Borders just declared bankruptcy.

[Guynemer]

Guy, what do you think of this? You're a Doctor without Borders.

Oy.

As a Doctor without Borders but with a Novelist Wife, this concerns the **** out of us. The publishing industry is not in a good place right now, and it is the paperback writers--never that financially secure to begin with--who are suffering the most.

[Agent Sox]

I'm more concerned with the American government censoring things than private companies.

Sure but you know in the future as governments and companies become even closer there won't be much of a difference. Now the companies have the tools and that will be the same for awhile too I bet.

[SlowwHand]

A world where books are ruled by Amazon would be terrible. They can edit and delete all the books in the world if they want to.

Exactly. So while Asher contests my "It's not a good thing" comment, it's not a good thing.

[Agent Sox]

Wow someone actually agrees with me!

[Elok]

Oy.

As a Doctor without Borders but with a Novelist Wife, this concerns the **** out of us. The publishing industry is not in a good place right now, and it is the paperback writers--never that financially secure to begin with--who are suffering the most.

How long d'you suppose it'll take for the world of literature/publishing to adapt to changes in technology?

[Gibsie]

They've all been closed in the UK for a year or so. Waterstones is next (But mind you, Waterstones took over a lot of Borders stores in towns that already had a Waterstones, and don't really need two in the same place).

[Asher]

Exactly. So while Asher contests my "It's not a good thing" comment, it's not a good thing.

It's a good thing. They were obviously uncompetitive.

[Perfection]

Yeah, but they were the only place I could walk in and be guaranteed to find one book that I'd like.

Barnes & Noble's can shove it

Half Priced books is good though!

But yeah, it's all about the 'zon.

[Aeson]

It's sad especially since I have fond memories of digging through small used book stores for old fantasy novels and what not but I guess that is the way of the world.

this may actually help to bring some small bookstores back. While a there may not be enough customers in a given community these days to support a book megastore, they may still be able to support a much smaller operation.

[Perfection]

Nope, cuz half-priced fills that role.

[Guynemer]

How long d'you suppose it'll take for the world of literature/publishing to adapt to changes in technology?

I have no earthly idea.

[Imran Siddiqui]

It's a good thing. They were obviously uncompetitive.

This.

Also, I love my Kindle.

[SlowwHand]

Short-sighted.

[Ben Kenobi]

this may actually help to bring some small bookstores back. While a there may not be enough customers in a given community these days to support a book megastore, they may still be able to support a much smaller operation.

This has been the case in Prince George. There's just one independently owned bookstore now, which is a drastic reduction. Different world, I would have taken over (with 2 other owners), the small bookstore downtown. Heaven knows that between the books that my family owns we had enough to open up a store without their present stock, let alone the combination of the two.

I'm pretty sure half of it was my dad buying books from them in the first place!

The owner offered to sell at a reasonable price, which was rather shocking, but he wasn't happy with the business or the location (building across from them had huge fire). I guess the question for me is whether the community could support the bookstore being downtown (most shoppers did not come downtown), and whether even with relocation that would be sufficient to turn them around. Thought about that for a long time, but I wasn't the right person to buy the business, and the business wasn't the right place for me. They needed someone who was willing to make a longterm commitment to the city, and I needed a steady paycheck.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Short-sighted.

More like long sighted