Borders and Lulu…RIP?
A couple of weeks ago I was reading the NRF SmartBrief that gets delivered to my inbox everyday. (For those in retail, SmartBrief is crystal clear. For those not in retail, you probably have no idea what I’m talking about. So find out more here.)
One of the articles, found here, intrigued me. It talks about how Borders and Lulu are putting together a package that will allow fledgling writers and authors (not unlike myself) to self-publish their work and have it stocked in Borders’ stores. Not only that, depending on the package you purchase, you will get additional services such as in-store readings and signings, etc.
I posted this article on the Silverthought forum, of which I am a participant and staff member, and it was met with the usual cadre of supporters, detractors, and pundits. The discussion waned quickly and I let the concept slip my mind. After all, I have nothing that I’m about to self-publish, so it’s not pertinent to me (yet).
THEN…I see this little article in the NY Times. It appears that Borders may be up for sale (more on that in a later post…). Having worked for Borders in the past (and loving it, and hating it), the first thing that popped into my head was how this development made me a little sad, especially considering where it once was (at one point I had stock options I was able to sell at approximately $36.) and how far the company seems to have fallen.
But the very next thing I thought of was this partnership between Border and Lulu. And I couldn’t help wondering if this concept of the package and marketing of self-published authors was going to stay, or if it was about to die and quick and noiseless death…?
The Decline (and Fall?) of Borders… (part 2) « scott’s spot said,
April 4, 2008 at 11:00 am
[...] backwards slide toward the abyss of belly-up, bailed-out businesses (see here for the original post). And perhaps it’s too harsh to call Borders “belly-up” or in need of a [...]