Comments on: Simon & Schuster is adding QR codes to all its print books. Will readers bite?

By: Peter Turner

Peter Turner — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 01:41:30 +0000

I think what’s notable here and commendable is that S&S is trying to reach out to customers to form direct relationships, which can be built on over time.

By: charlotte danz

charlotte danz — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 22:49:26 +0000

Its up to bookseller to inform

By: Sue Campbell

Sue Campbell — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 16:03:36 +0000

Ick.

By: 4causeplay

4causeplay — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 20:38:47 +0000

QR codes are an extra step, what is the point of putting an ugly stamp on your brand after you have spent all your time and effort trying to make your brand appealing. how about a short code or web page. Old School, yet effective

By: Turndog Millionaire

Turndog Millionaire — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 05:59:48 +0000

I can’t see this working. It will just blend in with the rest of the back cover and not offer people any reason to click. I only find QR codes work when they stand out and provide a reason to click. If they could click, be taken to an exclusive mobile edition chapter (or anything interesting), then this could certainly work

This does sound like the Field of Dreams mentality, though

Matthew (Turndog Millionaire)

By: Mindbendingpuzzles

Mindbendingpuzzles — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 10:59:30 +0000

I can’t see the benefit this brings to the customer so it seems pointless to me.

Now if they included a code to allow a download of the book in electronic format then I might be interested. That would be the best of both worlds. Nice hardback copy of the book on my shelf to display with the convenience of being able to read the book on my e-reader when I am out and about.

By: Antony McGregor Dey

Antony McGregor Dey — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 03:29:31 +0000

QR codes and SMS as mobile call-to-action see very high response rates when used in the right context. At link.me we power most of the QR Codes (and SMS) you see on book jackets where we’ve seen outstanding results. Our average campaigns on Teen titles see about an 16% response rate of total copies sold, on romance and business titles we’re seeing response rates around 8%. If you’d like a case study email us – info (at) link (dot) me

By: David Thomas

David Thomas — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 20:24:09 +0000

Consumers will use the QR codes IF S&S supplies something interesting and inviting on the initial page. It has to be more than just a link to the online catalog page, or a list of the author’s books, etc. The idea is to engage the consumer immediately on some deeper level. A lot of authors are not exactly camera candy, so short videos need to supplement the content.

By: Glenn Fleishman

Glenn Fleishman — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 19:24:40 +0000

The Economist cites comScore in a recent QR Code article that puts recent usage at nearly 20%, up a bit year over year. http://www.economist.com/node/21556993

By: Nikos Anagnostou

Nikos Anagnostou — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 19:08:00 +0000

Reblogged this on Webtropic and commented: Some points towards the end of the article seem to justify my skepticism about QR codes: they are a fun way to open a link but why would you want to open it in the first place?