Yesterday I drove to Sylva to sign books at City Lights--a fine independent bookstore that has hosted events for each of my six previous books. It felt like old times.
Almost. There was no room full of readers waiting to hear me talk, no table with wine and nibbly bits, in fact, no event.
There was a very nice cat named Cedric and the lovely, heart-warming feel of being in a bookstore.
I signed books...and bought some too.
I always buy books when I visit an independent bookstore. Times have been rough for them since the advent of Amazon and the pandemic hasn't made things easier.
But many are hanging on, valued community assets that they are. City Lights is one such beacon. Shopping there, or at any indy, feels like a vote for preserving civilization.
Things are shifting uneasily in the book world. It seems like almost every day brings news of another independent bookstore closing -- Jim Huang's The Mystery Company in Indiana and The Open Book in Greeneville, SC (after forty years!) are two of the latest casualties. In 1993 therewere 4,700 independent book stores in the US; by 2007, there were only 2,500. Heaven knows what the figures are today. Even the big chains, the well-known names, aren't showing the profits they once did.
Is it the economy? Is it the on-line book sellers? Is it e-books? Is it huge discounts in big-box stores? Is it a shrinking base of readers?
So far, the independents I know best in my area are still hanging in there -- making adjustments where necessary, adding a cafe here, joining forces with another bookseller there.
Long may they survive!
The indies are a treasure to the community -- holding readings, hosting book clubs and discussions, giving space to writers' groups, running book fairs to support various community projects -- and, oh yes, being real booksellers.
These are the folks who read the books and can tell you about them, who remember what sort of books you like and recommend similar ones. Indy booksellers tend to be passionate about books -- heaven knows they're not in it for the money!
These are the folks who've been very good to me, 'hand selling' my Elizabeth Goodweather books and hosting events where I can meet my readers.
And these are the charming little stores where I love to browse and discover new books -- the quiet little books that are under the bestsellers' radar, the quirky little books that'll never show up at Wal Mart, the regional books that teach me more about Appalachia . . .
So I make a point of doing some gift-buying at my local Indies. Even if I could save a few dollars by shopping on line.
It's my small vote in favor of the wonderful institution of the independent bookstore.
