I conducted a poll on Twitter today, hungry to satisfy a curiosity I’d had for a long time. I asked:
Question: When you buy books, are you MOSTLY a “clicker” (meaning shop online), or a “bricker” (shop in brick-and-mortar stores)?
I tallied results for three hours. The results of the poll rocked my little noggin.
Why I Asked
Since the June release of my debut novel Personal Effects: Dark Art, I’ve been keen to learn more about the buying habits of shoppers. But not just any shoppers — “my” shoppers, my peeps, the folks who’ve supported my free podcast fiction for years. I wanted data, so I could see where and why my peeps shop where they shop, so I could strategize my upcoming outreach efforts for my technothriller 7th Son: Descent, which will be released in late October.
Based on three and a half years of anecdotal data (culled from thousands of emails), some statistical knowledge of the space (culled from white papers on podcasting, mostly) and some first-hand statistical data (culled from my mailing list), I already knew some things about my peeps:
- Most have a college degree; many have post-graduate degrees
- Most have disposable income (though it may be ever-dwindling in this shithole economy)
- They are overwhelmingly male
- Most are between the ages of 36-45, though my work is popular with the 26-35 and 46-and-over markets
- They have online tech savvy (I use the inconvenient task of subscribing to a podcast as an unofficial barometer of this; subscribing to podcasts is still a pain)
- They are social media savvy (The fact that they were on Twitter and could “@” reply was the barometer here, as well as my experiences with them in other communities, including my own)
I fully understood that this poll was unscientific. I didn’t care about science, and honestly believe that Objectivity is a myth. (From my experiences as a newspaperman, I concluded long ago that nearly any thing that is observed alters its behavior because it knows it’s being observed, thus altering the foundation for accurate reporting. Further, no journalist is Objective; it’s an emotional impossibility.) I was questing for anecdotal data — real-world, from-the-gut results provided by what I perceived as my core fan base.
What I Expected
My expectations, before I asked the question, were practically chiseled in my brain. I firmly believed that the Twitter crowd (who represented my “base,” in this unscientific endeavor) would overwhelmingly choose “clicker” over “bricker” — a clear preference for online shopping. This was a natural assumption based on a few things:
- They’re likely online far more than the “average” consumer (Hell, they were tweeting during business hours!)
- This online familiarity implied confidence and familiarity with online retailers such as Amazon.com
- Based on observations from book launches during the past two years (including recent launches of Personal Effects and Trust Agents), Amazon was swarming with Day One purchases, implying further familiarity
- I totally projected my own shopping behavior onto my fans. I’m a clicker, nearly exclusively.
How I Collated the Data
I received so many responses to my informal poll, I could barely keep up. Many thanks to all my friends who “re-tweeted” my question, which made it reach more respondents that I could have on my own.
I collected responses into four groups:
- Folks who were “clickers,” mostly online shoppers
- Folks who were “brickers,” mostly in-store shoppers
- Folks who said they did both equally (“50/50″)
- Folks whose answers didn’t express a clear preference
I tallied up the “clicker” and “bricker” responses, and then took the “50/50″ responses, and — since these shoppers were equally inclined to shop online and in-store — added a point to both the “clicker” and “bricker” tallies for each response. I did not add the unclear responses to the tallies.
The Results
Here ya go:
Clicker
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Bricker
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
Clicker: 118
Bricker: 117
This is quite different than what I expected.
What Does It Mean? (Part One)
The most illuminating take-away for me was that the people whom I perceive to be my core fan base — tech-savvy social media users (or outright geeks) — love to shop in brick-and-mortar bookstores. Yes, yes, they obviously love shopping online … but these results clearly indicate that new media authors like me, who forge their reputations online, cannot ignore the allure and power of brick-and-mortar stores. New media authors simply cannot expect fans to head to Amazon — which is the easy (and perhaps wrongheaded) thing to assume, as several comments below suggest.
Some Comments
Here are a several interesting responses from Twitter users. (Some comments edited for spelling/clarity)
If I know what I want, I buy it online. I’m more likely to buy a book at random from the store, though. (writeingthings)
I like buying in stores. There’s something special about buying books in an actual store. (TheCharmQuark)
I’m about 50% split. If I KNOW what book I want, I’ll buy it online, but if I’m at a bookstore, I’ll browse and buy. (basest)
I am a clicker to research, but a bricker to buy. I gotta feel the book. *rubs fingers together* (greenglam)
I guess I’m a “bricker.” Prefer holding it in my hands, and the immediate gratification of taking it home right then and there. (nickhinton)
Mostly a clicker, b/c of price. Also b/c many authors are selling signed copies directly. (chrisbowsman)
Amazon.com is the only way I buy books, 99.99% of the time. Free shipping and awesome deals rocks. (unixtudotnet)
I’m both. I buy paper, I buy Kindle, I buy audiobooks. Different book form factors for different purposes. (cspenn)
What Does It Mean? (Part Two)
What does this imply for my pre-release outreach strategies for 7th Son: Descent? I don’t rightly know yet. It certainly suggests that reminding fans to pre-order and purchase in-store is mission-critical for new media authors. Buying in-store represents natural shopping behavior, but it’s less convenient than shopping online. Since the bookstore is a “destination” (drive drive drive to the store, etc.), busy folks must be politely reminded that it’s totally cool to buy in-store — but for the love of Pete, don’t forget to buy! New media authors cannot assume Amazon is the magic bullet answer.
What else does it mean? I’m digesting this anecdotal data now, and hope to come to some conclusions that will help me effectively promote 7th Son: Descent — and effectively direct fans to their ideal shopping options during the first two critical weeks the book is available for purchase. Sustained sales are the secret to a great-performing book … but nothing beats a good, hot-damn grand opening.
What do you think? Am I making wrongheaded assumptions about this anecdotal data? Are my findings elementary? What conclusions or insights can you share?
“I didn’t care about science, and honestly believe that Objectivity is a myth.”
My eyes are burning! Oh the pain! My eyes!
Seriously, though I find the results surprising as well. I expected clicker to be dominant with your readers even though I am a bricker.
I think basest’s quote, best captured how I feel about this topic,
“I’m about 50% split. If I KNOW what book I want, I’ll buy it online, but if I’m at a bookstore, I’ll browse and buy. (basest)”
I know multiple purchases of the same book wasn’t in scope for your impromptu poll, however it would be interesting to understand the behavior there as well. When it comes to a highly anticipated book, I may brick buy for myself but then purchase an online copy for a friend or relative — since they aren’t expecting it, it doesn’t need to arrive quickly.
Interesting topic and definitely not the results I expected!
oh, and this expression of Objectivity that you mention:
“From my experiences as a newspaperman, I concluded long ago that nearly any thing that is observed alters its behavior because it knows it’s being observed, thus altering the foundation for accurate reporting”
That’s how I feel about “Reality TV”!
@sidfaiwu — Heh! I totally care about science, but knew a highly analytical poll was impossible on Twitter. But quantum physics suggest that the mere act of observation alters all outcomes.
And yes, I’m equally surprised by the results! I’m glad I asked the community for its input, lest I move forward on incorrect assumptions!
@CJ — I might conduct a “multiple purchases” poll down the road, as you suggest. I have some interesting data to chew on for the time being, however.
I was *hoping* someone would make a reality TV reference! I feel the same way, too!
I’m not as surprised if for no other reason then I know the power of immediate gratification is high. People spend a lot of time in bookstores for caffeination and net access and if they see a book there then there’s a good chance they’ll buy. Then there’s something about just have a book in hand before you buy it. So I figured that would skew results towards brick and mortar.
I’d be a bricker totally, but it’s cheaper to buy online typically especially if you can wait for super saver. Instant gratification is powerful, but an empty wallet is powerfuller.
@Scott — Great points, all. The poll results were particularly revelatory for me, if only because it showed just how much of “me” (my own buying habits) I’d projected onto my customers. I dare not make such assumptions again!
I wasn’t expecting these results to be this close, but I was expecting them to be maybe 40% bricker.
Aside from your fans and followers being all the things you mentioned, I’d reckon they are also people who love books. I think book lovers might be more inclined to go against their normal online nature to be in the bookstore atmosphere. That’s the case for me, anyway, but I’m an outlier: female and younger than your youngest age bracket by a year or two.
Another possible reason is that we’re people who (obviously) like to show our support to those we think deserve it, even if it’s more expensive or inconvenient. I’d be willing to bet that a significant proportion of the brickers would say that they try to shop at independent bookstores instead of chains.
@Athenrein — Thanks for chiming in! You may very well be right, regarding the online savvy going against their “online nature.” I reckon the next logical answer to unearth is, How do these results compare to a “typical” shopper’s behavior? I’ll pursue this, and share findings — if the data exists.
And thank heavens you’re an outlier! Know that you’re not alone: over the past year especially, more women and younger adults are discovering my work, for which I’m grateful. Thanks for the support, and feedback.
I don’t shop on Amazon. I’m Canadian and Amazon chooses to restrict items from the Canadian market and/or artificially inflates the price in the Canadian market over and above what it would cost for the rate of exchange plus shipping. Therefore I do not shop on Amazon sites, not even the Canadian one.
I prefer to research my purchases in-store and then weigh the “how badly I need it” factor against the “how much cheaper can I get it online” factor. I also go out of my way to investigate smaller mom-and-pop stores (either online or offline) and buy direct from the authors whenever I can–It’s more money for the author and usually better service overall. I can also be found trolling used bookstores to pick up things that may have been bestsellers 20-30 years ago. Real books beat ephemeral data every time!
If it helps further cloud the issue (and in a way that is annoying to an author’s income), I usually buy new books in the store, used books online. Used bookstores are so hard to locate anything, but Half.com sorts through all the crap in a second.
I know authors don’t benefit directly from used sales, but I will defend my habits with three points. One, I am poor so if I don’t buy used, I often have to go without. Two, if I’m less familiar with an author and I buy used, I will usually go back and buy any further books from them new if I like them. Sometimes used & online is the only way to get books (try getting Jeff Noon books in a Borders — even if they order it, it’ll be from the same source you do).
Seeing that the numbers were so close, how effective might a brick and mortar store pre-order rush be? Somewhere along the way I seem to remember someone talking about how they had ordered the book from a brick and the store owner/manager saw the book and thought it was amazing. Had that person clicked, the owner never would have seen it.
How about having some sort of a promo where people scan/pic their brick and mortar receipt for a chance at some awesome prize?
@Herne and @Nerraux — I completely understand (and appreciate) the use of online tools to snag the most affordable copies of books, including used books. I was mostly looking for data that suggested buying behavior for new books, but your comments are very helpful, as well. Thanks for chiming in!
@CJ — You’re on the same page as me, regarding a possible in-store pre-order “rush” strategy. That was an immediate conclusion I came to after looking at this data.
The strategy has some risk — buyers must make two trips to the bookstore (one to order, one to pick up) — but if properly positioned and incentivized, I think it can be a resonant strategy. I’ll be noodling on this in the days ahead!
One possible reason such a large number of your listeners/readers are brickers may be that the basic geek community from which you draw your fans tend to be voracious readers to start with. They have a lifetime of browsing bookstores behind them. Even though your audience is highly tech savvy, and often goes the “clicker” route, the attraction to the brick-and-mortar may never really go away.
Quick thought re: brick store rush.
Maybe you could get people to send you the name/location of the store they got their copy from, and we can see how long we can get that list. Maybe some kind of little prize for everyone on the list if it gets to X length.
Ack, gotta go pay attention to my Social Research class, which is being held online… seems somehow fitting.
@pianoeditor — You may very well be right about that! Also, considering the age group of my “core” core market (folks aged 36-45), who were raised in a pre-Internet era in which practically the only way to purchase books was at a brick-and-mortar store, this “natural shopping behavior” is just that, because of their upbringing. Learned, familiar, behavior all the way.
@Athenrein — An excellent idea. Incentivizing in-store pre-orders is definitely something I’ll be scheming on in the days ahead.
I didn’t see the poll until it was over, but here’s a New Zealand perspective:
If I can’t get it here, because a book isn’t being distributed all the way out to our little country at the bottom of the South Pacific, then online is the only way, and the shipping costs are then highly prohibitive. I have to REALLY want a book to go that path: PE:DA and Phil Rossi’s Crescent are cases in point.
Otherwise, like Herne, I aim for our local second-hand book store, who also specialise is a huge range of new fantasy and sci-fi, and buy new and second-hand books from there exclusively.
When the market is dominated by a handful of big-box retail monsters, it can be hard to find the good stuff, and that’s where the online services become invaluable.
My wife and kids got me PA:DA for father’s day, bought it from Barnes & Noble, and paid $25. On Amazon, it’s less than $20 with shipping, and if I get a second book, I can have two of them for a little more than B&N’s price, plus free shipping.
I still frequent bookstores for used stuff, but I’ll probably never buy another new book in a store again.
The last book I bought was Jeremy C. Shipp’s Vacation. For $16 w/ shipping, I got a personalized copy directly from him. Why on earth would I even bother going to the store (40 minute round trip), then end up probably having to order it?
Quite the intresting results. I figured that it would be more online, like you said in your hypothesis, but to have it nearly 50/50 is intresting. would have been more supprised had it been over 50% on the bricker side rather then online. with the way that media and sopciety has gone to being an online supported system, But shows we are not exclusive to online yet. It is moving that way tho. With the convienence of it. I mean you have internet everywhere, and most phones even have the capability to access internet. its would be interesting to see how the results would have been 10 years ago and 10 years from now.
I honestly would have thought there’d be more brickers. As much as I do like the Amazon experience, there’s just something about a bookstore that is more comforting.
Of course that said, there are some books you just won’t find in a book store.
I guess I’m an outlier here. I’m in high school!
Anyway, as I mentioned on Twitter, I prefer to shop in bookstores. It allows me to get a more definitive look at a book before I purchase it. I can formulate my own opinions, instead of having to base them on other people’s reviews. Also, I like being able to read the book immediately. I don’t like waiting for it to arrive, which is inevitable when shopping online. Also, shopping in a bookstore gives a more personal experience. I really feel as if the book is mine, whereas online shopping feels more like someone loaned it to me. That probably sounds really weird, but that’s just the experience I have.
I’m one of those who does both about 50/50. And the main reason I do that — well, aside from the whole ADD/OCD thing of trying to get whatever I happen to think of taken care of right when I’m thinking about it no matter where I am at the time lest it escape into the netherworld of forgetfulness and shiny objects — is that I’d like to support both and keep both around if possible. Getting something mailed to me at what may be a discounted price is good, especially if I want something I’d have to have ordered anyway, but it’s also good to have a place to GO to browse books and purchase them, if desired. If I’m out there in the book store with other people who are there for the same reason and even possibly (gasp) TALKING to them, it kind of helps remind me there are other people in the world besides just me (as strange a concept as that might be to a habitual shut-in like myself…).
I’m glad to see that I’m not as much of an anachronism as I thought. As a bricker, instant gratification certainly plays a big role in things, but I also like the atmosphere of a book store. I like the smell of the books, and the chance to discover books I would never have searched for online
I prefer clicking for things that are maybe not so mainstream and are not easy to find, but I doubt that clicking will ever truly replace the experience of going through a book store, seeing something interesting sounding/looking, picking it up, and falling in love.
Being a woman I’m a little outside your primary demographic, but I must say that I am primarily a bricker. I love the bookstores and pop in randomly just to see what’s there. I am moving towards online a little more, and I must say podcasts have been a big part of this. Getting into this type of “reading” has opened doors for me into new technology, as well as new authors. But somehow I can never beat the feel of a book in my hands.
Amazon and the like score highly on convenience and price, but I don’t know when I last made an impulse purchase there. Customer reviews are one thing, but you can really only get a feel for a book by picking it up and flicking through the pages. That’s why I still love to visit my local bookstore and see what’s currently in the ’3 for 2′ offer that catches my eye. I know you shouldn’t judge a book by the cover, but sometimes that’s the hook that gets you to take a second look.
So, all(!) you have to do is ensure that your book has a killer cover and is prominently displayed in bookshops everywhere and you’ll have a sure-fire hit!
I am tech savvy, but I HATE to buy books online and only use it as a last resort….
I drive my husband (total clicker) crazy every week when I drag him in to the book store to get some new release. He always says ” Can’t we just get this on Amazon?? ” to which I always reply ” NO! It’s not the SAME!!” followed by lots of whining sounds and dirty glares directed to my husband.
I have no problems buying things in general online, but when it comes to items like books, or comics… it’s just not the same. i want to be able to hold it, thumb through it, read the book flap, so on….
I don’t really know what it is, but there’s something magical about books. The physical things, the touch, the smell, the weight…. I think what I love about bookstores is the intimacy. Online shopping is so impersonal, and I’m a people person. I can deal with it when I’m Christmas shopping or something, especially when I know what people want or am looking for ideas. But when shopping for myself – especially for books – I love bookstores.
When I went off to college, I drove my friends crazy with my mad desire for a bookstore other than the campus one that only carries textbooks – but the closest one is three towns away! I’ve learned to deal with it, but I’ll always take a bookstore over Amazon, any day of the week!