An editor at HarperCollins asked an independent bookseller to name the top three stupid things that major publishers do. Here is the response:

1. Publish too many bad books, get your sales reps to stuff the channel with too many bad books, and then complain that returns are too high

2. Not realize that, like other intermediaries, publishers are heading to extinction unless they learn to add value

3. Suffer from the illusion that after being in the publishing business for decades without a consumer brand, they can suddenly wake up and become meaningful brands in consumers’ minds

And the bookseller asked the publisher what stupid things independent booksellers do:

1. Assume their customers wouldn’t transfer their store loyalty to a store website

2. Underutilize the expertise of their staff to curate selections and develop robust areas of expertise for which they are known locally

3. Fail to stay connected to their customers via a store blog

This is really good, useful advice all around. I hope people will pay attention. Publishers need to cut the number of stupid, stupid books they publish—this blunderbuss approach is no longer adequate with the internet providing all the stupid, stupid entertainment that anyone could ever ask for. And independent bookstores really need to pay more attention to their web presence if they're going to compete, but that advice about mining their booksellers' knowledge is really the most important bit. Two of the major bookstores in town have truly atrocious, unhelpful websites. The only other business I can think of that does as poor or worse of a job at this is movie theaters. Not one theater in town has a decent, helpful website.