To Recover Revenue Lost to eBooks Some Booksellers are Charging for Events

The bookstore industry has it rough; they’ve been hit by the success of eBooks and online booksellers and the state of the economy.  According to “Come Meet the Author, but Open Your Wallet” by Julie Bosman and Matt Richtel of NYTimes.com, one of the strategies to raise money is to charge admission to author events, which is unusual.  Typically, author events are free, with attendees having to already have purchased the book to speak to the author or get an item signed.  But to attend the event and hear the author speak is free.

According to some of the independent booksellers in the article, they are trying to prevent the bookstore from becoming a library. As Nancy Salmon from Kepler’s stated: “They type titles into their iPhones and go home… We know what they’re doing, and it has tested my patience”.  Some of the prices mentioned in the article range from $5 to $10 or the price of the author’s book.

While the strategy makes sense for booksellers, it conflicts with authors and their publishers. The purpose of an event is to reach the author’s audience, including those who choose to buy the eBook or from an online retailer. Neither author nor publisher cares from where the book is legally purchased. Pricing an author event could leave some fans left out and could interfere with the success of a book. Author Eleanor Henderson’s reaction to pricing events:

“I’m not sure that charging readers would be a) useful or b) friendly. While I understand the need for bookstores to make money, I don’t think they should discourage readers.”

From my experience previously working at a bookstore, author events tend to equally benefit authors and stores. A good event brings publicity and more fans/consumers for the author and store. Despite some attendees who will attend without purchasing a book, after the event many chose to do so. A good event helps to sell the book and thus, generate money for both author and store. 

Charging admission for an event creates a dilemma. Bookstores need money for survival and it’s understandable to charge for events but it might backfire. The first thing to consider is the alternative. Consumers can still buy books elsewhere and with social media can probably find ways via ustream, Facebook, twitter and other means to connect with an author. Authors don’t necessarily have to hold events at bookstores. Event prices could alienate the author’s audience and in this economy, some readers may not want to pay extra to see an author.

The other problem with the strategy: is it an effective and long-term solution to bring readers back to stores? Probably not. I personally enjoy buying my book straight from the store but I would consider buying online if my local store tried to charge me to see an author, especially since the author doesn’t get a percentage of the admission price. I understand the economic dilemma but bookstores also have to be mindful of the economic status of readers. The bookstore industry needs to come up with a better strategy of survival. In the end, admission prices will not stop the continued growth and success of online sellers and eBooks.