I don't think people buy physical books anymore for two reasons: 1) eBooks are becoming more popular and easily accessible, with a huge number of titles available - most books you can get now. 2) People are more interested in saving money, and many of them will buy second hand or use libraries to help with this. So yes, ultimately, fewer people are deciding to buy books in this way now. It is a shame, but I think publishers need to find their niche in the modern market and try their very best to fit in with it where possible.
I love going to the book store. Though I do agree that some of them are closing shop for good. There is nothing wrong with physical copies. I think it is just a matter of personal preference. Some like the idea of having an ebook because it weighs less and is often cheaper than the physical copy. I like the idea of being able to read a book for hours and not worry about whether or not the batteries have gone down, the sun making the screen have a glare, the tablet stops working,ect. Although I read both ebooks and physical books again it's about personal choice which will effect how people do business and who they will cater to.
I go to bookstores primarily to buy office supplies but lately I stay for a while and read books which are unwrapped and available for free reading. As respect to the store, if i like something that I am currently reading, then I will purchase it, depending also on my budget (but mostly I just free read). The stores are not really dying, but they may have lost patrons because everything can be accessed digitally now like e-books and printable material via the internet.
In regards to textbooks they will still offer physical books and now e-books. They make more money from textbooks physically, but also in a classroom environment it is more practical too. Trying to work from a textbook and also work on a laptop isn't possible, and not all student have computers. There is a big business in the resale of used textbooks, and so the publishers don't benefit, but students do. It probably has saved students lots of money, and so in this area it will probably still thrive.
I cannot remember the last time I got a book from a library. I think the last time was when I went to public school. I do not read books like I used to. I read like subtitles and messages I get though haha. I read these romance reading apps on my phone. They are pretty cool; I would not call them a book though. You can do a couple more things with it, instead of just reading. It is more of a game I would say. So yeah I do not read any more books. I know for sure, that I do not go to a library to read.
I'm surprised that they actually aren't suffering catastophically, but then again I like many others would never see an e-book in the same light as a real book. Just last month I went to the picadilly waterstones and was impressed to see how full the shop was with customers.
Book launches still draw in crowds, especially when a author signs a book, because people will want to sell it on for more money, or that increases the value. I have a friend who has a small publishing company and she focuses on print books only, because the profit margins for e-books is so small, and the genre she publishes is a niche market.
Bookstores are still thriving in my area, although they also are turning into a multi-purpose store. They are even selling safes aside from books. But I dare to guess that since ebooks became popuar, the sales of books have decreased.
I would go to a book launch to have an author sign a book for me if I really liked him/her. I still love book stores. I do buy a lot of e-books right now, mainly because my transportation is limited, but I still really enjoy perusing the shelves of a good book store, and discovering new authors and titles in my preferred sections. I've found that the quality is lacking in a lot of the e-books I've been reading. Apparently there is some issue with dictating e-books and grammatical errors. I can overlook a certain amount of issues, but when the errors are glaring they're hard to overlook, and tend to spoil the reading experience for me.
Well I know that we have had several traditional brick and mortar book stores close down around here recently, and I would not be surprised at all to see that trend continue. Online sales are just killing these stores, plain and simple, and the ones who do not adapt will be left in the dust. It is just a harsh reality, but it is not like books are going anywhere so I am not concerned for the consumer, which is really all that matters for me.
Yes book stores are dying. Amazon has a big hand to play in it as well. I recently bought a whole series of leather bound books that used to cost three times what I paid. Today, book stores are simply having to clear out stock and find innovative ways to stay afloat.
It's sad to say, but the traditional bookstore is dying. As a person who loves to read, this is heartbreaking. Even though I have a Kindle, I still prefer the feel of a book, and the physical turning of the pages. I think many small "unique" bookstores will still be around because they bring something unique to the table, but the big box chains will be a lot smaller. The Barnes and Noble that was in my community closed up shop about six years ago, but the smaller bookstore(a favorite of mine) in our community is still around.
Yeah, I want the small unique bookstores to stay around. Frankly, I love such places. I usually visit this small bookstore near my place. I don't go there just for the books, but also for the conversation. The guy is always busy chatting with some customer, and that is a good sign. He lets me know about the good new books and his reviews are usually spot on.
