Skip to main content

Something First

By RK Rishikesh Sinha, New Delhi

Remember “Books on Demand” -- the online book selling service which was started here. The link “Books” used to hover at the header as well as at the bottom here.

Good part of this service was that I fulfilled few of the orders that came from the regular readers and writers. I feel good that I availed books that were not available in their area.

It's services were offered to length and breadth of the country from Kerala to Meghalaya. Ordered books were sent to possibly each and every state of India.

Why I am writing about this service which is defunct?

#1. Like any “first”, it was my ‘first’ foray into the arena of e-commerce.
#2. If I don’t jot it down fast the experiences I had running this service, I fear, I will not be able to recollect and experience it later, in my later adventures.
#3. I will miss its case study later, though micro was its scale and operation.

What were the challenges?

Books On Demand had hell lot of challenges – some imaginary and some technical.

#1. Marketing

The very term ‘marketing’ was blurring my mind as if I don’t know the meaning of the word. What I did – I shifted its meaning to “visibility”. Voila! The whole landscape of Internet came visible in front of my eyes. I came to know where my clients are.

The next question was -- How to reach them? I can’t wage a full throttle war (web marketing) on a non-existent budget. So, I had to resort to guerilla marketing --- attack and leave the message without leaving any sign.

The guerilla marketing was carried out not more than a week, and I started getting results…orders after orders…Mission accomplished!

#2. Price

The prices of the books were exorbitant, adding list price plus courier, plus commission of Rs 50 (A book of Rs 100 used to cost Rs 250 and more). I was thinking people are rational while buying things, especially if it is related to books. But the notion was broken with the flurry of orders. The very thought changed --People were ready to buy at any costs. Exceptions are there.

#3. URL

I was bit perturbed with the url of the Books on Demand (booksondemand.bishnupriyamanipuri.com) – too long and being associated with the name of the community.

I remember a customer was literally pronouncing the whole URL (bish—nu—priya—ma---ni—pu—ri—dot--com). :)

Though I didn’t face any problem with the customers regarding the URL, but it was bit difficult to market the brand amongst Delhi book publishers. A lesson learnt (without any upfront cost.)

Reminiscent

I have lot of nice remembrances associated with this service. First, readers and writers of the blogsite were able to contact me regarding their necessities. That I always long for. Thanks, again.

Though the service was very mechanical, it had a lot of memorable clients’ interactions. One was V. Poli Naidu from Meghalaya, he rang only to give me the message that he has received the books. Another one was Harsh Suman, he was so happy receiving the books at the eleventh hour of his board exam that his mother showered on me lot of blessings.

Before Leaving

Read #2 Why I am writing
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

We all love comments. It is moderated

Popular posts from this blog

Flinders University appoints Dr Romi Sinha as Associate Lecturer

Dr. Romi Sinha, appointed Associate Lecturer at Flinders University, Australia Adding one more story of Indian diaspora by individuals who by dint of their single-minded dedication and hard work achieve success, Dr Romi Sinha, an alumna of Silchar Medical College, Assam, is one among them. Daughter of Rebati Mohan Sinha, she has been awarded the post of Associate Lecturer in the School of Medicine at Flinders University, Australia.  Since its inception in 1966, the Australian university has built a strong reputation for quality and innovation in its courses and in its teaching. It is the first university in the world to have a bachelor course in nanotechnology, and the first in Australia to offer a graduate entry medical course. Throughout its history, Flinders University has had a focus and an emphasis on research .  Her achievement is an inspiration for students and parents to lay emphasis on quality education. 
3 comments
Read more

A life devoted to poetry

Courtesy: The Sentinel By Champalal Sinha In the world of present Bishnupriya Manipuri literature, the man who first makes his imprint on our minds and reflects his image in our eyes, and the name that comes first while discussing the literature of the community is poet Brojendra Kumar Sinha. His fault-finders will, however, have a different view. His is a life totally devoted to poetry, and this is his first identity. It’s poet Brojendra Kumar Sinha who first introduced structural aspect, subject matter, mode of expression, appeal, soul (core), rhetoric and the like in a conscious way in Bishnupriya Manipuri literature in order to put it on a par with developed literatures in the world. And he has been successful in his relentless efforts towards that end. His poems have been translated and published in English, Bengali, Assamese, Nepali, Kokborok, Manipuri, Urdu and other languages, and received with applause. Talking straight, he is the architect of modern Bishnupriya Manipuri poe...
4 comments
Read more

The 'Star' Krishankant Sinha of Space City Sigma

By RK Rishikesh Sinha, New Delhi It is a myth that the all-knowing Internet knows everything. One such myth relates to old television stuff aired on Doordarshan before 1990. Search in Google “Space City Sigma”, the search engine would throw up reminiscent results from the people who still long for those days. Those days were really golden days. Krishankant Sinha in the role of Captain Tara in Space City Singma For those who have watched Doordarshan some 15 to 20 years back, am sure they will have nostalgic memories of it. The days when possessing a now ubiquitous looking television set was a luxury. It was a neighbour’s envy product. It was a visual product to showoff, to flaunt that we have a television set . Those were the days when black and white, locked television was rarely found in homes. The days became immortal for teleserials like Ramayana, Mahabharata, Swami’s Malgudi Days (Ta-Na-Na-Na…), Ek-Do-Teen-Char (Title song: Ek do teen char, chaaro mil ke saath chale to ...
26 comments
Read more