On Aug. 4, from 10am to 4pm, this free event for booksellers and book buyers will take place at the Nassau Inn in Princeton, NJ. TitleWave is a day that includes a presentation of picks of the list by Ken Abramson and the BookStream staff, appearances by new and upcoming authors, and a chance to network with fellow booksellers.

To reserve a spot call Carolyn Bennett at 866-416-1112 x209 or send an email to carolyn.bennett@bookstream.com

Could giving away free book samples drive more book sales, like giving away samples of deli meat makes grocery shoppers want to buy more? The cosmetics industry, for example, has used free samples of their products to grab customers for years, maybe the book industry should take note.

It is no secret that the culture inside a Borders or Barnes & Nobles bookstore is to hang around for hours in the comfy chairs reading books, like getting free samples before you buy. This has contributed largely to the popularity of these book chains, helped books sales and customer loyalty.

Now book publishers and authors can utilize the Internet for a similar effect. In his blog psfk, Dan Gould notes Neil Gaiman’s book American Gods, which was put up online in its entirety for free by its publisher, in an effort to promote his upcoming work The Graveyard Book. Despite being available online for free, actual book sales went up. The Internet is not killing print, in fact it can help if used in creative ways.