The State of Independent Bookselling on Covid-19

Published on April 25, 2020April 25, 2020 by alexesguerraLeave a comment

The American Booksellers Association has about 2,500 member stores mostly independent brick and mortar stores. Although a big chunk of the membership has not really spent much work on their online storefront, as booksellers adapt to online business models in a fraught global economic moment, the coming months of transition could determine whether independent bookstores survive. The Coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic has not just put a hold on bookstores storefronts but it will forever change the community events and operations of bookstores.

As of this writing 2 or 3 states in the 50 US States has started a phase re-opening on non-essential stores. A bookshop is always a place for community, belonging and refuge. I remember in 1998 when we started selling used and antiquarian books, customers who were die hard book lovers would be excited in flipping each book from the dust jacket to the different pages of a book in excitement. This pandemic experience will changed certainly some habits on how we browse or maybe how long we have to even decide going through all those pages meanwhile in the absence of a vaccine.

I also remember in very early 2000 when i was conversing with friends that we have started experimenting on the online book marketplaces while at the same opening up our own web store maintained by a former bookseller. At that time the mighty “A” was the talked of the book selling industry’s advocacy on how everyone can compete selling used books for a penny. We went through a lot in these marketplaces being made to adhere to exuberant marketplace selling fees and commissions not to forget the un-equal and un-bias adhering to rules and regulations being implemented by the operators of these marketplaces.

Sometime 2007, I met with my small staff to announced we will spend a good time of our resources to slowly build our own website, brand and presence. I didn’t really have a very good response as then our online exposure was mostly bleeding us with expenses instead of profits. This also was a time that if you don’t have the financial means to heavily spend on CPC, SEO, Adwords and Social Advertising your not gonna even show up in the internet search. Sad to say even today this end expenditure game still persist.

For us, the one good thing we got is maybe because we have been online for all these years, were kinda old in that manner that we actually have regular customers and visitors or our sites nowadays and we also show up on organic internet searches.

In the years since Amazon opened its online bookstore in 1995, the books market has evolved. Major chains, like Borders and Book World, have disappeared. Amazon now accounts for more than half of all book sales, and three quarters of all books or e-books bought online, according to Codex, a book audience research firm. Over the last five years, Amazon’s market share of all books has jumped 16%.

The Covid-19 pandemic with the shelter in place on major states the last 2 months had affected the entire US economy. Booksellers must take this as an online opportunity to start or strengthen their presence. Although we have some good ideas on curbside pick-up or delivery, the cost of doing business would be lesser if you could generate more online sales while establishing your brand. Amazon Prime, Fresh and Pantry has slowed down on their delivery as they focus on essential items for Covid-19.

Now is the best time for booksellers to use this to take orders online, pack, fulfill and ship as fast as one can using this as leverage. Although we know it also slows down even own fulfillment in our closed stores or houses due to safety precautions on social distancing and the like, the good news is that were also educating now the online book buyers that it’s about time they give their business and loyalty to the independent online booksellers.

Despite that grim statistic, Book Scan’s most recent weekly report shows the book industry managing relatively well. According to Book Scan, year-to-date sales are down 1.3 percent by unit and 3.2 percent by MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price). Though unit sales fell 6.6 percent overall in the five weeks spanning the COVID-19 disruption (March 1–April 4), they recouped by 6.9 percent during the week of March 29–April 4. The New York metropolitan area, which plunged 15.7 percent overall March 1–April 4, surged ten percent March 29–April 4, and the Chicago/IN area had a 20.5 percent increase that week. Among Book Scan’s top 99 demographic areas, nearly a third reported flat or positive sales—not ideal but perhaps better than expected.

So if you haven’t really spent much time in your online storefront as bookstore owner, now is the time to do so. I’m optimistic as well that finally brick and mortar stores will finally have a change on one’s gradual thinking that “”online bookstores are indeed essential to the survival of the independent book selling industry””.

Alex Esguerra

Founder

ADLE International

Saving on the Rainy Pandemic Days Ahead

Published on March 15, 2020 by alexesguerraLeave a comment

50 Tips on Saving Money,

From books publishers, “I want to reassure you that spending your hard earned money isn’t a wrong activity, however, there is something that should be taken more seriously than spending and that is saving for your future.

As you spend, you’ve also got to realize that you need to save for a rainy day. If all your material possessions were to be taken away from you, would you still be alright?

If you have been spending a lot and not saving, it may take a while for you to make the necessary adjustments with your finances, but if you are resilient and proactive, the steps you will find in this book will be of great help”.

We focus on spending in lieu of present financial hardships and pandemic predicaments due to COVID-19, The Cornovirus. With the hope of the expected legislative actions being awaited on Paid Sick leave and unemployment insurance for the workforce, as well as other financial reliefs for those living on paycheck to paycheck. The bottom line is that if one is an hourly employee with no work, no PTO, even laid off’s, no emergency cash it will be a challenge ahead. Not to mentioned for the thousands of people work on gigs and events which cannot even access any of these paid sick or vacation time now totally disenfranchise without work.

These are the times either if we have $5,000 to $5.00 on hand, we have to live by our means and the only way is to tip every cent and penny until we get back to normal and working again.

This book Table of Contents:

Introduction

Chapter One: The concept of saving and spending

Chapter Two: The importance of saving

Chapter Three: Top 50 tips on how to save money

Chapter Four: Sustaining the culture of saving

Conclusion:

If you don’t have a comfortable emergency fund, now could be a great time to start building yours up. You don’t need tens of thousands of dollars — but some cushion is certainly better than none. If you’re among the fortunate people whose income and work schedule haven’t been disrupted yet, consider saving more aggressively in your emergency account. And if you haven’t yet received or allocated your tax refund, bulking up your emergency fund could be an excellent way to use it.

If you don’t have an emergency fund, or are simply worried about your general level of cash flow during the outbreak, it’s smart to look for ways to cut expenses. Some of the usual suspects might not be practical — for example, I can’t in good conscience suggest that you get rid of your Netflix subscription when you might be stuck at home indefinitely.

A final thought: The most important thing to do now is take a deep breath and resist the urge to panic. Panic leads to irrational thinking, which leads to poor financial decisions. This will pass, let’s keep our hopes and continue to gather information.

Our Top Recommend: The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump

Published on March 17, 2019March 17, 2019 by alexesguerraLeave a comment

On March 16, 2018, just twenty-six hours before his scheduled retirement from the organization he had served with distinction for more than two decades, Andrew G. McCabe was fired from his position as deputy director of the FBI. President Donald Trump celebrated on Twitter: “Andrew McCabe FIRED, a great day for the hard working men and women of the FBI – A great day for Democracy.”

A New York Times #1 Bestseller, Author and Former Deputy FBI Director, Andrew G. McCabe writes “In The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump, Andrew G. McCabe offers a dramatic and candid account of his career, and an impassioned defense of the FBI’s agents, and of the institution’s integrity and independence in protecting America and upholding our Constitution”.

The Threat recounts in compelling detail the time between Donald Trump’s November 2016 election and McCabe’s firing, set against a page-turning narrative spanning two decades when the FBI’s mission shifted to a new goal: preventing terrorist attacks on Americans. But as McCabe shows, right now the greatest threat to the United States comes from within, as President Trump and his administration ignore the law, attack democratic institutions, degrade human rights, and undermine the U.S. Constitution that protects every citizen.

Some of the compelling reviews on this book talks on:

“McCabe’s portrait of the Trump administration and of the president himself is as alarming as any we have seen so far ― including those of journalists such as Bob Woodward and former staff such as Cliff Sims.” – NPR

“The account is laced with sharp, amusing characterizations…fans of police procedurals will love his descriptions of FBI culture, and critics of the current administration will find his denouncements satisfying. This is one of the better Trump-related tell-alls.” – Publishers Weekly

McCabe started as a street agent in the FBI’s New York field office, serving under director Louis Freeh. He became an expert in two kinds of investigations that are critical to American national security: Russian organized crime―which is inextricably linked to the Russian state―and terrorism. Under Director Robert Mueller, McCabe led the investigations of major attacks on American soil, including the Boston Marathon bombing, a plot to bomb the New York subways, and several narrowly averted bombings of aircraft. And under James Comey, McCabe was deeply involved in the controversial investigations of the Benghazi attack, the Clinton Foundation’s activities, and Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server when she was secretary of state.

Like his predecessor, Former FBI Director James Comey, he was also fired notably in defiance of compelling facts about President Donald Trump.

In his book “A Higher Loyalty”, former FBI director James Comey shares his never-before-told experiences from some of the highest-stakes situations of his career in the past two decades of American government, exploring what good, ethical leadership looks like, and how it drives sound decisions. His journey provides an unprecedented entry into the corridors of power, and a remarkable lesson in what makes an effective leader.

“A Higher Loyalty is the first big memoir by a key player in the alarming melodrama that is the Trump administration….Comey’s book fleshes out the testimony he gave before the Senate Intelligence Committee in June 2017 with considerable emotional detail, and it showcases its author’s gift for narrative….Provides sharp sketches of key players in three presidential administrations….Comey is what Saul Bellow called a ‘first-class noticer.’” ―The New York Times

In this new book, the author defines how the FBI tries it’s best to protect America on terrorism and the credibility of the Intelligence service while facing it’s own threats in maintaining it’s very embodied purpose in the age of the Trump presidency.

We give this book five stars for 2019.

Our Holiday Choice, “Amber Brown Is on the Move”

Published on November 7, 2018 by alexesguerraLeave a comment

Amber Brown is On The Move

Can’t believe the season is almost here just about when the talked about US Mid Term Elections concluded yesterday, Nov. 6, 2018.

Now it’s back to the wish and shopping list in time for the Holidays of 2018. As we celebrate the diversity and the huge turn out of the youth in the recent concluded elections, it’s time to prepare our kids for the festivities and educate them of the historic process. After all, our kids are our future leaders in the next generation.

We love reading the Amber Brown series with kids when they visit our bookstore! It is a perfect series to discuss real life situations and it way that simplifies intense subjects for young children. We are down to the last few books in the series and I have to admit I will be sad to let Amber go. Through books and he Amer Series as an example, we empower our children of understanding life realities in an easier manner for them to understand. Great for discussion and for inspiring children to reach within themselves for personal essays.

Bruce Coville author of this book as a young reader loved Mary Poppins and Dr. Dolittle, and had fond memories of rising ahead of the rest of his family so he could huddle in a chair and read THE VOYAGES OF DR. DOLITTLE. He also read lots of things that people consider junk (Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, and zillions of comic books). His only real regret is the time he spent watching television, when he could have been reading instead. (A mind is a terrible thing to waste!) Just like today’s television counterpart our our tech toys and smart devices, it still important that we educate our kids through reading interesting books.

Watch out our Amber Series as well as selected juvenile fiction and non-fiction bestsellers at ADLE International

We have most of these books on the lowest price deals, free shipping and surprised discount deals this holiday shopping 2018. And most of all checked out the great rare classics which you may not even think still exist out there.

Happy Shopping this 2018 Holidays.

Our Team at your service.

Ci6 Keynote Speaker Chelsea Clinton on Teaching Kids the Value of Persistence

Published on June 21, 2018 by alexesguerra

Source: Ci6 Keynote Speaker Chelsea Clinton on Teaching Kids the Value of Persistence

The daughter of former President Bill Clinton and 2016 presidential contender Hillary Clinton, Chelsea Clinton is the author of the number-one New York Times bestselling picture book She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World, which received a starred review from Publishers Weekly, and She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women Who Changed History (both Philomel). Clinton is also the author of the New York Times bestselling It’s Your World: Get Informed, Get Inspired & Get Going! (Puffin Books) and, with Devi Sridhar, Governing Global Health: Who Runs the World and Why? (Oxford University Press).

On October 2, Clinton, who serves as the vice chair of the Clinton Foundation, where her initiatives include helping to empower the next generation of leaders, will publish Start Now! You Can Make a Difference (Philomel), a middle-grade title for young activists.

Muscatine is the owner of Politics and Prose with her husband, ABA Board member Bradley Graham. A former Washington Post reporter and White House speech writer during the Clinton administration, Muscatine is currently writing Hillaryland, her story about working with Hillary Clinton, to be published by Penguin Press.

At the Thursday, June 21, breakfast, following Muscatine’s introduction, Clinton thanked booksellers in the audience, some of whom she recognized from her previous book tours. “I’m so grateful to all of you because without your support and partnership, I wouldn’t be able to have the reach that I hope to have with the work that I feel called to do and the obligation that I feel to children in our country,” she said.

The first time the two met was when Muscatine worked for Hillary Clinton; Chelsea Clinton was just 13 years old and living in the White House. At the time, Muscatine received some impassioned advice from Hillary on raising her kids to be readers: “Your mother was fierce, relentless, incessantly reminding me to read to my children — constantly. She badgered us and others who had children along with me in the White House; she would constantly be sending us books and CDs…Not that I wouldn’t have [read to my kids], but it was so important for me to hear it from her. So I was wondering, when you had Charlotte, did she do the same thing to you?”

Chelsea Clinton’s daughter, Charlotte, is now three years old, and her son, Aidan, is two. She said her mother inculcated her with the same message about the importance of reading to kids and making sure they grow up in a language-rich environment.

“I do think that the stories we tell our children are profoundly important for how we help them either expand or limit their world and how they think about their own possibilities within our world and our shared future,” Clinton said.

2018 Top 3 Best Books and Why

Published on May 30, 2018May 30, 2018 by alexesguerraLeave a comment

Today was the opening day of Book Expo America 2018 Right after it closes on June 1, it will be followed by a simultaneous event, BookCon

Both events is highlighted by starting with power house personalities. Today’s main keynote speaker was Len Riggio, Chairman of Barnes & Noble and on June 3, Sunday both President Clinton & James Patterson President Bill Clinton and the world’s bestselling author James Patterson will discuss their forthcoming novel, The President is Missing, offering candid insights into their unique collaboration and research, as well as the timely and alarming issues their novel raises about our world today.

We started in this order as the 2018 Top 3 Bestselling Books connects the upcoming bestseller, The President is Missing with the top 3 list:

The main relevance of these books comes down to one subject, The Trump Administration. As CNN Money notes, books about the Trump administration have filled the No. 1 slot on The New York Times’ hardcover nonfiction list since mid-January. That’s in large part because of the dominance of “Fire and Fury,” which sat in the top spot for 10 straight weeks.

The books that eventually replaced it, of course, related to Trump as well. “Russian Roulette” by Michael Isikoff and David Corn — which explores Russia’s involvement in the 2016 presidential election — was the best-seller for three weeks in April as stated by the Business Insider. Number one spot goes to A Higher Loyalty since it was release in April 17.

Former FBI Director Comey’s book join others on the New York Times list with its release last month. The book, which details two decades of Comey’s work and includes insights from his short-lived experience with President Donald Trump, has already climbed toward the top of the Amazon best-seller list for the year — just including presales. Flatiron Books, Comey’s publisher, moved the release date up several weeks as a result of the growing interest and printed 850,000 copies, according to CNN.

The President Is Missing confronts a threat so huge that it jeopardizes not just Pennsylvania Avenue and Wall Street, but all of America. Uncertainty and fear grip the nation. There are whispers of cyber terror and espionage and a traitor in the Cabinet. Even the President himself becomes a suspect, and then he disappears from public view.

For some they want to learn more about what’s going on the Russian involvement in meddling with the 2016 Presidential elections and was there indeed a “Collusion”. Some readers just wanna simply get more information on the Trump administration and President Trump.

As summer reading starts, will find out more about readers are looking forward to reading. June also starts going back to school and new 2018 textbooks and study aids. For now, what are your best books for 2018?

Affordablebookdeals

Affordablebooksonline Goes Mobile

Published on February 11, 2018 by alexesguerraLeave a comment

Contact: Carlos Rodiriguez

ADLE International

Phone 415-874-5637

Fax 415-252-7961

info@affordable-booksonline.com

818 SW 3^rd Ave. Ste. 284

Portland, OR 97204

ADLE International

Press Release

Affordablebooksonline, our flagship website 15 years ago goes live as a Mobile Friendly Website

The wait is over to rewrite and convert our web scripts.

Portland, OR, February 11, 2018: Two years took to rewrite html, java, csv scripts and themes to enable our flagship store, http://www.affordable-booksonline.com. It was the longest ever compared to our online portfolio of websites @adlegroup. We could have just defuncted the site but founder, Alex Esguerra patiently waited for its conversion to the mobile enabled e-commerce world today. At the height of it’s launched in the early 2000, web traffic was averaging 3000 visits a day. We then lost ranking as the internet online websites all were structured to be mobile enabled viewing them on smart devices like iPhone, iPad, tablets and android devices,

It will take some time for us to take the traction again, Sarah Walker, Director of Retail Operations writes in an inter-office memo to the team. Recapturing back the huge customer base will take time but we are ready to the challenge while we also slowly add new website content. For now at least our inventory and order management is real time daily.

Our avid followers and likers at: https://www.facebook.com/affordablebooksonline whom were the ones pushing for the change are the reason why we patiently waited two years to convert the website. Moving forward in 2018 and beyond, we will mix our books with new, used and vintage conditions in gearing towards the vision of “affordable books” even to limited earners. Know your contact’s name, telephone, fax, and email

For now, our team at https://ww.adleinternational.com https://www.affordablebookdeals.com https://www.usedbooksworld.com https://www.affordablebookfinds.com https://www.affordablethings.net https://www.affordableipads.com

Wishes the http://www.affordablebooksonline.com team big hugs and welcome to the mobile world.

Understanding Trump on his own words

Published on September 4, 2017September 4, 2017 by alexesguerraLeave a comment

Trump on Trump by George Beahm was written in 2016. George also is the author of the famous I, Steve Jobs bestselling book. With the onset on his (Trump) presidency the last six months filled with controversies after each one, coupled with different books written with a common goal of understanding the person and personality.

As described in the book, his presidential bid as he stated was partly him stating that he cannot stand what was going on in the country. He centered on his business acumen and common sense towards leading America to being great again as his campaign slogan. He focus on his business background of having a proven record who understands greatness and one who has the leadership skills of knowing what needs to be done.

In spite of the public skepticism then whether he was serious on running for President, it was months on discussions on where the Income Tax Returns were for public access. As the book stated Mr. Trump has never filed bankruptcy as a person but his companies did to restructure debts at that time. In the beginning of the first 100 days, the stock market and unemployment numbers prove to be a manifestation of his economic leadership when enormous gains were unprecedented in these sectors.

Although not having had so much public office experienced as cited by his political affiliates as pros and cons, this book outlined his intentions to become POTUS (President of the United States) way back in 1988 when a so called Draft Trump movement was started by a GOP activist name Mike Dunbar. Then of course it was said that Mr. Trump clearly stated he was not interested in running yet went to New Hampshire to make political statements in 1987.

Prior to his bid as President, he was known as The Apprentice on TV with the famous words of “Your Fired”. Whether this famous words have a personality attribute one can only speculate as it is a known fact on the high turn over of his key staff in Pennsylvania Avenue since taking office. The controversial firing of FBI Director Comey and recently the agreed stepping down of his closest key person, Steve.

One thing we all know even without this book is that Mr. Trump speaks his mind whether it may be fascinating is up to the beholder. Thus, in understanding his own words on the current issues on the border wall between Mexico and the US, is indeed a true example that he speaks what he has been thinking. Thus, as well explained in the book, reading through the different speeches, excerpts, twitter feeds whether it affects immigration, healthcare, women, and the like makes it more easier to understand how he thinks. After all, he is not a traditional Washington politician crafting and honing speeches over and over thinking about their political careers and outcome scenarios.

Alex Esguerra

@usedbooksworld

Trans Ban in Military – @Donald Trump

Published on July 26, 2017July 26, 2017 by alexesguerraLeave a comment

Beyond Trans: Does Gender Matter?

Obviously this book needs to be read by President Trump. Trump announced today that he is banning Transgender individuals in the US military. At least he just confirmed what he started in his presidential campaign about his issues on Women. Dah, yes transgender individuals are categorized as Women.

All the years on fighting to have Gay men accepted in the US Military just went down the drain as soon as this announcement was made today that “Trans” individuals are not going to be accepted in the US military. I guess the question now has to be legislative. Is it finally time that the executive privilege of a sitting president be scrutinized in terms of race and equality rights in the military? The president who is commander in chief and the top supreme leader of the military also gets to decide who he wants to serve? @twitter Mr. Trump says he consulted with the top brass on this decision?

It has been said it’s showmanship being the “Mr. Apprentice” but as the days and months go by, it clearly gives more direction that truly this is not the work of a newbie politician but something more than that. Trans individuals goes through a lot of challenges just on showing that they have the same rights as any other citizen. They have to advocate for themselves in society and at times really face criticism and acceptability. The leader of the free world should be their friend and supporter as being foe just earned more rejection in terms of being not supportive of race and equality challenges.

Hence, will let you decide on which side your on. At least, read this book first and learn more about Beyond Trans

Alex Esguerra

ADLE International

Usedbooksworld