Extra, Extra! Amazon Books Opens in New York!

Amazon-Books_Opens-In-NYC

Sweet heaven on a biscuit! Amazon opened a bookstore in NYC today and I was there!

This ripped from the internet Amazon bookstore is located in the The Shops at Columbus Circle on 59th Street near Central Park. Walking in, I felt some guilt and a little sadness because one of my favorite bookstores of all time, Borders used to have a home here on the same floor, but they have been long gone since going bankrupt in 2011. I haven’t shopped here much since then to be honest because the void of a bookstore pierced my heart to the core.

So, I tried not to smile so much upon entering, but the geek in me would not be denied.

 

Amazon-Books-Sign

The space is small (4000 square feet), but bright and welcoming. Teeming with reporters armed with news cameras, curious book nerds and cheerful employees, it was a little hard to get around, but I soon navigated my way to the shelves which were arranged very differently than I’m used to seeing them. All of the books are faced out. Likely to save space, but to also grab your attention.

Amazon-Books-Romance

This is where my book, 12 Hours of Daylight – A Jason Jules Novella would be shelved if Amazon chose to bless it and select it.

You know I asked what the criteria was for a book to be chosen, right? I was told by a very helpful book clerk that the folks in Seattle decide, but that they base their decisions on book sales, the number of reviews a book gets on the Amazon site and also Goodreads and recommendations from their readers. Not that it would help, but I gave him a promotional bookmark. A girl can work her dream can’t she? A patron overheard me talking and asked for a bookmark and said she’d buy a copy for her Nook to take on her vacation that she’s leaving for tomorrow. I think I am really liking this charming bookstore! Thanks Amazon!

Okay, back to the books. Here are a few of the Amazon specialized sections that you have never seen in other stores:

 

Amazon-Hot-Books

Here you can pick titles that are blazing hot in all of the Amazon stores. I see you up there chilling Aziz Ansari! I am loving Master of None this season!

Amazon-Goodreads-Books

It’s nice to see Goodreads representing. This community can help to make or break a book.

Amazon-Big-Reviews

I want to be in this section one day! I am speaking it into literary existence!

What is also cool is that the shelves feature book reviews and the number of ratings each book has received on Amazon.

Amazon-Reviews-Ratings

 

 

When it comes time to buy your selections, the store doesn’t accept cash. You can pay using the Amazon app or by credit card.  If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you receive a discount on your purchases. You can look up the discount using the book kiosk (shown below) or the app:

Amazon-Books-Kiosk
For people who like to stroll through the aisles and lounge after they’ve chosen their reading material, I did spot a few sections for seating and they looked rather comfortable. I didn’t get pictures as they were occupied. Don’t expect to find everything on your reading list here though. The store only carries 3000 books. You can buy Kindle e-readers and other devices here too. I was impressed with how they utilized the small space to feature as much product as they did.
Amazon-Fire-TV
This is a different type of bookstore, but I am pleased with what I saw. I also believe that any time a bookstore opens, whether it’s a mom and pop store or a big chain variety, that a future leader somewhere is fed and nourished. Quite simply, we need more books and more places to discover and buy them.

If you’re not in New York, would you welcome an Amazon Bookstore to your city? Why or why not? Share below!

© 2017, TamekaMullins. All rights reserved.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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May 25, 2017 | Posted by in 12 Hours of Daylight, Blog | Comments Off on Extra, Extra! Amazon Books Opens in New York!
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