The birth of book vending machine
In 1822, Richard Carlile, a British bookstore owner, invented the world's first book vending machine. At that time, the concept of publishing was relatively conservative. If Bookstore clerks sold radical books called "forbidden books", such as the age of reason written by Thomas Paine, they would be put in prison. The vending machine avoids the direct negotiation between customers and clerks, and eliminates the possibility of more censorship.
It can be said that the book vending machine is not designed for marketing, but for readers to "hear more different voices". Although the book vending machine has not been popularized on a large scale since then, some people still do the same thing based on similar wishes.
It was a weekend in 1933. Allen Lane, the founder of Penguin Books, was standing on the train station platform in Exeter. He had just met a writer friend who was going to return to London and wanted to buy something at the book and newspaper stand of the railway station to read on the return train. However, he was shocked by the optional reading materials... This inspired his fighting spirit, and he was determined to make a high-quality book belonging to that era.
This kind of book should not only be attractive in price (a book is equal to the price of a pack of cigarettes), but also can be bought in traditional bookstores. More importantly, it can be bought in railway stations, tobacco retail stores and small chain stores. He hoped that books could go out of libraries and bookstores, into stations and streets, and into the hands of pedestrians who stopped for a moment. First, in 1935, inspired by the concept of "small size books" by albatross books, he published the classic pocket book series. Then, in 1937, two years later, the first Penguin Book vending machine was designed to sell pocket books.
The vending machines mentioned above are usually called "vending machine" or "dispenser" in English and "distribution automation" in French. Whether in English or French, its original meaning focuses on the meaning of "distribution and distribution". After translation into Chinese, this word is used to be called "vending machine". It is deprived of the connotation of sharing, is no longer an extension of human behavior, and has simply become a substitute for sales services. We have to say that we may fundamentally misunderstand its meaning and bury the possibility of using it flexibly.
In this era, vending machines, as the sales channel of books, are indeed a little passive, but perhaps we can provide an excellent display place to "revive" their extended concept. In public places that are not meant to be read, a new way is used to change people's access to books, stimulate readers' desire to establish a close relationship with books, and bring fun to people's confused waiting time. Those old vending machines have been transformed to show people a new look and deliver books to readers like Santa Claus.
Adhering to the paper media is the feeling of many people for a lifetime. However, publishers should not only see that the things they believe, cherish and cherish are going away with the changes of the times, but also see a broader vision and responsibility of opportunities, cooperate and find opportunities for media and improving reading methods. In fact, the text always appears in different forms and goes deep into our life with the help of different media. Just as the book vending machine is constantly changing, life is always continuing and reborn in different ways. The possibility of reading is in the revolution of publishing.