Barnes & Noble Not In Top Brands List
A new Harris
Poll shows the top 15 brands are now lead by Amazon, as defined by people
evaluating a company’s reputation on such factors as “emotional appeal,”
“quality of service” and “product value.”
It’s the first time the world’s largest digital retailer hit the top
spot.
Its chief retail
competitors, Walmart and Target, didn’t make the cut. But it’s main e-competitors did. Apple is
number two, and Google number four.
Barnes & Noble didn’t make the list.
Interestingly,
the reputation of many companies is slipping.
Two years ago, 16 scored a “great” reputation, while only six did this
time. It shows how tentative or tenuous
a consumer’s relationship with a company can be. Not surprisingly, banks, phone companies, oil
companies or service-oriented firms were absent from the list. But I thought Starbucks would have made it.
Oh well.
Here’s the List:
1.
Amazon.com
2.
Apple
3.
The
Walt Disney Company
4.
Google
5.
Johnson
& Johnson
6.
The
Coca-Cola Company
7.
Whole
Foods Market
8.
Sony
9.
Procter
& Gamble Co.
10. Costco
11. Samsung
12. Kraft Foods
13. USAA
14. Nike
15. Microsoft
Interview
With Author SusanGriscom
1.
What
type of books do you write? I write a variety of fiction—paranormal/romance,
young adult, and mainstream. My paranormal series, Whisper Cape, delves into the world of supernatural powers mixed with
a heavy dose of romance and mystery. I also have a young adult/romance, Allusive Aftershock, releasing in the
winter of 2013. After that, I plan on working on a mainstream novel that I’ve
been thinking about for approximately four years, and of course, the third book
in the WC series.
2. What is your latest or upcoming
book about? My latest book, Reflections,
is book two in the paranormal/romance, Whisper Cape series. The first book was centered
around the love affair of Addison MacKenna and Cael Sheridan, two extraordinary
people brought together to defeat a murdering maniac from destroying them and divulging
the secret of their powers to the world. But they can’t seem to keep their
hands off each other in the process, which complicates things a bit.
Reflections, continues
where Whisper Cape leaves off, telling
the story of Maia MacKenna (Addison’s young aunt) and Gerry Briden. Gerry has loved
Maia from the very first moment he laid eyes on her and his love is only
growing stronger as she is now pregnant with his child. Maia is overjoyed about
having Gerry’s baby, but when she starts seeing and hearing an old woman who
warns Maia about the pregnancy, she starts to think she is losing her mind. But
Maia’s nightmare has only just begun when murder befalls the sleepy town of
Whisper Cape once again.
In addition, my young adult book, Allusive Aftershock, comes out soon too. A major earthquake changes seventeen-year-old Adela Castielle’s life as she knows it and the boy she thought she hated ends up saving her life. Three Times. Basically, Allusive Aftershock is a young steamy love story surrounded by fire, destruction and mayhem.
In addition, my young adult book, Allusive Aftershock, comes out soon too. A major earthquake changes seventeen-year-old Adela Castielle’s life as she knows it and the boy she thought she hated ends up saving her life. Three Times. Basically, Allusive Aftershock is a young steamy love story surrounded by fire, destruction and mayhem.
3. What inspired you to write it? I’ve
always had a vivid imagination. As a kid, I had an imaginary friend and I’d
make up stories in my head—always daydreaming. My love of romance stories
played a large role. When I’d read one that didn’t turn out the way I thought
it should, I’d think, why didn’t they write it this way instead? I guess it
really was after I read Nora Roberts’ Circle Trilogy—still to this day, one of
the best series I’ve ever read. After reading those three books, I told a
friend I thought I’d like to write a book. I’m the type of person that once I
say I’m going to do something I have to do it or I feel like a failure. So I
wrote Whisper Cape and enjoyed it.
4. What did you do before you became
an author? I raised three kids and managed a cell phone store. I
have a degree in Information Technology, but never really did anything with it.
5.
How
does it feel to be a published author? Busy. Haha. It’s a great
feeling. Sometimes scary, but I do get a warm and fuzzy feeling seeing my book
out there and holding a print copy in my hand or signing one.
6.
Any
advice for struggling writers? Seek
out other writers. There is a world of knowledge out there full of authors just
waiting to share their experiences. Your friends and family love you and will
always tell you your work is fantastic no matter what. Get the opinion of other
writers, join writing groups and get your work read by other writers.
7. Where do you see book publishing
heading? With the ease of digital publishing, I think more
authors will be publishing their own books—even some of the famous ones. I
think some already have. In my opinion, there have probably been some terrific books
that ended up getting snubbed and passed over by publishers and nobody ever got
to enjoy them. Thanks to the self-publishing digital formats and companies
offering print on demand, a lot of books that nobody would have ever seen are now
getting published. However, if a writer decides to go this route, they should
seriously consider hiring a professional editor. I think with all the writing
communities on the internet and writers helping each other, authors are
learning how to publish and market their own books better. Of course, unless
you have the big bucks to spend on marketing, a traditional publisher will
always be the more desirable of the two. I don’t think publishing will ever be
the same as it was, but nothing really ever stays the same forever.
For more information, see: Whisper Cape - A Paranormal Romance, available at Amazon.com
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