00.000-05:00Congratulations! I thought Robert's focus on how ...Congratulations! I thought Robert's focus on how you can't make money in the book business was intriguing -- especially since we was citing official industry statistics and spokespeople. People told us that when Chris and I got into the biz as well, in the early 80s. We believed them, and ran our stores accordingly. I told lots of people, for ten years, "You can't make money in the book business."<BR/><BR/>Then we got a very expensive location and started selling a lot of sidelines along with the books. We were paying double what the official bookseller "rules" say you should pay for rent. Our sales skyrocketed and our personal incomes tripled. <BR/><BR/>I no longer say to anyone, "You can't make money in the book business." Instead I say, "If jerks like Len Riggio of Barnes & Noble can make money, and outsiders like Jeff Bezos of Amazon can make money, then booklovers like us can make money in the book business." It's very simple: we just have to reinvent the wheel. With your own wheel, you can make money. With a borrowed wheel handed down from the "older generation" -- you can't make money, just like they couldn't. <BR/><BR/>Unfortunately, this "No Money" mantra is dragging the whole field down by keeping creative, motivated people out of the field.<BR/><BR/>Andy Laties<BR/>www.rebelbookseller.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com