Borders.com Newsletter
Volume 2, Number 1
Week of May 3, 1999
Dear Friend of Borders.com:
In his reverential look at the history of books and book collecting, writer
Nicholas Basbanes describes the acute attraction that passionate readers
feel toward great books as a "gentle madness" -- an innocent but completely
compelling affliction to which all true book lovers eventually surrender.
Everyone who works for Borders -- whether at your favorite Borders store
or here online -- does so because they're at least partially afflicted by the
gentle madness that Basbanes so affectionately details. For us, though, it
extends beyond books into the parallel worlds of music and video, too.
What makes our obsession all right, of course, is that we know our
customers share the same passionate drive to learn, discover and explore
that we do -- which is to say, perhaps you've caught a bit of the madness
yourself?
With that always in mind, there are several new features and changes to
Borders.com that we think you'll appreciate:
* IMPROVED SEARCH ENGINE -- Our enhanced search engine can help
cut through the clutter associated with many searches. While we still provide
you with a comprehensive list of results based on your search criteria, there's
a good chance that the title you're seeking will now appear at the top of the
page, part of short list of popular titles matching your search terms - titles
other Borders.com customers have been looking for, too.
* THE DAILY BYTE -- Our revamped news column, The Daily Byte, offers
a regular dose of happenings, news flashes and stories with a Borders twist.
Think of it as News for the Gently Mad. Check out today's column for news
you might have missed and stories that deserve to be told; you can access
the Byte each day from the top of the homepage. (Also, watch for more
literary content on the site in coming months.)
* MORE BORDERS STAFF REVIEWS -- We're featuring more staff reviews
on our site than ever before. Borders' staffers all over the country (and with our
recent expansion overseas, all over the world) are giving their two cents about
the titles they find most compelling and worthy amidst a never-ending sea of
new releases, old classics, and overlooked backlist books, CDs and videos.
Check out the latest staff reviews for a sample of what we're talking about.
[ borders.com ]
* OUR FRIENDS & ASSOCIATES AFFILIATE PROGRAM -- Launched in
March, Borders.com's Friends & Associates affiliate program offers you the
opportunity to earn commissions by selling books, CDs and videos through
your website. We'll track the sales you refer to us and send you a check for
up to seven percent of those sales. Join the Borders.com sales team without
even leaving your living room.
[ go.borders.com ]
* CONTESTS, CHATS AND SPECIAL FEATURE SECTIONS -- Beginning
this month, Borders.com will give out five iMac computers -- that's one
differently colored iMac a week for five weeks. Enter our contest today for a
chance to win one of these popular new brightly colored computers.
We also have online chats scheduled with science-fiction writer Neal
Stephenson (discussing his new epic novel, Cryptonomicon) on Monday,
May 3, former featured Oprah author Jane Hamilton (The Short History
Of A Prince) on Tuesday, May 4 , and emerging master of the thriller
Andrew Vachss on Monday, May 10. Stop by our NetCafe for a complete
chat schedule.
[ iMac Giveaway Contest: go.borders.com ]
[ Chats: borders.com ]
* THE BORDERS.COM USER SURVEY -- Finally, we want to know what
you think about our site. Please take a couple of minutes to fill out the
Borders.com user survey (see link, below). We're trying to make our site
better, and we'd love to hear your thoughts.
[ borders.com ]
Like we said, we've implemented a lot of changes meant to make it easier
for you to find what you're looking for, or to help you find something you don't
know you're looking for yet. Let us know what you think about our changes.
Keep in touch,
Rick Vanzura,
President, Borders Online
P.S. Check out Nicholas Basbanes' book, Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles,
Bibliomanes, & The Eternal Passion for Books, just released in paperback
last month. Here's a link:
[ search.borders.com ]
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