Posts Tagged ‘book buying’

Who is today’s book consumer, what are they buying, where are they shopping, what motivates their purchases, and how successful are we at reaching them?

If you’re interested in finding out, you might want to register for the hour-long webinar for industry professionals offered by Bowker and the Association of American Publishers on Thursday, October 22, from 2:00 p.m – 3 pm EDT.

“A program that sheds some light on the mindset and purchasing behavior of book buyers is particularly timely in light of the recession’s impact on retail markets, the rapidly growing demand for e-book content and burgeoning interest in devices and formats, and the real need for a better understanding of book consumers as we head into a critical holiday season,” said Tom Allen, President & CEO of the Association of American Publishers. “We hope the program is informative and provides useful insight for all members of the book trade.”

Attendees will be able to follow the audio presentation and ask questions in real time. Bowker’s Kelly Gallagher, Vice President, Publisher Services, Bowker will present, with the virtual audience Q&A facilitated by AAP Vice President Tina Jordan.

The October 22 event is the first of what is expected to be a series of webinars the two organizations will host in the coming months. A second webinar, “Emerging Book Trends for 2009,” is scheduled for 2 PM ET on Wednesday, December 9. That program will provide an overview of the changing climate of book buying in 2009 including e-book buzz, online social networks and marketing, changing channels, buying versus library patronage, as well as highlight the connection between what publishers publish and what consumers buy.

To register for the October 22 webinar ($49 per individual participant; $99 multiple participants using one login at a company), visit www.bookconsumer.com or email PubTrackInfo@bowker.com.

I finally did it. After ignoring all the hype about Dan Brown’s latest book for weeks, I finally broke down and bought a copy.

I’m not sure why. While I sort of enjoyed The DaVinci Code before people started taking it seriously, Angels and Demons was a complete bust for me. I passed both books on to my friend to read after I was done with them, and I’m absolutely certain she never made it through A&D. Neither did most folks. I can presume this because she dragged me to the movies to see Tom Hanks struggle through the mess, and I seemed to be the only person in the theater that wasn’t surprised at the ending.

Why did I buy? I can’t figure it out.

Part of it, I suppose, was curiosity. Part of it was that I can’t honestly say all the nasty things I want to say about it until I’ve read it.

One thing’s for certain, though. I WILL NOT be going to the movie adaptation IF I make it to the end of the book. If I see the movie, I want to be as surprised as everyone else in the theater for a change.