Whiners

Let me make a small disclaimer first before my small rant.  I know that bookselling has been around for a very long time.  I also know that there have been booksellers selling books a whole lot longer than me and most likely know how to sell books but it is articles like this that I really don’t get.

I’m referring to the article titled Alibris Jumps in Bed with Better World Books.  This article pisses me off because the author and other antiquarian booksellers have gotten upset at Alibris for the mere fact that their books are now listed on Better World Books‘ site.  What bookseller would not want their books to be listed on as many places as possible?  It’s obvious that the more eyeballs you have on your books, the better, right?

It appears to me that this author and the booksellers that are whining about being on the big, bad Better World Books’ site for the sheer fact that BWB does not subscribe to the same sales method as most small booksellers do.  BWB is one of the large, sometimes penny book sellers on Amazon.  This is why the booksellers are complaining because they don’t want to have anything to do with them.  However, I don’t see a problem with that is because if BWB is able to make a profit from selling books for a penny, they are simply competition in the marketplace.  I can’t sell for that price but if they can, the more power to them.

Traditional collectible and antiquarian booksellers are so set in their ways that some refuse to conform just because of stubborness.  This is one of the reasons that brick and mortar stores are dying off one by one.  They simply refuse to start listing online or do not have the gumption to learn how to list online and thus are left in the dust.

What are your thoughts on this?