# Borders Files Chapter 11



## CJ West (Feb 24, 2010)

Borders filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection and will close 200 stores.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/46157-borders-pulls-the-trigger-on-chapter-11.html?utm_source=Publishers+Weekly%27s+PW+Daily&utm_campaign=cd64b92b1b-UA-15906914-1&utm_medium=email

What does this mean for e-books?

It seems the biggest winners will be the brick & mortar stores that compete directly with the stores being closed.

Will you be upset if your local Borders store closes?


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## BarbraAnnino (Jan 27, 2011)

The closest Borders is 20 miles away, so no, I won't miss it. 

I think we might see a rise in Indy stores- even niche indies like mystery shops- with the closing of the big chains.


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## tim290280 (Jan 11, 2011)

BarbraAnnino said:


> The closest Borders is 20 miles away, so no, I won't miss it.
> 
> I think we might see a rise in Indy stores- even niche indies like mystery shops- with the closing of the big chains.


20, is that all? Mine is 240 kilometers away.

I don't know that Indy stores will be on the rise in Australia. We have less of a market for that. I think it is likely to make online stores more prevalent to cut down on store front costs. Is that likely in the USA as well, given you have 10x the population we do?


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## Amanda Brice (Feb 16, 2011)

I really hope my local Borders doesn't close. I really love it.

At least around here, indy bookstores tend to be very hostile towards Romance and Mystery, which are my two favorite genres. They'll do mysteries as long as they're political thrillers, though.


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## jason10mm (Apr 7, 2009)

Wow, really? Every indie store I've ever been in has used romance and mystery novels as the cornerstore of their business! Of course the last non-used indie book store I've ever seen was Horizon Books in Charlotte, which I think closed or converted to a franchise store in the early 90's (about the time I left for school and stopped propping it up with my frequent purchases, I suspect


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## Autumn Jordon (Jul 21, 2010)

I'm sad to hear this. Borders is romance friendly and I love reading the genre. Infact, they are very open to holding local author signings. Much more than other large chain store. 

I think Barbara is right. We might see more genre specfic indie stores open.  Shelf space at W-mart and Groceries are already at a premium.

Cyber-space might be the only place large enough to house all books. Too bad we couldn't have a vitual world bookstore (like 2nd world) where we could browse the shelfs as if in an actual store, chat with others and purchase our dowloads.  I don't think it's far off, though.


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## planet_janet (Feb 23, 2010)

I will be very sad if my local Borders closes.  It's only a couple of miles away from my house and it's a great place to take the kids on a rainy day.


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## R. Doug (Aug 14, 2010)

Here is a link to the list of Borders Stores that are closing. It's in PDF image format rather than actual text, so you have to visually scan all four pages of listings rather than being able to use the search function.


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## L.J. Sellers novelist (Feb 28, 2010)

The bigger issue is that Borders owes publishers about $230 million. If the company defaults on those debts, who is going to continue shipping books to Borders? Some publishers have already stopped shipping it books. Without new inventory, especially bestsellers, how will it stay in business? I'm not optimistic for Borders' future.

L.J.

_--- edited... no self-promotion outside the Book Bazaar forum. please read our Forum Decorum thread._


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## Kenneth Rosenberg (Dec 3, 2010)

It reminds me of what happened to the music business after itunes came out (and Napster before that).  I remember Tower Records seemed like the cornerstone of the brick and mortar music business, and then the next thing you know, poof, they were gone.  It's definitely sad.  I used to love going to big music stores and looking through all the new releases, but I haven't done that in years and years.  The same thing is happening to bookstores now.  It's not just ebooks, but also people ordering paper books cheaper and easier online.

I can't see many independent bookstores opening in this environment, either.  My mom owned an independent bookstore for twenty-five years in the town where I grew up, but a few years ago it went out of business.  I'm surprised that any independent stores can hang on at all.


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## Chryse (Oct 4, 2010)

I'll be bummed if Borders closes around here. That would mean the closest bookstore to me (Barnes & Noble) would be about an hour and a half away. We have a used bookstore about twenty minutes away, but the selection isn't that great. I'll probably end up getting books from Target if Borders closes.


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## stormhawk (Apr 29, 2009)

I heard about this early this morning. I have a friend who is a Border's store manager. Her store is not on the list. Most of the closing stores seem to be 20K+ sq ft.


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## Chryse (Oct 4, 2010)

stormhawk said:


> I heard about this early this morning. I have a friend who is a Border's store manager. Her store is not on the list. Most of the closing stores seem to be 20K+ sq ft.


How do you know if your store is on the list?


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

Chryse said:


> How do you know if your store is on the list?


There's a list here: http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/documents/st_borders0216_20110216.html

I'm not sure if it's complete. One of the two near me has had going out of business signs up for a while and it's listed. But maybe it was going out of business on it's own before this round of closing I guess. The other one 4 or 5 miles away from that one is staying open for now (no signs up and not on the list).


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## theraven (Dec 30, 2009)

I don't have a Borders close to me but this makes me sad. I have fond memories of Borders and the writer's group that I used to belong to when I lived in Virginia.


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## R. Doug (Aug 14, 2010)

Here's another article with relevant PDF links of the filing and store closing lists: Publishers' Weekly

Looks as if they really targeted the megastores, especially those over 40,000 square feet.


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## Neekeebee (Jan 10, 2009)

I will miss going to Borders.  Even though I read most of my books in eformat now, I do like to browse and even see the paper form of my favorite books.  It seems people only go to Borders now to sit in the coffee shop with their laptops, though.  There is a never a line at checkout.  

But then I was just remembering the other day how all the small and independent bookstores went out of business 10-15 years ago b/c they couldn't compete with Borders and Barnes.  I'm sure there were other reasons too....

N


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## CJ West (Feb 24, 2010)

Here is the list of stores that are planned to close:

http://www.publishersweekly.com/binary-data/ARTICLE_ATTACHMENT/file/000/000/242-1.pdf


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## Tris (Oct 30, 2008)

I'm actually not surprised they filed.  They always seemed to have the most expensive prices compared to the local B&N and even Amazon online.  They are totally behind on the whole e-book bandwagon.  Not to mention in my State, they were always next to B&Ns which had the same items but at much cheaper prices.

I'm surprised they lasted this long!

I feel bad for it's employees but the company's management really needed to get their act together and now they are "in the hole".

I only have one Borders that I actually liked and met up with many friends there and hung out a bit.  That was in good ol' Pentagon City...Hayes Street.  Took the metro there a lot!  From the PDF list it seems to one of the stores staying open.  

Tris


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

Barnes and Noble and Borders drove out the independent bookstores, so if they were both to go under, it might be good for independents. If the foxes are eating all the rabbits, remove the foxes, and the rabbits might come back.


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## Jan Strnad (May 27, 2010)

It's one thing to hang out in a store, and quite another to actually buy products there. I'm afraid too many people did the former but not the latter. I even know of people who would shop b&m stores then go home and order their books from Amazon. 

Borders' management made a number of disastrous mistakes, but I feel that they are simply the canary in the coal mine. Things change, businesses come and go, and by and large (at least in America) the people get what they want. What they want is cheap goods at the cost of the stores they profess to love, at the cost of their friends' and neighbors' jobs, at the cost of everything else.

Maybe Borders will survive in a leaner, smaller form, but I think the day of the megabookstore is over.


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## R. Doug (Aug 14, 2010)

I still think Chapter 11 isn't in the cards on this one. It's looking more and more like a Chapter 7.


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## PraiseGod13 (Oct 27, 2008)

I used to like our closest Borders (about 30 miles away) but I haven't enjoyed it for some time now.  They totally stopped selling hardcover books and went to paperbacks only.  Since I'm NOT a fan of paperbacks.... they lost my business.


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## Cuechick (Oct 28, 2008)

Boarders can only blame themselves. They have been slow to embrace technology and in our techno obsessed culture, is a sure way to commit business suicide. As a photographer, I was reluctant to move from film to digital but it was the only way to stay competitive. Now I can't imagine working without it. It is sink or swim... B&N chose to swim, while Boarders sinks.


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## Cuechick (Oct 28, 2008)

PraiseGod13 said:


> I used to like our closest Borders (about 30 miles away) but I haven't enjoyed it for some time now. They totally stopped selling hardcover books and went to paperbacks only. Since I'm NOT a fan of paperbacks.... they lost my business.


Ahh, another brilliant business decision. Let's just give patrons _another_ reason to shop elsewhere. Lord.


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## Amanda Brice (Feb 16, 2011)

jason10mm said:


> Wow, really? Every indie store I've ever been in has used romance and mystery novels as the cornerstore of their business!


I think it really depends on where you are. My mom used to work at an indie store in NJ, and they had an OK romance section, but the ones in this area are very hostile towards Romance. Actively look down their nose at it. If it's not lit fic or political non-fic it's not worth selling.


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## Karl Fields (Jan 24, 2011)

Borders has slow-played the last two big technological shifts to hit the book business and its cost them. Their first website was actually Amazon with a Borders logo slapped on it, like they thought this whole internet thing was just a fad. By the time they figured out that they really needed a website, they were well behind the curve. The pattern was more or less repeated with ebooks/ereaders.


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

There do seem to be a number of independent stores that have found a niche. We have a fantastic science fiction and mystery bookstore in Minneapolis. A friend of mine had been looking for a book for years. He couldn't remember the name of the title, and could only vaguely describe it. The staff there knew exactly what book he was looking for, and he had it in his hands in about a minute. Other stores have different areas of specialization.


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## Cuechick (Oct 28, 2008)

I also love a good used bookstore. I think those will survive and do hope smaller specialty shops continue to find their niche. 
I think if your creative and create something no one else has, you can still do very well. Like this Sci Fi shop mentioned above or Larry Edmunds in Hollywood, which has the most extensive cinema/theatrical collection of any store anywhere.


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## FictionalWriter (Aug 4, 2010)

Love this idea.

It's sad that they're in such straits but Borders only started selling ebooks in the summer of 2010. Nuf said.



Autumn Jordon said:


> Cyber-space might be the only place large enough to house all books. Too bad we couldn't have a vitual world bookstore (like 2nd world) where we could browse the shelfs as if in an actual store, chat with others and purchase our dowloads. I don't think it's far off, though.


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## R. Doug (Aug 14, 2010)

Going-Out-of-Business signs should be going up today at 200 stores.


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## stormhawk (Apr 29, 2009)

Here is a difficult question ... do I go to the closest closing store to help reduce their inventory, or do I just sit back, and read my Kindle?


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

If paper books do hang on, I wonder if this could work as a way for paper books and e-books to coexist. You walk into the store, browse the bookshelves. When you find a book, you take your ebook reader, scan the barcode of the book, and then take your reader to the counter. The register querries you ebook reader, gets the title of the book you want, and sends the book to your ebook reader. Of course, if you wanted the paper book, you just take the paper book to the counter as normal.

Of course, no ebook reader has this functionality now. But it is feasable using technology that currently exists. It would have to add a barcode reader, that's no problem. And transferring the book to the reader is feasible. It would be a way to combine the benefits of ebooks with the benefits of browsing bookshelves. Plus, it would be a convenient way for people to pay with cash. I wouldn't want to let my children have access to my credit card, but I might give them money and send them to the bookstore.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

QuantumIguana said:


> If paper books do hang on, I wonder if this could work as a way for paper books and e-books to coexist. You walk into the store, browse the bookshelves. When you find a book, you take your ebook reader, scan the barcode of the book, and then take your reader to the counter. The register querries you ebook reader, gets the title of the book you want, and sends the book to your ebook reader. Of course, if you wanted the paper book, you just take the paper book to the counter as normal.


But what's the point for us as consumers? I can already go to a book store, look at books, and pull out my Kindle and buy the book right there in the aisle. No need to go to the register and wait in-line etc.

Book stores have to find a way to make money selling paper books. People don't want to go go stores to buy e-books, mp3s etc. A huge selling point for digital media is not having to leave the house to get new books, albums etc.


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

Some might like it, some might not. There would be a reduction in the number of bookstores, but there might be enough customers who would like it for paper bookstores to remain viable. If everyone browses the bookstores, but purchases on the Kindle, there would be no more paper bookstores, and thus no more opportunity to browse bookshelves. It might be beneficial to anyone who wanted to purchase anonymously.


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## LiteraryGrrrl (Jan 24, 2011)

This is definitely sad. 
We're all here because we love books, and by extension, bookstores and booksellers of all kinds.

But the truth is also that we're all here because we're ereaders (and also e-authors), and thereafore we're also part of "the problem," if that is indeed what this is.
There's no question this is a problem for Borders, and all the publishers Borders owes money to, but it's anyone's guess if this is going to be a problem for anyone else.

It's just too early to tell.
In ten years we all might be celebrating this development in the revolution of the publishing industry.

_--- edited... no self-promotion outside the Book Bazaar forum. please read our Forum Decorum thread._


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## CJ West (Feb 24, 2010)

mooshie78 said:


> But what's the point for us as consumers? I can already go to a book store, look at books, and pull out my Kindle and buy the book right there in the aisle. No need to go to the register and wait in-line etc.


That is the big question for book stores - how do they fit now? They are great places for events, for browsing, and connecting with humans. The staff also has lots of expertise to share in many cases - especially indies. I hope they figure out how to repackage themselves in a way that works financially. E-books and Online stores have taken a big chunk of their business. I hope many of them can adapt quickly enough to survive.


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

If the big box bookstores go under, that may allow the independents to thrive again. If the market for paper books is smaller, it may be better served by independents. Big national chains can get really unresponsive to local markets, but that's where independents thrive. Personally, I would feel uncomfortable browsing the bookshelves when I knew I was going to buy through the Kindle. Not everyone feels that way, of course, but there _might_ be enough for it to be viable to sell ebooks in bookstores.


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## CJ West (Feb 24, 2010)

QuantumIguana said:


> Personally, I would feel uncomfortable browsing the bookshelves when I knew I was going to buy through the Kindle.


I'm so glad you said this. I feel guilty roaming around a store when I know I'm not going to buy something. I guess this is an old fashioned idea, but it feels like "using" the store when you are taking advantage of what they offer free knowing you're not going to buy anything.

Related story:
I was giving poker lessons as part of a book tour last year. I had one couple sit down and take a lesson for an hour. When they were ready to leave, they were surprised when I offered them a bookmark and actually refused it. Clearly everyone doesn't feel the same way.


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## Emma Midnight (Feb 19, 2011)

It's difficult to see how bookstores are going to thrive when ebook sales are likely to climb year after year and paper book sales my fall year after year. And the hardbacks look like they might be the first casualties. I read somewhere that hardback sales were down. It seems as if e-reader owners are also a lot of the people who used to buy hardbacks. 

And it's not just ebooks putting pressure on bookstores. It's Amazon with physical books and all the big box retailers who sell books. 

It's a bit sad to think of bookstores disappearing, but a bit exciting to think about how ebooks are allowing more books to be published and stay in print.


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## stevene9 (Nov 9, 2008)

I have a Borders 5 minutes from my house (it will be closing shortly) and a B&N 10 minutes from my house. But I couldn't care about either. I almost exclusively buy Kindle books now, but even before the K entered my life I was buying almost all of my books from Amazon (2nd day delivery with Prime). I like browsing the Amazon pages where there is not only a blurb about the book, but also those all important reader ratings. I find the reader ratings to be extremely helpful.


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## tim290280 (Jan 11, 2011)

stormhawk said:


> Here is a difficult question ... do I go to the closest closing store to help reduce their inventory, or do I just sit back, and read my Kindle?


Do they actually have any stock that you'd want to buy? I find that is half the issue I have with stores, they don't cater to me, they cater to the people who want to read a biography on the way to work, or buy yet another cooking book. But it could be a chance to pick up some cheap hardcovers for the bookshelf from your favourite authors. I know I'm waiting for a closing down sale to be announced to pick some up.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

The Borders in downtown DC is closing. . .got an email about it today.  There are two fairly close to me in Bailey's Crossroads and Pentagon City (Arlington/Falls Church VA).  Neither of them is closing. . .but I noticed that a lot of the author reading/book signings that were scheduled at the Bailey's Crossroads location in the next month or two have been canceled.


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## Harry Shannon (Jul 30, 2010)

I realize this is inevitable. The big chains drove many small stores out of business, and now the ebook is wiping them out. Ironically, mom and pop book stores back come back into fashion at last. I love books, all kinds of books, and would really miss being able to wander through the store on a whim, spending more than I should have, then trying to come up with a creative way to keep my wife from getting upset  

Times change. And I do lover my Kindle. However, let's just support our local neighborhood specialty store, so we don't spend all our time staring at a computer screen reading samples. That would be a shame.


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## Emma Midnight (Feb 19, 2011)

Harry Shannon said:


> I realize this is inevitable. The big chains drove many small stores out of business, and now the ebook is wiping them out. Ironically, mom and pop book stores back come back into fashion at last. I love books, all kinds of books, and would really miss being able to wander through the store on a whim, spending more than I should have, then trying to come up with a creative way to keep my wife from getting upset
> 
> Times change. And I do lover my Kindle. However, let's just support our local neighborhood specialty store, so we don't spend all our time staring at a computer screen reading samples. That would be a shame.


Unfortunately, I don't see indie bookstores coming back and making it. The same forces that wiped them out before are still at work -- Amazon and Barnes and Noble and even Borders for now still exist. Further, the big box stores (Target, Wal-Mart, Sam's, etc.) all sell steeply-discounted bestsellers. And finally we have ebooks making a significant impact on books sales, and ebook sales will likely continue to grow for some time.

And ebooks have to be putting pressure on used bookstores, too. I see most used paperbacks priced at $3-4 these days, which is where plenty of ebooks are priced.

It's hard to see a rosy future for indie bookstores.


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## Amanda Brice (Feb 16, 2011)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I noticed that a lot of the author reading/book signings that were scheduled at the Bailey's Crossroads location in the next month or two have been canceled.


So sad. I hope that doesn't mean that the Bailey's location will be on the closure list in the future. That's my Borders! My fave Sunday morning activity is brunch at La Madeleine, followed by browsing at Borders.


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## Amanda Brice (Feb 16, 2011)

Emma Midnight said:


> It's hard to see a rosy future for indie bookstores.


Sad but true. I would happily patronize indie bookstores if they would carry titles I have any interest whatsoever in reading. But around here, the indies are pretty much limited exclusively to political non-fiction/memoir and literary fiction. In other words, books you read on the Metro to make people think you're smart.


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## Emma Midnight (Feb 19, 2011)

Amanda Brice said:


> Sad but true. I would happily patronize indie bookstores if they would carry titles I have any interest whatsoever in reading. But around here, the indies are pretty much limited exclusively to political non-fiction/memoir and literary fiction. In other words, books you read on the Metro to make people think you're smart.


Yes, the problem is one of scale. The indies are small and simply can't carry that many books. I live in an urban area and we have a few indie bookstores, and most are like the ones you describe, carrying the books to make people think you are smart. 

We do have a mystery bookstore, and it's nice but very tiny. They may carry more mystery titles than our local Barnes and Noble, but if so it's not by a lot.

The reality is that your specialty bookstore is Amazon. They probably have the book you want.

The only real hope I see for speciality bookstores might be print on demand. If you love paper books you can go in and have the book printed and perfect bound in 15 minutes. The store might specialize in mysteries, for example, so they keep one copy of three thousand different titles on their shelves, and when you buy one they print a replacement copy and shelve it. Or if it's not there, they print it on demand for you.

Maybe something like this could work, but there are still ebook sales and print on demand options from Amazon et al. As much as I have loved bookstores (managed one once!), I wouldn't invest my money in one.


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## Amanda Brice (Feb 16, 2011)

Emma Midnight said:


> The only real hope I see for speciality bookstores might be print on demand. If you love paper books you can go in and have the book printed and perfect bound in 15 minutes. The store might specialize in mysteries, for example, so they keep one copy of three thousand different titles on their shelves, and when you buy one they print a replacement copy and shelve it. Or if it's not there, they print it on demand for you.


Interesting you should say that. In my day job, I'm an IP attorney. But back in the day, when I was in law school, I took a class called "Licensing Intellectual Property" and one of the assignments we had was to negotiate a book deal for a fictional client. Our professor was talking about the importance of reserving electronic rights and then predicted a day in which e-books and online print (and e) book sales would rule, and the only hope for bricks and mortar bookstores would be POD.

We all laughed.


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## tim290280 (Jan 11, 2011)

Amanda Brice said:


> Interesting you should say that. In my day job, I'm an IP attorney. But back in the day, when I was in law school, I took a class called "Licensing Intellectual Property" and one of the assignments we had was to negotiate a book deal for a fictional client. Our professor was talking about the importance of reserving electronic rights and then predicted a day in which e-books and online print (and e) book sales would rule, and the only hope for bricks and mortar bookstores would be POD.
> 
> We all laughed.


I suppose it has only been in the last decade that the interwebz has been a big deal. In the late 90s it was something with potential. Someone would have had to have seen that potential.

POD is pretty much where it will be at. I can't see any way you can keep a store in competition with online warehouses. I also think that now is the age of the reader. Too much of the publishing industry has been controlled by someone other than the most important part of it for too long. I made a comment about it in a recent blog post regarding the decline of Borders and Angus and Robertson stores in Australia this week.


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## Buttercup (Oct 28, 2008)

The closest one to me (about 20 minutes away) is not closing.  However, I never go there anyhow.  I think I've been twice.  Even when I did buy DTB's I didn't go to the big stores.  Walmart, Amazon, Target, maybe one of the two smaller bookstores in our local mall.


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## JRMurdock (Feb 12, 2011)

It makes me wonder how long it will be before we see a POD / coffee shop where you can buy a coffee, order a book, and drink your coffee while you wait for your book to be printed. This could also be a great meeting place for local readers of ebooks to meet up, eauthors to have readings, and many eauthors could also do signings or their ebook done as a POD for those that want a physical copy of their favorite author. It could work like a borders or B&N, just scaled down significantly to allow more space for people to congregate.


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## Mike McIntyre (Jan 19, 2011)

Just wandered thru the fire sale at downtown Borders in San Diego. 20% off? That doesn't even cover the sales tax and discounted cover price savings I get everyday from Amazon. No wonder they're filing for bankruptcy. Who cares about brick and mortar? CONTENT IS KING!


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

Going out of business sales tend to start at 20% off and then go down another 10% every few weeks.

They tend to be useless as people will buy up the good stuff at 30-40% of MSRP so it's just crap left when it gets down to the big discounts.  

Plus with a bunch of Borders remaining open they'll probably move stock to other stores rather than selling much at 70%+ off unlike whole chains that go under.


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## stormhawk (Apr 29, 2009)

The 30% of stores closing probably (without doing the math) represents more than 50% of their selling space. They likely don't have any place to put the merchandise. I would expect a lot of what can't be remaindered and sent back to the publishers or to end up in one of those warehouse book sales that spring up from time to time.

I don't have any idea of how much warehouse space Border's maintains, but I would guess not much as they want to keep salable stock as active as possible.


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## Bob Mayer (Feb 20, 2011)

It's kind of amazing that apparently, no one in publishing saw the tidal wave of ebooks coming.  After all, music was wiped out.  In 2000 music was a 12 billion dollar a year business.  Today, it's a 6 billion dollar a year business.  Musicians have to tour to make money because they can't from music sales.  I don't think authors can tour.  It's kind of scary for writers.


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## JRMurdock (Feb 12, 2011)

I think it's only scary for authors who was unwilling or unable to adapt to the new thinking of ebooks and self-publishing. Honestly, I think this is a GREAT time to be a writer. Freelance editing is inexpensive, freelance book covers are inexpensive, ebook layout can be learned. If an author is willing to put some time and effort into doing it on their own, the big publishers as well as B&M bookstores are no longer necessary. I find it quite liberating to think I can do this on my own and I'm willing to try. Of course, I find I'm not alone in the game of self-publishing and I also find comfort in that 

As for not seeing the end of B&M, people saw it coming, just not the people in the business.


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## Nell Gavin (Jul 3, 2010)

JRMurdock said:


> As for not seeing the end of B&M, people saw it coming, just not the people in the business.


How ironical is that? The publishing business (this can include book stores) kind of reminds me of European royalty after WWII. They're scrambling to keep their crowns on straight and protect their jewels while the rebellion rages around them and their dynasties are being toppled. Now they need to try and figure out where to go next with a completely outdated skill set.


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## MrPLD (Sep 23, 2010)

I found it interesting that the Australian book-chain  A&R / Borders also collapsed at the same time, though utterly unrelated.  I agree though, it's now a GREAT time to be an independent author.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

There was an article in the Washington Post today about the knock-on effect of the closing of Borders locations. . . .even more empty retail space as well as loss of jobs to employees.  The feeling of the article was that it wouldn't be too bad here in the DC area, but that there are other cities where the effects could be significant.


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## Alessandra Kelley (Feb 22, 2011)

In my neighborhood a Borders opened a few years back two blocks from my house, obliterating a nice tiny private park on one of our main streets.  I vowed to never shop for books there, since in our (Hyde Park, seriously academic, home of Obama etc.) neighborhood there are several absolutely magnificent privately-owned bookstores.  And, believe it or not, this Borders actually went bust before the big news was announced, and none of our little bookstores have gone away.

I liked the old, original Borders in Ann Arbor, but I hated what they became.  I'm so glad they didn't manage to kill the independent bookstores around here.


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## QuantumIguana (Dec 29, 2010)

B&M music hasn't exactly gone away, I have no difficulty finding places to buy CDs. It used to be that music was very regional, then the big record companies made everything national. With their woes, things are moving back to be more regional. A lot of people got sick of the groups that were more creations of the record companies than anything authentic. What's wrong with touring? That's how musicians used to make a living. There are a lot of bands who make a good living working in a regional market.

If B&M bookstores go away, that is pretty scary. Books are more important than music, in my opinion. Recorded music is only a little more than a century old. Books have been around for thousands of years. Without recored music, we'd sing more. The more places to buy books the better. I love my Kindle, but not being able to legally give away or sell used books fundamentally changes thousands of years of our relationships with books.


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## R. Doug (Aug 14, 2010)

An interactive map showing the status of all Borders stores. Just zoom in on your area. A black tag is a closing location and green shows a store slated to remain in business.


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## Jeff Sherratt Novelist (Feb 9, 2011)

I've done book signings at Borders stores throughout California. They have all been very friendly and receptive to local authors. The last go around in December I sold out at every store. Never got paid a dime and now I probably won't. California looks like it is getting hit the hardest with store closings.


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