ReadLocal.us
My concept for a two-pronged small business based on local-interest books
My concept for a two-pronged small business based on local-interest books
This is a two-pronged business idea I had in December 2010.
First prong: In all my years at Random House, I've seen it happen again and again. People--ranging in number from individuals to entire city populations--seem to want to read books that have something to do with where they live. That's why City Lights in SF stocks a bunch of Beat Generation books. That's why McLean and Eakin in little Petoskey Michigan has a Hemingway section. That's why everyone at Clemson has read Goat: A Memoir. And yet, online, there is no really good way to find a list of books of local interest.
Second prong: the most successful independent bookstores tend to be the liveliest. They are the ones who can consistently drawn in the community with fun literary-leaning events. There's also a small (nerdy) percentage of the population who will get together and attend these events--seek them out, stalk favorite authors--but in order to find a listing in most cities, you have to pick up a copy of the local paper or sign up for the e-newsletters of about 22 different bookstores/libraries/other venues.
So why not have a simple website that matches up readers with the books and the book events in their community, and even give people who have upcoming vacations the ability to check out events in their destination cities? Below is a wireframe of the interface I imagine would be most effective for this cause.
First prong: In all my years at Random House, I've seen it happen again and again. People--ranging in number from individuals to entire city populations--seem to want to read books that have something to do with where they live. That's why City Lights in SF stocks a bunch of Beat Generation books. That's why McLean and Eakin in little Petoskey Michigan has a Hemingway section. That's why everyone at Clemson has read Goat: A Memoir. And yet, online, there is no really good way to find a list of books of local interest.
Second prong: the most successful independent bookstores tend to be the liveliest. They are the ones who can consistently drawn in the community with fun literary-leaning events. There's also a small (nerdy) percentage of the population who will get together and attend these events--seek them out, stalk favorite authors--but in order to find a listing in most cities, you have to pick up a copy of the local paper or sign up for the e-newsletters of about 22 different bookstores/libraries/other venues.
So why not have a simple website that matches up readers with the books and the book events in their community, and even give people who have upcoming vacations the ability to check out events in their destination cities? Below is a wireframe of the interface I imagine would be most effective for this cause.
