Bookworm of Edwards Develops In-Store Marketing for Digital Books

The Bookworm of Edwards made the transition to a new IndieCommerce website on December 1 "specifically so that we could play the e-book game," said store co-owner Nicole Magistro. "The interest is there."

Since December, e-books have accounted for 10 percent of sales from the Bookworm website, but Magistro and her staff continue to look for new ways to ensure that their long-time customers think of their local bookstore first when they buy books in digital format.

The first step was staff training. In order to make sure booksellers are familiar with buying and reading e-books, Magistro bought a Sony Reader for the store. As part of staff training, she required booksellers to use the Bookworm website to buy (with store funds), download, and read an e-book. Since many of the store's customers are already interested in e-books, she believes booksellers need to be knowledgeable in order to offer advice and "continue to be the curators" of books in all formats.

The Bookworm also invites customer questions and discussion. A quote from Tom Hanks posted at the main cash-wrap area ("I got a Kindle for newspapers and magazines, not for books. Quite frankly, I prefer to buy books from my neighborhood bookstore.") serves as a conversation starter. And for those customers who have questions, Magistro said, "we pull out the Sony Reader" for hands-on learning.

Magistro sees e-books as another type of product that she can "actively market" in the store, in addition to making them available on the store website. "If I wanted to sell more greeting cards," book club books, or sidelines, she said, she would display them prominently and promote them to customers. The challenge was figuring out how to do that without a physical product.

The Bookworm's newest e-book marketing initiative is an effort to reach out to customers at more points around the store. New releases and bestsellers on shelves throughout the store now sport belly bands that feature the store's logo and two messages: "E-book edition now available at www.bookwormofedwards.com" and "E-books available for iPhone, iTouch, iPad, Blackberry, PC, Mac, and most e-readers. Want to try before you buy? Ask us!"

Magistro gives lead bookseller Anuschka Rowley credit for the belly bands, which were printed locally and on shelves two days after the idea was first discussed. "The light bulb just went off," Magistro said. 

The belly bands, which cost $10 for 70, have been in place for only a week, but they started drawing attention immediately. "We definitely are getting a lot of feedback," Magistro said, estimating that booksellers are now answering at least a dozen questions a day about e-books.

Having e-book availability prominently displayed on the store's shelves, she noted, gives booksellers the opportunity to "fight for those sales with those loyal customers" who want their books in digital format, and also want to continue to shop at the Bookworm of Edwards. --Sarah Rettger

Read more about e-book marketing here.