FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
nationthailand

Between the lines

Between the lines

Hundreds of thousands of bookworms are expected to turn out for Book Expo Thailand 2016 this week,s so why are bookstores struggling to survive?

The country's biggest and most eagerly anticipated book expo returns for its 21st edition this week with tens of thousands of new titles from 406 publishers and distributors as well as a new feature, the “100 Annual Book and Cover Design 2016” exhibition.
Spread over 21,000 square metres of the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre on New Ratchadashisek Road, the year’s event will have 935 booths, as well as a range of activities that include meet and greet sessions with well-known authors, edutainment programmes and seminars,
And to add more spice to the fair, organiser, the Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand (Pubat), has teamed up with the Thai Graphic Designers Association (ThaiGa) for the new campaign, which will see 99 books awarded for excellence in cover design and layout.
“The concept of the expo this year is ‘Sa Ner Na’, which loosely translates ‘flaunting face’,” says Jaran Homtienthong, the association’s president. 
“Aside from our vision and mission to promote reading and nurture the book industry, we also want to give credit to the people behind all the great books, those whose works inspire us visually and bring to life the stories inside. When you pick up a book, you might think only of the author and the publisher but plenty more people are involved in its creation. It takes a team of professionals in specific fields to create a book. The six crucial professions are author, editor, graphic designer, translator, proof-reader and illustrator. This year we would like to honour them, and thank them for their efforts.
“We know that book lovers like the physical feel of a hardback or paperback. They want to be able to feel and smell the paper, see the patterns and the colours. Wise men might say ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’, but that’s only partly true, especially in this day and age when competition is fierce. Books have to compete with many other titles in the market as well as new entrants like social media and e-books. How do we engage and attract readers, new and old, to pick up a book? How do we excite them as they turn each page and savour the story inside? How do we give them the positive reading experience so that they keep reading? That often starts with an interesting book cover, which can also be seen as a piece of art,” Jaran continues.
The first book cover design awards, shortened to “100 ABCD” and planned as an annual event, will showcase the 80 best book cover designs and 19 best book layouts in a special exhibition that runs in parallel to the expo. Some of these winning entries will be selected for a showcase at the Taipei Book Fair next February.
The association also works closely with the Thailand Professional Qualification Institute and King Mongkut's University of Technology North Bangkok in designing guidelines for the six categories of professionals involved in book making. The aim is to raise the standards of the industry and compile a list of minimum skill requirements for the new generations taking up these professions. 
Yet while the book expo is expected to attract more visitors than ever before, many bookshops and stalls are in crisis. Some book sellers blame the digital intervention, the changing behaviour of readers and even large-scale book fairs like this one for taking away their customers, noting that buyers are showing a tendency to buy in bulk at reduced prices rather than shopping at bookstores.
But are these the only reasons our bookstores are struggling? According to a recent quantitative survey by the National Statistical Office of Thailand, the country has 77.7 per cent more readers then ever before, with 48 million people spending an hour or more reading every day. More importantly, 96 per cent of these readers still prefer printed titles to e-books. 
Pubat too carried out a study and found that the marketing strategies of bookshops are also to blame. These, the association says, are in urgent need of revision so that they cater to the changing shopping trends rather than just the reading, habit.
“There are obviously more choices of books than a few years ago and this can be overwhelming for readers,” says Pubat’s director, Tipsuda Sinchawalawat.
Readers have less time to leisurely browse through books in a store, and many think the shops should become more engaging with and more attentive to the different needs of customers and help build communities of readers, rather than just wait for the customers to approach them.”
The study also identified two very different types of readers. The first group is made up of regular visitors, those frequenting a book shop once every week or at least once a month and who set themselves a book budget of about Bt1,000. They know what they want and don’t care too much for the “best seller” ranking or even the books recommended by the store. They get their updates from the authors’ or publishers’ Facebook pages or websites, and also make impulsive purchases if they see something interesting at the shop. They treat books as collectibles and don’t necessarily wait to finish one book before buying a new one. They need time to flick through the pages and make decisions, and while they do visit book fairs, it is usually only to find specific books that are not available at their local store. 
The study shows this group would like a customer database where they can get updates on what’s new and suggestions of what they might like. They also want the bookshop to be a sanctuary, a place where they can while away the hours and perhaps engage with like-minded souls. A delivery service is another option.
Visitors who go to the bookstore once in every three months and spend roughly Bt500 a pop, make up the second category. They are price sensitive and will only spend on books that they are sure they will like. They tend to research the author and read reviews before going to the shop and best seller ranking weighs heavily in their purchase decision. The researchers presume that the reported drops in bookstore visitors are down to this group. While hardcore bookworms cannot live without books, medium-level readers seldom visit a bookstore, especially if they need to watch their expenses, have less time to read and can get what they want for free online. 
“Book sellers need to really rethink their marketing strategies.” Tipsuda reiterates, “They need to identify which of their customers are heavy readers and which ones are not. It’s important that they don’t treat them the same. Our advice is to communicate with them. Create some activities or special privileges for both groups to draw them in more, to spend more time in the store and hopefully buy more books.” 
 
TEMPTING TITLES
- Book Expo Thailand 2016 runs from Thursday until October 24 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (MRT: Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre station).
- It’s open daily from 10am to 9pm. 
- Find out more about the “100 Annual Book and Cover Design 2016” exhibition at www.100ABCD.org.
 
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