tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7556457041225556439.post-90950105437388746462008-03-26T10:11:00.003-07:002008-03-26T11:56:24.080-07:00Another update on the ongoing Borders kiosk saga ... this time, on prices.<br /><br />Soon, customers at select Borders stores will be able to publish their books using Lulu's software at prices ranging from $299 to $499.<br /><br />That's a pretty cool thing, but it's only part of the story.<br /><br />My guess is that prospective customers will be especially intrigued by the possibility of their books being <em>carried</em> in Borders stores—which the new service touts.<br /><br />I can't help but bring up the issue this raises, which I cited in my Feb. 15th post:<br /><br />"A final note: I wonder how this move will affect Borders' relationship with its customer-authors? Barnes and Noble had a terrible problem regarding the customer service involved with this kind of relationship when it was a part-owner of iUniverse, another self-publishing service (customers kept asking when their books would be carried on B &amp; N bookstore shelves; the answer almost always disappointed them).<br /><br />"The problems were so severe, apparently, that they eventually led to B &amp; N severing its relationship with iUniverse altogether last year.<br /><br />"I guess Borders—a bookseller whose financial problems have been well-reported over the last few years (in large part because they completely missed the boat on online bookselling)—has decided that the possible rewards are worth the risks."<br /><br />You can check out Borders' new program <a href="http://publish.bordersstores.com/?u-pub">here</a>.Grael Nortonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08429704664522510214noreply@blogger.com