We’re hearing about great results from Unbridled Books‘ three-day offer last week of 25 eBooks for 25 cents each at IndieCommerce stores selling Google eBooks (i.e. You were out of luck if you bought a Kindle). For bookstores, it was a way to raise awareness about their eBook programs, which was part of Unbridled’s plan in offering the deal at indies only.
Some stores, like Village Books in Bellingham, used the deal as a hook for offering seminars on their eBook programs.
At Queen Anne Books in Seattle, they sold more eBooks in the first two days than they had since the store started its IndieCommerce site, says Tegan Tigani. The store got a nice boost from The Stranger’s Paul Constant, who recommended buying the whole list. “We had orders from Michigan and Oregon as well as sales to people just down the street,” Tigani says.
The increased traffic and interest in eBooks helped Queen Anne’s staff hone its tech support and problem solving skills and got them talking about the program (Queen Anne offers a walk-through about its eBook program here). “It even sparked a conversation with my stepmother in Rhode Island about buying eBooks,” Tigani says.
Here’s hoping that buzz will stick around, and here’s a list of indie stores that offer eBooks.