I love it when my IBPA magazine arrives. I know that it will have at least one thing that will help my business grow stronger. The January 2015 magazine was no exception. When I read “Assessing the Outlook for Bookstores” by Linda Carlson, it confirmed what I already knew. I wasn’t alone in my love of print books.
Over the past 28 years I have helped people promote their business to the public, creating unique advertising concepts for products such as dog carriers, name-brand fly rods, and national parks. One particular project included creating a recipe booklet for Flathead Cherries, a Montana business that dealt in, you guessed it, cherries. I can remember the thrill as I held the final printed piece, turning the pages and seeing the vibrant images pop off the page. Granted, for some, ebooks may evoke a similar thrill. For me, however, there seems to be something missing. Something customers are still finding in their local bookstores.
The Fight Begins
Just a few years ago, nearly every community had a small independent bookstore. The rise of retail chains, Amazon, and publishing companies’ websites triggered the decline and apparent demise of the independent bookstore. I am reminded of the romantic-comedy “You’ve got Mail,” where the big, bad ‘Fox’ chain bookstore shuts out the much smaller and independent bookstore ‘Shop Around the Corner.’
Not all independent stores died in the first battle. The survivors, however, faced financial challenges such as less buying power and lower discounts from suppliers which made it difficult for them to compete with larger chain stores. This inevitably squeezed out a significant number of the survivors, and when the chain bookstores closed, in order to concentrate their buying power online, they left neighborhoods without a bookstore.
“So does this mean books stores will continue to disappear?” Not according to those in the industry. Many brick-and-mortar bookstores report their businesses as “upbeat and positive” according to Carlson. “Without talking dollar figures, the store managers and owners I talked to at the fall conference of the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association were doing well and seemed optimistic about the coming season.”
Good examples of this upswing were the indie store owners Carlson interviewed in a trip down the Pacific Coast. “I heard more people express faith in the future of indie bookstores and I also heard evidence that the faith is justified.” She goes on to list a few Oregon bookstores including Cannon Beach Books which has seen an upturn since 2011—“People tell us they really want to hold a book.” WinterRiver Books in Bandon is also seeing “revenue rise every year” since 1990.
Mirian Stontz, CEO of Powell’s original Oregon bookstore, is quoted as saying, “The serendipity and joy of shopping in our trail stores continues to be the number one reason customers come back.”
According to Carlson, “The frosting on the proverbial cake” was the “Stephen Colbert ‘bump’ after Colbert and fellow Hachette author Sherman Alexie plugged Edan Lepucki’s debut novel, California, on air and recommended it be purchased through Powell’s in response to the Amazon-Hachette conflict, the store sold almost 10,000 copies prepublication, setting a record for pre-orders.”
However, not all booksellers were forthcoming with their assessments. Though they were currently meeting projections, several factors were cited that may hint at an eventual demise to many beloved brick-and-mortar bookstores including “the constant struggle to be profitable in an industry with such small margins, the reality of pervasive online competition and the ever-increasing choice for consumers’ time and money.”
Bookstores and Authors
Self-publishing authors understand competition all too well. In many ways the independent author and independent retail store are the same. Donna Paz Kaufman of Paz & Associates is familiar with “would-be booksellers who don’t invest time and money in attending training programs.” This can also be said for the ‘wanna-be’ author.
“Way too many people don’t do their homework and simply follow a dream, thinking it will somehow work out. In today’s competitive world, it’s nuts to invest thousands [of dollars or hours] and not train for this new career.”
For the independent author, doing your homework is imperative. You need to train for your career in writing, publishing, marketing and promotion. As a self-publishing author, you are the independent retail bookstore. Knowing what you are facing and how to deal with the challenges can help you survive.
Comment
As an Oregonian who lives in an extremely small community along highway 101, the call of online buying is extremely strong. There are no retail stores in the immediate vicinity, so traveling is a requirement, in some cases 25 – 50 miles. Yet, despite the easy accessibility of hundreds of ebooks on my device and free ARC ebooks that arrive monthly, I still venture out into the rain and wind to visit my local library or bookstore. Perhaps it stirs a childhood memory or stems from the baby boomer in me, but there is something comforting about curling up on the couch with a roaring fire, a cup of cocoa (or a fresh baked éclair) and a good book.
Yet, despite all its charms, the bookstore (and perhaps libraries) may soon become a nostalgic memory. No longer will the smells of printed pulp tickle noses while perusing the stacks. The soft, joyful sound of turning pages fade as loving hands are no longer there to caress its contents. That, my friends, will be a sad day indeed.
Kaufman sums up my sentiments perfectly, “Bookstores are beloved places, in the number two spot when communities ask what people want.” (First is bakeries.)
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ARTICLE SOURCE: IBPA Independent Magazine, January 2015, “Assessing the Outlook for Bookstores” by Linda Carlson
