This article in the Sydney Morning Herald echoes some of the points I made in my last post about the future of bookstores. It notes that indie bookstores have a role in promoting and finding new author talent, given their role as respected taste leaders. Children’s books are large part of sales, because the experience of handling and reading one is not electronically replicable in the same way as adult books. Such bookstores are becoming hybrids, selling stationery and coffee, as e-books rise in their share of sales. As e-books penetrate, these stores will have a future if they focus on these strengths.
