~compiled & commented upon by Julie
THE OBLIGATORY:
This week, Amazon announced a new program, dubbed “Amazon Source”, which invites brick & mortar bookstores to sell Kindle devices. In exchange for stocking their (proprietary, by the way) devices, Amazon would give bookstores a cut of eBook sales for the next two years.
To which our CEO (and American Booksellers Association President) Steve Bercu responded in a letter to ABA members:
“It may go without saying, but my favorite industry news of the week is the Amazon publicity stunt announced on the 6th. I admire their nerve in offering another demonstration of their interest in using indie relationships to capture market share. Of course, the failure of the “offer” to include 26 sales tax jurisdictions might just be a coincidence, and setting a two-year term for commissions before taking our customers was a considerate touch. I think I will just stay with Kobo.”
MobyLives, the Melville House blog, rounded up bookseller reaction, including my own personal response:
“I saw the headline this morning and laughed. It’s like the bully at school who steals my lunch money and then invites me to sit down and share a chocolate milk (and only gives me, like, half a sip). Um, no thanks. Chris Morrow from Northshire Bookstores put it right in the PW article: there’s no ‘alignment of values.’”
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THE WAY MORE EXCITING:
Claire Vaye Watkins won another prize! If you were waiting for another reason to read the fabulous short story collection Battleborn, here it is: Watkins just won the Dylan Thomas Prize for new writers. Look at her! She’s going home with 30,000 pounds (as in British dollars)!
(image courtesy of RiverheadBooks instagram feed)
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THE LOCAL:
American Short Fiction is back! After an extended hiatus, ASF is out with a brand new issue. Pick it up right here at BookPeople, then kick back in the coffee shop and read work by Kevin Wilson, Joyce Carol Oates, Kellie Wells and more.
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THE THING WE HOPE YOU DIDN’T MISS:
Donna Tartt was here, and it was incredible. We have no photos, as none were allowed, but we have just a boatload of love and respect for this incredible writer. Tidbits we picked up during her talk (writers, open your ears): Sound is important; writing for the rhythm of a sentence has lead her to come upon some unexpected, interesting word choices. Writing excites her on a sentence-by-sentence level; she likes it when she’s surprised sentence to sentence in a piece she’s reading. Want to read a really good book? Tartt recommends True Grit by Charles Portis.
We have signed copies of The Goldfinch, while they last. Most of them have been signed with the pen she’s had since The Secret History was first published.
BookPeople 
Independent book stores are a dying breed. They need to diversify if they want to continue trading. This is definitely not the way that they should diversify though!
Agreed – this is not the way to diversify. But I have to respectfully disagree about indies being a “dying breed”. Some stores have closed, yes, but new indies are popping up across the country. Stores like Word in Brooklyn are expanding into second locations. We’re on track to once again have our best year in store history. Thanks to the support of our communities, indies are thriving!
Do you know how the new stores are keeping afloat? I can’t think of any indie books stores within 15 miles of where I live. Is it just the nostalgia of an indie book shop? Or is there something else?