When a book catches your eye, what do you do? You browse. If you like what you read, you buy.

That’s in a bookstore. What about online?

A little while ago, Amazon.com started offering “Search Inside,” an electronic way to browse. As with many things Amazon, this touched off controversy. Some felt it endangered copyright protections; others that it was a great way to simulate the bookstore browsing experience and sell more books.

Me being a marketer in my day job, you can guess where I came down on the question. I’d already posted the first chapter-and-a-half to browse on our website, illustrated with great period Chicago photos. (Check it out at http://tolovemercy.com/to_love_mercy_excerpt.html.)

I filled out Amazon’s form and mailed them a prepublication copy of To Love Mercy in March, even before the official publication date. I waited the requisite 6-8 weeks. Nothing happened.

I met an Amazon official in May at the Publishers Marketing Assn. annual meeting and complained. She said, No problem, I can make this happen with an e-mail. Still, nothing happened.

In late June, the publisher resubmitted To Love Mercy to the “Search Inside” program. Nothing.

Finally, early this month, I called the Amazon lady. She was cordial and most apologetic, said it had indeed slipped through the cracks (and that she’d forgotten to send the promised e-mail), but that Amazon had received the second submission from the publisher and It Would Happen. Although there’d still be a wait of 6-8 weeks.

There wasn’t though. To Love Mercy popped up on “Search Inside” within days. The first day, one week ago, my Amazon sales ranking shot to 59,481. They have stayed higher ever since. The best day was Friday, 50,679 — almost equalling the day I appeared on WBEZ-FM — and four of the seven days have been at five-digit levels. (Previously, To Love Mercy seldom broke into the five digits.)

“Search Inside” runs a little slow but works perfectly. It even has a “Surprise Me!” feature that picks out an excerpt out at random. Check it out at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0974478539/sr=8-1/qid=1153182744/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-1715172-6663143?ie=UTF8

Amazon is a controversial company to be sure. They’ve given the willies to brick-and-mortar bookstores, including even the mighty big-box chains. Their customer service can be pretty awful (I have stories), and their behavior mystifying. For example, they listed To Love Mercy months before it was actually available, at a 30% discount; how they arrived at this number, when they did not know what the book would cost them — let alone had copies to sell — is beyond me and my publisher.

But on balance, my hat is off to Amazon. With features like “Search Inside”, customer reviews, “ListMania”, posting the titles of books bought by people who also bought your book, and many other innovations, they’ve created an ingenious cyberspace analog to the bookstore experience. If I were Barnes & Noble or Borders, I’d worry too.

Frank S. Joseph
www.tolovemercy.com

P.S. Frank on TV! The show “Chicagoing,” with host Bill Campbell on ABC Channel 7 (WLS-TV, Chicago), is taping a segment Aug. 10. Campbell is a three-time local Emmy winner. “Chicagoing” airs on Sunday mornings at 11 a.m. Central time. When I find out which day my segment will air, I’ll let you know.

And more Washington-area appearances are ahead. Barnes & Noble in Bethesda will happen Saturday, Aug. 19, at 6 p.m. The format is yet to be determined — probably a panel of local authors. Watch this space for details.