In Dr Teodor Mitew's lecture Into the Cloud: the Long Tail and the Attention Economy discussed the attention economy; the 'Longtail' effect, 'self referential' online store's like Amazon, their recommendations and its effect consumer purchases (2011).
An example of the 'Longtail' effect in publishing. Click here for more.
Now, I'm no Amazon user but sites like Bookdepository.com, have changed the way I buy books. I no longer buy from bookstores and here's why. The site has a 'wishlist' tool which allows you to save a list of books you'd like to purchase at a later date. It allows customers to write a review of the book and underneath each entry it has the oh-so-helpful "other people who viewed this bought" list. It also has editor's picks and recommendations, making my purchasing choices a lot easier.
Which brings me to the "Longtail" phenomenon mentioned in Dr Teodor Mitew's lecture (2011). Bookstores have lost me, I held in there a little while for the sake of nostalgia and immediacy but the online bookstores won out. 'Real' Bookstores are expensive and their immediacy does not make up for their lack of niche stock. Online stores however, have tapped into the tail-end of the Longtail effect and therefore stock the obscure literary theory textbook that I need at a lower price than any bookstore and with free shipping (2011).
But in the age of e-readers and free downloadable content, why do I still buy books even if I can get them cheaper online? In the words of Kevin Kelly, it comes down to a matter of 'generatives' (2008). Sure I could download a book in PDF format, but I buy books for their embodiment value (yes, even the textbooks). I buy them for their aesthetics. They function as entertainment and decor, I love the look of a shelf full of books. I've bought multiple copies of Sylvia Plath's Ariel. I could have just downloaded it but I buy the copies for their collect-ability, I want the hardback as well as the paperback version, and I want all the different of cover art.
Plus if I buy a hard-copy textbook there is always a chance I can get back some of the money I've spent by selling it second-hand.
Further Reading:
Further Reading:
Joe Wikert's Publishing 2020 Blog: A Book Publisher's Future Visions of Print, Online, Video and All Media Formats Not Yet Invented. Bookstores Vs Online: Part three of a multi-part series on how bookstores can compete against online stores.
Chris Anderson's Blog on the Wired Network: The Longtail.
Esp check out the FAQ section (you'll recognize him from his article in Wired 12.10 that was part of the reading). He discusses the Longtail effect not just in terms of online sales but also travel and other areas of interest.
If you're after a peer-reviewed article and more of an intense read (and I do mean intense):
Harvard assistant professor Anita Elber's paper on the longtail effect. It uses data gleaned from American online music store Rhapsody and Australia's answer to Netflix, the aptly named Quickflix.
I didn't get all the way through this one (31 pages long, 44 if you count references etc.) but if you're up for the task I recommend skipping the dense discussion and equations and going straight to the 'Data' and 'Findings' sections or even just reading the conclusion. This article isn't for the faint hearted.
Sources:
Kelly, K 2008, 'Better than Free', http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/kelly08/kelly08_index.html
Mitew, T, 2011, Into the Cloud: The Longtail and the Attention Economy, DIGC202 Global Networks, University of Wollongong, delivered 5 September.
First Posted: Sept 11th, 2nd edit 12th Sept.
Great post Jess, I like how you tie in Kelly's generatives to the book industry, and the additional research is excellent.
ReplyDeleteI do like purchase books in bookstore very much. Though e-reader is very popular, books still have not lost its value. I have same feeling with you; I also love the look of a shelf full of books. The thing is, in spite of e-reader is much more convenience for readers, it does not have storable value. I usually purchase books after I finish e-reading. I think press industry can not be replaced by online reading, because there are some people still enjoy reading books. Plus, in order to protect copyright usually authors do not put full text on the website. From that point books still have its value.
ReplyDeleteI like your notion of why you like the online services. It adds interactive features to what you already do in a bookshop. You are taking part in something bigger then yourself, and your propelling the content. I think Ted would give you Kudos for that...Lolz.
ReplyDeleteIn all seriousness the only books I have ever bought online were obscure literary theory books, like Stephen Greenblatt's Shakespearean Negotiations. I think its great we use this service for the same thing.
Your final about the potential resale of hard copies is interesting. Many places are offering much cheaper sales for the use of downloading products, wether its games, music, books, or movies. You cant resell it but the company will subsidize it for you.
I have recently grown on bookstores as I regularly visit the $5 bookshop in Wollongong (I think its an addiction). I am not much of a reader, I usually buy D.I.Y books or books that look pretty. Usually you cannot find such books in other book stores (well, atleast in Wollongong) so you have to purchase them online. However, it does not give you the same feeling as shopping in a book store where you are able to physically pick up a book, browse through it and see it's quality and value in real life.
ReplyDeleteIt may be cheaper online or it may not. It is however a completely different experience. I know online you are able to browse multiple books at the same time and compare their prices in different online book stores. You cannot however see 100% of the book itself (only the limited good parts).
I actually do not use online stores such as Amazon.com because I don't find it secure, however, I can see why people enjoy using it (due to its features). I know the website recommends other books by the same author or in the same genre according to your search and purchase or even others' purchases. This is what differentiates online shopping from physical shopping.
I actually like this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agXZkoS_yk8) it highlights the differences and the benefits of buying from a physical book store.
I haven't really purchased a book in a while, but even when buying textbooks I always opt for the hard version. I think hard copies are always easier to read, for example, when typing an essay, I always print it off and correct it by hand first, before making the final copy.
ReplyDeleteIt's weird, I see different mistakes in hard copies, than I would on electronic copies.
I feel that the recommendations are an amazing idea, it's like hearing word-of-mouth promotion for the book, without actually having to talk to anyone.