If you’re an author or an avid reader you are expected to support and champion local bookstores. Which makes me, sort of, a pariah.
Confession: I probably purchase 90% of my books through Amazon.com.
Not only that, I don’t feel obligated to support local indie bookstores.
When Borders went out of business, there was much consternation and nostalgic gloom about the “good ol’ days” of publishing and the bleak future brought on by digital readers and self-publishing technology. Sorry, but I just couldn’t get on board with it. I mean, why don’t people moan about “the good ‘ol days” of horse drawn buggies, oil lanterns, and Underwood typewriters? The automobile, the light bulb, and computer technology put millions out of work and changed entire industries. Just like the digital revolution is doing.
In his article, The Local Christian Bookstore, Tim Challies references a provocative piece in Slate magazine entitled Don’t Support Your Local Bookseller. The author writes,
Compared with online retailers, bookstores present a frustrating consumer experience.
And I couldn’t agree more. After wading through gazillions of books on Amazon, all of which you can sample and read reviews, your local bookstore “offers a relatively paltry selection.” Furthermore,
It’s not just that bookstores are difficult to use. They’re economically inefficient, too. Rent, utilities, and a brigade of book-reading workers aren’t cheap, so the only way for bookstores to stay afloat is to sell items at a huge markup.
I realize that authors and avid readers approach this subject differently than “casual readers.” For instance, just last week I met a person at church who’d heard I was a writer and asked, “So I can get your book at the local Barnes and Noble? Really?”
As if being in B&N validated my authorship.
Like it or not, many people DO see Amazon as this amorphous, ethereal web entity. Only when you can see and hold an actual book can you be assured the thing’s for real. Which is probably why digital books and digital readers seem so weird to so many.
Kind of like the typewriter seemed against quill and ink.
The main arguments in the “support your local bookstore” campaign are two-fold: (1) It has actual books (i.e., hard copy on real shelves in a physical store in your neighborhood), and (2) It provides a literary enclave and nurtures a cultural, communal, intellectual experience.
The third argument is the one I find least compelling: The local bookstore provides local jobs.
Just like horse-drawn carriages kept the blacksmith in business.
There is a parallel when it comes to Christian bookstores. Tim Challies notes that he is often rebuked for pointing readers to online retailers rather than local Christian bookstores. The sentiment is that Christians should support local Christian businesses, Christian bookstores specifically. “What applies to independent bookstores would seem to apply doubly to Christian bookstores.” He concludes:
Let me be brutally honest: Visiting a local Christian bookstore feels like visiting a has-been business (as is the case with pretty much any other bookstore). The whole publishing industry is changing and the little family-owned Christian bookstore seems to be increasingly obsolete. And at least as it pertains to me, I don’t think I will lose anything when the last local Christian bookstore has closed its doors. I feel guilty saying that and I truly feel for the people who own those stores. But unless they can radically change what they do and how they do it, I don’t see most of them making it in this new world.
But having said that, I am very willing to be told that I am wrong and very willing to be told why I need to make a habit of regularly visiting my local store. I guess what I am saying is that the only reason I would visit a local Christian bookstore is because of that “ought.” Otherwise I will just shop online where it is more convenient and more cost effective and where I can get any book I want.
Like every other business, booksellers must learn to survive, they must “radically change what they do and how they do it.” And here’s the reason I think they can survive: Since I purchased a Kindle, I’m reading more than I ever have.
And I still buy hard copy. Lots of it.
Perhaps I’d be more concerned if the digital revolution was destroying literary culture and the writing community. Problem is, it hasn’t! So asking me to support my local bookstore feels like asking me to support my local blacksmith.
But even he’s got a car.
Mike, Local bookstores, like people and businesses in general, come in different sizes, shapes, and functionalities. There’s one local Christian bookstore a few blocks from my house that has been a great asset, recommending my books, asking me to do signings, and in general serving as an ally. Amazon has never done that.
On the other hand, the local Barnes & Noble, less than a mile from my home, stocks one copy of each of my books, and takes weeks to re-order when a copy sells. I had to almost beg to get one book-signing there, and when I did, they put me back in a corner and forgot me.
So, just as in looking for a grocery, a dry cleaner, or a dentist, I consider the experience each gives me, as well as the benefits–tangible and intangible–before choosing. In my case, I use Barnes & Noble and Amazon for my online purchases while I go to my local Mardel to buy books when I want them in my hands now. Others will act differently, and that’s fine as well.
As usual, thanks for making us think. And best wishes for a wonderful New Year.
Richard, while I agree that local bookstores can be a ally to an author, Amazon can do far more things than your local bookstore ever can… like make your book available cheaper, faster, to more people, around the globe. On Amazon, your book also has its own page, ratings and reviews, links to your other books, as well as links to you and your website, so that you can expand your platform to new fans. Bookstores just can’t offer that. Thanks for writing, Richard.
BTW — I’m thinking about attending the ACFW conference in Texas. Will you be there?
I’ll definitely be there, and I’ll look for you.
It’d be grand to see you there, Mike. I’ve been planning on it ever since not going last year…
Well I’m a big kindle fan, in fact I just upgraded and for some time now have bought electronic books whenever possible…including yours Mike. For the most part I agree with your thoughts on the big chains and smaller, mom & pop bookstores. On the other hand I see those stores as representing jobs in a weak economy and the smaller stores represent dreams people who love books had that now might be dashed due to a diminishing need for paper products. The movie “You’ve God Mail” always tugged at my heart when the small, local bookstore was run out of business by the big chain that moved into the area. But I am quite certain I will remain a hypocrite and purchase online. 😉
Someone gave me a B&N gift card last summer. I went into our local B&N, and found nothing on which I wanted to spend the gift card. I came home, looked the book up on B&N online store, and got exactly what I wanted, and it was delivered three days later. I live out in the Ocala National Forest, and it’s an hour drive to B&N store. It just makes sense to use Amazon and other online book stores.
It isn’t just local jobs, though, it’s also tax money you’re putting back into your community by shopping at indies, and still more at big box stores than from online.
And while the really proactive reader might sample all that stuff on Amazon, you are still competing against every other book online. If a bookseller takes a shine to your book they can handsell it to their customers. And that…handselling, personalized recommendations, good service, human interaction are all things that can’t happen on Amazon.
Of course I shop at Amazon, but I recognize what we’re losing as our bookstores go out of business.
“If a bookseller takes a shine to your book they can handsell it to their customers. And that…handselling, personalized recommendations, good service, human interaction are all things that can’t happen on Amazon.”
That’s a big “if,” Amy. And unless the store has a big clientele, handselling in an indie still has minimal reach. Social networking, on the other hand, can multiply a book’s reach in a way the local bookstore never could. If just the right person Tweets about me or posts a positive review of one of my books, it can go “viral” in a way no local bookstore could ever accomplish. Please note: I am not arguing against local bookstores, but for their adaptation. As with any business, if I’m made to feel obligated to support them, they’re already behind the eight ball. Good businesses and good business models draw customers, they don’t demand me to pity them. Amy, thanks for commenting. Hope you had a great Christmas!
I think they are trying to adapt for sure, at least from what I’ve read and seen, Amazon will always have an advantage though, because they are able to buy books in bulk at a discount rate something indies can’t do, so they have to try to make up for it in other ways like offering good personalized service, services for the community, etc….and IA I don’t like it when I’m made to feel like I should support them…I don’t even have a local indie! But at the same time, sometimes I think these campaigns are about educating people so they know what the indie can do and what services it offers their community and authors etc.
IDK I’m very conflicted about this!
About a month or two ago I went out with the express purpose of “supporting my local bookstore” by shopping for a set of MG books for my son. Borders had already gone out of business, but Barnes & Noble and Books-a-Million are still there.
But neither of them had the books. I’m not talking about indie press books or anything either. They’re published by Scholastic. I ended up going home and ordering them from Amazon, for cheaper than I’d have paid at the bookstore anyway.
It wouldn’t have upset me so much had the stores been brimming with books and the excuse could have been that they simply can’t stock every book out there. BUT, these bookstores have half their floor space filled with toys, puzzles, board games, trinkets, desk organizers, spiral notebooks, etc. Oh, and of course DVDs and CDs. And a coffee shop.
Let’s face is–bookstores aren’t really book stores anymore–they are stuff stores. And the last several times I’ve gone to them I’ve spent more on scones and green tea than I have on books. I generally leave frustrated because the books I WANT aren’t there, and I’ve wasted gas money searching when I could have stayed home and ordered the book already.
I “support” Barnes & Noble by buying a Nook and Nookbooks. (Not that I can even get a call-back from them about supporting me as a local author by allowing me to have a signing.) I really don’t feel guilty about buying from Amazon, because in all honesty it’s the *authors* I want to support and Amazon has the books in stock and for less money, so I can buy more books and support more authors. And your point, Mike, about the Amazon author pages and such–very good. Why doesn’t B&N offer author pages??? Sigh.
I would love to support some mom and pop bookstores, but there are so few within driving distance of me. However, I always duck into them when I happen to be near.
And I don’t understand the fuss about wanting to be in Christian bookstores. They are too much like Hallmark stores, imho. I go to Christian bookstores to buy t-shirts and car emblems and Bibles. Not books.
I totally agree about the bookstore madness selling everything from puzzles to DVDs. I go into Books A Million sometimes and on two rare occassions, actually found the books I wanted, including one by an Indie publisher! How odd is that? However, I too have spent more on the smoothies and cakes than their books.
Amazon.com usually have the books I’m looking for far cheaper. Christian bookstores however are just way too pricey as I’ve mentioned earlier(bottom of the posts). I have bought bookmarks and maybe one book a few years ago from a Christian bookstore and never went back.
“Buy local” is just neo-mercantilism, which ends up having the opposite of the intended effect, which was creating wealth. It doesn’t pay (hur hur) if demands aren’t met locally. Sometimes they are met, but if amazon is around then for most people they may not be since you can buy anything there, especially books.
I must confess I am conflicted on this one. I love some “local” independent stores and was devastated when one closed about a year ago. Since they are 45 minutes to an hour away from me, I can’t support them that often, but I love going to them for book signings. The staff knows me and my tastes, so they have recommended some real winners for me.
On the other hand, I like the discounts Amazon is able to give. It means I can buy more books. I haven’t gotten into ebooks yet, but I will probably have to soon as my condo is being over run with books.
But there are also parts of Amazon’s business practices I can’t stand. They act like a bully quite a bit. So I feel guilty about supporting them yet I do time and time again.
In my town, I have one Barnes and Nobel, which often has what I want in the way of new mysteries. Browsing their shelves, I’ve stumbled on some fun books by authors I wouldn’t have tried otherwise.
My local Christmas bookstore just moved to a great new, larger location. And it seems to be overrun now with more gifts and trinkets than ever before. Granted, I don’t read that much in the way of Christian books, but somehow I guess I couldn’t find them there if I really wanted to. And if I have to order something, I might as well do it from Amazon and save some money.
I agree. I mean I DO shop at Amazon, and I like the convenience and I understand all of that, but they ARE a bully and in some ways I think we are blinding ourselves to the sort of situation we are helping to create by shopping there. I also don’t like it when indies act like I should support them, but sometimes it’s just a matter of getting info out there.
It’s no secret that I was a NOOK when it wasn’t cool. My NOOK color is one year old and has led me to far more reading than I could accomplish before. That said, I still love our local used book store. It’s been there almost 50 years and provides a great place to visit. No gifts, no frills, just books. Thousands of them. And those ladies know every single product in their store. Just give them a plot line or an author name and they know if they have the book. Sure they are probably fading away, but I like vintage cars too so what can I say?
All very good arguments. But it leaves me wondering. What is the solution?
The gaming industry is going through the same kind of upheaval with digital distribution making CDs and DVDs of games obsolete. Who wants to pay 60 bucks for a game you can get off Steam for 15?
Books are the same way. Thirty bucks for a hardcover when the ebook is 10? You can’t beat that with a stick.
So what should bookstores do? Sell ebooks and readers? Offer kiosks where you can purchase music and download it to your player? Or how about a print-on-demand thing where you can buy your ebook and get a hard copy for five extra bucks?
That would be pretty cool, actually.
Kessie, I actually read an article a while back–wish I could remember where–in which someone predicted that bookstores will start looking more like gathering places, with lots of sitting areas and the coffee shop, etc. There would be no more multiple copies of books and stock to keep up, but rather a single copy of each–maybe even not a whole book, but rather a sample with just the front and back covers and a chapter or two inside–meant for browsing. The w-fi would allow you to download books to your ereaders, of course, and there would be kiosks where you’d swipe your credit card and in about three minutes your printed book would pop out–on location print on demand machines :). I really wish I could remember where I read that. It sounded like a really cool idea to me.
That does sound really cool! 🙂
I do worry about where that would leave us, when I play the “apocalypse game” in my head. Without electricity and internet, the books would disappear. Our society is built on ever more fragile foundations, and all it’ll take is one big solar flare, or a nuke detonated in the atmosphere to EMP the power grid, to completely destroy us.
Kessie, I’m not abandoning hard copy books at all. In fact, I probably still buy roughly the same amount of hard copy books as I did pre-ereader. When I want a quick read, something that’s really cheap (or free), or certain research books, the ereader is the way to go. However, my physical library is still a lot bigger than my virtual one. And I trust it always will be.
That sounds great!
Kessie,
I think the Kiosk solution would be excellent! Right now I use POD and it is great for my readers and for me. Very economical, efficient.
I have purchased a book through my Pandigital for 9.99 and was extremely happy, so was my wallet.
I live in a small town. From a reader’s perspective, we used to have a great local bookstore. The owner stocked unusual books, so I could always find unique gifts for my friends and family. From an author’s perspective, of course, these types of bookstores are hit and miss. But I’m a reader, not a published author. When the owner had to close due to a triple bypass, it left this gaping hole in our community. Now there’s nowhere to buy a book for a friend at the last minute. I would literally have to drive 80 miles to the north or south in order to find a physical bookstore, or I’d have to wait for a book to ship (most people I know don’t have e-readers). I find that kind of sad. I’m not a fan of globalization or sameness (that would mean both chain stores and online stores), even if this kind of commerce is good for authors. Getting out in the world is good for the soul. Of course, you have to understand that I have a big piece of my heart invested in a local art gallery that’s struggling to stay afloat. When we had a big snowstorm last week, many travelers got stuck in our small town–which meant that they did their last minute Christmas shopping at the gallery–not on their smart phones or at Wal Mart. What if the gallery hadn’t been there? Our town would have been just another Wal Mart void, where the only culture can be found on mobile devices with wireless capability.
I’m not a Luddite by any stretch of the imagination. I love e-books and technology in general. But being stuck at my computer all the time with nowhere to go would SUCK.
Jill, I’m not for the WalMartization of everything. But I also cringe when we frame this as “the fading of culture,” like we’re barreling towards some New Dark Age if we don’t support our local bookseller. Books will survive. Artists will survive. Entrepreneurs will survive. Thespians will survive. Sure, local art galleries, playhouses, and indie bookstores will come and go. How we shop, display, sell, watch, listen, is all changing. But it’s too easy to blame Walmart and Amazon for some demise, as if they’re the Barbarians plundering culture. Also, one of the things I love about my Kindle is precisely that I don’t have to be “stuck at my computer all the time.” Thanks for commenting!
The owner of one local bookstore (Eighth Day Books, Wichita, KS) makes all the difference for me. Warren is more knowledgeable about the niche he has carved out – Orthodox and Spiritual Lit – than anything I can find on the web. He has a great reputation in our community. He serves wine at open houses. He knows my name.
He knows my name.
Amen. I could care a less about the local Barnes & Noble. And I do shop Amazon for books I can’t fine elsewhere. But it will be an awful day when my favorite little indie/used paperback shop – which I visit once a week – closes its doors.
As for Kindle, we already know my feelings on that…..
One of the benefits of brick-and-mortar stores, I think, is that you can find books you weren’t looking for. I absolutely love the experience of walking through Barnes and Noble or used bookstores and perusing the shelves, checking out books that look interesting, and finding a book I never would have found online—because online, I only see what I click on. True, Amazon gives you a few suggestions similar to what you’re looking at, but you can’t “discover” books online in the way you can in a physical bookstore.
That said, I mostly go to B&N to find book ideas, which I then order used from Amazon.
Bottom line, like you said, Mike, we probably only need to worry ” if the digital revolution was destroying literary culture and the writing community.” And it’s definitely not doing that.
The discovery aspect is a good point. I’ve done the same — although I order through B&N. . .not a big fan of Amazon.
That’s why I still browse B&N. Amazon is great and provides many recommendations, but I am still amazed at what I run across at the B&N that I wasn’t aware of. One can look over a table of books and preview faster than on-line. Our brains are still faster than high-speed internet. Avid readers and writers should take advantage of the benfits that both book worlds provide. To keep up on what’s out there I use brick & mortar, on-line, bookclubs, etc. For those who read constantly, one avenue isn’t enough to sample the vast book world.
People blame Borders’ demise on the digital revolution. No, the company died from over-expansion, bad investments and then a failure to adapt. Publishers still are making most money from paper. Digital has its place, but when all of your Kindles and Nooks die, the power goes out, or society collapses, people with books will have the advantage. I write that partly in humor, but there’s truth in it, too. Basiclly the scenario played out in the movie Book of Eli.
In some areas, independents have prospered as the giant bookstores have faltered. They have stepped in to fill the need or have specialized markets. Like any business, bookstores will ebb and flow with changing economics driven by the consumer.
Of course, not everyone has or is comfortable using a debit/credit card, which is sort of a must when shopping online. That, in my opinion, is a pretty good reason to hope brick and mortar bookstores are here to stay. Not to mention, I enjoy browsing a bookstore much more than online browsing. The atmosphere is better. I can browse more comfortably. Not to mention people are more likely to buy something they can hold in their hands.
Then you have to take into account the expense. A book can last hundreds of years, while a digital reader will eventually need to be replaced — like any computer (I just bought this one a few days ago, because my other was obsolete. So, price is another concern.
Then there are older books, great ones but not great enough to be published digitally it seems. I don’t know if this has changed, but I could not find The Exorcist in digital format. . .I -did- order it online, though.
But, honestly, I see no reason to actively support bookstores. They’ll sink or swim. Simple as that. If the majority of folks are like me, bookstores are here to stay (and yes, I do own a nook, and I love it, but I love paper books as well). If not, they’ll go. That’s Capitalism.
I’m on board with you. I haven’t used brick and mortal stores for several years. For me, it boils down to economics and availability.
1. Prior to getting an e-reader in January, 2011, I bought very few paper books because of the expense. When I DID buy books, I largely skipped fiction and saved my scant few dollars for purchasing non-fiction titles that I use for my research. Which leads to point 2:
2. Brick and mortar stores very rarely ever have the specific book I need. They’re fine for the average Joe who simply wants to run in and pick up the latest title on the best seller list, but if you have a specialized interest, the B&N’s of the world aren’t going to have what you need. Which leads to point 3:
3. I can spend my hard earned dollars the most wisely by shopping at either Amazon (for new titles) or Abebooks (for older, or out of print non-fiction titles). Even if I didn’t have to scrape together every nickle I cannot give myself a valid reason for paying in-store retail prices when I can obtain the same more cheaply through Amazon or Abe, even including shipping charges!
The only thing I use the B&N for is to meet friends at the cafe or to use the cafe’s wi-fi. So my purchases at B&N are in the cafe, not the bookstore.
You make some valid arguments. However, you can also read the books there at the book store. And you’re not stuck on just reading what they want you to read online. You can pick up the book and read a little on a cozy couch–any part of it–and decide if you want to buy it. I like my kindle, but I’ve always been a reader and so my reading has not increased because of my kindle.
I do think book stores need to reassess how they do business in order to accommodate the new electronic surge. If bookstores figure out how to stay in business while cultivating the reading crowd and encourage more people to come to the bookstore, then I think they could stay in business. I like going to the book store because of the cafe and browsing experience. Plus, bookstores sell other things, too, which tempts me.
On another note, what I love about my kindle though is being able to share what I am reading with my friends. I just got my kindle this month…an early Christmas present. Fits nicely in my purse.
I have the Pandigital novel+multimedia tablet and have downloaded lots of books from B&N, Adobe Digital Editions/Kindle books, and Smashwords books and love it! Although I still very much buy print books from Amazon.com.
The reason why I pretty much stay away from brick and mortar Christian shops is because they are way too pricey for me. Plus if I ever want my book placed on the shelves they would reject me- flat out.
I frequently buy from christianbook.com because they have low prices and deals, especially every Friday. So I save money and have great books to read. This is the new generation of Download. If you want it now and at a decent price- Download.
Great post, Mike. I completely agree with you and applaud you taking such a potentially unpopular stance.
Happy New Year!
-Jimmy
I tried to stay out of this. Maybe posting late is just as good.
This topic resonates hugely with me.
I live in a Certain City In The South where we’ve had independent bookstores that were well-loved Meccas that died on the vine due to mismanagement at the corporate level. Those stores made money here but closed because the corp. who bought them thought they didnt make ENOUGH. Exeunt beloved bookstore.
Enter a popular local author.
If you’re a reader or an author chances are you could NOT escape the press a few weeks ago about Noted Author’s Big Risk in opening an Indie bookstore.
Here we are besieged by interviews, articles, emails and FB posts that tell us we don’t deserve a nice local bookstore if we aren’t willing to pay a premium to shop there.
As if snobbery invented its own tax.
All of the “services” this store provides can already be had at our public library and it’s 30 branches. But there’s this mindset that says “shop local” and “support Indie bookstores”.
Me? I choose to buy my books where I can get the best price. And for all of 2012 I hope to donate the difference between that low price and the Indie Store’s premium price to the library.