Book2look has already generated over 250 million views, demonstrating its effectiveness.
US publishing solutions provider Bowker has announced a strategic partnership with IndieCommerce, the e-commerce platform managed by the American Booksellers Association, to deploy ‘Book2look’ across a significant number of independent bookstore storefronts.
The initiative addresses the growing need for enhanced digital marketing tools within the independent bookselling sector, and is a nod to the overall effectiveness of the ‘Look Inside’ feature provided by, for example, Amazon.
Book2look provides a digital platform for publishers and booksellers to create interactive previews of books, allowing readers to sample content before purchase. This tool enhances the online shopping experience by replicating the in-store browsing experience. The tool is designed to increase conversions from online browsing to purchasing.
Vital Components in the Publishing Ecosystem
“Independent bookstores are vital components of the publishing ecosystem and serve as crucial community hubs,” Mary Carlomagno, Director of Sales and Business Development at Bowker, explained in the press release. “Book2look offers a valuable innovation, providing the ‘view inside’ feature that online consumers now expect. This tool allows booksellers to more effectively engage with readers and streamline the purchasing process.”
Beat Barblan 🇨đź‡đź‡şđź‡¸, General Manager of Bowker, emphasised the strategic alignment of this partnership. “Working with IndieCommerce allows us to further our mission of improving book discoverability and connecting readers with booksellers. This collaboration is a natural extension of our efforts to support the publishing community.“
IndieCommerce Senior E-Commerce Manager Geetha Nathan added, “This tool will directly contribute to our goal of increasing sales and profitability for independent bookstores.”
Phil Davies, Director of E-Commerce at IndieCommerce, highlighted the demand for this feature. “Many of our member bookstores have requested this functionality. Offering online shoppers the ability to preview a book before purchase is a significant advantage in a competitive online market.”
Over 250 Million Views
Market research indicates that the ability to “look inside” a book is a key purchasing factor, second only to author, topic/genre, and price. Book2look has already generated over 250 million views, demonstrating its effectiveness thus far, highlighting the importance of enriched metadata and engaging digital content in driving online sales.
The Importance of Independent Bookstores
Independent bookstores play a crucial role in curating diverse selections and fostering community engagement. However, they face increasing competition from online retailers. The ABA actively supports its members through initiatives like IndieCommerce, providing tools and resources to compete in the digital marketplace.
Supporting The Local Economy
According to a study by Civic Economics, local independent bookstores return far more money to the local economy than online retailers, and of course there are myriad other benefits in having a physical bookstore within a given community.
Online bookselling has been around since the end of the last century, but bricks & mortar stores have held their own, even during the Pandemic when online bookstores gained a huge advantage as lockdown closed or restricted “real” bookstores. Which in turn has made digital marketing tools all the more essential for all booksellers, as more and more consumers tried online buying for the first time during lockdown.
Consumers now expect rich digital content, including previews and excerpts, when browsing for books online, even from a bricks & mortar bookstore website, and Book2look is a big step in this direction.
Background For Those Unfamiliar With The US Market
- Bowker is a key provider of bibliographic information and solutions for the publishing industry, including ISBNs, metadata management, and marketing tools. Bowker is part of ProQuest, which itself is part of Clarivate. Clarivate, a global information and analytics company, acquired ProQuest in 2021, bringing Bowker under its umbrella as well. This structure integrates Bowker’s services, such as ISBN assignment and metadata solutions, into Clarivate’s broader portfolio of academic and research-focused tools and services.
- IndieCommerce is a software service provided by the American Booksellers Association, empowering independent bookstores to create and manage their online storefronts. The ABA itself is a national trade association that represents independent retail bookstores in the United States.
Physical Bookstores Selling Online – Why It Feels Counterintuitive
Being globally focussed, TNPS often gets questions about how local publishing industries can juggle the traditional book-selling model of the bricks & mortar store with the expectations of the smartphone generation that still want to enjoy print (not least because ebook and audiobook versions of the books they want may not be available), but expect their shopping experience to move with the times.
Traditional bricks-and-mortar bookstores historically symbolised everything not online—a physical space where readers could browse, touch, and connect with books, away from the digital world. So when a physical bookstore extends its operations to an online platform, it might initially seem like a contradiction because the two models were once considered competitors.
This is where terms like paradox or irony come into play. But, since we are all publishing professionals and words are our tools, which applies here?
Paradox
A paradox occurs when something appears self-contradictory but, on reflection, reveals a deeper harmony. For example:
- A bookstore prides itself on its in-person experience—smelling the books, browsing the shelves—yet sells online to reach readers globally.
- The paradox resolves when we understand and acknowledge that online operations sustain the physical store, rather than undermining it. In fact, selling online can bring more people into the physical location by increasing brand visibility.
Irony
The irony lies in how the growth of online book retail (led by giants like Amazon) threatened the survival of physical bookstores. Yet those same bookstores have now adapted the “enemy’s” tools to thrive—using online platforms to expand their reach and ensure survival.
And of course there was a time when Amazon itself flipped the model on its head and started opening its own bricks & mortar stores, although that experiment was short-lived, perhaps making the point that the enduring success of physical book retail is about customer-relations and knowing the trade, not polished surroundings and a handful of bestsellers.
Why It Ultimately Makes Sense
In today’s world, the two retail models—physical and digital—are no longer mutually exclusive. Instead, they complement each other, and this is something publishers, booksellers and authors alike in emerging markets need to understand if they are to thrive in the AI and smartphone world:
- Reaching a Wider Audience: Online sales allow a small, local bookstore to sell books to readers not just nationwide, but worldwide, generating revenue that supports its physical space.
- Providing Convenience: For customers who can’t visit the store in person, online purchasing keeps them engaged with and directing revenue to their favourite bookstore.
- Blended Models Work: Many businesses now embrace a hybrid approach, combining the tactile joys of in-person shopping with the convenience of digital access. It doesn’t have to be either/or.
- It’s a small step from selling physical books online to also making available ebooks and audiobooks online, adding new revenue streams and increasing traffic that may also buy more print books.
Comparisons with Other Sectors
This phenomenon isn’t limited to bookstores. Consider these examples:
- Cinemas: Many movie theatres now offer online streaming services, paradoxically using the home-viewing trend that once threatened them to reach new audiences.
- Music Retailers: Vinyl record shops, thriving on nostalgia and tactile experiences, often sell their records online as well, broadening their customer base without losing their identity.
Embracing the Change
This shift is a great example of how industries adapt to changing consumer behaviours. It’s not a betrayal of their roots—it’s an evolution:
- A bookstore doesn’t lose its essence by going digital; it gains the ability to continue doing what it loves—connecting people with stories.
So while it might seem paradoxical, a bricks-and-mortar bookstore selling online actually represents the resilience and innovation of the publishing and retail industries.
And that resilience can only grow as AI, another seeming contradiction, play an ever-more important role in the publishing industry, including propelling physical bookstores and print sales to new heights.
This post first appeared in the TNPS LinkedIn newsletter
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