Amazon to open bookstore in D.C.

Amazon plans to open a bookstore in Georgetown. According to Vornado Realty Trust CEO Steve Roth, Amazon has agreed to lease a 10,000-square-foot space at 3040 M St. NW. Amazon currently operates bookstores in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Oregon and Washington. Its website lists six “coming soon” locations in California, New Jersey, New York and Washington.

The State of Utah Benefits from Amazon Sales Tax Model

The Denver Post reports, “The state of Utah has seen its sales tax revenue skyrocket since the online retail giant Amazon.com agreed to collect taxes on purchases.” Officials refused to say how much of the tax revenue came directly from Amazon. Amazon began collecting the 4.7% sales tax in Utah in January under a deal with the state that allows Amazon to get the same 1.31 percent of the taxes-collected-handling-fee that in-state retailers receive.

EU’s New E-book Rules Worry Booksellers

“While the European Commission’s aim is to foster competition, the new rule may have the opposite effect,” says the The European and International Booksellers Federation. The EIBF, which primarily represents small and medium-sized booksellers, believes the shift may force many booksellers to abandon selling e-books altogether. In a press release they state that although 70-85% of booksellers in any given country in the EC sell e-books, the rule change would be to the “sole benefit” of the dominant multi-national e-book platforms, such as Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, and Google Play Books.” Read the full story …

2016 Was a Tough year for Independent Christian stores

Christian stores saw a 6 percent sales decline in 2016 over 2015. According to CROSS:SCAN data, 61 percent of reporting stores saw higher transaction averages but less traffic. While a decrease in store traffic is a major contributor to the sales decline, Christian stores also lack strong omnichannel capabilities (voice, email, SMS/text, web, mobile or social media presence)  that enable them to connect with consumers online.  As a percentage of the population with more disposable income increases, Christian-store customer segments may see a boost print-book sales. Read the full story …

Tips for Marketing Your Book

Join me May 21 – 25 at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference  where I’ll teach workshops on:

Why You’re Not Getting Book Contracts and What To Do About It

The book publishing industry changed last decade … year … month. Did you?  Learn the top mistakes writers make when they pitch their book and what to do about it.

Why You’re Not Getting Amazon Reviews and What To Do About It

Amazon book reviews are social-proof and one of the top reason online consumers make a purchase. Learn how to increase the number and rating of your book’s Amazon reviews.

Why You’re Not Selling Copies of Your Book and What To Do About It 

Do you have a sales goal for each of your books?  A royalty target?  A marketing budget?  Would you like to have a top-seller?  Learn the secrets that can turn any good book into a “blessed seller.”