Amazon Outsells Brick and Mortar Stores!

Happy Friday!

Here are some interesting new statistics showing that Amazon.com sales now outnumber brick and mortar sales!
Based upon www.fonerbooks.com :

The numbers for 2008:

Amazon North American Media Sales: $5.35 Billion (16% increase over 2007)
Barnes & Noble Media Sales: $4.52 Billion (3% decrease over 2007)
Borders Media Sales: $3.11 Billion (undetermined loss over 2007 - Borders' own press release reports an almost 9% loss)

Conceivably, if the trend of gains and losses are similar, Amazon will have $6.2 Billion in media sales in 2009 and Barnes and Noble & Borders brick and mortar stores combined will have $7.27 billion in sales. 2010 numbers should show Amazon matching or beating both combined.

Of the big three above (note: these numbers don't include all books sold in North America in 2008, just a majority):

Amazon recorded 41.2% of total sales.
Barnes and Noble recorded 34.9% of total sales.
Borders recorded 23.9% of total sales.

Did you know that 1,100 books get published every day? That's why it's so important to do as much marketing research as possible to ensure that yours get's the attention it deserves. I'm working at present with my publicist on my press release. Need a great hook!

Took a break from being a writer...

Attended a birthday get-together for my long-time friend, Kathleen Warren, at the Claremont Hotel in Berkeley on Sunday. Met some new people, ate and drank and had an overall good time.

The interior of my book arrived from my publisher on Monday. I need to approve the overall format and then we can go to press. My writer's hat is back on!

When the words start to flow...

Nothing can stop a dedicated writer!

Between The Bookendz: Book #38

Check out this book blog for reviews and news, and to follow Eve on her journey to read 50 books in a year.

Between The Bookendz: Book #38

The book is moving through the publishing process and we're making progress. Here's the final cover. Cool, huh? It should be released in the next few weeks.

I know when people read it, they'll want to know how much of the story comes from my real life experiences. My answer: While the book is indeed fiction, my protagonist, Elizabeth Reilly-Hayden and I do share one important element in our lives -- I, too, have been blessed with the friendship of a group of women I first met in high school. We call ourselves, The Wilson Family, (for reasons I won't discuss here), and this book is dedicated to them.
Link to website: judithmarshall.net

Update

No, I didn't die! I've just been overwhelmed with preparing for the release of my debut novel, "Husbands May Come and Go but Friends are Forever," out in a month or so. There's so much to do, working with the publisher on cover design, interior fonts, where to put the page numbers -- you wouldn't believe how much is involved. Anyway, I promise to be more attentive to this blog from now on and will keep you abreast of all new developments. Promise....