Frankly Speaking: The Publisher-Retailer Tug-of-War
At Brooklyn College, I bought my used textbooks from Barnes & Noble. One used textbook I bought for a course had every line on every page highlighted. Visiting a proper bookstore meant a trip uptown to Manhattan for Doubleday or Rizzoli, or a stroll to the many bookstores on 4th Ave.
When I got my first job, I spent money on books. I joined the Book of the Month Club and Doubleday Book Club, and loved opening the mail to embrace that monthly hardcover book. Soon bookstores were popping up everywhere, owned and run by colorful proprietors. That's when our family decided to open a bookstore just for mystery novels. The process was facilitated by the wonderful people at Ingram Book Co.
- Places:
- Greenwich Village
Frank Romano is Professor Emeritus at RIT School of Media Sciences.