Everything is changing in the book industry and there is much talk about the preservation of the independent bookstore. Last week Google pulled out if its e-book contract with the American Booksellers Association. Independent booksellers must again reevaluate the reality of providing e-books for their customers.

Everything is changing for our competitors as well: Borders is long gone; Barnes & Noble is giving more space to non-book merchandise; Amazon is not interested in preserving the physical book at all–Bezos has said that he has created the better reading device. (see previous blog)

April 2012 is the time for me to state my feelings about the future of Lemuria: The Real Book Store for Real Books. Our bookstore will live or die with the physical book. Lemuria is all about customer service. Our team of Real Book Sellers work hard to create the very best Book Store for Real Books that we can. Not only do we want the best Books on our bookcases, we also want to be the best for you as we go out into the community.

A lot of our readers have e-reading devices and like them. Even some of Lemuria’s Book Sellers lean this way at times. That’s fine. We want your reading to be pleasurable for you, the reader, in any way you choose. Your reading time is valuable and the degree of pleasure you reap from that experience is irreplaceable.

However, when you think about Real Books we want you to think of Lemuria. We are your Real Book Store.

We are constantly editing our Real Book inventory: first editions, signed or not, mixed in to our stacks; used out-of-print hardbacks mixed in with the best new trade paperbacks. We also emphasize the finest of new hardbacks to keep current. We emphasize depth while striving to not be too stale or predictable. Frankly, we feel a Book Store is about the Real Book. A Real Book Store’s inventory is its Soul.

My point is simple: Lemuria is not and will not be selling e-books. Our customer service skills are focused on what we do best: Real Books in a Real Store.

Bound to Read.

JX//RX

Bookstore Keys Series on Lemuria Blog

Reading One Click: Jeff Bezos and the Rise of amazon.com (March 19) Where will e-book sales level out? (June 2) Indie Bookstores Buying from Amazon? (June 1) BEA Roundup (May 19) Lemuria’s Headed for NYC (May17) Barnes & Noble Bankrupt? (April 28) Decluttering the Book Market: Ads on the latest Kindle (April 14) Independents on the Exposed End of the Titanic? (April 6th) Border’s Bonuses (March 30) The Experience of Holding a Book (March15) Finding “Deep Time” in a Bookstore (March 8th) Reading The New Rules of Retail by Lewis & Dart (March 3) The Future Price of the Physical Book (Feb 18) Borders Declares Bankruptcy (Feb 16) How Great Things Happen at Lemuria (Feb 8th) The Jackson Area Book Market (Jan 25) What’s in Store for Local Bookselling Markets? (Jan 18) Selling Books Is a People Business (Jan 14) A Shift in Southern Bookselling? (Jan 13) The Changing Book Industry (Jan 11)

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